Table of Contents
- Quick Review
- Chase Freedom Unlimited® Card Details
- Chase Freedom Unlimited® Rates & Fees
- Chase Freedom Unlimited® Rewards
- Chase Freedom Unlimited® Credit Limit
- Chase Freedom Unlimited® Benefits
- Chase Freedom Unlimited® Borrowing Features
- How to Get a Chase Freedom Unlimited® Credit Card
- Should You Get the Chase Freedom Unlimited® Credit Card?
- Comparable Cards
Quick Review
The Chase Freedom Unlimited® card is a versatile rewards card that offers a little something for everyone.
The 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 15 months makes it a choice worth considering if you want to put a major purchase on credit or need to consolidate your credit card debt. After the intro period ends, the APR and fees are all fairly standard, though sweetened by the lack of an annual fee.
The bigger draw is the Chase Freedom Unlimited® card’s everyday cashback rates, which range from 5% on travel (booked through Chase Ultimate Rewards) to 1.5% on all your other purchases. Unlike with many rewards cards, you’ll still earn 2% on travel not booked through Chase Ultimate Rewards—but you’ll also face foreign transaction fees, which many other travel rewards cards don’t have.
If maximizing bonus offers thrills you, the Chase Freedom Unlimited® card also offers 20,000 points (roughly equivalent to $200) when you spend $500 in your first three months, and 5% cash back on up to $12,000 spent on groceries in your first year.
On top of it all, the Chase Freedom Unlimited® card also offers a suite of insurance benefits, including travel coverage, purchase protection, and warranty extensions on eligible products.
The Chase Freedom Unlimited® card’s many benefits and overall flexibility earned it a spot on our list of the best credit cards with no annual fee.
Chase Freedom Unlimited® Card Details
Basic Card Details
- Credit card issuer: Chase Bank
- Annual fee: $0
- Regular APR: 18.74%–27.49% (variable)
- Rewards rate: 1.5%–5%
- Grace period: 21 days
Additional Information
- Check your VantageScore from Experian with Chase Credit Journey
- Divide purchases of at least $100 into monthly payments with a My Chase Plan
- Connect your Chase Freedom Unlimited® card to a digital wallet and start using it before your card arrives in the mail
- Free and discounted DashPass subscriptions
- Earn 5% cash back on Lyft rides through March 2025
- Purchase protection of up to $500 per claim on eligible purchases
- Extend warranties on U.S.-made eligible products by a year
- Trip cancellation/interruption insurance reimburses you for certain perils, like extreme weather or sudden illness
- Auto rental collision damage waiver
- Travel and emergency assistance services can refer you to relevant legal, medical, or other assistance
Chase Freedom Unlimited® Rates & Fees
Fees
- Annual fee: $0
- Balance transfer fee: $5 or 5% of amount transferred (whichever is greater)
- Intro balance transfer fee: $5 or 3% of amount transferred (whichever is greater) on balances transferred in 60 days
- Cash advance fee: $10 or 5% of amount (whichever is greater)
- Foreign transaction fee: 3%
- Late payment fee: Up to $40
Keep in mind that this card charges the usual Chase foreign transaction fee of 3%. Many credit card issuers—including Chase—offer other cards without foreign transaction fees. If you frequently travel abroad, this may not be the best card for you.
Interest Rates
- Purchase APR: 18.74%–27.49% (variable)
- Intro purchase APR: 0% for 15 months
- Balance transfer APR: 18.74%–27.49% (variable)
- Intro balance transfer APR: 0% for 15 months
- Cash advance APR: 26.49% (variable)
- Penalty APR: Up to 29.99% (variable)
Chase Freedom Unlimited® Rewards
The Chase Freedom Unlimited® rewards program is extensive and highly profitable. It offers high rewards rates and multiple rewards categories that cover a variety of monthly spending, which is why we scored it a 4.5/5.
The base rewards rate is 1.5%, which is above the credit card standard of 1%, so you can earn more than other cards on your non-category purchases. However, the Chase Freedom Unlimited® doesn’t offer a special rewards category for gas, as some cards do, which may be a dealbreaker for commuters and roadtrippers.
Chase Freedom Unlimited® Rewards Program
The Chase Freedom Unlimited® uses a credit card points program that offers borrowers the following:
- 5x points on travel booked through Chase Ultimate Rewards
- 3x points on dining, including restaurants, takeout, and select delivery services
- 3x points at drugstores
- 1.5x points on all other purchases
Eligible travel purchases include flights, hotels, car rentals, cruises, and other activities.
