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The Chase Freedom Unlimited® is a high-value cash back card that's perfect for a one-card wallet. It has a robust rewards program, an impressive sign-up bonus, and a long 0% intro APR, all for no annual fee. Find out if it's right for you in this Chase Freedom Unlimited® review.
On Chase's Secure Website.
On Chase's Secure Website.
Good/Excellent (670-850)
Intro APR 0% Intro APR on Purchases and Balance Transfers for 15 months
Purchases: 0% Intro APR on Purchases, 15 months
Balance Transfers: 0% Intro APR on Balance Transfers, 15 months
Regular APR
20.49% - 29.24% Variable
Rewards Enjoy 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; 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service, and 1.5% on all other purchases
1.5% - 5% cash back
Annual Fee N/A
$0
Welcome Offer Earn an extra 1.5% on everything you buy (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year) — worth up to $300 cash back. That's 6.5% on travel purchased through Chase Travel, 4.5% on dining and drugstores, and 3% on all other purchases.
Up to $300 cash back
This card would be highly-rated based on its unlimited 1.5% - 5% cash back rates & 0% Intro APR offer alone. But the innovative sign-up bonus (worth up to $300 cash back) makes it particularly good if this would be your primary credit card. With the bonus, you’ll earn 4.5% cash back on dining and drugstores, 6.5% on travel booked through Chase Ultimate Rewards®, and 3% on all other purchases (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year). After the bonus, you’ll still earn the regular cash back rates on every purchase.
This credit card is a good fit for: Consumers who want to maximize their cash back or pay off balances over time at a 0% intro APR.
Few no annual fee cards are as feature-packed as the Chase Freedom Unlimited®.
You can earn an additional 1.5% cash back on everything you spend in your first year, up to $20,000 spent. That offer could be worth up to $300.
SEE MORE: Best Credit Card Sign-Up Bonuses
The Chase Freedom Unlimited® is great for earning cash back. Here are its cash back rates:
There are plenty of cards that earn a high flat rate, such as 1.5% or 2% back. And there are lots of cards with bonus categories. The Chase Freedom Unlimited® is a rarity in that it has bonus categories and earns 1.5% on everything else.
COMPARE RATES: Best Cash Back Credit Cards
This Chase card has a 0% intro APR for the first 15 months from account opening. It applies to purchases and balance transfers, which means you can use this card to pay off large expenses over time or consolidate credit card debt. There are cards with longer intro periods, so if that's what you need, it's worth looking at more credit card reviews. But the Chase Freedom Unlimited® has a competitive 0% intro APR, especially considering everything else it offers.
The go-to 20.49% - 29.24% Variable APR applies after the intro period. To make the most of this perk, aim to pay off your entire balance before the intro period ends.
This card has several built-in protections that apply to eligible purchases. They include:
Protections like these can give you peace of mind and reimburse you for covered events. To learn more about how they work and what's covered, review the guide to benefits that comes with this credit card.
We recommend comparing options to ensure the card you're selecting is the best fit for you. To make your search easier, here's a short list of standout credit cards.
Offer | Our Rating | Welcome Offer | Rewards Program | APR | Learn More |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Apply Now for Bank of America® Unlimited Cash Rewards credit card
On Bank of America's Secure Website. |
Rating image, 4.50 out of 5 stars.
4.50/5
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.
5 stars equals Best.
4 stars equals Excellent.
3 stars equals Good.
2 stars equals Fair.
1 star equals Poor.
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
= Best = Excellent = Good = Fair = Poor |
$200 cash rewards $200 online cash rewards bonus after you make at least $1,000 in purchases in the first 90 days of account opening | 1.5% cash back |
Intro: 0% Intro APR for 15 billing cycles for purchases. 0% Intro APR for 15 billing cycles for any balance transfers made in the first 60 days. After the intro APR offer ends, 18.24% - 28.24% Variable APR on purchases and balance transfers will apply. Balance transfers include a fee of 3% for 60 days from account opening, then 4%. Purchases: 0% Intro APR for 15 billing cycles for purchases Balance Transfers: 0% Intro APR for 15 billing cycles for any balance transfers made in the first 60 days Regular: 18.24% - 28.24% (Variable) |
Apply Now for Bank of America® Unlimited Cash Rewards credit card
On Bank of America's Secure Website. |
Apply Now for Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
On Chase's Secure Website. |
Rating image, 4.50 out of 5 stars.
