Apply for a Chase Freedom Unlimited®
$0
0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for the first 15 months
18.99% - 28.49% Variable
Limited Time Offer: Earn a $250 bonus
Good to Excellent
- Solid flat cash-back rate
- You can combine cash-back rewards with Ultimate Rewards points if you have an eligible card
- No annual fee
- Some other cards offer a higher rate of cash back on certain types of purchases
The Chase Freedom Unlimited® is a great choice for credit card beginners and experts alike. With no annual fee and a high earnings rate, it's worth considering as an everyday card — and it's even better when you pair it with an annual-fee Chase card like the Chase Sapphire Reserve®.
- 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℠, 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
The Chase Freedom Unlimited® is a no-annual-fee credit card that deserves a slot in everyone's wallet.
It doesn't have an annual fee and earns at least 1.5% back on every dollar you spend. These two qualities, plus a generous welcome bonus and zero-interest period, make Chase Freedom Unlimited® a compelling choice for anyone looking for a new credit card.
Our experts reviewed this card against other top credit cards with no annual fee and found the Chase Freedom Unlimited® to be an industry leader for its generous earnings, rich benefits, and long-term potential.
Chase Freedom Unlimited® Overview
The Chase Freedom Unlimited® is a Business Insider favorite, featured in several of our guides including the best credit cards and the best credit cards for restaurant dining and food.
It's a top pick for families because it earns 3% back on drugstore purchases and offers travel protections such as trip cancellation and interruption insurance.
Chase Freedom Unlimited® Rewards
Welcome Bonus
The Chase Freedom Unlimited® offers new cardholders a welcome bonus of $250 bonus after you spend $500 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.
This generous offer has very low upfront spending requirements over a long period of time, making this bonus particularly easy for anyone to earn.
Earning Rewards
The Chase Freedom Unlimited earns at least 1.5% back on every purchase — a strong rate of return for a card with no annual fee, especially if you spend a lot on bonus categories.
Cardholders earn:
- 5% back on travel booked through Chase Travel℠, including airfare, hotels, car rentals, cruises, and activities
- 3% back on dining, including takeout and eligible delivery services
- 3% back at drugstores
- 1.5% back on everything else
Redeeming Rewards
Chase Freedom Unlimited cardholders can redeem their rewards as cash back, for travel purchases through Chase, toward gift cards, or as a statement credit toward their outstanding balance.
Maximizing Chase Ultimate Rewards
The Chase Freedom Unlimited offers even more value if you also get a travel-focused Chase card like the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, Chase Sapphire Reserve®, and Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card.
Chase allows you to transfer rewards between different card accounts, so getting one of these travel cards unlocks your ability to transfer points to Chase's airline and hotel partners.
Pairing a Chase Freedom card with the Chase Sapphire Reserve® is one of the best ways to get the most from your rewards, especially if you like to use points for travel.
For example, Chase Ultimate Rewards points are only worth 1 cent apiece when booking travel through Chase on the Chase Freedom Unlimited, but they're worth 50% more — 1.5 cents apiece — when you book through Chase with the Chase Sapphire Reserve®.
Chase Freedom Unlimited® Benefits
The Chase Freedom Unlimited comes with an impressive range of perks including travel insurance, purchase protections, and statement credits. These benefits can be quite valuable, and are relatively rare from no-annual-fee credit cards.
0% Intro APR
The Chase Freedom Unlimited® is one of our top recommendations in Business Insider's guides to the best zero interest credit cards and the best balance transfer credit cards, thanks to a generous 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for the first 15 months (then a 18.99% - 28.49% Variable APR).
Whether you have a large purchase looming that you want to pay off over an extended period or have high-interest credit card balances to consolidate through a balance transfer, this card can save you money on interest and give you a little breathing room as you pay off debt.
Purchase Protection
When you pay for an eligible new purchase with your Chase Freedom Unlimited, the card's purchase protection can cover you for damage or theft for 120 days, up to $500 per claim.
Extended Warranty
Eligible items you purchase with the Chase Freedom Unlimited, with a manufacturer's warranty of three years or less, can receive an additional year of extended warranty coverage.
Car Rental Insurance
When you decline the rental company's collision insurance and charge the entire rental cost to your card, you're covered for theft and collision damage on most cars.
