The Chase Freedom Unlimited® has everything you need in a beginner or everyday cash-back credit card, including a $0 annual fee, excellent intro APR offers, and an elevated 1.5% base earning rate.

You can also turn the Freedom Unlimited into an everyday travel rewards earner by pairing it with one of Chase’s travel card options, such as the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card.

Chase Freedom Unlimited overview

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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
• Introductory Purchases APR
  0% Intro APR on Purchases for 15 months
• Ongoing Purchases APR
  19.74% - 28.49% Variable
• Introductory Balance Transfer APR
  0% Intro APR on Balance Transfers for 15 months
• Ongoing Balance Transfer APR
  19.74% - 28.49% Variable

• 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

Additional benefits

• Intro APR offer on purchases and balance transfers: You receive a generous introductory APR on purchases and balance transfers for the first 15 months from account opening

• Multiple redemption options: You can redeem your rewards for cash back, travel, gift cards, and online purchases with some merchants, such as Amazon.

• Instant access: If approved for the Freedom Unlimited, you can use it the same day by adding it to a digital wallet, including Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Samsung Pay.

• Travel insurance: The Freedom Unlimited’s travel coverage includes trip cancellation and interruption insurance, auto rental collision damage waiver, and travel and emergency assistance services.

• Purchase protection: Cardholders can take advantage of purchase and extended warranty protection benefits on eligible purchases.

• Credit Journey: You can use Credit Journey to monitor your credit and credit score for free without impacting your credit.

• Combine rewards: You can combine Chase points between eligible Chase credit cards, making it easier to rack up rewards.

How to earn rewards

Welcome offer

You can earn an additional 1.5% cash back on all eligible purchases (up to $20,000 spent) in your first year of card membership. This welcome bonus is worth up to $300 in cash back.

Rewards rate

• 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel

• 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery services

• 1.5% cash back on all other eligible purchases.

Referrals

Earn $50 cash back for each friend who applies through your referral link and is approved for any participating Chase Freedom credit card. You can earn up to $500 cash back per year from referrals.

How to redeem rewards

• Cash back: Redeem rewards for a statement credit or a direct deposit into eligible U.S. checking and savings accounts. There’s no minimum amount to redeem for cash back.

• Travel: Book flights, hotel stays, and more through the Chase Travel portal.

• Amazon: Link your Freedom Unlimited card to your Amazon.com account and redeem cash-back rewards to pay for part or all of eligible Amazon purchases at checkout.

• Gift cards: Use rewards to receive gift cards from various retailers.

• Combine points: You can combine points with other eligible Chase credit cards that earn Ultimate Rewards.

Tip: Moving your Chase Freedom Unlimited rewards to a Chase Sapphire Preferred, Chase Sapphire Reserve®, or Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card gives you access to 25% to 50% Chase Travel redemption bonuses and the option to transfer points to travel partners, such as United MileagePlus and World of Hyatt.

Who is the Chase Freedom Unlimited best for?

We recommend the Chase Freedom Unlimited for rewards credit card beginners, Chase Ultimate Rewards enthusiasts, and anyone who wants a low-maintenance cash-back card for everyday spending.

The Freedom Unlimited is an excellent product on its own, providing elevated rewards and ample purchase protection perks without an annual fee. However, you can get even more value by using it with one or more other Chase cards that earn Ultimate Rewards points.

Using multiple rewards cards simultaneously lets you take advantage of different bonus categories. For example, one card might have a high cash-back rate for travel, while the other has a high rate for dining or gas stations. Using both cards together helps maximize your earning potential on all your eligible purchases rather than only those in select categories.

Chase Freedom Unlimited pros

• Straightforward earning rate with useful bonus categories

• Intro APR offers on purchases and balance transfers

• Flexible rewards program

• No annual fee

Chase Freedom Unlimited cons

• Base earning rate isn’t as good as some flat-rate rewards cards

• Typically requires good or excellent credit

• Has foreign transaction fees

Where can you use the Chase Freedom Unlimited?

The Chase Freedom Unlimited is a Visa credit card (Chase is the credit card issuer), so it’s accepted in over 200 countries and territories worldwide. However, the Freedom Unlimited charges 3% foreign transaction fees, so it’s not the best card for international travel.

How to make a Chase Freedom Unlimited payment

Here are the primary ways you can make a Chase credit card payment:

• Online: Log into your online account on Chase.com or through the Chase Mobile app. You can make manual payments or set up automatic payments.

