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KEY LINKS:

  • card_name – bonus_miles_full annual_fees
  • Chase Freedom Flex – Earn $200 bonus after you spend $500 on purchases in the first 3 months. No annual fee

card_name Review

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The Chase Freedom Unlimited has no annual fee and a simple earning structure. You’ll earn 1.5% cashback (or 1.5 Ultimate Rewards points) per $1 spent on all purchases, with no caps or limitations. Currently the Freedom Unlimited has a

  • 3% cashback (3x Ultimate Rewards) per dollar spent on purchases in the first year
  • 1.5 Ultimate Rewards per dollar spent after that
  • No annual fee

Read our full Chase Freedom Unlimited review

Chase Freedom Flex Review

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In contrast, the Chase Freedom Flex has a different earning structure:

  • 5% cash back on up to $1,500 in combined purchases in bonus categories each quarter you activate
  • 5% cash back on travel purchased through the Chase Ultimate Rewards travel portal
  • 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service
  • Unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases.
  • You can redeem your points for cash back at 1 cent per point or transfer to other Chase cards to potentially get even more value
  • 0% Intro APR for 15 months from account opening on purchases and balance transfers, then a variable APR of 18.74% – 27.49%.
  • No annual fee

Combining Chase Ultimate Rewards from your Chase Freedom cards

Because the Chase Freedom Unlimited and Chase Freedom Flex cards are not considered “premium” cards, their points are only worth 1 cent when considered by themselves.  However, if you already HAVE a premium card (like the Sapphire Preferred or Ink Preferred for example), then you are able to (at least for now!) combine all your Chase Ultimate Rewards into one account.

So your 1.5x for every dollar spent on the Chase Freedom Unlimited, if transferred to an account with the Sapphire Reserve (where you can REDEEM for 1.5 times), would give you 4.75% back on purchases through the Chase Ultimate Rewards portal for all points earned during the first year.  And of course if you transfer them to travel partners, you can often get even MORE value.

Chase Freedom Unlimited vs. Chase Freedom Flex – which is better?

Deciding on whether to get the Chase Freedom Unlimited or Chase Freedom Flex will depend on your individual situation, travel goals and spending patterns. Having the Chase Freedom Flex can be a great way to take advantage of getting 5% bonus rewards on quarterly bonus categories, while the Chase Freedom Unlimited is a great no-fee card to pair with other cards that earn Chase Ultimate Rewards. That way, if you aren’t working on a welcome offer or don’t have a category bonus, earning 1.5 Ultimate Rewards per dollar spent is a pretty good offer.

Other Chase Cards To Consider

There are a few other cards that earn Chase Ultimate Rewards points that you might want to consider consider:

The Bottom Line

KEY LINKS:

  • card_name – bonus_miles_full annual_fees
  • Chase Freedom Flex – Earn $200 bonus after you spend $500 on purchases in the first 3 months. No annual fee

The Chase Freedom Flex and Chase Freedom Unlimited are two of Chase’s no annual fee credit cards that earn Chase Ultimate Rewards points. Deciding between the Chase Freedom Unlimited and Chase Freedom Flex will depend on your own individual situation, travel goals and spending patterns. The Freedom Flex can be a great card to have to take advantage of 5% quarterly bonus categories, while the Freedom Unlimited can be used as a default card when you’re not working on a welcome offer or shopping at a store that offers a bonus earning rate.

Which card do you think is best between the Chase Freedom Unlimited and Chase Freedom Flex? Leave your thoughts in the comments below


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