Chase Freedom Unlimited® Review

If you wish to journey cheaper, higher, and longer, among the best instruments in your arsenal is a strong rewards bank card.

Nonetheless, despite how often I talk about the topic, many vacationers (or would-be vacationers) are reluctant to get one. They think it’s a scam, don’t need to pay an annual payment, or simply are typically cautious of the entire thing.

For those who’re in that camp, immediately I need to focus on a bank card which may be the proper introduction to the world of factors and miles: the Chase Freedom Unlimited®.

This card provides nice worth, with no annual payment and strong incomes potential. It’s wonderful as a standalone card with tons of potential for leveling up your sport if and whenever you’re prepared. It’s a favourite for newbies and seasoned vacationers alike.

So, on this publish, I’m going to interrupt down why the Chase Freedom Limitless deserves a spot in your pockets and the way you should use it to show on a regular basis purchases into free journey.

What’s the Chase Freedom Limitless?

The Chase Freedom Unlimited (generally known as CFU) is a bank card issued by Chase. What I really like about it’s that it has a $0 annual payment and provides 1.5% money again on all purchases. It’s nice for points and miles beginners who don’t need to fear about incomes at completely different charges throughout numerous classes.

Plus, in case you do need to stage up your sport, you possibly can mix it with a Chase Sapphire card to supercharge your rewards incomes capabilities (extra on that under).

This card earns you the next:

• 5% money again on journey bought by way of Chase Journey^SM
• 5% money again on Lyft rides (by way of March 2025)
• 3% money again on drugstore purchases and eating at eating places, together with takeout and eligible supply providers
• 1.5% money again on all different purchases
• Present welcome provide: an additional 1.5% money again on every thing you purchase on as much as $20,000 spent within the first 12 months

You may redeem this money again in opposition to your subsequent assertion or select to get it straight deposited into your checking account.

However you will get much more out of this card whenever you mix it with considered one of Chase’s Sapphire playing cards (extra on this quickly).

Perks and Advantages of the Chase Freedom Limitless

Along with these wonderful incomes charges, you’ll get entry to numerous perks and advantages. Once more, because it has a $0 annual payment, these are all simply bonuses.

• Entry to Chase Presents, an ever-changing choice of offers for numerous retailers , together with on-line purchasing, gasoline stations, supply providers, clothes manufacturers, and resorts, amongst many different sectors (you would actually see something right here)
• Complimentary three months of DashPass whenever you activate by January 31, 2025 (by way of which members stand up to $10 off quarterly on non-restaurant DoorDash orders)
• Secondary Auto Rental Collision Injury Waiver
• Journey cancellation/interruption insurance coverage (as much as $1,500 per individual and $6,000 per journey to your pay as you go, nonrefundable passenger fares, in case your journey is canceled or lower brief by illness, extreme climate, or different lined conditions)
• Buy safety (covers your new purchases for 120 days in opposition to injury or theft as much as $500 per declare and $50,000 per account)
• Prolonged guarantee safety

Combining with a Chase Sapphire Card

Whereas this card is a superb cash-back card in its personal proper, it’s greatest when paired with a extra premium Chase card that earns transferable factors. The Chase Sapphire Preferred®(CSP) or the Chase Sapphire Reserve® are the 2 hottest, although you would additionally do that with my favourite enterprise card, the Ink Enterprise Most popular®. (Observe that these playing cards do have charges.)

That’s as a result of, whenever you additionally maintain considered one of these playing cards, you possibly can convert the money again earned on the CFU to useful Chase Final Rewards factors. (The Freedom Limitless by itself solely earns money again.) Which means you possibly can pool factors earned on both card collectively and have entry to Chase’s nice airline and lodge switch companions.

Whereas getting money again is simpler (and positively attractive), I think about factors to be rather more useful. That’s as a result of you possibly can usually get no less than 2 cents per level when transferring to journey companions (generally rather more).

So why not simply have one of many Chase Sapphire Playing cards and no Freedom Limitless?

Whereas this is a superb choice (and what many individuals do), having two playing cards inside the identical “household” ensures that you just maximize incomes classes whereas incomes the identical sort of factors. (You don’t need to unfold your self too skinny throughout too many alternative playing cards incomes various kinds of factors that you may’t mix.)

By holding each a Chase Sapphire card and the Chase Freedom Limitless, you possibly can make certain that you’re incomes no less than 1.5x factors on all purchases, a rarity in a journey card (each Sapphires solely earn 1x factors on all purchases).

For those who maintain the Chase Sapphire Most popular and the Chase Freedom Limitless, for instance, you’d earn:

• 1.5x on all purchases (CFU)
• 2x on all journey (CSP)
• 3x on drugstores (CFU)
• 3x on eating, together with takeout and eligible supply providers (each playing cards)
• 5x on Lyft (till March 2025, each playing cards)
• 5x on journey bought by way of Chase Journey (each playing cards)

Lastly, because the CFU does have a international transaction payment, you gained’t need to use this card when touring. Consider the CSP as your journey card and the CFU as your on a regular basis card with the next incomes price on all purchases. Utilizing the 2 collectively is a superb mixture.

Execs of the CFU

• No annual payment
• Strong rewards construction, with no less than 1.5% again on every thing
• Simple to redeem money again as assertion credit score or direct deposit
• Nice worth when paired with a Chase Sapphire card

Cons of the CFU

• 3% international transaction payment
• Not a ton of journey advantages

Who is that this card for?

The Chase Freedom Limitless is right for individuals who need an easy-to-use card that will get a better-than-average incomes price on all purchases. It additionally leaves room to develop into the points-and-miles world when mixed with a higher-level card from Chase. And, if you have already got a Sapphire card, including the CFU to your pockets means that you can proceed to stage up your sport, maximizing your rewards on all purchases.

As with all bank card, you shouldn’t get it in case you’re already carrying a steadiness or plan to hold one. Rates of interest for journey bank cards are notoriously excessive, and this one isn’t any completely different. The factors simply aren’t price it in case you’re paying curiosity every month.

This card can also be not for anybody with poor credit score, as you want good or wonderful credit score to qualify. (If that’s you, check out the best credit cards for bad credit so you can begin enhancing your rating immediately.)

Lastly, this card does depend towards Chase’s 5/24 rule (you possibly can’t open greater than 5 playing cards inside 24 months). For those who’ve already opened 5 bank cards (any playing cards, not simply Chase playing cards) inside the previous two years (or need to open extra quickly), you both gained’t be capable to get this card or would possibly need to skip it for now.

Whether or not you’re simply dipping your toes into the points-and-miles sport or trying to complement your present lineup, the Chase Freedom Unlimited is a improbable card. With no annual payment and spectacular incomes charges, it’s the proper gateway to the world of factors and miles in case you’re simply beginning out.

And, if and whenever you need to take issues up a notch, you possibly can pair it with a premium Chase card down the street to actually maximize your factors. It’s a no brainer alternative that may kickstart your journey to mastering factors and miles.