• Phone: To pay over the phone, call the number on the back of your card or 1-800-436-7958.

• Mail: For mail payments, send to Cardmember Services, P.O. Box 6294, Carol Stream, IL 60197-6294. Send overnight payments to Chase Card Services, 201 N. Walnut Street, De1-0153, Wilmington, DE 19801.

• Western Union: Send Western Union payments using the Code City WALNUT.

• In-branch: You can make payments at Chase ATMs and branch locations if any are in your area.

Chase Freedom Unlimited customer service info

Here are the different ways you can contact Chase customer service:

• Phone: Call the number on the back of your card or 1-800-432-3117.

• Secure message: You can send secure messages to Chase through your online account by logging in via a web browser or the Chase Mobile app.

• Social media: Message Chase on Facebook, Instagram, or X.

• In-branch: Speak with a customer service representative or meet with a banker at a Chase branch.

Alternative cards to consider

If the Chase Freedom Unlimited Card isn’t the right fit for you, consider these alternative cash-back credit cards:

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Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express

Rates & fees, terms apply

• Annual fee
  $0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $95.
• Welcome offer
  Earn a $250 statement credit after spending $3,000 in eligible purchases in the first 6 months
• Introductory Purchases APR
  0% on purchases for 12 months
• Ongoing Purchases APR
  18.49%-29.49% Variable
• Introductory Balance Transfer APR
  0% on balance transfers for 12 months
• Ongoing Balance Transfer APR
  18.49%-29.49% Variable

• Rewards rate
  • 6% cash back at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $6,000 in purchases annually, then earn 1%)
  • 6% cash back on select U.S. streaming subscriptions
  • 3% cash back on transit and U.S. gas stations
  • 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 at Amazon.com checkout

• Benefits
  • Generous intro APR on purchases and balance transfers
  • Receive a monthly statement credit of $7 when you spend $9.99 or more each month on an auto-renewing Disney Bundle subscription (valid only at Disney Plus.com, Hulu.com or Plus.espn.com in the U.S.)
  • Enjoy $0 intro plan fees for the first 12 months when you use Plan It® to split up large purchases into monthly installments

Why we like it: The Amex Blue Cash Preferred has a $0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $95 (see rates and fees, terms apply). Despite the annual cost, this is one of our favorite cash-back cards for everyday spending because of its high rewards rate. Few rewards cards reach a 5% return, but the Amex Blue Cash Preferred goes beyond that, providing an excellent opportunity to boost your earning potential on purchases you already make.

Read our full Amex Blue Cash Preferred Card review

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Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card

• Annual fee
  $0
• Welcome offer
  Earn $250 cash back after spending $500 on purchases in the first 3 months
• 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

• Rewards rate
  • 8% cash back on Capital One Entertainment purchases
  • 5% cash back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
  • 3% cash back on dining, entertainment, popular streaming services, and at grocery stores (excluding superstores like Walmart and Target)
  • 1% cash back on all other purchases

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

Why we like it: The Capital One Savor Cash Rewards has a $0 annual fee and no foreign transaction fees (which is uncommon for cash-back cards). It’s also a powerhouse for earning cash back in everyday categories, including dining, entertainment, and groceries. If these are common spending categories for you, the Savor Cash Rewards deserves your consideration.

Read our full Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card review

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Citi Double Cash® Card

• Annual fee
  $0
• Welcome offer
  Earn $200 cash back after spending $1,500 on purchases in the first 6 months (bonus offer will be fulfilled as 20,000 ThankYou® Points, which can be redeemed for $200 cash back)
• Introductory APR
  0% intro APR on balance transfers for the first 18 months (19.24% - 29.24% variable APR after that)
• Purchase APR
  19.24% - 29.24% variable

• Rewards rate
  • 5% cash back on hotel, car rentals and attractions booked on the Citi Travel℠ portal through 12/31/24
  • 2% cash back on every purchase with unlimited 1% cash back when you buy
  • Earn an additional 1% as you pay for your purchases (to earn cash back, pay at least the minimum due on time)

• Benefits
  Generous intro APR on balance transfers

Why we like it: The Citi Double Cash is an easy card to hang onto, especially if you want the simplicity of using one card for everything. There are no bonus categories to track and no special enrollment requirements. You earn up to 2% cash back on every eligible purchase, simple as that.

Read our full Citi Double Cash Card review

This article was edited by Rebecca McCracken

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