4.50/5
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.
5 stars equals Best.
4 stars equals Excellent.
3 stars equals Good.
2 stars equals Fair.
1 star equals Poor.
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
= Best = Excellent = Good = Fair = Poor |
60,000 bonus points Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $750 when you redeem through Chase Travel℠. | 5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3x on dining and 2x on all other travel purchases Enjoy benefits such as 5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries, 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases, $50 Annual Chase Travel Hotel Credit, plus more. |
Intro: N/A Purchases: N/A Balance Transfers: N/A Regular: 21.49%-28.49% Variable |
Apply Now for Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
On Chase's Secure Website. |
Rating image, 5.00 out of 5 stars.
5.00/5
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.
5 stars equals Best.
4 stars equals Excellent.
3 stars equals Good.
2 stars equals Fair.
1 star equals Poor.
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
= Best = Excellent = Good = Fair = Poor |
Discover will match all the cash back you’ve earned at the end of your first year. N/A | 1% - 5% Cashback Earn 5% cash back on everyday purchases at different places you shop each quarter like grocery stores, restaurants, gas stations, and more, up to the quarterly maximum when you activate. Plus, earn unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases—automatically. |
Intro: Purchases: 0%, 15 months Balance Transfers: 0%, 15 months Regular: 17.24% - 28.24% Variable APR |
This Chase cash back card doesn't have any huge flaws, but there is an area it could improve.
Like many (but not all) cash back cards, the Chase Freedom Unlimited® charges a foreign transaction fee of 3% of each transaction in U.S. dollars. If you like to explore the world, you'll be better off with a travel credit card -- or a cash back card with no foreign transaction fee.
The Chase Freedom Unlimited® is designed for people with good credit and better, with a FICO® Score of at least 670. The card will be hard to get with a much lower credit score.
That's not to say applicants with lower scores can't get the card. In fact, some people have reported approval with a score in the low to mid-600s. Credit scores are heavily weighted in the approval decision, but the reality is that other factors also play a role.
Another consideration before you apply is the number of credit cards you've opened in the previous 24 months. If you've opened five or more, Chase's 5/24 rule could lead to an automatic rejection.
RELATED: What Credit Score Do I Need for a Chase Credit Card?
TIP
Chase's rewards credit cards are popular, partly because you can combine rewards if you have multiple Chase cards. A common strategy is to get a Chase travel card and one or two Chase cash back cards, with three-card combos being referred to as a Chase Trifecta. This allows you to earn bonus rewards in more spending categories.
The Chase Freedom Flex℠ offers a similar deep bench of perks. The main difference between the two offers is that the Chase Freedom Flex℠ earns 5% cash back in rotating categories you activate quarterly (capped on up to $1,500 of spending) and 1% back on non-bonus spending. The Chase Freedom Unlimited® doesn't have those rotating bonus categories, but it has a higher cash back rate of 1.5% on all non-bonus spending and a different sign-up bonus structure.
Otherwise, the cards are close twins with a $0 annual fee and 0% intro APR offers. Cardholders who can make the most of the quarterly bonus cash back categories will earn more with the Chase Freedom Flex℠, so it's worth crunching your budget numbers to nail down the right option.
For more information, check on this guide on Chase Freedom Unlimited® and Chase Freedom Flex℠ card benefits.
With such a wide range of benefits for no annual fee, the Chase Freedom Unlimited® can work for all kinds of cardholders. It will definitely be a good fit if you:
See our full list of top picks: Best Credit Cards
At The Motley Fool Ascent, we rate credit cards on a five-star scale (1 = poor, 5 = best). Our rating criteria includes rewards rates, welcome bonuses, fees, and perks like travel credits and 0% intro APR offers to evaluate our ratings.
We combine these factors with an evaluation of brand reputation and customer satisfaction to ensure you're getting the best card recommendations. Learn more about how The Ascent rates credit cards.
No, the Chase Freedom Unlimited® is made of plastic.
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The Chase Freedom Unlimited® is a Visa credit card.
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