Chase Freedom Rise<sup>®</sup> Credit Card Review: An Entry-Level Card for Building Credit Chase Freedom Rise<sup>®</sup> Credit Card Review: An Entry-Level Card for Building Credit

Chase Freedom Rise® Credit Card Review: An Entry-Level Card for Building Credit

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If you're in the market to start building or rebuilding your credit, most credit card options lack benefits. However, a fairly new credit card from Chase — the Chase Freedom Rise® — offers cash-back rewards while helping you rebuild your credit.

Chase makes it relatively easy to apply for and get approved for the no-annual-fee Freedom Rise. You increase your chances for approval when you open a Chase checking or savings account with at least $250 in it.

Here's what you need to know about the Freedom Rise.

Chase Freedom Rise®
Chase Freedom Rise®
Annual Fee$0
Featured Offer With Chase Freedom Rise®, you can start building credit while earning 1.5% cash back on every purchase. Cash Back rewards do not expire as long as your account is open and there is no minimum to redeem for cash back.
  • 1.5% cash back on every purchase

Freedom Rise Pros

  • $0 annual fee.
  • 1.5% cash back on all purchases plus 5% cash back on Lyft rides through March 31, 2025.
  • $25 statement credit after setting up automatic payments.
  • Automatic consideration for credit limit increases.

Freedom Rise Cons

  • Does not earn travel rewards.
  • Foreign transaction fee of 3% of the amount of each transaction in U.S. dollars..

Freedom Rise Welcome Offer

The Freedom Rise doesn't have a welcome offer. However, when you apply for the card, you have an increased approval chance when you have a total available balance of $250 in Chase checking or savings accounts.

Related: Top Rewards Cards With Introductory $0 Annual Fees

a woman sits on the floor with her laptop and many boxes
Credit: Andrea Piacquadio/Pexels

Freedom Rise Benefits

1.5% cash back

The Freedom Rise earns 1.5% cash back on all purchases, redeemable for statement credits, gift cards, and within the Chase Travel portal. Cash-back rewards never expire as long as your account is open, no minimum is required for redemption.

$25 statement credit

Earn a $25 statement credit when you enroll your Freedom Rise account in automatic payments.

Complimentary DashPass from DoorDash

Freedom Rise cardholders get six complimentary months of DashPass from DoorDash. DashPass offers unlimited deliveries with a $0 delivery fee on eligible DoorDash and Caviar orders. Service fees are also reduced on eligible orders. This benefit must be activated by December 31, 2027.

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Credit: Samantha Fernandes/Unsplash

5% cash back on Lyft Rides

Earn an additional 3.5% cash back on Lyft rides for a total of 5% cash back through March 31, 2025, when you use your Freedom Rise at Lyft.

Credit limit increases

Chase automatically evaluates your credit line for limit increases as soon as six months after account opening. This is great, because your credit score could increase as your credit limit increases, so long as you don't increase your spending.

Related: Tips for Managing Your Credit Score

Chase Credit Journey

You can check your credit score for free through Chase Credit Journey. Access to the credit monitoring platform is standard with the Freedom Rise and other Chase products. The program also explains what factors affect your credit score and offers tips to increase your score over time.

Purchase protection and trip insurance

The Freedom Rise offers purchase protection for the first 120 days after purchase against damage or theft, up to $500 per claim and $50,000 per account. The card also offers an extended warranty on a U.S. manufacturer's warranty of three years or less.

You also get trip cancellation/interruption insurance when you use your card to pay for travel. If your trip is canceled or interrupted for a covered reason, you can be reimbursed up to $1,500 per person and $6,000 per trip for prepaid, non-refundable passenger fees.

Related: Best Credit Cards With Free Travel Insurance

Other perks

The card has zero liability protection, meaning you won't be held responsible for unauthorized purchases made with your Freedom Rise. And 24/7 fraud monitoring immediately informs you of any suspicious activities on your account.

friends look at a phone together while waiting in an airport
Credit: Ketut Subiyanto/Pexels

Freedom Rise Earning Rates

The Freedom Rise earns a simple 1.5% cash back on every purchase, except Lyft rides, where you'll earn 5% back through March 31, 2025. Cash back is unlimited.

Related: Best Credit Cards for Everyday Purchases

Redeeming Rewards From the Freedom Rise

You can redeem the cash-back rewards earned with the Freedom Rise in several ways.

The easiest way is to redeem them as a statement credit or direct deposit into your U.S. checking or savings account. There's no minimum required to redeem cash back. Alternatively, you can redeem your cash-back rewards for gift cards or conveniently shop with points at Amazon.

Another way to redeem your rewards is to book travel through Chase Travel to pay for your upcoming trips. Rewards will be worth their face value here as cash.

