Key facts
This is an ideal card for someone tapped into the Chase ecosystem. While you can certainly use it as a cash back card with a few select bonus categories, like 3% on dining and at drugstores, the power of this card is truly unleashed when you also have one of three cards that are able to transfer Ultimate Rewards points to Chase’s airline and hotel transfer partners.
Those three cards are the Chase Sapphire Reserve® card, the Chase Sapphire Preferred® card, and the Chase Ink Business Preferred®.
Annual Fee:
$0Min. Credit Score for Approval:
670-739 * GoodAPR on Purchases:
0 % Intro APR on purchases for 15 months, 19.74%-28.49% thereafterAPR on Balance Transfers:
0% Intro APR on balance transfers for 15 months, 19.74%-28.49% thereafterBalance transfer fees
Either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater.Foreign Transaction Fee:
3% of each transaction in U.S. dollarsReward multipliers
Here’s how the Chase Freedom Unlimited credit card will earn rewards:
- 5X on travel when purchased through Chase Travel℠*
- 5X on Lyft until March 2025
- 3X on dining (including takeout and eligible delivery services)
- 3X at drugstore purchases
- 1.5X on everything else
(* Keep in mind, booking via the portal for hotels means that you won’t, in most cases, earn any hotel points / stay credits nor have any hotel elite status honored. For airlines, the fares are generally the same or similar, however, it does mean that you have to deal with Chase for changes instead of the airline directly – and that can sometimes be a hassle versus working directly with the airline. However, for those not chasing status, this is certainly a great way to rack up more Chase points!)
Earns bonus points for spend in the following bonus categories:
Earn this multiplier when you purchase via Chase Travel℠. If you purchase any other way, you will earn 1.5X points.
Estimated Rewards Value: 5%
Earn this multiplier when you purchase via Chase Travel℠. If you purchase any other way, you will earn 1.5X points.
Estimated Rewards Value: 5%
Earn this multiplier when you purchase via Chase Travel℠. If you purchase any other way, you will earn 1.5X points.
Estimated Rewards Value: 5%
Estimated Rewards Value: 5%
Estimated Rewards Value: 3%
Estimated Rewards Value: 3%
Estimated Rewards Value: 1.5%
Pair another card and boost your rewards
In some cases, adding cards from the same points system will increase your rewards by unlocking a higher point value based on the ability to transfer points to air or hotel partners. In other cases, the cards simply work together to earn more points with one bank or diversify your bonus category rewards across banks.
Key features
Unique Card Benefits
DoorDash
You’ll get 3 months of complimentary DoorDash DashPass if you activate by 12/31/24,
However, if you enroll after Feb 1, 2025, you’ll get 6 months. It’s one time only, so we suggest waiting.
This will give you $0 delivery fees on most orders over $12.
0% Intro APR on Purchases
0 % Intro APR on purchases for 15 months, 19.74%-28.49% thereafter
0% Intro APR on Balance Transfers
0% Intro APR on balance transfers for 15 months, 19.74%-28.49% thereafter
Balance Transfer Fees: Either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater.
Secondary Car Rental CDW Waiver
Decline the CDW/LDW coverage offered by the car rental agency and reserve and pay for your rental with your card and you will receive collision and damage waiver coverage – secondary to your own insurance. (Note that there are other credit cards that come with primary CDW coverage if that is important to you.)
Limitations on car types and values apply as well as certain country restrictions, so review the details before you rent.
Purchase Protection
You’ll have new purchases made with your Freedom Unlimited card covered for 120 days against damage or theft up to $500 per claim and $50,000 per account.
Extended Warranty
This benefit extends the U.S. manufacturer’s warranty for an eligible purchase made on your card by an additional year, on eligible warranties of three years or less.
Trip Protections
Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance
This coverage provides reimbursement of up to $1,500 per person and $6,000 per trip for your pre-paid, non-refundable passenger fares if your trip is canceled or shortened by sickness, severe weather and other covered situations. Conditions apply.
Travel and Emergency Assistance Services
If you run into a problem away from home, call the Benefit Administrator for legal and medical referrals or other travel and emergency assistance. (You will be responsible for the cost of any goods or services obtained.)
No Fees for Authorized Users
Add someone to your Chase Freedom Unlimited account as an authorized user with no additional fees.
