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The competition for zero annual fee, cash-back credit cards is a fierce one. With credit card issuers constantly trying to one-up each other, 1 card that stands out among the rest is the Chase Freedom Flex℠.
Thanks to its strong combination of point-earning opportunities, benefits, and the ability to be paired with other Chase credit cards, the Freedom Flex card makes a compelling case to be added to anyone’s wallet.
In this post, we’ve outlined all of the best perks and benefits on the card to help you determine if it makes sense for you and your needs.
Freedom Flex Card Overview
Before we jump into all of the great benefits of the Freedom Flex card, here is a quick snapshot of some of the card perks, along with information about fees, interest rates, and terms that apply.
The rating for this card has been determined by our own industry experts who know the in's and out's of credit card products. Bonuses, rewards as well as rates and fees are all taken into account. Compensation from the issuer does not affect our rating. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse.
The Freedom Flex card is an excellent no-annual-fee card that still earns big with 5% cash-back on travel and other bonus categories.
The Freedom Flex card is an excellent no-annual-fee card that still earns big with 5% cash-back on travel and other bonus categories.
Earn a $200 bonus after you spend $500 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening.
$200
$0
Upgraded Points credit ranges are a variation of FICO®Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit cardapplication.
Good to Excellent (670-850)
The Chase Freedom Flex℠ sure does pack quite a punch — especially for a no-annual-fee card.
The Freedom Flex card is an incredible option for those looking for a well-rounded cash-back card, or a powerful point-earner when paired with a premium card in the Ultimate Rewards family.
Pros
0% Intro APR for 15 months from account opening on purchases and balance transfers, then a variable APR of 20.49%-29.24%.
Powerful cash-back earner: 5% back on quarterly categories and travel purchases through Chase Ultimate Rewards, 3% back on dining and drugstore purchases, and 1% back on all other purchases
No annual fee
Excellent cell phone insurance
Ability to pool points
Mastercard World Elite benefits
Cons
3% foreign transaction fees in U.S. dollars
Earn a $200 Bonus after you spend $500 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening.
5% cash back on up to $1,500 in combined purchases in bonus categories each quarter you activate. Enjoy new 5% categories each quarter!
5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards®, our premier rewards program that lets you redeem rewards for cash back, travel, gift cards and more
3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service, and unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases.
No minimum to redeem for cash back. You can choose to receive a statement credit or direct deposit into most U.S. checking and savings accounts. Cash Back rewards do not expire as long as your account is open!
0% Intro APR for 15 months from account opening on purchases and balance transfers, then a variable APR of 20.49%-29.24%.
No annual fee - You won't have to pay an annual fee for all the great features that come with your Freedom Flex℠ card
Keep tabs on your credit health - Chase Credit Journey helps you monitor your credit with free access to your latest score, real-time alerts, and more.
The cash-back earned from your Freedom Flex card comes in the form of Chase Ultimate Rewards points that can be redeemed in many different ways (but more on that later). For now, let’s take a look at all the different ways you can earn points with the Freedom Flex card.
The Freedom Flex card earns bonus points in a few categories — including dining. Image Credit: Taryn Elliott via Unsplash
1. An Introductory Welcome Bonus
Newly approved cardholders of the Freedom Flex card are eligible for a welcome bonus for meeting certain requirements within their first 3 months.
2. Earning on Quarterly Bonus Categories
The Freedom Flex card bonus categories for 2023 Q1 are grocery stores, Target, fitness clubs, and gyms. Image Credit: Chase
With the Freedom Flex card, you’ll earn 5% back per $1 spent on quarterly rotating bonus categories on up to $1,500 in spending. Past categories have included gas, groceries, Amazon, and PayPal payments.
With the $1,500 cap, this gives you the opportunity to earn up to 7,500 Ultimate Rewards points per quarter.
3. Earning With Chase Travel Portal
Cardholders earn 5% back on purchases made through the Chase Ultimate Rewards travel portal. This can include things like flights, hotels, car rentals, cruises, etc.
