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If you travel some and dine out often, the card_name is a great credit card to help you earn Chase Ultimate Rewards on everyday purchases. Consider pairing this card with a Chase Sapphire card to get more value and use from your rewards. We’ll explain in our review below.
Chase Freedom Unlimited® Signup Bonus
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 Ultimate Rewards®, 4.5% on dining and drugstores, and 3% on all other purchases.
Introductory 0% APR Offer
card_name offers 0% Intro APR on Purchases for 15 months and 0% Intro APR on Balance Transfers for 15 months, then a variable APR of 20.49% - 29.24%. If you need to pay off other credit cards, or if you need to make a major purchase, that 0% APR saves you money on interest.
Purchase Rewards
Even after the first year, Chase Freedom Unlimited® provides lucrative cash-back rewards:
Enjoy 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards®, our premier rewards program that lets you redeem rewards for cash back, travel, gift cards and more; 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service, and 1.5% on all other purchases
Chase Ultimate Rewards
Chase Ultimate Rewards is an online portal where cardholders can book travel. You can use the points you earn to book flights and hotel stays. To get even more value, you can transfer those points to Chase’s travel partners, which include 11 airlines and three hotel chains. Some of these partners value the points differently than Chase does, which is why the points may be worth more.
How Much Are the Rewards Worth?
Technically, you can’t transfer your Chase Freedom Unlimited® points to any of Chase’s travel partners, but there’s a loophole. You can transfer your points to either the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card or the Chase Sapphire Reserve® and then transfer the points to a travel partner. If you’re not a Sapphire cardholder, you can still use your Chase Freedom Unlimited® points to book travel in the Chase portal. It’s easy and the points are flexible.
Fees
Chase Freedom Unlimited® has an annual fee of $0, so it doesn’t cost you anything to hold this card. It does have foreign transaction fees, though: 3% of each transaction in U.S. dollars. If your plans include international travel, you’ll want to take a different card with no foreign transaction fee.
List of partners you can transfer points to
You can only transfer your Chase Freedom Unlimited® points to a Chase travel partner if you also have a Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card or Chase Sapphire Reserve®. You’ll first transfer your points to the Sapphire card and from there, transfer the points to a partner. It’s an extra step, but it can be worth it if you want to try to squeeze more value from your points. It’s worth noting your Chase Ultimate Rewards points are worth 25% more when you use them to purchase travel through Chase with the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card. Points are worth 50% more when booking travel through Chase with the Chase Sapphire Reserve®.
Here’s a list of Chase’s travel partners:
Airlines:
- Aer Lingus, AerClub
- Air Canada Aeroplan
- Air France-KLM Flying Blue
- British Airways Executive Club
- Emirates Skywards
- Iberia Plus
- Jet Blue TrueBlue
- Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer
- Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards
- United Airlines Mileage Plus
- Virgin Atlantic Flying Club
Hotels:
- IHG One Rewards
- Marriott Bonvoy
- World of Hyatt
Pros and Cons of the Chase Freedom Unlimited®
Pros:
- No annual fee
- Generous welcome offer
- Cash back rewards
- 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers
Cons:
- Foreign transaction fee
- Can’t transfer to Chase Travel partners (without an extra step)
Other Features
- Complimentary 3-month DashPass subscription: Provides either free or reduced-cost deliveries from DoorDash. After that, you are automatically enrolled in DashPass for 50% off for the next nine months.
- Complimentary 3-month Instacart+ subscription: Provides $0 delivery fees and reduced service fees on Instacart orders. After that, you will automatically be enrolled in Instacart+ unless you cancel.
- Contactless payment: Tap your card to pay when you see the contactless symbol.
- EMV Chip-enabled: For enhanced security.
- Zero Liability Protection: You won’t be held responsible for unauthorized charges made with your card or account information.
- Purchase Protection: Covers your new purchases for 120 days against damage or theft up to $500 per claim and $50,000 per account.**
- Extended Warranty Protection: Extends the time period of the U.S. manufacturer’s warranty by an additional year, on eligible warranties of three years or less.**
- Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance: You can be reimbursed 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 cut short by sickness, severe weather, and other covered situations.**
- 24/7 Fraud Monitoring: Chase can text, email, or call to alert you if there are unusual purchases on your card.
- Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver: Decline the rental company’s collision insurance and charge the entire rental cost to your card. Coverage is provided for theft and collision damage for most cars in the U.S. and abroad. In the U.S., coverage is secondary to your personal insurance.**
- 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.)**
** These benefits are available when you use your card. Restrictions, limitations, and exclusions apply. Most benefits are underwritten by unaffiliated insurance companies who are solely responsible for the administration and claims. There are specific time limits and documentation requirements. Once your account is opened we will send you a Guide to Benefits, which includes a full explanation of coverages.
If you want travel insurance that’s not tied to a specific credit card, check out our list of the best cancel-for-any-reason travel insurance options.
Alternatives
The Chase Freedom Unlimited® is a great card but you want to compare it with the best options to find your perfect match. Here are some alternatives to consider:
Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card
card_name pays 3% cash back on groceries (excluding superstores like Walmart® and Target®), dining, and streaming services. You can also earn elevated cash back on travel and entertainment.
There’s no annual fee for the card and no foreign transaction fees. You can also earn a welcome bonus and take advantage of the 0% introductory APR offer.
Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card
The Wells Fargo Active Cash Card pays 2% cash back on all purchases. If you don’t want to keep track of categories or multiple credit cards, this is a great alternative. Most credit cards that offer higher elevated rewards often have a cap and then you only earn 1% cash back.
A card that offers 2% cash back can out-earn those cards. There’s no annual fee for the Wells Fargo Active Cash card and there’s also a 0% introductory APR offer.
The Bottom Line
card_name is a great card, combining excellent cash back rewards, 0% Intro APR on purchases and balance transfers, and some travel benefits, all for no annual fee. It can be your daily driver or an excellent complement to a Chase Sapphire card. Either way, it’s a fantastic value.