Free Access to Credit Score
Free access to Chase Credit Journey helps keep an eye on your credit score and check in on your credit health.
Free Access to Credit Score
Via Chase Credit Journey
Earn more rewards by combining credit cards
Pros & cons
- No annual fee
- 0% Intro APR offers on both purchases and balance transfers
- Points earned can be combined with other cards that earn Chase Ultimate Rewards
- Cannot transfer points to airline or hotel partners unless you also have a Chase Sapphire Preferred, Sapphire Reserve, or Ink Business Preferred
- Carries a foreign transaction fee of 3%
- Limited travel protections and no bonus points on travel purchases
Our review
This is a staple card in the Chase Trifecta, which includes a Chase Sapphire Preferred or Chase Sapphire Reserve, a Chase Freedom Flex, and this card, the Chase Freedom Unlimited.
The primary benefit of this card, from a bonus category perspective, is the ability to earn 1.5% on all purchases that don’t have a bonus category. So while you earn 3% on dining and drugstore purchases with the Freedom Unlimited, you’ll earn 1.5% cash back on anything else, like insurance or utilities.
But since the Chase Freedom Unlimited is a pure cash back credit card unless you also have a Chase Sapphire Preferred®, Sapphire Reserve®, or Ink Business Preferred® with which to combine your Chase Ultimate Rewards points, it’s ideally used as a combo.
When you hold one of these premium Ultimate Rewards-earning credit cards, you can transfer points earned on the Freedom Unlimited to the premium card. Once you’ve moved the Ultimate Rewards over to the premium credit card, you can take advantage of points transfers to 12 Chase airline and hotel partners or book travel through the travel portal.
If you book through Chase Travel℠ and have a Sapphire Reserve, your points redeem for 1.5 cents each, meaning that you earn 1.5X points or cash back per dollar and redeem them for 1.5X, giving you an effective 2.25% return on your spend.
If you book through Chase Travel℠ and have a Sapphire Preferred, or Ink Business Preferred, your points redeem for 1.25 cents each, meaning that you earn 1.5X per dollar and redeem for 1.5X, giving you an effective 1.875% return on your spend.
But our absolute favorite way to redeem is always via airline and hotel transfer partners. The easiest high-value redemption is usually Hyatt. We often get better than 2 cents per World of Hyatt point. Keep in mind that Hyatt doesn’t charge any resort fees when you stay on a free night award. So let’s say you are looking at a hotel with a cash price of $259 and a $25 a night resort fee and 8% tax. That would come to $307 a night. But if that same room costs 8,000 or 12,000 Hyatt points, you could be using your points (which transfer at an even 1:1 ratio to all airline and hotel partners) with a rate of return of 3 – 4 cents.
That said, even without a card combo, it’s still a solid card to earn 1.5% cash back (plus 3% on dining, including takeout and eligible delivery services, and drugstores) since it has no annual fee. Best of all, you can accrue cash back on this card and decide to add a Chase Sapphire Preferred®, Sapphire Reserve®, or Ink Business Preferred® later on – if you suddenly decide that you’d like to delve into the world of credit card rewards that transfer to frequent flyer and hotel programs to book free award flights and hotel nights.
It comes with a solid range of benefits for a card with no annual fee, too. You’ll get Purchase Protection and Extended Warranty on the shopping side and you’ll be taken care of on canceled or shortened pre-paid trips if a covered reason arises. with the included Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance.
Frequently asked questions
Does the Chase Freedom Unlimited have an annual fee?
No, the Chase Freedom Unlimited has no annual fee.
Does the Chase Freedom Unlimited get you into airport lounges?
As a no-fee credit card, the Freedom Unlimited does not come with perks like airport lounge access. You can see credit cards with airport lounge access here.
Is it hard to get the Chase Freedom Unlimited?
You’d have good odds with a FICO score of about 670 (Good) or better.
Is it worth getting the Chase Freedom Unlimited?
It’s an especially important part of the Chase Trifecta. So yes, it’s worth getting the Freedom Unlimited to pair with a Chase Sapphire Preferred or Chase Sapphire Reserve for a powerful card combo. The card is also a World Elite Mastercard which comes with a range of powerful benefits.