4. Earning on Dining
The Freedom Flex card earns 3% back per $1 on all dining purchases, including takeout and eligible delivery services, making it a great option for those that dine out frequently.
5. Earning at Drugstores
Similar to dining, the Freedom Flex card earns 3% back per $1 at drugstores like Walgreens or CVS. This is especially useful as the Freedom Flex card is one of the few rewards credit cards to offer drugstores as a bonus category.
6. Earning on Every Purchase
For all purchases outside of these bonus categories, you’ll still earn 1% back per $1 spent.
Bottom Line: If you spend a lot of money on travel, dining, drugstores, and purchases that fall within the quarterly rotating bonus categories, you’ll love how much cash-back you earn with the Freedom Flex card.
Redeeming Rewards
Once you’ve got a nice stash of Chase Ultimate Rewards points, you’ll have several options for how you can redeem them.
You can redeem your Chase Ultimate Rewards points on things like cash-back or travel! Image Credit: pathdoc via Shutterstock
7. Redeem for Statement Credits
All of your Chase Ultimate Rewards points can be redeemed for cash-back as a statement credit to offset any purchases you’ve made on your card. When you redeem points this way, each point is worth 1 cent per point — making 20,000 Ultimate Rewards points worth $200 in statement credits.
8. Redeem With the Chase Travel Portal
You can also redeem your points through the Chase Ultimate Rewards travel portal to offset any travel purchases you make like airfare or hotel stays. As with statement credits, this method offers 1 cent per point toward such purchases.
9. Pair With Another Ultimate Rewards Card to Transfer to Travel Partners
For those who love traveling, this is where you can really get outsized value for your Chase Ultimate Rewards points. By using transfer partners, you can turn your points into first/business class flights or luxury hotel stays!
Chase also has a few other redemption options available to cardholders:
Redeeming for gift cards
Shopping with points at Apple and Amazon
Chase Experience Portal
Each of these options offers a value of 1 cent per point, so if any of these sound interesting, you’re really just better off redeeming for a statement credit as opposed to tying your points up with a specific merchant or purchase.
Bottom Line: Unsurprisingly, as a travel website, our favorite way to redeem Chase Ultimate Rewards points is through its transfer partners. With this method, you receive significantly more value than redeeming through the travel portal or for cash-back, and you get to experience luxury trips for next to nothing!
Travel Benefits and Protections
The Freedom Flex card comes with benefits to help keep you covered when you travel. Image Credit: Nopphon_1987 via Shutterstock
11. Car Rental Loss and Damage Insurance
When you rent a car and pay for it with your Freedom Flex card, you’re covered in the case of theft or accidental damage to the car. Keep in mind that this is secondary insurance, though, meaning you must file with your primary insurance provider first.
12. Trip Cancellation and Interruption Insurance
If you’ve purchased a trip with your Freedom Flex card and your trip is canceled or cut short by sickness, severe weather, and other covered situations, you can be reimbursed up to $1,500 per person and $6,000 per trip for any non-refundable expenses.
Shopping Benefits and Protections
13. Purchase Protection
When you make a purchase with your Freedom Flex card, that purchase is covered for 120 days against damage or theft up to $500 per claim and $50,000 per account.
14. Cell Phone Protection
When you pay your monthly cell phone bill with your Freedom Flex card, you’re protected against covered theft or damage to your phone up to $800 per claim and $1,000 per year. You’re limited to a maximum of 2 claims in a 12-month period with a $50 deductible per claim.
15. Extended Warranty Protection
Products purchased with the Freedom Flex card extend the time period of the warranty by an additional year on eligible warranties of 3 years or less.
16. Introductory 0% APR on Purchases
Those who have a large upcoming purchase will love that the card offers an introductory 0% APR period. With this, when you make purchases on the card, no interest will be charged on those purchases for the entire duration of the 0% period.
17. Chase Offers
Similar to Amex Offers, Chase extends targeted merchant offers to cardholders that can save you money for purchases you were planning to make anyway. These offers usually come in the form of a statement credit, and the offers on your card will vary from month to month.
