1/12 – I have been told this offer is ending soon, so if you were interested in signing up, you should sign up soon
KEY LINK: card_name – bonus_miles_full annual_fees
There are 3 different ways that I like to think of to get value from a credit card:
- The welcome offer
- Category bonuses for spending (or a high rate for everyday spending)
- Other perks that you get from just having the card (free hotel nights, free checked bags, elite status)
It’s rare to have a card that hits all 3 of these things, but if you find one that offers at least 2 of them, it’s definitely a card worth considering. I think the current offer from the Chase Freedom Unlimited does hit the first 2 of these bullet points
Chase Freedom Unlimited® review – signup bonus
The Chase Freedom Unlimited came out a few years ago as another no-fee option that earns Chase Ultimate Rewards. In contrast to the Chase Freedom Flex card which earns 1% cashback (in actuality 1 Ultimate Rewards) on all purchases and 5% back on up to $1500 in spend in different rotating quarterly categories, the Chase Freedom Unlimited earns a flat 1.5% back on all purchases. Chase has recently introduced a new welcome offer on the Freedom Unlimited card, where you can earn 3% cashback on all purchases during the first year with no limit.
Chase Freedom Unlimited review
KEY LINK: card_name – bonus_miles_full annual_fees
Chase Ultimate Rewards are one of the best types of miles and points currencies out there – because it’s a transferrable currency, it’s able to be transferred to a variety of miles and points partners, which helps insulate it from devaluations.
Plus it’s easier than others to get a lot of – including the Chase Sapphire Preferred, Sapphire Reserve, Ink Preferred, Ink Cash, Ink Unlimited, Freedom, Freedom Unlimited among others (see a comparison of Chase cards here).
Image courtesy of Chase
The Chase Freedom Unlimited has 3 things going for it
- 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
And that’s…. pretty much it. No frills, no category bonuses. Just a solid welcome offer, a solid earn for your everyday spend, and no annual fee. This is very similar to the Chase Ink Business Unlimited card, but with a much bigger welcome offer. This card does fall under the Chase 5/24 rule.
Combining Chase Ultimate Rewards from your Chase Freedom Unlimited
Because the Chase Freedom Unlimited card is not considered a “premium” card, its 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, 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.
Is this Freedom Unlimited offer the best offer out there?
KEY LINK: card_name – bonus_miles_full annual_fees
I think this new Chase Freedom Unlimited offer has a case for the best welcome offer out there, if you spend a lot. A no-fee card that can earn basically an unlimited amount of Ultimate Rewards during the first year? Compare that to the Chase Sapphire Preferred offer, which usually has a great welcome offer but also comes with an annual fee of $95.
What do you think? Does this make you want to get the Chase Freedom Unlimited card? Leave your thoughts in the comments
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Dan Miller travels with his wife and 6 (SIX!) children. He loves to help families travel for free / cheap, especially larger families. If you are looking for help, drop him an email at 
Hey Dan, do you think I can combine this card points with my Marriott Chase card? I seem to get the most hotel for the points with Marriott.
Thanks
If you have a premium Chase card like a Sapphire Reserve or Ink Preferred, then you can combine points from your Freedom Unlimited card to your premium Chase card, and then transfer those points 1:1 from Chase to Marriott. If you don’t have a premium Chase card, you can not transfer Chase points to Marriott
Hi, Dan. I’m over 5/24. I have a Freedom Card, and my DH has a Sapphire Preferred with me as AU. Should I just call Chase and have them swap out my Freedom for the Freedom Unlimited?
I don’t think that you will get the 3% bonus if you just have them product change your Freedom to a Freedom Unlimited (just like you wouldn’t get any bonus points from a welcome offer with a product change)
Is this still worth it even if I DON’T have another Chase Premium card?
It still gives 3% cashback on all purchases (up to $20,000) which is better than just about any other card for everyday spend.