The Chase Freedom Unlimited® is a no-annual-fee credit card that offers least 1.5% cash back rewards everywhere paired with generous benefits. But the Freedom Unlimited’s superpower is that it earns Ultimate Rewards® points behind the scenes, making it an excellent card to pair with a premium Ultimate Rewards card like the Chase Sapphire Preferred® or Chase Sapphire Reserve®.
Chase Freedom Unlimited® at a glance
The Chase Freedom Unlimited® is an excellent choice for a use-anywhere card, thanks to its 1.5% cash back rewards and extended warranty benefit.
Chase Freedom Unlimited® welcome offer
Welcome offer: EARN A $250 BONUS after spending $500 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening.
This bonus is marketed as cash back, but is awarded as Ultimate Rewards points.
Chase often offers better in-branch bonuses on this card that you won’t see online.
Annual fee: $0
Rewards
- 5% on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠.
- 3% on dining at restaurants, including eligible takeout and delivery services.
- 3% drugstore purchases.
- 1.5% on other purchases.
Rewards are marketed as cash back, but earned as Chase Ultimate Rewards® points.
Ultimate Rewards® can be combined across cards you hold. If you hold a premium Ultimate Rewards card, you can transfer your points to Chase’s transfer partners or use your points for increased value when you book travel through Chase Travel℠. For more about using Ultimate Rewards, check out our guide on the Ultimate Rewards program.
Benefits
Consumer insurance benefits
Travel insurance benefits
- Trip Cancellation and Interruption Insurance.
- Auto Rental Coverage.
- Roadside Assistance.
- Travel and Emergency Assistance.
Partner benefits and statement credits
- 6 months of complimentary access to DashPass.
Subject to auto-renewal at the current monthly rate. Activate by December 31, 2027.
Rates and Fees
- Annual fee: $0
- Foreign transaction fee: 3% of the amount of each transaction in U.S. dollars.
Chase Freedom Unlimited® review
Cards and Points Rating: 5.0/5.0
Read more about our star ratings.
The Chase Freedom Unlimited® offers solid rewards everywhere, bonus rewards in a handful of useful categories, a great welcome offer, and benefits that are best-in-class among credit cards with no annual fee.
But perhaps the most compelling aspect of the Freedom Unlimited is how it pairs with other Chase credit cards. If you also hold a premium Ultimate Rewards® credit card, such as the Chase Sapphire Preferred® you can get increased value out of your points through travel redemptions.
Frankly, there aren’t many reasonable requests that we could make to improve the Chase Freedom Unlimited®—it’s already offering much more value than it probably needs to.
Pros
- 1.5% cash back on every purchase, plus bonus categories.
- Extended warranty and purchase protection.
- No annual fee.
- Great pick if you want a single card to use everywhere.
- Earns Ultimate Rewards® points.
Cons
- New cardmember offers are different through different channels—you have to hunt around to get the best offer.
- Ultimate Rewards® ecosystem doesn’t have great options for gas or grocery rewards.
How to maximize the Chase Freedom Unlimited®
When it comes to getting the most out of the Chase Freedom Unlimited®, the key is pairing the card with a premium Ultimate Rewards credit card like the Chase Sapphire Preferred® or Chase Sapphire Reserve®.
When you do, you can move the points that you earn on the Freedom Unlimited over to your premium Ultimate Rewards card and transfer them to travel transfer partners for high-value awards. Learn more about the best redemption options and point transfers in our Guide to Ultimate Rewards.
As a standalone card, simply redeem your points for cash back—the other redemption options will, with limited exceptions, almost always provide less value than cash back redemptions. And be sure to become familiar with the card’s extended warranty and purchase protection benefits, in case you need to use those for something you purchased.
Who is Chase Freedom Unlimited® best for?
The Chase Freedom Unlimited® is a card that almost anyone can benefit from having in their wallet, thanks to its combination of good rewards everywhere, good consumer benefits, and no annual fee. But these types of people will benefit most from the Freedom Unlimited:
- Someone who wants simplicity. The Chase Freedom Unlimited® is a good choice if you want a single no-annual-fee card to use everywhere. Yes, you can get cards that earn 2% everywhere, but most of those cards do not include the extended warranty and purchase protections offered by the Freedom Unlimited.
- Travelers collecting Chase Ultimate Rewards®. If you hold a Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card or Chase Sapphire Reserve® adding the Freedom Unlimited to your wallet can increase the rewards you earn “everywhere else” by 50%. Ultimate Rewards can be transferred between cards, so you can use the points you earn on your Freedom Unlimited for the enhanced redemption options on your premium cards.
- Frequent diners. The Freedom Unlimited isn’t marketed as a dining card, but it earns 3% rewards on dining, including takeout and eligible delivery services. If you’re currently earning less on dining out, you should pick up this card.
Cards that complement the Chase Freedom Unlimited®
Because the Chase Freedom Unlimited® earns Ultimate Rewards® points, there are a handful of other Chase cards that can make the rewards you earn more valuable and increase the total amount of rewards you earn. Here are some other cards you should consider.
- The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card and Chase Sapphire Reserve® earn more rewards on travel and open up opportunities to get more value from your points through travel redemptions. Since you can transfer your Ultimate Rewards points between cards, you can move your points to either card and get more value when you redeem points through Chase Travel℠.
- The Chase Freedom Flex℠ offers bonus rewards in its 5% rotating quarterly bonus categories. Historically, rotating categories have included useful categories like grocery stores, Target, Amazon.com, gas stations, PayPal, wholesale clubs, and home improvement stores. The card also has a cell phone protection benefit, with the Freedom Unlimited lacks.
- Small business owners can add an Ink Business Cash® Credit Card or an Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card to their wallet. The Ink Cash earns additional rewards in business-related categories and the Ink Preferred earns more rewards on travel while enabling redemptions through Chase Travel℠ for 25% more value and transfers to travel partners.
- For more rewards on gas and groceries, the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express fills in where the Freedom Unlimited earns only 1.5%. The Blue Cash Preferred earns 6% cash back at U.S. supermarkets on up to $6,000 per year in purchases (then 1%) and 3% cash back at U.S. gas stations and on transit. You’ll also earn 6% cash back on select U.S. streaming services and 1% cash back elsewhere.
Alternatives to the Chase Freedom Unlimited®
If you are looking for a single card that earns good rewards everywhere, here are a few alternatives to consider:
- The TD Double Up Credit Card earns 2% cash back on all of your eligible purchases. You’ll also receive Visa benefits like cell phone protection, purchase security and extended warranty. Unfortunately, the card is only available if you are within TD Bank’s U.S. footprint—which includes only a handful of states on the east coast.
- If you are not averse to paying an annual fee, the U.S. Bank Altitude® Reserve Visa Infinite® card can get you 3% cash back or 4.5% travel rewards anywhere you use a mobile wallet to check out. The card has a $400 annual fee, but that can be largely offset by $325 in annual credits that apply toward eligible travel and dining purchases.
- Small business owners might want to consider the Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card for its 1.5% cash back (also earned as Ultimate Rewards®). If you spend a lot month-to-month, keeping the spending on a business card can help you keep high balances off your personal credit report. Plus the card almost always has one of the best Ultimate Rewards new cardmember welcome bonuses.
Bottom line: An excellent card on its own, and an Ultimate Rewards® powerhouse
The Chase Freedom Unlimited® is a card that almost everyone should consider getting. Between its great rewards everywhere and its suite of benefits, you’re almost certainly going to better your wallet by picking up the card. And if you have other cards in the Chase Ultimate Rewards ecosystem, the card is a must-have.
