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The Chase Freedom Unlimited® is one of many valuable Ultimate Rewards points-earning cards in the lineup from JP Morgan Chase.
By itself, the card is a strong contender for your everyday spending, but when you combine the earning of the Freedom Unlimited card with the redemption options of some of the premium Ultimate Rewards cards…that’s where you’ll really find the highest value.
To start, though, let’s concentrate on what makes the Freedom Unlimited card great on its own. We’ll take a detailed look at the benefits and help you decide if this is a card that belongs in your wallet.
Then we will explain why it’s best to pair this with another Chase card for maximum rewards.
The basic features of the Freedom Unlimited card make it quite attractive for a beginner in the world of credit cards. It’s an easy card to start out with and has a good return on your spending.
As we look into the rewards in a bit more detail later on, you will see that this isn’t just a card for beginners as it can be a powerful tool in the arsenal of any miles and points collector!
The Freedom Unlimited card has an annual fee of $0 — and that’s not just an introductory annual fee. It’s not going up the second year, or any year! Once you know how to maximize the rewards, you will understand how amazing this is!
An APR of 0% for the first 15 months from account opening will help out if you have a large purchase that you need to pay off over a couple of months. The 0% APR is good not only for purchases, but on balance transfers as well.
You do need to make sure you have paid off the entire balance by the time you reach 15 months. Otherwise, you will be hit with the variable APR. Also, watch out for the balance transfer fee.
As long as you hold the Freedom Unlimited card, you will earn 5% back on travel purchases through Chase Ultimate Rewards, 3% back on dining and drugstore purchases, and 1.5% cash-back on all other transactions.
This makes the Freedom Unlimited card an excellent card for multiple bonus categories, including one of the best cards for monthly bills and everyday spending. Earning at 1.5% is better than most traditional credit cards, and unless you have a card that earns at a better rate, it makes sense to use this one.
Hot Tip: You don’t want to use the Freedom Unlimited card when traveling internationally. There is a hefty 3% fee added to all foreign transactions! Be careful, because this also applies to any online foreign transactions that you may make from your home before the trip. The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, on the other hand, has $0 in foreign transaction fees!
As long as you are a cardholder in good standing, your cash back doesn’t expire. It will be stored in the form of points until you either choose to use it or you close your account.
Although these are common benefits, it is good to know that a card you may be using for a large percentage of your everyday purchases will still protect you if there’s a problem with a charge. It provides that extra level of comfort that helps you know you’re using the right credit card.
Some banks call it fraud protection, others call it zero Liability…either way, it means the same thing.
As a cardholder, you will not be held responsible for any unauthorized charges made with your card number online, over the phone with your account information, or with your physical card if it is stolen.
For up to 120 days after you make a purchase with your Freedom Unlimited card, you will be protected against damage or theft of the item you purchased. This coverage is limited to a maximum of $500 per claim and $50,000 per account.
When you pay for an item entirely with your card, this coverage will extend the manufacturer’s warranty by an additional year. This coverage only applies to U.S.-issued warranties, and the original warranty must be for 3 years or less.
Coverage for theft and damage to your rental car is covered when you charge the entire rental to your card and decline the rental company’s collision damage waiver. Most cars in the U.S. and abroad are covered; your benefits terms will detail any exclusions.
It is important to note that in the U.S., this coverage is secondary. This means that your personal auto insurance policy will pay out first in the event of a loss. Then, this coverage will take care of any amount not covered by your primary insurance.
Your account is protected from fraudulent charges using sophisticated real-time monitoring. You can take comfort in knowing that if someone is making unauthorized charges on your account, it will be stopped and you will be notified.
You can choose to get your fraud alerts by phone, text message, or email.
Hot Tip: Signing up for mobile fraud alerts is a great idea if you regularly make large purchases at different stores. If your card is accidentally declined for suspected fraud, you can take care of it right from your phone and continue on to make your purchase.
Cardholders are eligible for a complimentary 3-month membership to Instacart+ and a quarterly credit of $10 to use for grocery delivery. Registration is required.
Although the Freedom Unlimited card is marketed as a cash-back card, you actually earn Ultimate Rewards points.
If this is the only Chase Ultimate Rewards card that you hold, you have several options for redeeming those points. Using any of those redemption options will get you a value of a penny per point.