Application Restrictions

When applying for any Chase credit card, it's important to know your 5/24 status. The 5/24 rule states that Chase will not approve you for a new credit card if you've opened five new cards within the last 24 months, based on what's showing your credit report.

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Credit: Laura Chouette/Unsplash

 

As it pertains to your Freedom Rise application, you can increase your odds of approval by opening a Chase checking or savings account with at least $250 within four days of applying. And since this credit card is geared toward people beginning their journey or repairing their credit, you won't find the same strict requirements for an excellent credit score that you might see on other Chase cards. That said, those with considerable existing debts may still have difficulty getting approved.

Related: Understanding Rewards Credit Card Application Rules and Restrictions

Cards That Compete With the Freedom Rise

  • If you want a Chase card that earns bonus cash back on rotating categories, consider the Chase Freedom Flex℠. As a new applicant, you can earn a 5% on rotating bonus categories (up to $1,500 per quarter), 5% on travel purchased through Chase, 3% on dining at restaurants and drugstore purchases and 1% on other eligible purchases bonus after you spend $500 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening.. The card earns 5% on rotating bonus categories (up to $1,500 per quarter), 5% on travel purchased through Chase, 3% on dining at restaurants and drugstore purchases and 1% on other eligible purchases. Finally, you'll still receive purchase protection, extended warranty protection, and credit monitoring through Chase Credit Journey, among other benefits, and you won't pay an annual fee. Learn more in our Freedom Flex review.
  • If you want a simple way to earn an increased 2% cash back on every purchase, check out the Citi Double Cash® Card. With this card, you'll earn 2% cash back on all spending, provided as 1% when you buy plus 1% as you pay. You'll also get a $200 cash-back bonus after you spend $1,500 on purchases in the first 6 months of account opening, and the card offers a 0% introductory APR on balance transfers for 18 months, then an APR of 18.24% - 28.24% (Variable). There is an intro balance transfer fee of 3% of each transfer (minimum $5) completed within the first 4 months of account opening. After that, your fee will be 5% of each transfer (minimum $5). Our Citi Double Cash review has further details.
  • If you prefer a cash-back card from Capital One during your credit-building journey, look no further than the Capital One QuicksilverOne Cash Rewards Credit Card. The benefits are almost identical to the Freedom Rise, but the Capital One QuicksilverOne comes with a $39 annual fee. With that fee comes access to Capital One Dining and Capital One Entertainment. Unlike the Freedom Rise, the Capital One QuicksilverOne doesn't have any foreign transaction fees while still earning 1.5% cash back on every purchase. Our Capital One QuicksilverOne review can tell you more.
Chase Freedom Flex℠
Chase Freedom Flex℠
Welcome Bonus Earn a $200 Bonus after you spend $500 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening.
Annual Fee$0
Credit ScoreExcellent, Good
  • Earn 5% on up to $1,500 on combined purchases in bonus categories each quarter you activate
  • Earn 5% on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards
  • Earn 3% on dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery services
  • Earn 3% on drugstore purchases
  • Earn 1% on all other purchases
Citi Double Cash® Card
Citi Double Cash® Card
Welcome Offer Earn $200 cash back after you spend $1,500 on purchases in the first 6 months of account opening. This bonus offer will be fulfilled as 20,000 ThankYou® Points, which can be redeemed for $200 cash back. Plus, get a 0% intro APR on balance transfers for 18 months. (After that, the (Variable) APR will be 18.24% - 28.24% based on your creditworthiness.)
Annual Fee$0
Credit ScoreExcellent, Good, Fair
  • Earn 2% cash back on every purchase—1% when you buy and 1% when you pay. Plus, earn 5% total cash back on hotel, car rentals and attractions booked on the Citi Travel℠ portal through 12/31/25. Citi cash rewards now also convert to ThankYou points at 1:1 ($10 = 100 ThankYou points).
Capital One QuicksilverOne Cash Rewards Credit Card
Capital One QuicksilverOne Cash Rewards Credit Card
Welcome Bonus N/A
Annual Fee$39
Credit ScoreAverage, Fair, Limited
  • 5% cash back on purchases through Capital One Entertainment (through 12/31/2025)
  • 1.5% cash back on every purchase.

Bottom Line

The Freedom Rise is a good option if you're looking to build or rebuild credit within the Chase ecosystem while earning cash back and avoiding credit card annual fees. This card also grants access to Chase Travel and has worthy benefits like complimentary — albeit temporary — DashPass membership. Getting benefits while building or rebuilding credit isn't widespread, so finding a few perks on this card could be the deciding factor while looking for a credit-building credit card.

Chase Freedom Rise®
Chase Freedom Rise®
Annual Fee$0
Featured Offer With Chase Freedom Rise®, you can start building credit while earning 1.5% cash back on every purchase. Cash Back rewards do not expire as long as your account is open and there is no minimum to redeem for cash back.
  • 1.5% cash back on every purchase

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