In the U.S., coverage is secondary to your personal insurance.
Trip Cancellation and Interruption Insurance
If you pay for your travel with the Chase Freedom Unlimited, you're covered for up to $1,500 per person and $6,000 per trip if your travel plans are canceled or shortened because of illness, severe weather, or other eligible events.
Bonus Points on Lyft Purchases
Cardholders earn 2% cash back on purchases made with Lyft through September 2027.
Complimentary DoorDash DashPass Membership
Chase Freedom Unlimited® cardholders can enroll to activate six months of complimentary DashPass membership, which comes with $0 delivery fees and lower service fees on orders that meet the minimum required. After the six-month period ends, you'll be auto-enrolled into full-price membership unless you cancel.
If you're enrolled in DashPass and use your Chase Freedom Unlimited® to check out, you will also receive a quarterly promotional credit of up to $10 toward non-restaurant orders.
Travel and Emergency Assistance Services
If you're away from home and run into trouble, you'll have access to a travel and emergency assistance hotline to help arrange services like legal and medical referrals, prescriptions, translation services, and more. Keep in mind any third-party costs are your responsibility.
Chase Fraud Monitoring and Security Measures
Chase offers a number of fraud monitoring tools to protect your financial security.
Your Chase Freedom Unlimited transactions are monitored 24/7 for unusual activity, and you can also temporarily lock your credit card if you misplace it.
You're also covered with zero-liability protection, which means you won't be held responsible for unauthorized transactions made on your credit card.
Chase Freedom Unlimited® Fees
The Chase Freedom Unlimited does not have an annual fee, making it a great credit card to keep long-term.
However, you will pay foreign transaction fees, so it's not a good choice for international purchases.
As with most other cards, the Chase Freedom Unlimited charges fees for late payments, cash advances, and balance transfers.
Chase Freedom Unlimited® Customer Reviews
In addition to compiling our own research on the Chase Freedom Unlimited®, our credit cards team skimmed online forums like Facebook and Reddit to see what current cardholders have to say about the card.
A Great First Credit Card
Several Redditors have gotten the Chase Freedom Unlimited® as a starter credit card, and it's a fantastic option if your credit score is strong enough for approval.
If you can't get this card on your first try, get the Chase Freedom Rise℠ instead. This credit card is an introductory version of the Chase Freedom Unlimited®, and Chase Freedom Rise℠ cardholders can "graduate" to a Chase Freedom Unlimited® card after several months of responsible use.
Helps You Establish A Banking Relationship with Chase
Redditors also say that getting the Chase Freedom Unlimited® helped them build financial history with Chase. This relationship is important because Chase issues many of the best credit cards you can get today; in fact, many of them feature prominently in our guides to the best cards for different needs.
If you want to get a premium credit card like the Chase Sapphire Reserve® but don't have a strong enough financial profile for approval, getting the Chase Freedom Unlimited® can be a great first step.
Paying off what you owe in full and on time each billing cycle goes a long way toward showing Chase that you can responsibly handle a line of credit — and any rewards you earn from the Chase Freedom Unlimited® can transfer to your new premium credit card once you are approved.
Chase Freedom Unlimited® Alternatives
While the Chase Freedom Unlimited is a fantastic option for many people, it has some stiff competition in this space. Here are three alternatives we also recommend for many of the same benefits.
Chase Freedom Unlimited® vs. Chase Freedom Flex®
As their names suggest, the Chase Freedom Unlimited and its twin, the Chase Freedom Flex, are very similar cards with slightly different earning structures.
The Chase Freedom Unlimited is best for people who want to use a single card for every purchase, while the Chase Freedom Flex is better for reward maximizers who don't mind a little extra legwork for higher payoff.
The Chase Freedom Flex also earns 3% back on dining and drugstore purchases and 5% back on travel booked through Chase. But instead of earning 1.5% on everything else, the Chase Freedom Flex earns 5% cash back on up to $1,500 in combined purchases in bonus categories that rotate every quarter, and 1% on everything else.
To earn 5% back on eligible transactions, you must activate the promotional bonuses every quarter; otherwise, you'll just earn 1%.
