Don’t Sleep on Chase Freedom Unlimited’s New 25K-Point Welcome Offer — Here’s Why

I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve been asked for credit card advice, with most friends or family often meaning the Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card or the Chase Sapphire Reserve^® as potential choices. While these travel credit cards are worthy of attention, people too often underestimate the Chase Freedom Unlimited^®.

This cash-back card merits a conversation alongside the Sapphire cards, though it serves a different purpose. Additionally, the Freedom Unlimited card now features an elevated welcome offer of 25,000 points after you spend $500 in the first 3 months of account opening.

Here’s why the Freedom Unlimited card is worth a closer look, especially with its limited-time welcome bonus offer.

Earns Valuable Rewards on All Purchases

For starters, the Freedom Unlimited card earns cash-back rewards, which can be converted to highly valuable Chase Ultimate Rewards points when paired with the Chase Sapphire Preferred card or Chase Sapphire Reserve card.

You can redeem Chase Ultimate rewards for massive travel value for flights and hotels compared to just cash-back. In fact, we value Chase Ultimate Rewards points at 2 cents apiece when transferred to Chase’s transfer partners and redeemed for travel.

With the Freedom Unlimited card, you’ll earn:

• 5% cash-back on Chase Travel bookings
• 3% cash-back on dining (including takeout and delivery)
• 3% cash-back on drugstore purchases
• 1.5% on all other purchases

No Annual Fee

The Freedom Unlimited card is a fantastic long-term card since it has a $0 annual fee. Since the length of your credit history accounts for 15% of your credit score, you can keep the $0-annual-fee Freedom Unlimited card indefinitely, which will help improve your credit.

The absence of an annual fee means you can enjoy the card without the concern of evaluating its value each year. Not to mention, there aren’t many no-annual-fee cards with such generous earning rates, so you can earn at least 1.5% cash-back on all transactions and convert them to Ultimate Rewards, making it an excellent no-annual-fee earning companion for the Sapphire cards and Chase’s Ink business credit cards.

Increased Welcome Bonus Offer

For a limited-time, new Freedom Unlimited cardholders can earn $250 cash-back, or 25,000 points, upon fulfilling the minimum spending requirements. As of this writing, that’s the best welcome bonus offer available in the credit card market for a card without an annual fee.

LIMITED-TIME OFFER

Chase Freedom Unlimited^®

U.P. Rating 

The rating for this card has been determined by our own industry experts who know the ins and outs 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.

This all-purpose cash-back card offers great bonus categories, including bonus points for every purchase you make!

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Chase Freedom Unlimited^®

This all-purpose cash-back card offers great bonus categories, including bonus points for every purchase you make!

Welcome Offer

Earn a $250 Bonus after you spend $500 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening.

$250

Annual Fee

$0

APR

0% Intro APR for 15 months from account opening on purchases and balance transfers, then a variable APR of 18.99% - 28.49%.

Credit Recommended

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

Why We Like This Card

The Chase Freedom Unlimited^® is easily one of the best cash-back credit cards on the market. There aren’t many no-annual-fee credit cards that offer multiple great bonus categories like 5% back on travel purchased through Chase, 3% back on dining and drugstore purchases, and 1.5% back on all other purchases.

When paired with other Chase cards in the Ultimate Rewards family, you can transfer that cash back into points if you wish – making it one of the most lucrative cards in your wallet.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• 5% back on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠
• 3% back on dining and drugstore purchases
• 1.5% back on all other purchases

Cons

• 3% foreign transaction fee

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Card Highlights

• Limited Time Intro Offer: Earn a $250 Bonus after you spend $500 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening
• Enjoy 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel^SM, 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 1.5% 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!
• Enjoy 0% Intro APR for 15 months from account opening on purchases and balance transfers, then a variable APR of 18.99% – 28.49%.
• No annual fee – You won’t have to pay an annual fee for all the great features that come with your Freedom Unlimited^® card
• Keep tabs on your credit health, Chase Credit Journey helps you monitor your credit with free access to your latest score, alerts, and more.
• Member FDIC

Financial Snapshot

• APR: 0% Intro APR for 15 months from account opening on purchases and balance transfers, then a variable APR of 18.99% - 28.49%.
• Foreign Transaction Fees: 3% of each transaction in U.S. dollars

Rewards Center

Chase Ultimate Rewards

As previously mentioned, the 25,000-point bonus from the Freedom Unlimited card can effectively be doubled in value when combined with a card like the Chase Sapphire Preferred card. That’s because when you also have a premium Chase card, you can pool all of your Chase rewards and then transfer them to airline or hotel partners, which is generally the best way to redeem Chase Ultimate Rewards points.

If you already possess one of the higher-end cards, adding the Freedom Unlimited card to your wallet during this limited-time welcome bonus offer is akin to adding at least $500 in travel rewards value to your points balance. That’s not exactly something to scoff at.

Pair With Other Chase Credit Cards

If you’ve gotten this far in the article, I’m about to state the obvious: The Freedom Unlimited card is an excellent card, but it’s even better when paired with other Chase cards that earn Ultimate Rewards points, such as the Ink Business Preferred^® Credit Card and Sapphire cards.

If you’re just getting started with travel credit cards or haven’t yet applied for the Sapphire or Ink business cards, don’t stress. The Freedom Unlimited card should probably be your first Chase card, and once you’ve established good credit habits, such as paying off your bill in full each month, you’ll be able to pair it with one of Chase’s premium rewards cards.

This strategy has the potential to be very lucrative in the future, as your approval odds for the Freedom Unlimited card may be higher now. After some time proving your creditworthiness, you can apply for the higher-end Chase cards, giving you a strong 1-2 travel credit card combination.

Final Thoughts

There is no debate: The Freedom Unlimited card is an exceptionally valuable no-annual-fee option for those who appreciate travel rewards.

This card deserves a place in your wallet, whether as a complement to other premium Chase cards or on its own, especially given that it has a higher-than-usual elevated welcome bonus that won’t be around for long.