The Chase Freedom Unlimited is an all-around excellent card that has much to offer cardholders.
Rewards rate: Boosted cash back rate in everyday categories
The Chase Freedom Unlimited stands out as one of the most valuable no-annual-fee cash back cards on the market, and it especially shines for its elevated rewards rates in popular categories. For example, few cards offer 3 percent back at drugstores, a key spending category for many people. Though plenty of cards offer 3 percent cash back on dining, the Freedom Unlimited includes eligible takeout and delivery purchases in this category, while others may not.
The 5 percent rewards rate on Lyft purchases (through March 2025) and 5 percent cash back on all travel purchases in the Chase Travel portal give the card a great travel focus compared to other flat-rate cards. However, frequent travelers may benefit more from a travel-focused card, like the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card or Chase Sapphire Reserve® Card.
The Freedom Unlimited card stands out because it pairs the high cash back rates on tiered rewards cards with the boosted bottom line familiar to flat-rate cards. In addition, it also earns Chase Ultimate Rewards points, which you can redeem for cash back at a 1:1 rate.
Rewards program: Flexible and potentially powerful
The Chase Freedom Unlimited offers various redemption choices. You can redeem your cash back for a statement credit, direct deposit, travel, gift cards or online purchases at Amazon.com. Like many other credit cards, you can also redeem your rewards for charitable contributions (which currently have a 25 percent boost in value).
You can also combine your rewards with a premium Ultimate Rewards card, like the Chase Sapphire cards or the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card, to enjoy additional flexibility. As a premium travel card holder, you can transfer rewards to one of Chase’s transfer partners at a 1:1 ratio, or redeem for travel purchases to receive an up to 50 percent boost to the value of your redemption. This feature makes the Chase Freedom Unlimited a crucial part of the popular and valuable Chase Trifecta, a three-Chase-card combination that allows you to maximize Ultimate Rewards.
Welcome offer: Unique cash back rate boost
The Freedom Unlimited card's latest welcome offer is a nice step up from its "business as usual" offer, giving you a chance at up to $300 in cash back. As a new cardholder, you can earn an additional 1.5 percent cash back on everything you buy, up to $20,000 spent in the first year. When maxed out, this new offer is a $100 boost to the card's typical offer of just $200 after spending $500 in your first three months.
Instead of earning a lump sum of bonus cash back after you meet a set spending requirement, you'll enjoy an extra 1.5 percent back on everything you buy. You'll earn 6.5 percent back on travel purchased through Chase Travel, 4.5 percent back on dining and drugstores and 3 percent back on all other purchases. These boosted rates apply to the first $20,000 you spend during your first year. After you meet that threshold, the rate drops back down to normal.
A 3 percent cash back rate is almost as good as it gets for general purchases, and 6.5 percent back on Chase Travel can offer huge savings if you have a trip on the horizon. This offer makes now a terrific time to apply for the Freedom Unlimited card. It improves on the card's typical offer and beats nearly every other sign-up bonus on other no-annual-fee cash back cards. The only downside is that in order to earn the full bonus, you'll need to spend $20,000 in your first year, which is tougher to meet than $500 in your first three months.
Cardholder perks: Generous for a card with no annual fee
You won’t find tons of perks on the Chase Freedom Unlimited like you’d find on a travel or luxury card. However, the card offers a few handy benefits rarely found on a no-annual-fee credit card.
Chief among these perks is a complimentary subscription to DashPass, DoorDash’s membership service, after you enroll. DashPass gets you unlimited deliveries with a $0 delivery fee on orders over $12. The Freedom Unlimited comes with three months of free DashPass membership, after which — if you don’t cancel beforehand — you’re automatically enrolled in DashPass for 50 percent off the monthly rate (typically $9.99 per month) for the next nine months. This offer is only eligible for those who activate the offer by Dec. 31, 2024.
The card also offers some perks designed to help save and protect your money, such as purchase protection and extended warranty protection. If something you bought with the card is damaged or stolen within 120 days of your purchase, the Freedom Unlimited covers the cost, up to $500 per claim and $50,000 per account. Plus, eligible U.S. manufacturers’ warranties of three years or less on items you purchase with the card are extended by a year.
Finally, the card also comes with trip cancellation and interruption insurance. These are prized perks when travel looks uncertain, and you typically only find this level of coverage with travel cards that charge a hefty annual fee. If your trip is canceled or cut short due to sickness, severe weather or other covered circumstances, you can be reimbursed up to $1,500 per person and $6,000 per trip for prepaid tickets and non-refundable passenger fares.
Intro APR: Save on purchases and balance transfers
On top of a strong rewards program, the Chase Freedom Unlimited also comes with an intro APR on purchases and balance transfers. You don’t often see an intro APR on a rewards card — let alone an intro APR on both purchases and balance transfers. This gives the Chase Freedom Unlimited added flexibility and makes the card a good fit whether you want to minimize interest to pay for a large purchase over time or whittle away at card debt you transfer.
Keep in mind that a few rewards cards offer slightly longer intro APR offers, and dedicated balance transfer cards have the longest intro APRs available. If this feature is important to you, be sure to shop around.