You can redeem your points for a higher value if you carry other Chase Ultimate Rewards cards, and we will detail that process further down. For now, here are the redemption options if you only hold the Freedom Unlimited card.
Yes, this is as easy as it sounds: you can redeem your points for straight cash-back. At a penny per point, there is no minimum (or maximum) number of points required for a cash-back redemption.
You can request a statement credit or a direct deposit into your bank account. Deposits can be made into most U.S.-based checking and savings accounts.
To redeem your rewards points at Amazon, you first need to link your Freedom Unlimited card to your Amazon account.
Once this is done, you can instantly redeem your points at a rate of a penny per point to pay for all or part of your Amazon order. Your points can be applied to all parts of your order, including taxes and shipping charges.
Your points can be redeemed for a variety of gift cards and certificates through the Chase portal. There are available redemption options for shopping, dining, entertainment, and more.
Occasionally, Chase will run promotions that reduce the number of points you need to redeem for a gift card. Outside of those limited opportunities, your points are worth a penny per point when you redeem them in this way.
Travel can be booked with your Ultimate Rewards points by going through the Chase Travel Portal. Redemption rates are different depending on which card you sign in to the portal with and which card’s account your points are associated with.
The redemption rate for booking travel with your Freedom Unlimited card points is 1 penny per point; this rate is higher for most other Ultimate Rewards cards.
All of Chase’s premium Ultimate Rewards cards have annual fees; one even as high as $550. These fees help offset the cost of higher value redemption options, including transferring points to airlines and hotels.
Since the Freedom Unlimited card is a no-annual-fee card, it’s not too surprising that the Ultimate Rewards points it earns are somewhat limited in how you can use them.
Above, we outlined the listed redemption options if you only hold the Freedom Unlimited card, and each of them had a redemption value of $.01 per point.
Now, let’s take a look at a few ways that you can redeem your points for higher values when you have another of Chase’s premium Ultimate Rewards credit cards to pair with your Freedom Unlimited card.
The Freedom Unlimited card is just one of several Ultimate Rewards-earning credit cards that Chase offers.
With one of the premium cards (like the Chase Sapphire Preferred card, the Chase Sapphire Reserve®, or the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card), your Ultimate Rewards points are much more flexible.
The best part? If you have one of those premium cards and also have the Freedom Unlimited card, you can transfer the points you earn with the Freedom Unlimited card over to your other cards. This means you can take advantage of the higher value redemption options!
Opening up the higher value redemptions takes the limited points you’ve earned and instantly makes them more valuable.
Transferring your Ultimate Rewards points between cards is really simple. Just make sure you have both cards registered to the same online account with Chase. Then you can choose which card to transfer from and which card to transfer to, select how many points you want to transfer, and confirm the transfer details.
The points will transfer instantly…and all of a sudden they’ll be worth much, much more!
The easiest way to see an increase in the value of your points is to redeem them through the Ultimate Rewards Travel Portal.
When you redeem points through your Freedom Unlimited card account, you will see that they are worth 1 cent per point toward any travel that you book.
Once you transfer them to other accounts, though, the value goes up. If you redeem your Ultimate Rewards points through either your Chase Sapphire Preferred card or Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card accounts, they are worth 1.25 cents per point.
Finally, for the highest value, redeeming points through your Chase Sapphire Reserve card account will get you a value of 1.5 cents per point.
Assuming you are earning those points with your Freedom Unlimited card, let’s look at the effective value of your “cash-back” when you redeem through your other Ultimate Rewards card account.
| Chase Sapphire Preferred Card / Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card | Chase Sapphire Reserve Card | |
| Value Earned With Freedom Unlimited Card | 1.5 points per dollar spent | 1.5 points per dollar spent |
| Value Redeemed Through Portal | 1.25 cents per point | 1.5 cents per point |
| Final Value of “cash-back” at Redemption | 1.875 cents per dollar spent (1.875%) | 2.25 cents per dollar spent (2.25%) |
In the first row of the table, we have the value of the rewards you earn with your Freedom Unlimited card. Whether you have one of the premium cards or not, the earned value remains the same, at 1.5 points per dollar spent.
Next, we’ll look at the value of Ultimate Rewards points when redeemed through the Chase Travel Portal for each of the premium cards.
