The Chase Freedom Unlimited® and Chase Freedom Flex®️ are two cash-back credit cards that can both offer tremendous value on the purchases you make most often.

With rewards in everyday categories, no annual fee, and access to the Chase Ultimate Rewards program, the Chase Freedom cards have many features in common. But they do have some distinct differences that can help you maximize perks for your own spending.

Chase Freedom Unlimited overview

Here’s what to know about the Chase Freedom Unlimited, which offers both flat cash back on every purchase and added bonus categories.

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Chase Freedom Unlimited®

• Annual fee
  $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
• Card type(s)
  Cash-Back
• Introductory Purchases APR
  0% Intro APR on Purchases for 15 months
• Ongoing Purchases APR
  19.99% - 28.74% Variable
• Introductory Balance Transfer APR
  0% Intro APR on Balance Transfers for 15 months
• Ongoing Balance Transfer APR
  19.99% - 28.74% Variable
• Recommended credit score
  Excellent/Good

• Rewards rate
  • Enjoy 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠
  • 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants (includes takeout and eligible delivery service)
  • 1.5% on all other purchases

• Benefits
  • You can choose to receive a statement credit or direct deposit into most U.S. checking and savings accounts
  • Chase Credit Journey helps you monitor your credit with free access to your latest score, alerts, and more
  • Generous intro APR on purchases and balance transfers

Why we like it

If you’re on the fence about the type of cash-back card you prefer, the Chase Freedom Unlimited card may just be your solution.

With a minimum 1.5% on every purchase, it’s a solid flat cash-back option. That alone gives it a similar value as some of our other favorite rewards credit cards today. But on top of that, you’ll earn bonus rewards with 3% on purchases that are likely already within your regular budget.

The Freedom Unlimited can also be a good choice for dipping your toe into travel rewards, with 5% back on travel purchased through Chase, which can include everything from flights to hotels, rental cars, and more. Plus, you can choose to redeem the rewards you earn for travel, too.

All of these options combined make up what we like best about the Chase Freedom Unlimited: flexibility. You can use it as a straightforward flat cash-back card, strategize to maximize bonus categories, and even rack up travel rewards on your spending to put toward a future trip. Maybe you’ll even choose all of the above.

Chase Freedom Unlimited pros

• 1.5% minimum cash back: This alone is a solid rewards rate. Say, for example, you put $1,000 in non-bonus spending on your card per month. After a year, you would earn $180 in cash back at this rate.

• Great intro APR offer: The long 0% intro APR on both Freedom cards is a big benefit for anyone looking to make a large upcoming purchase. And thanks to this card’s first-year rewards boost, you could get a solid cash-back return and avoid interest for several months.

Chase Freedom Unlimited cons

• Maximizing other categories: Make sure you check your budget to see where you spend most before applying to this card. If your highest spending categories fall outside of dining or drugstore purchases, you may want to consider a card with different bonus categories.

• Welcome offer spending: An extra 1.5% back on all purchases can put a nice sum back into your pocket. But the $20,000 in purchases required to max out this bonus (and get the full $300 value) may be out of reach for some cardholders.

Chase Freedom Flex overview

You’ll find a lot of similar card details from the Chase Freedom Flex*, but this rotating cash-back card has some unique features to know, too.

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Chase Freedom Flex® Card

• Annual fee
  $0
• Welcome offer
  Earn a $150 bonus after you spend $500 on purchases in the first 3 months
• Card type(s)
  Rewards, Cash-back
• Introductory APR
  0% Intro APR for 15 months from account opening on purchases and balance transfers, then a variable APR of 19.99%-28.74%
• Purchase APR
  19.99% - 28.74% variable

• Rewards rate
  • 5% cash back on up to $1,500 on combined purchases in bonus categories each quarter you activate
  • 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠
  • 3% on dining, including takeout and drug stores
  • 1% on all other purchases

• Benefits
  • Get 5% cash back on Lyft rides through March 31, 2025, plus select DoorDash discounts
  • Enjoy perks like extended warranty protection, trip cancellation insurance, cell phone protection, and auto rental collision damage waiver
  • Redeem your cash back rewards as a statement credit, direct deposit, gift card, on Amazon purchases, or to book travel through Chase
  • Use the introductory 0% APR on purchases and balance transfers for the first 15 months, after which the standard APR will apply

*All information about Chase Freedom Flex has been collected independently by Yahoo Finance. Chase Freedom Flex is no longer available through Yahoo Finance.

