Chase Freedom Unlimited® Review

If you want to travel cheaper, better, and for longer, one of the best tools is a credit card with great benefits.

Yet, despite how often I talk about this subject, many travelers (or would-be travelers) are reluctant to get one. They think it’s a scam, don’t want to pay the annual fee, or are just generally wary.

If that sounds like you, today I’d like to tell you about a credit card that may be the perfect introduction to the world of points and miles: Chase Freedom Unlimited®.

This card is a great value with no annual fee and guaranteed returns. This is great as a standalone card with the potential to level up your game when you’re ready. Popular with beginners and experienced travelers alike.

So in this article, we’ll break down why Chase Freedom Unlimited is worth having in your wallet and how you can use it to turn your everyday shopping into a free trip.

What is Chase Freedom Unlimited?

Chase Freedom Unlimited (also known as CFU) is a credit card issued by Chase. What I like about it is that it has a $0 annual fee and 1.5% cash back on all purchases. Perfect for points and miles newbies who don’t want to worry about earning different rates in different categories.

Plus, if you want to level up your game, you can combine it with Chase Sapphire cards to greatly increase your reward-earning ability (see details below).

This card gives you the following benefits:

5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase TravelSM 5% cash back on Lyft rides (through March 2025) 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and restaurant meals (including takeout and eligible delivery services) Back 1.5% cash back on all other purchases Now welcome bonus: 1.5% extra cash back on all purchases up to $20,000 in the first year

This cashback can be redeemed on your next statement or deposited directly into your bank account.

But you can get even more out of this card when paired with one of Chase’s Sapphire cards (more on that soon).

Chase Freedom Unlimited Perks and Benefits

In addition to these excellent rates of return, you can also take advantage of numerous perks and perks. Again, the annual fee is $0, so these are all just bonuses.

Access to Chase Offers. An ever-changing selection of deals for a variety of merchants, including online shopping, gas stations, delivery services, clothing brands, hotels, and many other areas (you can really see anything here). When activated by January 31, 2025 (members receive up to $10 off per quarter on non-restaurant DoorDash orders) Secondary Auto Rental Collision Waiver Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance (if prepaid) , up to $1,500 per person, up to $6,000 per trip) Passenger fares if your trip is canceled or shortened due to illness, inclement weather, or other covered circumstances) Purchase Protection (120 days on new purchases; Extended warranty protection (up to $500 per incident and $50,000 per account) for damage or theft

Combination with Chase Sapphire Card

This card is a great cash back card on its own, but it’s best paired with a more premium Chase card that earns transferable points. The Chase Sapphire Preferred®(CSP) or Chase Sapphire Reserve® are two of the most popular, but you can also use my favorite business card, the Ink Business Preferred®. (Please note that there are fees for these cards.)

Because if you own one of these cards, you can convert the cash back you earn on CFUs into valuable Chase Ultimate Rewards points. (Freedom Unlimited itself only earns cash back.) That means you can pool the points you earn on either card and get access to Chase’s great airline and hotel transportation partners.

While it’s easy (and certainly appealing) to receive cashback, I think points are much more valuable. That’s because you can usually earn at least 2 cents per point (sometimes more) when you transfer to a travel partner.

So why do I only have one Chase Sapphire card and not Freedom Unlimited?

While this is a great option (as many people do), having two cards in the same “family” allows you to maximize your earning categories while still earning the same type of points. Masu. (You don’t want to get points of different types that can’t be combined by being spread out over too many different cards.)

Holding both the Chase Sapphire card and Chase Freedom Unlimited will ensure you earn at least 1.5x points on every purchase. This is unusual for travel cards (both Sapphires only earn 1x points on all purchases).

For example, if you have Chase Sapphire Preferred and Chase Freedom Unlimited, you can earn:

1.5x on all purchases (CFU) 2x on all trips (CSP) 3x at drugstores (CFU) 3x on dining (both cards) with takeout and eligible delivery 5x on Lyft (2025 Through March, 5x on travel purchases (both cards) through Chase Travel (both cards)

Finally, CFU has foreign transaction fees, so you don’t want to use this card while traveling. Think of CSP as a travel card and CFU as an everyday card with a higher earning rate on every purchase. The two together make a great combination.

Advantages of CFU

No annual fee Comprehensive rewards system with at least 1.5% back on all purchases Easily earn cash back as a statement credit or direct deposit Great savings when combined with the Chase Sapphire Card

Disadvantages of CFU

3% foreign transaction fee Not many travel perks

Who is this card for?

Chase Freedom Unlimited is a great choice for those looking for an easy-to-use card that gives you a higher-than-average earn rate on every purchase. There’s also room to grow into the points-and-miles world by pairing it with Chase’s top cards. And if you already have a Sapphire card, adding CFU to your wallet will help you keep leveling up your game and maximize rewards on every purchase.

As with any credit card, don’t get one if you already have a balance or plan to have one in the future. Travel credit cards are notorious for having high interest rates, and this card is no exception. Points are a waste if you pay interest every month.

This card is also not suitable for people with bad credit, as you must have good or excellent credit to qualify. (If you are, you can check for bad credit credit cards and start improving your score today.)

Finally, this card counts toward Chase’s 5/24 rule (you can’t open more than 5 cards in a 24-month period). If you’ve already opened five credit cards (any card, not just a Chase card) in the last two years (or want to open more soon), you may not be able to get this card, or you may want to skip it for a while. Sho. now.

***

Whether you’re just dipping your toe into the points-and-miles game or looking to complement your current lineup, Chase Freedom Unlimited is a great card. With no annual fee and great earning rates, it’s the perfect introduction to the world of points and miles.

And if you want to take it up a notch, you can pair it with a premium Chase card to maximize your points. This is the obvious choice to start your journey to mastering points and miles.