Finally, in the last line, we calculate the final value of the points if you earn them at 1.5x with the Freedom Unlimited card, and then redeem them at either 1.25x or 1.5x with the premium cards. This is calculated by finding the product of the earning and the redemption multipliers for each combination.
As you can see, the absolute best pairing is the Freedom Unlimited card and the Chase Sapphire Reserve card, though pairing with either of the other 2 cards still increases your value.
Now that you have seen how to increase the value of your points by transferring to another one of your Ultimate Rewards earning cards, let’s take it a step further.
Once you have transferred points from your Freedom Unlimited card to one of the premium Ultimate Rewards cards, you open up the option to transfer your Ultimate Rewards points to the Chase transfer partners.
This is where the value of your points can really go up.
Ultimate Rewards points transfer to several different airline and hotel partners, and the value you get from your redemptions will vary greatly. Usually, the best value will be when you transfer and redeem for business or first class flights, but you can also find great value in some hotel redemptions.
Any time you get more than 2.25 cents per point in value, you are doing better than redeeming for cash or booking through the Chase Travel Portal. Even if you are redeeming 30,000 points for a $700 one-way flight to Europe, you are still getting 2.33 cents per point!
When you start redeeming 120,000 points for a $12,000 first class ticket, you will really see the value of your points start to soar. Just 2 or 3 of those 10+ cents per point redemptions, and you’ll never look at redeeming for straight cash-back again.
Bottom Line: You will get the highest value redemption from your Ultimate Rewards points when you transfer them to travel partners and redeem them for premium rewards. Pairing this card with one of the premium Chase cards and transferring the points will open up redemption values much higher than 1.5%.
With 5% back on travel through the Chase Travel Portal, 3% back on dining and drugstore purchases, and 1.5x earning on all other spending, the Chase Freedom Unlimited card is a great option to regularly use for any of your purchases within the set bonus categories, or those that don’t fit into a higher bonus category with another of your cards.
If you are pairing with another Ultimate Rewards card and redeeming for more than a penny a point though, your earnings can be worth a lot more than 2% when you redeem. As you know by now, transferring your points to Chase’s airline and hotel partners is absolutely the best option!
Hopefully, after reading through the detailed benefits, you now understand why the Freedom Unlimited card will make a great addition to your wallet.
With no annual fee, holding on to the card for the long term makes sense not only for your wallet, but also for your credit score (older accounts are better!).
The Freedom Unlimited card does fall under the Chase 5/24 rule, so it won’t be available to all of us. But if it is, this is a great card to pick up to help build up your Ultimate Rewards points balance.
The information regarding the Chase Freedom Unlimited® was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.
The information regarding the Chase Freedom Flex℠ was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.
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Since discovering miles and points in 2010, Jeff has traveled to over 35 countries, flying in first class, business class, and sometimes even in coach. Whether he’s staying in a hostel dorm, or in a luxury suite at a 5 star hotel, Jeff is constantly looking for the best deal to make travel as close to free as possible.
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24 comments
Emanuel Gross
September 01, 2019
I have a Freedom Unlimited card. Assuming I make charges for travel i.e. airlines, travel agencies, hotels, etc., is there coverage for illness, cancellation, etc.? Also, does the coverage extend to all members of my party?
Christine Krzyszton
September 01, 2019
Hello Emanuel. Yes, you do have some coverage for trip cancellation and trip interruption. You can learn about the details for all coverages that come with the card by accessing your Guide to Benefits. You would have received a copy when you received your card. This can be found online by logging into your Chase account or you can call the number on the back of your card and request a copy.
Anita Bist
May 27, 2023
Is there any foreign transaction fee if I use Freedom Unlimited CC abroad??
Keri Stooksbury
May 28, 2023
Hi Anita – the Freedom Unlimited card has a 3% foreign transaction fee. Thanks for reading!
Tim Sedgwick
October 14, 2019
I’ve had a Chase Freedom card for several years. Do I have protection if I buy airline tickets and have to cancel prior to taking the trip?
Christine Krzyszton
October 14, 2019
Hi Tim. There is no coverage provided on the Chase Freedom that offers any type of protection for just cancelling an airline ticket. There is a 24 hour no-penalty cancellation period for airline tickets purchased via the Chase Travel Portal.
