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The Chase Freedom Unlimited® is one of our favorite credit cards. It sports no annual fee, earns up to 5% cash back on purchases, and its rewards are even more valuable when paired with an Ultimate Rewards-earning card. What's more, the Freedom Unlimited has an intro offer where you can score a $200 bonus after meeting the minimum spending requirement.
Here's why you might consider adding the Freedom Unlimited to your wallet.
- Intro Offer: Earn a $200 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
- Rates & Fees
- Earn 5% on purchases through Chase Travel℠
- Earn 3% on dining at restaurants
- Earn 3% on drugstore purchases
- Earn 1.5% on all purchases
Page Contents
Why Should You Get the Freedom Unlimited?
The Freedom Unlimited is a well-rounded, no-annual-fee credit card. And if you're a new applicant for it, you can earn a $200 bonus after you spend $500 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening.
While this bonus amounts to almost 50% return on the first $500 you spend on your card in the first three months, the card has much more to offer, like purchase protection, travel insurance, and lucrative earning rates — even on purchases that don't fall into a special bonus category.
When you use your card, you'll earn 5% on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3% on dining at restaurants and drugstores, and 1.5% on other eligible purchases. That's a great return, but you can supercharge your rewards if you pair the Freedom Unlimited with a credit card that earns Ultimate Rewards points.
Related: Our Full Review of the Freedom Unlimited
Pair the Freedom Unlimited with an Ultimate Rewards-Earning Card for Max Value
To get the most value from the rewards you earn on the Freedom Unlimited, it's worth pairing it with a card that earns Ultimate Rewards points. Doing so unlocks access to Chase’s transfer partners, where points can be worth significantly more for award flights and hotel stays.
On average, Chase Ultimate Rewards points are worth 1.95¢ each when transferred to travel partners like Virgin Atlantic or World of Hyatt, which is far better than the 1¢ per point you'd get through Chase Travel℠, Pay Yourself Back, or when redeeming for gift cards.
Plus, combining cards lets you maximize bonus categories for different kinds of purchases. Some of the best Ultimate Rewards-earning cards include the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (Rates & Fees), Chase Sapphire Reserve® (Rates & Fees), and the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card (Rates & Fees). And these cards have solid welcome offers, too.
By using the right mix of Chase cards, you can squeeze even more value from every dollar you spend.
Freedom Unlimited Application Restrictions
Chase has strict application rules, and the most important one to keep in mind is its 5/24 policy (here's how to check your status for free). If you’ve opened five or more new credit cards in the past 24 months (based on what’s showing on your credit report), you likely won’t be approved for the Freedom Unlimited or any other Chase card.
In addition, Chase imposes a 2/30 rule, meaning you can only open two personal credit cards (or one personal and one business card) within a 30-day period.
There’s also a 24-month restriction specifically for the Freedom Unlimited, which you’ll find in the application terms. This rule determines eligibility based on when you last earned a bonus on the card:
“This product is not available to either (i) current cardmembers of this credit card, or (ii) previous cardmembers of this credit card who received a new cardmember bonus for this credit card within the last 24 months.”
Related: Why Starting With Chase Cards Matters if You're Under 5/24
Final Thoughts
The offer on the Freedom Unlimited deserves your attention. It's not very often a no-annual-fee card offers such a strong bonus.
But beyond the sign-up bonus, the Freedom Unlimited remains a valuable long-term card thanks to its solid earning rates on everyday spending. But to get the most out of it, you’ll want to pair it with a premium Ultimate Rewards card, such as the Sapphire Preferred. These cards unlock the ability to transfer points to Chase's airline and hotel partners, which are the key to maximizing your rewards.
If you’re eligible and looking to build a strong Chase rewards strategy, now’s a great time to apply for the Freedom Unlimited.
