With all the credit card offers out there, it can be a lot of work to narrow down which one is right for you. Luckily, we’re here to help you decide whether the Chase Freedom Flex card truly has the spending flex you’re looking for.
Great Card If
- You want a card with a strong cash-back earning structure
- You want a card with no annual fee
- You want a card that earns flexible rewards
Don’t Get If
- You want a premium credit card that offers travel benefits and perks
Freedom Flex Card — Is It Worth It?
There are 2 types of people who would find the Freedom Flex card very worth it.
The first is anyone looking for a strong cash-back card that charges no annual fee. With 5% cash-back on quarterly categories (up to $1,500 in spend) and travel purchases and 3% cash-back on dining and drugstores, the amount of cash-back you can earn can amount to significant savings.
The second type is people looking to earn as many points as possible to maximize travel rewards by pooling points with a premium Ultimate Rewards card such as the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card or Chase Sapphire Reserve®.
How is this possible? When you transfer the points earned from your Freedom Flex card to a premium Ultimate Rewards card, your points are then worth 25% to 50% more when redeemed through the Ultimate Rewards travel portal, or even more when transferred to one of Chase’s airline or hotel transfer partners.
Many team members at Upgraded Points view the Freedom Flex card as a must-have, including Compliance Editor and Content Contributor Juan Ruiz:
“I cherish the Freedom Flex card for its ability to help me earn 5% cash-back on rotating bonus categories. Given that I also have the Chase Sapphire Preferred card, the cash back I receive is converted into valuable travel rewards that can be redeemed for flights, hotels, and more. These 2 cards catalyze my strategy to earn lots of Chase Ultimate Rewards.”
Juan Ruiz, Compliance Editor and Content Contributor
Freedom Flex Card Top Benefits
Freedom Flex Card Protections
The Freedom Flex card offers great insurance benefits, especially for a no-annual-fee card!
- Cell Phone Protection — You’re covered against theft of or damage to your phone for up to $800 per claim and $1,000 per year when you pay your monthly cell phone bill with your card. There’s a maximum of 2 claims each year, with a $50 deductible per claim.
- Purchase Protection — Items you buy with your card are covered for 120 days from the purchase date against damage or theft for up to $500 per claim and $50,000 per account.
- Extended Warranty Protection — This coverage adds 1 additional year to warranties of 3 years or less.
- Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance — For a trip that is canceled or cut short, you can be reimbursed for nonrefundable travel expenses for up to $1,500 per person and $6,000 per trip.
- Rental Car Insurance — Secondary rental car insurance covers accidental damage or theft of your rental car.
How To Earn and Redeem Your Chase Ultimate Rewards Points
All of the cash-back you earn with your card comes in the form of Chase Ultimate Rewards points, which is great because Chase Ultimate Rewards points are some of our favorite points to earn. Given that, you’ll want to use multiple strategies to earn lots of Ultimate Rewards points.
For the most part, your best option when it comes to redeeming points on your Freedom Flex card is for cash-back. That is, unless you pair your card with a premium Chase card such as the Chase Sapphire Preferred card or Chase Sapphire Reserve card, which gives you access to the Chase airline and hotel partners. Through partners, you can then redeem your Ultimate Rewards points for huge value.
Alternatives to the Freedom Flex Card
If you like most of what the Freedom Flex card has to offer but prefer not to deal with keeping up with rotating bonus categories, then the Freedom Unlimited card is a great option. It offers all of the same bonus categories as the Freedom Flex card, except instead of 5% cash-back on rotating bonus categories you earn an uncapped 1.5% cash-back on all purchases not in the bonus categories.
If you spend a lot on dining and entertainment purchases, consider the Capital One Savor card, which earns 4% cash-back on dining, entertainment, and popular streaming services, plus 3% at grocery stores and 1% on all other purchases.
We’ve compared the Freedom Flex card to other popular cards:
UP’s Card Review Methodology
Every card we review is assigned a “U.P. Rating” – our star-based system that encompasses all the key details to showcase a card’s standout features, where it falls short, and how it stacks up for travelers to maximize rewards.
These ratings range from 0 to 5 stars and are determined by carefully weighing crucial factors like:
- Bonus categories
- Benefits and perks
- Quality of associated loyalty programs
- Annual fees and other costs
- Size of the welcome bonus (and relative to the annual fee)
- And several more
You can learn more about how Upgraded Points reviews and rates credit cards.
The information regarding the Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.
The information regarding the Chase Freedom Flex℠ was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.
The information regarding the Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards credit card was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.
The information regarding the Chase Slate Edge℠ Credit Card was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.
The information regarding the Discover it® Cash Back Card was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.
For rates and fees of the Blue Cash Everyday® from American Express, click here.
For rates and fees of the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express, click here.