Why we like it

The rotating 5% quarterly bonus categories are the primary feature that set apart the Chase Freedom Flex — and it's why we like it for cash-back users who want to really make the most of their spending.

With 5% back on up to $1,500 spent in bonus categories, you could earn an annual $300 back on these rotating categories alone.

As long as you’re willing to track categories and don’t mind switching up where you shop, this card can offer a lot of long-term value. Take grocery shopping, for example. You may get 5% back on general grocery shopping in Q1, 5% at Target in Q2, and 5% at wholesale clubs in Q3. Flexing where you do your regular shopping is necessary to best maximize the highest rewards.

To make the most of these categories, you’ll also need to check your account regularly. Chase only announces the upcoming quarter’s new categories a few weeks before it starts, so you won’t be able to plan your spending for the year in advance.

Most importantly, though, you must activate your bonus each quarter before the deadline to earn the 5% on your eligible spending. There is some flexibility, though. Even if you don’t activate until later in the quarter, your prior eligible spending will still earn the 5%. You can also sign up for reminders from Chase if you’re worried about forgetting the quarterly deadline.

Chase Freedom Flex pros

• Rotating everyday categories: 5% cash back is among the highest rewards rates you’ll find today, and this card’s rotating categories help ensure you’ll save most on regular purchases.

• Easy-to-earn welcome bonus: With the Freedom Flex’s welcome offer, you only need to spend $500 within the first three months to qualify. That spending minimum is on the low end for similar welcome offers.

Chase Freedom Flex cons

• Need to keep up with bonus rewards: This isn’t a set-it-and-forget-it card. If you’re looking to maximize rewards, you should be prepared to check your account and strategize the rewards categories regularly.

• Limited notice before each quarter: Unlike some other rotating category cards, Chase doesn’t announce new bonus categories until a few weeks before the quarter begins. That can make it difficult to plan for your rewards earnings ahead of time.

Should you get the Chase Freedom Unlimited?

Between these two cards, the Chase Freedom Unlimited is the better option if you like the simplicity of flat cash-back rewards but want some extra earning power. Its minimum 1.5% cash back on standard spending can help guarantee you a solid earning rate, even before considering the added bonus categories.

We calculated the value of cash-back credit cards available today using average American consumer spending data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Based on an average annual spend of $22,992 distributed across several key categories, the Chase Freedom Unlimited could earn you a potential $399.47 each year.

Should you get the Chase Freedom Flex?

The Chase Freedom Flex, on the other hand, could be a better option if you don’t mind the extra work of strategizing to maximize your rewards earnings. It can also be a bigger risk; if there are a few quarters with categories that aren’t relevant to you, you could sacrifice your earning potential.

Still, there are always a few different options and a focus on everyday spending. If you’re able to max out rotating categories each quarter without going over your budget, you can get major value from this card.

Based on our calculations of average consumer spending and cash-back rewards, the Chase Freedom Flex just slightly edges out the Freedom Unlimited, with a potential annual value of $402.22.

Should you get both cards?

You probably don’t need to get both of these credit cards. Because their rewards are so similar, you’ll find redundancies that can limit your value. Instead, both the Chase Freedom Unlimited and Freedom Flex can make great solo options or pair well with other cards.

For maximum rewards value, you may want to consider pairing either of these cards with a Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card or Chase Sapphire Reserve®. The points you earn with your Freedom card can transfer to a Sapphire card, so you can pool points within one account. Even though you can’t access transfer travel partners with a Freedom card alone, you can use the points you earn with a Freedom card with Chase’s travel partners when you combine them with your Sapphire card.

Learn more: Chase Sapphire Reserve review

Best of all, Sapphire cards earn a boosted redemption rate when you use points to book travel through Chase. This automatically increases the value of your rewards. Here’s an example:

Say you earn 20,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points (equal to $200 cash back) with your Chase Freedom Unlimited over the course of a year, and 40,000 points with a Chase Sapphire Preferred. The Preferred card’s points are worth 1.25 cents per point when you redeem them for travel through Chase. So, if you pool the points from both cards under your Chase Sapphire Preferred account and redeem them for an upcoming trip, your combined 60,000 points may be worth up to $750 in travel.