- Intro Offer: Earn a $200 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
- Rates & Fees
- Earn 5% on purchases through Chase Travel℠
- Earn 3% on dining at restaurants
- Earn 3% on drugstore purchases
- Earn 1.5% on all purchases
For rates and fees of the cards mentioned in this post, please visit the following links: Chase Freedom Unlimited® (Rates & Fees), Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (Rates & Fees), Chase Sapphire Reserve® (Rates & Fees), and Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card (Rates & Fees)
The comments on this page are not provided, reviewed, or otherwise approved by the bank advertiser. It is not the bank advertiser's responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.
Is this post out of date?
Not that we are aware of. We just completed a full factcheck of this post before republishing it. I just checked that the card offer is still valid and don’t see anything out of date. Why do you ask? 🙂
I am over 5/24 for the next 3 months….. would this offer still be available then?
We know the offer is ending soon. Could it come back around that time? Maybe, but unlikely.
Card is a joke. Tiny little credit line of $500. Great job Chase!! You should be so proud. I have had credit cards for almost 50 Years and they always come with a $5,000 – $10,000 credit line at a minimum based on my credit score and net worth. Can’t wait to rack up the points with this card. I’ll probably just cut it up and throw it a way. I’m just going to stick with the competitors cards. Bravo Chase, Bravo.
Do these bonus categories apply to current cardholders, or is this just for new sign-ups?
The doubled earnings only apply to new applicants, unfortunately.
The post fails to actually state the full awesome details of the doubling. There are categories that the Chase Freedom Unlimited offers that will all be doubled:
5% – Chase Travel
3% Dining
3% Drugstores
1.5% All Other Purchases
All those percentages would be doubled as part of this promotion. Click the link in the article to the application and it will clearly state this 🙂
This is why this is a GREAT deal!
With Citi slashing so many benefits on its Double Cash card, and making its 2% seem less of an advantage, I can see how Chase is playing its 3% card-for-a-year game right 🙂
Sigh. I already have this card — wish I could get a new one to get the 3%!!!! =(
Love this option, I’m going to jump on the band wagon for this ! Does anyone have both this card and Capital One Venture?
I’m in need of a Chase card so this is very helpful. I appreciate AwardWallet giving us strategies to help plan which Chase card to get first. Thanks!
Nice nice offer. I’m in on this one.
It’s a longterm keeper card so it just depends on what you are after.
One of the best offers. Wish this offer will run through the end of this year till I get out of my 5/24 rule…
Yeah but is it worth a x/24 slot? Not when you can get a huge SUB.
I am under the 5/24 “rule” and currently have a freedom unlimited card which I downgraded to so I never received the signup bonus for this card. Could I apply for another freedom unlimited card to take advantage of this 3% bonus or do I need to cancel my current freedom unlimited card first before applying? If the latter, how long do I have to wait after closing before applying? Any help would be much appreciated!
Wish I could apply. Darn that 5/24 rule!!!
Sweet offer. Guess they are trying to outdo Discover who doubles the first year’s cashback.
But after the first year it goes down to 1.5%. In that case Citicard 2% cash back makes more sense.
Unless you also have CSR. Then through the portal you get a 50% bonus so these points are effectively 2.25% cashback as a floor. You could transfer to partners and get even better value.
Chase has once again proven the value of not signing up for many new card bonus offers at a time. By waiting (& always keeping open a 5/24 slot), a household could have taken advantage of the 100k Chase Reserve offer; the 100k Chase Ink Preferred offer; the unltd first yr Chase Freedom Unltd last year; the Ritz Carlton offer last year with Marriott Plat status for a year & 2 free nights at Marriott’s very best hotels; WOH card with 60k WOH points bonus offer.
I’m not sure when the folks who “chase” any, & all, other card offers will finally learn to tamper their activities, but Chase has made it clear they will only reward those who do. And they do so with the absolute best transferrable points program along with plenty of seed points to get started.
Yeah, generally keeping to one new card every six months is a good pace anyway.
3% straight cash is great. Everyone loves miles but sometimes cash works out to be the best!