New cardholders can also earn a welcome bonus and enjoy zero interest for a period of time: $200 bonus after you spend $500 on purchases in the first three months from account opening, and 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for the first 15 months (then 18.99% - 28.49% Variable APR).
Pro tip: Our comparison of the Chase Freedom Flex vs Chase Freedom Unlimited offers a closer look at the differences between these two cards.
Read more in our Chase Freedom Flex card review.
Chase Freedom Unlimited® vs. Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card
The Quicksilver Cash Rewards Card is a strong competitor to the Chase Freedom Unlimited that earns 1.5% cash back on all purchases, except when you book hotels and rental cars through Capital One Travel for 5% cash back.
It has a good welcome offer that's very easy to earn: one-time $200 cash bonus once you spend $500 on purchases within three months of account opening.
The Quicksilver also comes with a strong intro APR offer: 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 15 months (3% fee for the first 15 months, then 4% at a promotional APR that Capital One may offer you at any other time), followed by a 19.24% - 29.24% Variable APR.
The Quicksilver Cash Rewards Card is a much better choice for international travel, because it doesn't charge foreign transaction fees. However, the Chase Freedom Unlimited earns far better returns on dining and drugstore purchases.
Read more in our Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards card review.
Chase Freedom Unlimited® vs. Discover it® Miles
The Discover it® Miles is a great fit for people who value simplicity and cash back above all else, especially if you're planning ahead for a big year of expenses.
The Discover it® Miles earns unlimited 1.5 miles on every dollar of every purchase. That's it: no more, no less.
First-year cardholders can double their rewards through the Discover Cashback Match® program (called Unlimited Bonus on this card), which automatically matches all the miles you've earned at the end of your first year, with no limits. That means you're effectively earning 3 miles per dollar (3% back) on everything you buy in the first year.
Discover credit cards have the advantage of not charging foreign transaction fees, which make them great travel companions for international trips. But the Discover it® Miles is very light on perks, with no travel insurance or purchase protections to speak of. If these benefits are important to you, the Chase Freedom Unlimited is the better choice.
Read more in our Discover it Miles review.
Why You Should Trust Us: How We Reviewed the Chase Freedom Unlimited
Business Insider's credit card experts reviewed the Chase Freedom Unlimited by comparing it to similar credit cards with no annual fees that earn cash back.
We evaluated several factors including:
- Ease of use — Does the card offer an easy-to-navigate rewards program with respect to earning and redeeming cash back? Are there any hoops to jump through or restrictions as to who can apply?
- Rewards earning potential — Are the card's earning rates competitive with similar cards, and if there are bonus categories, are they useful to most users? Are any categories capped at a maximum amount of spending?
- Benefits — Although you won't typically find a lot of frills on no-annual-fee cards, does the card come with unique perks that can save you money, protect your travel and purchases, or make your life easier?
- Fees — Does the card tack on extra charges like foreign transaction fees or late fees?
You can read more about how we rate credit cards for a deeper dive into Business Insider's methodology.
FAQs
What credit score is needed for the Chase Freedom Unlimited?
Most people need a good to excellent credit score, meaning a FICO score of 670 or higher, to qualify for the Chase Freedom Unlimited®.
What is the 5/24 rule for Chase?
The Chase 5/24 rule is an unofficial guideline for people who frequently get new credit cards. Chase automatically denies your credit card application if you've opened five or more personal credit cards within the last 24 months, no matter how strong your credit history is.
Is the Chase Freedom Unlimited a good credit card to have?
The Chase Freedom Unlimited is a great choice for anyone who wants a no-annual fee credit card that earns generous rewards on dining, travel, and drugstore purchases and 1.5% cash back on everything else. It also offers strong benefits including trip insurance and purchase protection.
Does the Chase Freedom Unlimited have foreign transaction fees?
Yes, the Chase Freedom Unlimited charges foreign transaction fees of 3% of the amount of each transaction in U.S. dollars. If you're traveling abroad, leave this card at home and save money by using one of the best credit cards without foreign transaction fees instead.
What's better, the Chase Freedom Unlimited or Freedom Flex?
The Chase Freedom Unlimited is better for people who don't want to think about which credit card to use on different expenses. The Chase Freedom Flex® is better for people who don't mind doing a little extra legwork to earn slightly higher rewards.