Is the Chase Freedom Unlimited® Worth It?
As the Chase Freedom Unlimited® doesn’t charge an annual fee, there’s no pressure to earn a certain amount of points to make the credit card worth it. To get an idea of whether the Chase Freedom Unlimited® offers the best rewards program for your spending, here’s an example of what you could earn:
| Category | Monthly Spending | Rewards Earnings |
|---|---|---|
| Travel | $500 | $25 |
| Dining | $200 | $6 |
| Drugstores | $100 | $3 |
| Other | $300 | $4.50 |
| Total | $38.50 |
Keep in mind that the drugstore rewards category doesn’t apply to box stores, warehouses, or grocery stores that sell drugstore products or have a pharmacy on site. The 3% rewards rate will only be valid for purchases made at drugstores such as Walgreens, CVS, and RiteAid.
Redeeming Chase Freedom Unlimited® Points
There are seven ways to redeem points earned on the Chase Freedom Unlimited® credit card. Point values vary based on your redemption method, but most points redeem at 1:1, meaning one point is worth 1 cent.
Here are all the ways you can redeem Chase Freedom Unlimited® points and what they’re worth:
| Redemption Method | Point Value |
|---|---|
| Statement credit applied to monthly bill | 1 cent |
| Statement credit applied to past purchases (Pay Yourself Back®) | 1 cent |
| Gift cards | 1 cent or more |
| Merchandise | 1 cent or less |
| Travel booked through Chase portal | 1 cent or more |
| Transfer to partner hotel or airline programs | 1 cent |
| Book Chase Experiences or Chase Dining | 1 cent |
You can make the most out of your Chase Freedom Unlimited® points by booking travel through the Chase portal or purchasing gift cards at a discounted rate. To get direct cash back for your points, you can redeem as statement credits or through the Pay Yourself Back® program.
Welcome Bonus
As a welcome bonus, you can also earn 20,000 points (equal to $200) by spending $500 in your first three months of card ownership.
Additionally, you’ll get 5% cash back on grocery purchases in your first year, up to $12,000 in spending.
Chase Freedom Unlimited® Credit Limit
The Chase Freedom Unlimited® credit limit is likely between $500–$5,000. The credit limit you’re initially offered will be based on your creditworthiness. Chase allows you to request a credit limit increase at any time, but the process will require a hard inquiry (which knocks some points off your credit score).
You probably won’t be approved for a limit increase until you’ve proven a responsible borrower, so wait until you’ve had the card at least 6 months before you request more credit.
Chase will also periodically review your account to see if you’re eligible for a credit limit increase on your Chase card. These reviews will likely happen every 6–12 months.
Chase Freedom Unlimited® Benefits
My Chase Loan
The Chase Freedom Unlimited® card allows you to take out a My Chase Loan using your unused credit. Similar to a cash advance, what you borrow is subtracted from your available credit limit, with a minimum loan amount of $500. Chase will inform you of the maximum amount you can request, which depends on your monthly spending and other factors.
Unlike cash advances or other loans, My Chase Loans don’t require a credit check and have no origination or prepayment fees. Chase also states that your APR will be lower than your card’s standard purchase APR, with a possible range of 18.74%–27.49% (variable), depending on your creditworthiness.
Other Benefits
The Chase Freedom Unlimited® card also provides access to a potentially valuable suite of insurance benefits:
- Purchase protection: Reimbursement for new purchases that become damaged or stolen within 120 days of purchase. The issuing insurance company will pay up to $500 per claim for a lifetime total of $50,000 per account.
- Extended warranty protection: Add another year onto the warranty of a U.S.-manufactured product, for qualifying warranties of three years or less.
- Trip cancellation/interruption insurance: If you have to cancel your trip or return home early because of illness, extreme weather, or other perils, the issuing insurance company will reimburse you up to $1,500 per affected person for a total of $6,000 per trip. This only applies to prepaid and nonrefundable fares.
- Auto rental collision damage waiver: If you charge your full auto rental cost to your Chase Freedom Unlimited® card and decline the collision insurance offered by the rental company, you’ll receive a waiver for the collision damage or theft of covered vehicles.
- Travel and emergency assistance services: This service provides access to a Benefits Administrator who can refer you to legal, medical, or other emergency assistance.