And if you transfer to a CSR, that’s 4.5% cashback by booking through the portal! That’s insane.
Ive seen a few people writing about the “5/24 rule”, would someone be able to explain what that is for those of us who aren’t aware? it sounds like it could be very important and useful information for people who might be considering applying for a rewards card
Check out this post for all the details – https://awardwallet.com/blog/chase-524-policy-work/
Thanks for posting. I will plan to get this card in April as I need to replenish my UR points.
I’m going to need a lot more cash back to go to Rio ?
I have Chase Ink Business Preferred. Does it work for this card also
Hey Ron, you should be able to combine points earned on the Freedom Unlimited card with your Ink Business Preferred. Having the business card means you can transfer points earned with the Freedom Unlimited to Chase’s excellent partner programs.
Interesting approach by Chase – might work well for some, but would rather get the same return after only $3K-$5K spend with an upfront bonus. Hope this isn’t the trend now unless the offers get a bit more lucrative.
The card comb strategy combination is very much appreciated.
Great offer! That 3% can make a difference.
good offer…too bad for those that already have the card
The 3% can definitely be worth it these days, even if you can get — on paper — more value elsewhere. Not the best signup bonus though.
My wife said we will use this card to take advantage of the 3 per cent. Works for me!
Is chase a partner with the american airlines too?
No, only Marriott points transfer to AA
You can transfer to British Airways to redeem through AA.
Great information to have. I may just give it a try.
That 3 percent can really add up. Patience is rewarded.
Exactly. Think of extending your budget 3% further. It adds up quick.
Sounds like a great opportunity to earn points! The 3% is great!
A different approach to marketing. Interesting option.
I like the idea of differently structured welcome offers across cards, so this is a nice addition to the mix. And, I’m sure Chase likes the idea to test how a different bonus affects consumer behavior.
Same. I’d really like to see some out of the box different rewards.
Thanks! I need a new Chase card.
I have received significant cash back over the years. It seems to arrive a good time.
I’ve read the post and looked at the site for the CFU. Maybe it’s the early time but I don’t understand if this is a sign up thing or if I already have the FU that I get it? I like to max points with Chase and Amex. This could make my Chase much more valuable.
Yes, it replaces the traditional up-front signup bonus and is only available to new cardholders.
Freedom unlimited is 1.5% on everything. 1.5cent back for every dollar spent. But like author mentioned if you have sapphire reserve those points count as 1.5X travel money. Meaning if you have both cards and you are willing to use the points for travel through sapphire reserve then you get 2.25cent travel money for every dollar you spend with freedom unlimited. It adds up and it is awesome! We just recently booked $2200 worth of a resort and it cost us 145,000 points. There is not other better rewards deal out there!
Thanks! We may take advantage of this one.
I never tried a cash back card. With Chase’s 5/24 rule I guess I never will, at least with them. Even though the spending to earn the bonus is high, the end result is a nice stash of UR points or cash.
Not strictly a cash back card. It awards UR points.
These are the type of programs that can really add up.
Just not a fan of these types of offers
I wish I was under 5/24 so I could get Chase cards.
Ron, is that because Chase rep can only tell you Chase’ card history , while 5/24 checks your entire credit history? Wondering what is the easiest way to check 5/24 before submitting an application.
We’ve put together a post that will help you check your 5/24 status here – https://awardwallet.com/blog/how-to-check-your-5-24-status/
Thanks for the link!
what is the easiest way to find out whether I am still under 5/24?
Checkout this post – How to Check Your 5/24 Status
Wow crazy…I wish this offer was available a few years ago when I got my freedom unlimited card.
Is it worth it more then a sign up bonus thou if your under 5/24?
It depends. I have the CSR so getting 1.5 points as the floor everyday spend can then transfer to CSR for 50% bonus through the portal which comes out to 2.25% cashback. This 3% promotion for a year would transfer for an effective rate of 4.5%. The Chase ecosystem is incredibly valuable.
