KEY LINKS:
- Chase Freedom Unlimited®. Earn an extra 1.5% on everything you buy (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year) — worth up to $300 cash back. No annual fee
- Chase Freedom Flex® – Earn $200 bonus after you spend $500 on purchases in the first 3 months. No annual fee
Chase Freedom Unlimited Review
The Chase Freedom Unlimited has no annual fee and a simple earning structure. You’ll earn 1.5% cashback (or 1.5 Ultimate Rewards points) per $1 spent on all purchases, with no caps or limitations. Currently the Freedom Unlimited has a
- 3% cashback (3x Ultimate Rewards) per dollar spent on purchases in the first year
- 1.5 Ultimate Rewards per dollar spent after that
- No annual fee
Read our full Chase Freedom Unlimited review
Chase Freedom Flex Review
In contrast, the Chase Freedom Flex has a different earning structure:
- 5% cash back on up to $1,500 in combined purchases in bonus categories each quarter you activate
- 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠
- 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service
- Unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases.
- You can redeem your points for cash back at 1 cent per point or transfer to other Chase cards to potentially get even more value
- 0% Intro APR for 15 months from account opening on purchases and balance transfers, then a variable APR of 20.49%–29.24%.
- No annual fee
Combining Chase Ultimate Rewards from your Chase Freedom cards
Because the Chase Freedom Unlimited and Chase Freedom Flex cards are not considered “premium” cards, their points are only worth 1 cent when considered by themselves. However, if you already HAVE a premium card (like the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card or the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card for example), then you are able to (at least for now!) combine all your Chase Ultimate Rewards into one account.
So your 1.5x for every dollar spent on the Chase Freedom Unlimited, if transferred to an account with the Chase Sapphire Reserve® (where you can REDEEM for 1.5 times), would give you 4.75% back on purchases through Chase Travel℠ for all points earned during the first year. And of course if you transfer them to travel partners, you can often get even MORE value.
Chase Freedom Unlimited vs. Chase Freedom Flex – which is better?
Deciding on whether to get the Chase Freedom Unlimited or Chase Freedom Flex will depend on your individual situation, travel goals and spending patterns. Having the Chase Freedom Flex can be a great way to take advantage of getting 5% bonus rewards on quarterly bonus categories, while the Chase Freedom Unlimited is a great no-fee card to pair with other cards that earn Chase Ultimate Rewards. That way, if you aren’t working on a welcome offer or don’t have a category bonus, earning 1.5 Ultimate Rewards per dollar spent is a pretty good offer.
Other Chase Cards To Consider
There are a few other cards that earn Chase Ultimate Rewards points that you might want to consider consider:
- Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card – Earn 60,000 bonus points after $4,000 in purchases in your first 3 months from account opening. $95 annual fee- read our full review here
- Chase Sapphire Reserve® – Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. $550 annual fee
- Chase Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card – Earn $750 bonus cash back after you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. $0 annual fee – read our full review here
- Chase Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card – Earn 90,000 bonus points after you spend $8,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. $95 annual fee – read our full review here
- Ink Business Premier® Credit Card – Earn $1,000 bonus cash back after you spend $10,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. $195 annual fee – read our full review here
The Bottom Line
KEY LINKS:
- Chase Freedom Unlimited®. Earn an extra 1.5% on everything you buy (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year) — worth up to $300 cash back. No annual fee
- Chase Freedom Flex® – Earn $200 bonus after you spend $500 on purchases in the first 3 months. No annual fee
The Chase Freedom Flex and Chase Freedom Unlimited are two of Chase’s no annual fee credit cards that earn Chase Ultimate Rewards points. Deciding between the Chase Freedom Unlimited and Chase Freedom Flex will depend on your own individual situation, travel goals and spending patterns. The Freedom Flex can be a great card to have to take advantage of 5% quarterly bonus categories, while the Freedom Unlimited can be used as a default card when you’re not working on a welcome offer or shopping at a store that offers a bonus earning rate.
Which card do you think is best between the Chase Freedom Unlimited and Chase Freedom Flex? Leave your thoughts in the comments below
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Dan Miller travels with his wife and 6 (SIX!) children. He loves to help families travel for free / cheap, especially larger families. If you are looking for help, drop him an email at 
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