How do I earn points / cash with the Chase Freedom Unlimited?
- 5X on travel when purchased through the Chase Ultimate Rewards portal*
- 5X on Lyft until March 2025
- 3X on dining (including takeout and delivery)
- 3X at drugstores
- 1.5X on everything else
It’s important to remember that you are earning pure cash back but if you have a Chase Sapphire Preferred or Chase Sapphire Reserve, you can move your cash back points over to those cards where they become full Ultimate Rewards points – transferable to more than a dozen airline and hotel programs as well as other ways to redeem rewards.
Is there a better credit card than the Chase Freedom Unlimited?
It always depends both on what you categories spend the most on and what features and benefits are most important to you. That’s why we created our Famous Card Explorer to help you find Your Best Credit Card.
Does the Chase Freedom Unlimited charge foreign transaction fees?
Yes, the Chase Freedom Unlimited will charge you a 3% foreign transaction fee when you use the card abroad or to make purchases in foreign currency.
Does the Chase Freedom Unlimited have car rental coverage?
It comes with CDW / LDW coverage secondary to your own insurance. You can see credit cards with Primary CDW coverage here.
Does the Chase Freedom Unlimited come with any Elite Status?
No, as a no annual fee card, the Chase Freedom Unlimited does not offer any airline or hotel elite statuses.
Does the Chase Freedom Unlimited offer extended warranty?
Yes, this complimentary benefit extends the U.S. manufacturer’s warranty for an eligible purchase made on your Chase Freedom Unlimited by an additional year, on eligible warranties of three years or less.
Does the Chase Freedom Unlimited offer purchase protection?
It sure does. New purchases made with your Freedom Unlimited covered for 120 days against damage or theft up to $500 per claim and $50,000 per account.
Does the Chase Freedom Unlimited offer trip protections?
Only Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, which provides reimbursement of up to $1,500 per person and $6,000 per trip for your pre-paid, non-refundable passenger fares if your trip is canceled or shortened by sickness, severe weather and other covered situations. Conditions apply.
What credit score do I need to get the Chase Freedom Unlimited?
Around a 670 or better.
What can I do with the points earned for spending on the Chase Freedom Unlimited?
The Chase Freedom Unlimited card earns cash back. You earn these as Chase Ultimate Rewards points, but the points can only be exchanged for cash.
That is, unless you have a Chase Sapphire Preferred, Chase Sapphire Reserve or a Chase Ink Business Preferred. In that case, you can transfer the cash “points” from this card to any of those cards, where they become fully transferable points (i.e. to airline and hotel programs).
Does the Chase Freedom Unlimited have Cell Phone Protection?
It does not. You can see credit cards with a cell phone protection benefit here.
What is the minimum credit limit for Chase Freedom Unlimited?
While you won’t be approved for a Visa Signature card like the Chase Sapphire Preferred unless their systems will approve you for a $5,000 or higher credit link, the Chase Freedom Unlimited, which is a World Elite Mastercard, has no such minimum and you can have a credit line as low as $500.
The Chase Freedom Unlimited card vs. the Chase Freedom Flex card
There are virtually the same with one major difference. The Freedom Unlimited earns 1.5% cash back on all spend not in a bonus category. The Freedom Flex only earns 1% on spend not in a bonus category, but has rotating bonus categories each quarter that earn 5% back on selected categories (on up to $1,500 in purchases in those categories each quarter).
They both earn 3% back on dining at restaurants including takeout and eligible delivery.
You can also see a side by side comparison of the Chase Freedom Unlimited and the Chase Freedom Flex card.
How Does the Chase Freedom Unlimited card compare with the Chase Sapphire Preferred card?
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® has a $95 annual fee but does allow transfers to airline and hotel partners of Chase Ultimate Rewards, where as the Unlimited does not on its own. The Sapphire Preferred also has no foreign transaction fees, primary car rental CDW coverage, better trip delay coverage and more.
You can also see a side by side comparison of the Chase Freedom Unlimited and the Chase Sapphire Preferred card.
How Does the Chase Freedom Unlimited card compare with the Citi Double Cash card?
The Citi Double Cash lacks any bonus categories, but earns 2% cash back on all eligible purchases.
You can also see a side by side comparison of the Chase Freedom Unlimited and the Citi Double Cash® card.