I’d say if you’re under 5/24, it’d be worth trying to complete the trifecta of Freedom, Freedom Unlimited, and a Sapphire (I prefer the Reserve by far).
This is the base card of the Chase trifecta. You definitely want it in your reportoir as it’ll be the workhorse of all non-category, non-churning spend.
I think that they should make the 3% cash back permanent, instead of only the first year.
Totally agree. That’s why I’m not jumping in on this. not worth it for a year when I can easily get 2% back forever on CitiCashBack.
My wife and I have both been denied Chase cards because of 5/24!
The cash back is always a welcome surprise to me.
Damn you, 5/24! ?
Great option for those who don’t already have the regular Freedom card.
Nice bump on a fantastic all-around card. One of my favs!
This is a great bonus for every day spend, thanks for letting me know!
I just recently got the Freedom Unlimited, but also have the regular Freedom and Chase Sapphire Reserve cards. Was I wrong to think that I would be getting 1.5 UR points per dollar with the Freedom Unlimited? If so, boo. Is it more worthwhile to take the cash back rather than combine it with the UR points on my other cards? Thanks!
Not wrong at all, the Freedom Unlimited earns 1.5 points on every purchase and you can combine those points to your Sapphire Reserve for better redemption value and transfer to partners.
Exactly. 1.5 points/dollar here where you can then transfer to your Reserve and redeem through the travel portal at a 50% bonus so now you actually got 2.25 cents per dollar spent on you FU card. Freedom then translates to 7.5 cop on quarterly spending and travel/dining g at 4.5 cpp. That’s a great return right there as a cashback system on a travel card.
You can transfer to partners for better face value (but is a first class flight really worth 100,000 points…. not to me) but as an across the board 2.25% cashback with bonus categories of 4.5% and 7.5%, you can’t beat that for a $150 annual fee.
I already have this card so I can’t take advantage of the offer. However, for the right person, this would be great. I remember them offering this three points per dollar for the first year bonus a while back for a very short time. At that time, there wasn’t the upper limit of earnings at 3%. I think they realized that could cause trouble and this is why there’s the upper limit on earnings this time.
Questions:
—My wife has the Chase Sapphire Pref, the Ink Biz, & is 4/24 (I have the Chase Reserve); if she calls in to downgrade her CSP to the Freedom Unl, will she get the bonus points?
—Better to have her just apply for the CFL? (She got the CSP & Ink in 2018).
—I do most of the charging; can I somehow transfer her UR pts to my account?
Thanks
If she product changes she won’t receive the bonus points. Yes, you can transfer her points to your account provided you are in the same household.
This 5/24 thing with Chase is amazing. I called Chase and ran through my card history and I was clearly below the 5/24, but still no dice. The rep wouldn’t even admit to the 5/24 rule. There must be some sort of additional cooling off period, so I am going to have to lie low for a bit.
It’s incredible they don’t even admit to 5/24!
I’m not sure that’s a publicized rule that their reps would know about. It’s a rule that’s so out in the open that you’d think the reps wouldn’t be told to avoid disclosing it.
Since there’s no bonus for applying for the 3% CFU, if you already got the bonus from CFU within 24 months, can you still get the 3% bonus (if that makes sense)?
No, while they’ve removed the traditional signup bonus, they still consider the 3% a welcome offer and it carries the same 24 months language.
I plan to apply for Sapphire Preferred or Reserve in the next 12 months and will not be subject to 5/24. If I got the Unlimited now, and have Freedom already, would I be able to move all UR points that I have accumulated between now and then over to the premium card once I get that?
Thank you!
PS – I found you guys after listening to Richard’s new podcast.
Awesome, always nice to meet a new reader! And, yes, when you get a premium UR earning card you will then be able to transfer all the points from the two Freedom cards to the CSP/CSR and transfer them to partners.
Alternatively, you could get the Ink Preferred to make your points available for partner transfers.
Very nice! I like simple ways to save
Honestly it’s not a bad option these days to take the cash back.