Key takeaways

  • The Chase Slate Edge℠ and Chase Freedom Unlimited® are two popular Chase credit cards geared toward consumers with good or excellent credit.
  • Where the Chase Freedom Unlimited offers rewards for spending and an intro APR offer that lasts for 15 months, the Chase Slate Edge skips rewards in favor of a longer intro APR offer.
  • The right card for you depends on your goals and what you prefer having the most — more time to pay down debt with zero interest or cash back rewards.

The Chase Slate Edge℠ and Chase Freedom Unlimited® have some overlapping features, yet each card was designed to help consumers reach a different goal. Where the Chase Slate Edge is geared to people who need to consolidate and pay down debt, the Chase Freedom Unlimited works for people who want to earn rewards while enjoying 0 percent APR for a shorter time.

But which card is best for you? Ultimately, that depends on what you’re trying to accomplish when you sign up. Below we compare these two Chase credit cards based on their features and rewards to help you find the right fit.

Chase Slate Edge vs. Chase Freedom Unlimited: At a glance

Feature Chase Slate Edge Chase Freedom Unlimited
Annual fee $0 $0
Sign-up bonus None Earn an extra 1.5% on everything you buy (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year) — worth up to $300 cash back. That’s 6.5% on travel purchased through Chase Travel, 4.5% on dining and drugstores, and 3% on all other purchases.
Rewards rate None 5% cash back on travel through Chase, 5% back on Lyft rides through March 31, 2025, 3% back on dining and drugstore purchases and 1.5% back on other spending
Introductory APR offer 0% intro APR for the first 18 months on purchases and balance transfers (after that, a 20.49% – 29.24% variable APR applies) 0% intro APR for the first 15 months on purchases (after that, a 20.49% – 29.24% variable APR applies)
Balance transfer fee $5 or 3% of balance transfer, whichever is greater, for the first 60 days. After, $5 or 5% of each balance transfer, whichever is greater $5 or 3% of balance transfer, whichever is greater, for the first 60 days. After, $5 or 5% of each balance transfer, whichever is greater

Chase Slate Edge vs. Chase Freedom Unlimited highlights

To pick the right card from the Chase Slate Edge or the Chase Freedom Unlimited, it helps to know how they stack up in the most important categories. Here’s a rundown of how these credit cards compare in terms of their rewards rates, intro APR offers and fees.

Welcome bonus winner: Chase Freedom Unlimited

Because the Chase Freedom Unlimited is the only one of these cards that offers rewards for spending, its welcome bonus is the clear winner in this category. This bonus may be easy to earn for many, you will earn an extra 1.5% on everything you buy (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year) — worth up to $300 cash back. That’s 6.5% on travel purchased through Chase Travel, 4.5% on dining and drugstores, and 3% on all other purchases.

Also remember that the welcome bonus on this card is offered in addition to cash back earned for each purchase you make.

Rewards rate winner: Chase Freedom Unlimited

The Chase Freedom Unlimited comes with a really generous rewards rate that can work well for consumers who want a credit card for everyday spending and bills. Not only does this card offer 5 percent cash back on travel booked through Chase and on Lyft rides (through March 31, 2025), but cardholders can also earn 3 percent back on dining and drugstore purchases and 1.5 percent cash back on everything else they buy.

By contrast, the Chase Slate Edge doesn’t offer any rewards at all.

Intro APR winner: Chase Slate Edge

The intro APR offer category is where the Chase Slate Edge really shines since this card gives you 18 months with 0 percent intro APR on purchases and balance transfers, followed by a variable APR of 20.49% to 29.24%. This offer is three months longer than the offer on the Chase Freedom Unlimited, which only gives you 0 percent intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 15 months.

How much of a difference can this make? If you have considerable debt at high interest rates to consolidate, having an additional 90 days with zero interest could easily save you hundreds of dollars in interest payments or more.

Having 18 months with zero interest instead of 15 could also help you get more affordable monthly payments as you work toward becoming debt-free. If you need to pay off $5,000 in credit card debt, for example, paying it off in 15 months would require a $334 monthly payment whereas paying for 18 months would let you pay just $278 per month.