Other cards to consider

Here are a few more rewards credit cards we also recommend for everyday spending:

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Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

• Annual fee
  $95
• Welcome offer
  Earn 60,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months — that's worth $750 when redeemed through Chase Travel℠
• Card type(s)
  Travel
• Ongoing Purchases APR
  20.99% - 27.99% Variable
• Recommended credit score
  Excellent/Good

• Rewards rate
  • 5x points on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠
  • 3x points on dining, select streaming services, and online groceries
  • 2x points on all other travel purchases
  • 1x points on all other purchases

• Benefits
  • Points are worth 25% more when you redeem for airfare, hotels, car rentals and cruises through Chase Travel
  • Earn up to $50 in annual statement credits for hotel stays purchased through Chase Travel
  • On every account anniversary, earn bonus points equal to 10% of your total purchases made the previous year

Why we like it: The Chase Sapphire Preferred can make a great pair with either the Freedom Unlimited or Freedom Flex, if you want to pool points for bonus travel redemptions. But it’s also a great rewards card on its own.

For an affordable annual fee, you’ll get 5x points when booking through Chase Travel (if you book hotels this way, you’ll first get a $50 credit for Chase hotel spending, then start earning the 5x). Also earn 3x on dining, online grocery purchases (not including Target and Walmart), and select streaming; 2x on other travel; and 1x on everything else.

Unlike the Freedom cards, the Sapphire Preferred gives you access to Chase’s travel partners: more than a dozen hotels and airlines you can transfer points to 1:1. Or you can choose to book travel with your points through Chase for a value of 1.25 cents per point.

Read more: Chase Freedom Unlimited vs. Sapphire Preferred

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Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card

• Annual fee
  $0
• Welcome offer
  Earn a $200 cash bonus after spending $500 within the first 3 months
• Card type(s)
  Cash-back
• Introductory APR
  0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 15 months, then variable 19.74% - 29.74% APR
• Purchase APR
  19.74% - 29.74% variable
• Recommended credit score
  Good, Excellent

• Rewards rate
  • 5% cash back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
  • 1.5% cash back on all other purchases

• Benefits
  • 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for the first 15 months
  • No foreign transaction fees

Why we like it: The Quicksilver card is another great no-annual-fee option if simplicity is your priority. It earns 1.5% back on every purchase, with a boosted 5% rate on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel. The cash welcome bonus is the same as the Freedom Flex: $200 when you spend at least $500 within the first three months. It even has a generous introductory APR offer on new purchases and balance transfers.

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Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express

Rates & fees, terms apply

• Annual fee
  $0
• Welcome offer
  Earn a $200 statement credit after spending $2,000 within the first 6 months
• Card type(s)
  Cash-back
• Introductory Balance Transfer APR
  0% on balance transfers for 15 months
• Ongoing Balance Transfer APR
  18.49%-29.49% Variable
• Introductory Purchases APR
  0% on purchases for 15 months
• Ongoing Purchases APR
  18.49%-29.49% Variable
• Recommended credit score
  Excellent, Good

• Rewards rate
  • 3% cash back at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $6,000 per year in purchases, then 1%)
  • 3% cash back on U.S. online retail purchases (on up to $6,000 per year in purchases, then 1%)
  • 3% cash back at U.S. gas stations (on up to $6,000 per year in purchases, then 1%)
  • 1% cash back on all other purchases
  • Cash back is received in the form of Reward Dollars that can be redeemed as a statement credit or on Amazon.com at checkout

• Benefits
  • Generous intro APR on purchases and balance transfers
  • Get a $7 monthly statement credit after spending $9.99 or more on a streaming subscription to the Disney Bundle, plus earn up to $15 in monthly statement credits after purchasing a Home Chef subscription

Why we like it: Blue Cash Everyday is a cash-back card with a range of great bonus categories. You can earn 3% cash back at U.S. supermarkets, U.S. online retailers, and U.S. gas stations (on up to $6,000 spent per year in each category, then 1%). Also, get 1% back on everything else. If you can max out each 3% category annually, that would net you $540 in bonus cash back alone.

Editorial Disclosure: The information in this article has not been reviewed or approved by any advertiser. All opinions belong solely to Yahoo Finance and are not those of any other entity. The details on financial products, including card rates and fees, are accurate as of the publish date. All products or services are presented without warranty. Check the bank’s website for the most current information. This site doesn't include all currently available offers. Credit score alone does not guarantee or imply approval for any financial product.