Additional Benefits
18. DoorDash DashPass
Freedom Flex cardholders get 3 months of free DashPass, DoorDash’s subscription service that provides unlimited deliveries for a $0 delivery fee on eligible orders over $12. If you enjoy the DashPass service and want to continue using it after the initial 3 months, you can renew your DashPass subscription at 50% off for another 9 months. Your free subscription must be activated by December 31, 2024.
19. Extra Points on Lyft Rides
Through March 2025, cardholders will earn 5x Ultimate Rewards points per $1 on all Lyft rides. So, if you’re someone who takes rideshare services often, these extra points can really add up!
20. Mastercard World Elite Benefits
World Elite Mastercards offer a handful of benefits to help you get even more value out of your Freedom Flex card.
Lyft Credits: Receive a $10 Lyft credit once per month for every 5 rides you take in a month
Boxed: Earn 5% cash rewards on Boxed Wholesale orders for use on future purchases
With all the benefits and point earnings packed into the Freedom Flex card, one of its best features is that it charges no annual fee!
This makes it a great long-term card to hold because as your travel and spending needs change, you’ll never need to worry about whether you’re getting enough value from the card.
22. No Fee to Add Authorized Users
Want to earn even more points? You can do so by adding an authorized user to your card for no extra charge. Authorized users earn points at the same rate as the main cardholders, and all points are pooled together into the main account.
23. Chase Dining
Freedom Flex cardholders receive access to the Chase Dining hub via Ultimate Rewards online, which offers members benefits like:
Chase Cardmember tables, when none are available for public bookings
Virtual dining experiences with top chefs and curated meals to-go
24. Instacart+ Membership and Quarterly Credit
Cardholders are eligible for a complimentary 3-month membership to Instacart+ and a quarterly credit of $10 to use for grocery delivery. Registration by July 31, 2024 is required.
For those who spend a lot of dining and entertainment and don’t mind paying an annual fee, the Capital One Savor card is worth considering. The card earns 4% cash-back on dining and entertainment, 2% at grocery stores, and 1% on all other purchases.
Final Thoughts
As you can see, there is plenty to love about the Freedom Flex card. The card is a strong Ultimate Rewards points earner and offers flexible redemption options for whatever fits you best. Plus, you get great shopping and travel protections, along with Lyft, DoorDash, and Mastercard World Elite benefits.
So if you’re someone who values Chase Ultimate Rewards points, are looking for a no-annual-fee card, and can make use of the cards bonus categories, then the Freedom Flex card would make a great addition to your wallet.
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 Chase Freedom® Card was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.
Featured Image Credit: Upgraded Points
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the Freedom Flex card have an annual fee?
The Freedom Flex card does not charge an annual fee.
Is the Freedom Flex a good credit card?
If you’re looking for a card with no annual fee, flexible redemption options, and a lot of solid bonus categories, then yes, the Freedom Flex card is a great option.
Are you eligible for the Freedom Flex card if you already have the Chase Freedom card?
Yes, the Freedom Flex card is entirely separate from the Chase Freedom® card. So if you have, or have had, the Freedom card already, you’re still eligible to apply and receive the welcome bonus on the Freedom Flex card.
You also have the option of calling Chase to product change your Freedom card into the Freedom Flex card.
Does the Freedom Flex card have foreign transaction fees?
Yes, despite the Freedom Flex cards travel benefits it charges a 3% foreign transaction fee. You will not want to use this card when traveling overseas.
Does the Chase 5/24 rule apply to the Freedom Flex card?
Yes, the Freedom Flex card is subject to the Chase 5/24 rule. If you have opened 5 or more new accounts in the last 24 months you will not be eligible for the card.
Boasting a portfolio of over 20 cards, Jarrod has been an expert in the points and miles space for over 6 years. He earns and redeems over 1 million points per year and his work has been featured in outlets like The New York Times.
This bonus value is an estimated valuation calculated by UP after analyzing redemption options, transfer partners, award availability and how much UP would pay to buy these points.