Fees winner: Tie

If you’re picking a card based on fees alone, you should know that both of these cards have the same fee structure. There are no annual fees to worry about with either one, though both of these cards charge a 3 percent foreign transaction fee if you use them for purchases abroad.

Both cards also have the same balance transfer fee structure if you use them to consolidate high interest debt, which is 3 percent (minimum $5) for balances transferred in the first 60 days and 5 percent (minimum $5) thereafter.

How much in rewards can you earn?

Since the Chase Slate Edge doesn’t offer cash back for spending, we can’t compare these cards based on their earning rates over the course of a year. However, you should know that you can earn rewards with the Chase Freedom Unlimited if you’re willing to give up the additional three months at zero interest you would get with the Chase Slate Edge.

Depending on your situation and how you plan to use your card, these rewards may or may not be worth it. Consider this example:

Let’s say you currently spend $1,000 per month on gas, groceries and miscellaneous purchases and $500 per month on dining out (including takeout and delivery). In this scenario, you would earn $30 in rewards per month — $15 in rewards on gas, groceries and other spending, and $15 in rewards on dining out. This adds up to $360 in rewards per year, which increases to $660 in the first year if you count the card’s welcome offer of up to $300 in cash back

Is earning $560 in the first year enough to get you to give up an additional three months with 0 percent APR? Only you can decide, but it is worth noting that it’s considerably more difficult to pay down debt when you’re also using a credit card for spending. If what you really need to do is get out of debt — and you want to avoid the temptation to spend more to earn rewards —  you may be better off picking the Chase Slate Edge.

Why should you get the Chase Slate Edge?

If you’re considering the Chase Slate Edge, you’ll want to know about the card’s additional benefits and the recommended credit score you’ll need to be approved.

Additional benefits

The Chase Slate Edge can help you get a lower interest rate by 2 percent each year when you pay your bill on time and spend at least $1,000 on purchases by each card anniversary. This rate drop can happen every year you’re eligible until your interest rate reaches the prime rate plus 9.74 percent.

Other benefits include purchase protection against damage or theft, extended warranties, secondary auto rental coverage and roadside dispatch. Partner benefits include three months of DoorDash DashPass membership and Instacart+ membership, although you’ll have to enroll and then cancel each subscription before the three months are up to avoid being automatically billed for each service.

Redemption options

Because the Chase Slate Edge doesn’t offer any rewards, it doesn’t have any redemption options to compare.

Recommended credit score

This card is for individuals with good to excellent credit, which includes FICO scores of 670 and higher.

Why should you get the Chase Freedom Unlimited?

The Chase Freedom Unlimited is intended for people who want to earn rewards, but the card’s intro APR offer makes it a good option for paying down debt and large purchases, too.

Additional benefits

The Chase Freedom Unlimited comes with several consumer protections built in, including purchase protection against damage or theft, extended warranties, trip cancellation and interruption insurance (worth up to $1,500 per person and $6,000 per covered trip), secondary auto rental coverage and travel and emergency assistance services.

You can also enroll to receive three months of DoorDash DashPass membership and Instacart+ membership, although — as with the Chase Slate Edge — you must cancel the subscription within three months to avoid automatic billing after the promotional offer ends.

Redemption options

This card offers cash back that can be redeemed for statement credits, gift cards, merchandise, experiences and travel through the Chase Ultimate Rewards portal.

Recommended credit score

This card is for individuals with good to excellent credit, which includes FICO scores of 670 or higher.

The bottom line

Reading our Chase Freedom Unlimited review and Chase Slate Edge review can help you find out more about both of these cards and how they can benefit you. You will also want to think long and hard about whether you want a longer timeline with zero interest on purchases and balance transfers, or if you prefer to earn cash back for each dollar you spend.

That said, the fact credit card interest rates are so high right now may mean you’re better off forgoing rewards and working on debt repayment instead. You can always pick up a new rewards credit card later on when you become debt-free, and your debt will only continue to linger until you do something about it.