Chase Freedom Unlimited review: A great card for beginners and pros alike

Chase Freedom Unlimited Overview

Non-annual Chase Freedom Unlimited® is perfect for beginners and advanced award travelers. While most cards offer 1% back on purchases outside of bonus categories, you’ll earn 1.5% on non-bonus spending with Freedom Unlimited. And if you pair this with a premium Chase Ultimate Rewards points-earning card, you can convert your rewards into fully transferable points, doubling their value. Card rating*: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

*Card rating is based on the opinion of TPG editors and is not influenced by the card issuer.

At first glance, the Chase Freedom Unlimited may look like a cash-back card. But there is more to it than meets the eye.

With no annual fee and a simple earning structure, it’s a great card for beginners, as long as they have a credit score of at least 670. It’s also a great card pairing for other premium options like the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card and the Chase Sapphire Reserve®. , making it a valuable addition to many major card portfolios.

Let’s examine what makes this card so deceptively good, and whether it deserves a place in your wallet.

Chase Freedom Unlimited pros and cons

Chase Freedom Unlimited welcome offer

With Chase Freedom Unlimited, new cardholders can earn an additional 1.5% cash back on all purchases (up to $20,000 spent in the first year), worth up to $300.

And it’s even more important if you have a card that earns Chase Ultimate Rewards points, which means you can cash back in points and transfer them to one of Chase’s transfer partners.

Also, since this is a Chase card, remember that it is subject to Chase’s 5/24 rule.

Related: Best time to apply for these Chase cards based on offer history

Chase Freedom Unlimited benefits

The trade-off for cards with no annual fee is that they often come with fewer benefits than their higher-paid counterparts. Nevertheless, Freedom Unlimited has some great features worth highlighting:

• Rental car coverage: You will have rental car insurance that covers theft and damage up to the actual cash value of most rental cars.
• Trip cancellation and interruption insurance: You will be reimbursed up to $1,500 per person and up to $6,000 per trip for eligible travel expenses on your card if inclement weather, illness or other covered conditions result in the cancellation or disruption of your travel plans.
• Road shipping: You’ll get access to toll-free roadside assistance that will connect you with service providers if you have problems on the road.
• Extended warranty protection: You can extend the warranty period by one additional year for eligible warranties that are three years old or less.
• Purchase protection: Your purchase is protected against theft and damage for 120 days after the date of purchase.

If you don’t have another card with stronger travel insurance and purchase protections, this is a decent value for card cover with no annual fee.

Related: Why Chase Freedom Unlimited is great for college students

Get cash back on Chase Freedom Unlimited

With Freedom Unlimited, you’ll generally get:

• 5% cash back on travel booked through Chase Travel℠
• 3% back on food (including take-out and eligible delivery services)
• 3% returned from drug stores
• 1.5% back on all other purchases

While there are no show-stopping bonus categories, finding a card with bonus categories and a lower rate of more than 1% on all additional purchases is rare. The bonus categories are great, but the ability to earn 50% more on non-bonus spend makes this card shine.

For example, TPG reader Kate Trimble appreciates how Freedom Unlimited benefits “Cash/points back on every purchase” (via TPG News survey).

Note: Feedback submitted by readers has not been edited, reviewed or approved by the issuers and does not reflect TPG’s views on these cards.

If you’re looking for a card that earns more than 1% on non-bonus spending, this is a great choice.

Related: The best cards to pair with Freedom Unlimited

Cash back on Chase Freedom Unlimited

You can redeem cash earned on your Freedom Unlimited as a statement credit or by direct deposit to most US checking and savings accounts at a rate of 1 percent per point. You can also redeem your rewards for gift cards or use them to book travel through the Chase Travel portal for the same amount.

You can also pay directly with your points at Amazon.com, but you’ll get a lower price going this route.

With the right card pairing, you can convert your rewards into transferable Chase Ultimate Rewards points and use Chase’s key transfer partners for even more value.

Related: Why Chase Sapphire is Preferred and Unlimited Freedom is the perfect combination of cards for beginners

Cash back with Chase Freedom Unlimited

On its own, Freedom Unlimited is a true cash back card and does not allow you to transfer your rewards to travel partners.

However, if you also have a Chase Sapphire Preferred, Chase Sapphire Reserve or Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card, you can combine your rewards and unlock Chase’s full list of hotel and airline partners.

TPG employees especially like the option to transfer our Top Chase Rewards to World of Hyatt. Some of us, like TPG’s Summer Hull content director, prefer to use these rewards to book luxury Hyatts that might otherwise be out of budget. Alternatively, others are like me and prefer to stretch our rewards by using them for great deals on Tier 1 Hyatt properties.

In addition to World of Hyatt, Chase’s other transfer partners include key options such as United MileagePlus, British Airways Executive Club and Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer. You’ll find the best options with Chase’s transfer partners, no matter what your travel style and preferences are.

Related: How to get the most out of Chase Ultimate Rewards

What cards compete with Chase Freedom Unlimited?

Option one may be a better fit if you want to focus on earning cash back rewards. Like Freedom Unlimited, they earn cash back rewards and don’t carry an annual fee.

For more options, please see our list of the best cash back cards and the best cards with no annual fee.

Related: Chase Freedom Flex vs. Chase Freedom Unlimited

Is Chase Freedom Unlimited worth it?

Since Freedom Unlimited has no annual fee, you can feel good about earning rewards without justifying what you pay to keep it each year. You can increase your chances of earning rewards if you already have a Chase Ultimate Ultimate Rewards points earning card. However, if you’re only focused on cash back rewards, you’ll probably want a card with a higher earning rate.

Related: How to choose a cash back card

Bottom line

The Chase Freedom Unlimited is a great card for everyday spending, with no bonus and can offer incredible value when paired with a premium Chase card. Whether you’re a beginner or a pro looking for a compatible card to add to your portfolio, Freedom Unlimited is a great choice.

Apply here: Chase Freedom Unlimited