Why I’m Never Closing My Chase Freedom Unlimited Card

The Chase Freedom Unlimited^® isn’t a flashy card, but it’s one that has been in my wallet for years, and it will remain there until the end of time. Okay, so “the end of time” may be a bit dramatic, but it’s not a joke to say that the Freedom Unlimited card has a permanent spot in my wallet.

This no-annual-fee card is a powerhouse when it comes to earning cash-back, which is tracked as Ultimate Rewards points. Chase’s Ultimate Rewards points can be very valuable, so the Freedom Unlimited card is an important part of any Chase points strategy. Here’s how I use this card and why I have no intention of closing it.

Why Keep the Freedom Unlimited Card?

If you collect Chase Ultimate Rewards points, the Freedom Unlimited card should be in your wallet. While it doesn’t include an enormous list of benefits, it has one perk you won’t want to miss — it earns a minimum of 1.5% cash back on all purchases; as mentioned, cash back is tracked as Chase Ultimate Rewards making your earnings 1.5x points.

On top of that, it also earns 3% dining and drugstore purchases and 5% on travel purchased through Chase Travel (3x and 5x respectively when you take into account that cash back is tracked as points). It also has benefits like purchase protection, extended warranty, and travel protection, including car rental insurance.

INTRO OFFER

Chase Freedom Unlimited^®

U.P. Rating 

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.

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 an additional 1.5% cash back on everything you buy (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year) - worth up to $300 cash back!

Up to $300 cash-back

Annual Fee

$0

APR

0% Intro APR for 15 months on purchases and balance transfers, then a variable APR of 19.74% - 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 (670-850)

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

• 0% Intro APR for 15 months from account opening on purchases and balance transfers, then a variable APR of 19.74% - 28.49%.
• 5% back on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠
• 3% back on dining and drugstore purchases

Cons

• 3% foreign transaction fee

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Card Highlights

• INTRO OFFER: Earn an additional 1.5% cash back on everything you buy (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year) - worth up to $300 cash back!
• Enjoy 6.5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, our premier rewards program that lets you redeem rewards for cash back, travel, gift cards and more; 4.5% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service, and 3% on all other purchases (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year).
• After your first year or $20,000 spent, enjoy 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service, and unlimited 1.5% 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!
• Enjoy 0% Intro APR for 15 months from account opening on purchases and balance transfers, then a variable APR of 19.74% - 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 on purchases and balance transfers, then a variable APR of 19.74% - 28.49%.
• Foreign Transaction Fees: 3% of each transaction in U.S. dollars

Rewards Center

Chase Ultimate Rewards

While this card is advertised as a cash-back card, it technically earns points that can be redeemed for cash-back. However, if you also have an Ultimate Rewards earning card with an annual fee (Chase Sapphire Reserve^®, Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card, or an Ink Business Preferred^® Credit Card), you can unlock access to Chase’s hotel and airline partners, which increases the value of your points.

Chase points are some of my favorites, so I want to earn as many as I can for each dollar I spend. Here’s a look at the cards I have and how the Freedom Unlimited card fits in.

Currently, I have a Freedom Unlimited card, a Chase Freedom Flex^®, a Chase Freedom^® card (no longer available to new applicants), a Chase Sapphire Reserve card, an Ink Business Preferred card, and an Ink Business Unlimited^® Credit Card.

I put all of my travel expenses on my Chase Sapphire Reserve card to earn 3x points and get excellent travel protections. I use my Freedom Flex card and Freedom card for the quarterly 5% bonus categories. Dining expenses can go on any of these cards because they all earn 3% or 3x. Business expenses go on my Ink cards.

My Freedom Unlimited card gets everything else. That way, I’m earning 1.5% instead of just 1%. Since this card doesn’t have an annual fee, I don’t have to do any math to determine if it’s worth keeping.

Freedom Unlimited Card vs. 2x Points Cards

It’s true some cards out there earn 2 transferable points per dollar spent, like the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card, Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card, and The Blue Business^® Plus Credit Card from American Express. These are great cards that I also use from time to time.

However, there isn’t a card that earns 2 Chase points per dollar on non-bonus spend categories. So, while I enjoy earning 2 Capital One points or 2 Amex points per dollar, more often than not, I’d rather have 1.5%, which becomes 1.5x.

Chase points are incredibly valuable to me (I use them mostly for luxury Hyatt hotels), and I currently have plenty of Capital One and Amex points. So, I would rather build my Chase points, than add to my already large balances of Amex and Capital One points at 2x points.

Final Thoughts

The Freedom Unlimited card is staying in my wallet for the long term. This no-annual-fee card does offers a great earning rate of 1.5%, which is tracked as 1.5x points, on non-bonus spending categories. That means it’s a valuable card for anyone interested in earning lots of Chase points.