Tavares
November 08, 2019
I’ve had the Chase Freedom card for a few years. If I’m able to upgrade to the Chase Freedom Unlimited card, do I also qualify for the 0% promotional APR for 15 months and the $200 cash-back welcome bonus?
Andrew Kunesh
November 08, 2019
Hey Tavares,
You are not eligible for a welcome bonus or 0% promotional APR if you product change from a Freedom to a Freedom Unlimited. You can only qualify for these offers if you open a new account and haven’t received a welcome bonus for the product in the past 24 months.
Hope this helps!
Best,
Andrew
Sally
January 06, 2020
If I have the Chase Freedom Unlimited card am I able to access the airline lounges in the airport for free?
Christine Krzyszton
January 06, 2020
Hi Sally. The Chase Freedom Unlimited card does not come with any complimentary airline lounge access. The Chase Sapphire Reserve card comes with Priority Pass Select membership that allows access to their 1,200 plus lounge properties and lounge alternative locations worldwide. Also, here’s an article on the best credit cards for lounge access. /best-credit-cards-for-lounge-access/
Kathleen M Myers
February 27, 2021
What kind of restaurants are included for the 3% dining? Drive-thru fast food such as McDonald’s or Burger King? Sit down restaurants including fast food or mom-and-pop restaurants? Order and pickup?
Christine Krzyszton
February 27, 2021
Hi Kathleen. Any establishment that has a restaurant merchant code will earn the 3%. This includes fast food, restaurants, bars, and others. You can look up a specific Visa restaurant code here: https://www.visa.com/supplierlocator-app/app/#/home/supplier-locator
Rick Lytle
July 23, 2021
Will the Chase Freedom card cover my hotel if my flight is cancelled and I can’t get a flight until the next day?
Christine Krzyszton
July 23, 2021
It may be possible depending on the situation. The Guide to Benefits states that under trip interruption coverage, “any travel arrangements canceled or changed by a travel supplier (unless due to severe weather)” are not covered. So if a flight is canceled due to weather, perhaps you might be able to get reimbursed for a hotel. You would, of course, have to meet the terms and conditions that include paying for a portion of the trip with your card. This is just my interpretation, however, you should contact Chase via the number on the back of your card for more precise information.
Thea
December 27, 2021
Contact Chase via the number on the back of the card for more precise information? Ha!! They know nothing. Nothing!
Christine Krzyszton
December 28, 2021
Hi Thea. If you are in a situation where you can access the Guide to Benefits for the card, that can give you an idea of whether a situation is covered, or not. After that, your only recourse for getting information is to contact Chase via the number on the back of your card. From there, you can speak with a benefits administrator who will know what is covered/not covered. The Chase credit card rep is unlikely to have this information.
Summer
March 27, 2022
Does the Chase Freedom Unlimited offer cell phone protection?
Christine Krzyszton
March 27, 2022
Hi Summer. The Chase Freedom Unlimited card does not offer cell phone protection. The Chase Freedom Flex card currently offers cell phone protection. Here is a comparison of the 2 cards: /credit-cards/chase-freedom-unlimited-card-vs-freedom-flex-card/
Theresa Marotta
August 17, 2022
What percent is given back for grocery stores like Stop and Shop or Lidl, please?
Christine Krzyszton
August 18, 2022
You will earn 1.5% cash-back on every purchase, including grocery stores. During the first year after card approval, you will earn an additional 1.5%, up to $20,000 in purchases. So, a total of 3% at grocery stores, until your total purchases hit the $20,000 maximum in the first year, then 1.5%.
Theresa Marotta
August 17, 2022
Sorry, how and when do you get the $300 bonus?
Christine Krzyszton
August 18, 2022
Hi Theresa. There is no lump sum $300 welcome bonus. You simply earn an additional 1.5% cash back on every purchase, up to $20,000 in purchases in the first year after card approval. 1.5% x $20,000 = $300 in cash-back earnings. You’ll receive the additional earnings, based on your purchases each month, when your statement closes.
Robert
December 20, 2022
What percentage do you get at grocery stores 1.5% or 3%?
Katie Seemann
December 21, 2022
Hi Robert,
The Freedom Unlimited card earns 1.5% cash-back at grocery stores.
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