Cardholders can also take advantage of the following miscellaneous benefits:
- Free DashPass subscription from DoorDash for 3 months, followed by a 50% discount on your subscription for the next 9 months.
- Earn 5% cash back on Lyft rides through March 2025.
- Split up payments with a My Chase Plan, which lets you divide purchases of at least $100 into equal monthly payments. You won’t pay any interest, but will be charged a fixed monthly fee.
- Check your VantageScore 3.0 from your Experian credit report with Chase Credit Journey. It isn’t exclusive to cardholders, so anyone can sign up.
- Use your card before it physically arrives by connecting your account to a digital wallet. You can link your account to Apple Pay, Google Pay, or Samsung Pay.
Chase Freedom Unlimited® Borrowing Features
Cash Advances
The Chase Freedom Unlimited® card allows cash advances. You’ll be charged a cash advance fee of $10 or 5% of your advance amount, whichever is greater, and your advance will be subject to a 26.49% (variable) APR.
Balance Transfers
For balances you transfer to your Chase Freedom Unlimited® card in the first 15 months following your account opening, you’ll get 0% APR on your transfer amount. After the intro period ends, this becomes a 18.74%–27.49% (variable) APR.
During your first 60 days, the fee for balance transfers is $5 or 3% of the amount transferred, whichever is greater. After that, you’ll pay the greater of $5 or 5% of the balance transferred.
Balance transfer requests also come with limitations. The full amount of your transfer, including fees and interest charges, cannot be more than your available credit or $15,000 (whichever is lesser). Additionally, balances cannot be transferred from other Chase Bank accounts or loans, or those issued by bank affiliates.
Penalty APR
Up to a 29.99% penalty APR will be applied if you miss credit card payments. Chase may also end your intro APR early and apply the penalty APR if you make your minimum payment 60 days or more late.
Credit Reporting
Since Chase reports to credit bureaus, your credit report will be updated based on your borrowing activities.
How to Get a Chase Freedom Unlimited® Credit Card
Credit Score
The credit score you need to get the Chase Freedom Unlimited® is likely between 670–850 on the FICO score scale, or 700–850 on the VantageScore scale.
Having a credit score in this range doesn’t guarantee you’ll be approved for the card, as Chase considers various factors when assessing your application. However, if your score is below this range, you should consider other cards instead.
Application and Approval
You can apply for a Chase Freedom Unlimited® card using their online application. After reviewing the information you provide, Chase may approve you for a Platinum or Signature account.
The required age to apply for the Chase Freedom Unlimited® card varies. In most states, you must be at least 18 years old, except in Alabama and Nebraska, where you must be 19 years old. In Puerto Rico, you must be 21 years of age.
Should You Get the Chase Freedom Unlimited® Credit Card?
The Chase Freedom Unlimited® card is a jack-of-all-trades card whose versatile rewards and 0% intro APR period make it a worthwhile choice for almost anyone in the market for a rewards card.
The Chase Freedom Unlimited® is best for the following types of borrowers.
Everyday Rewards Seekers
The Chase Freedom Unlimited® is a general rewards card with some emphasis on travel. However, that doesn’t mean it’s not a good card for everyday use. The 1.5% rewards rate on everyday purchases is higher than the credit card standard of 1%. Additionally, the dining rewards category is extensive, encompassing restaurant, takeout, and delivery purchases. Chase even offers a 3-month complimentary DoorDash subscription for a limited time.
Travelers
Not only can you earn the highest rewards on travel purchases made through the Chase Travel portal, but points redeemed for travel purchases exchange at the highest value. You can also transfer your points to one of Chase’s 11 airline partners, which could get you more bang for your buck. If you’re a member of one of these airline programs, using your transferred points to book travel through the program can score you added perks, like free seat upgrades, lounge access, and discounted tickets.
Debt Consolidators
The Chase Freedom Unlimited® offers a 15-month 0% period on balance transfer and a reduced balance transfer fee of $5 or 3% for balances transferred in your first 60 days of card ownership. This makes it a good resource for consolidating debt if you’re able to pay off your balance in the 15-month period. However, if you want to consolidate a large credit card debt, this is a relatively short 0% APR period. Consider looking at cards with 18–21 months of no interest if you need more time to pay off your balance.
Comparable Cards
To help you decide if the Chase Freedom Unlimited® card is right for you, here’s a look at how it stacks up against similar cards.
