Chase Freedom Unlimited® Review

If you wish to journey cheaper, higher, and longer, the most effective instruments in your arsenal is a stable 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 wish to pay an annual payment, or simply are usually cautious of the entire thing.

Should you’re in that camp, as we speak I wish 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 gives nice worth, with no annual payment and stable incomes potential. It’s glorious as a standalone card with tons of potential for leveling up your recreation if and whenever you’re prepared. It’s a favourite for newbies and seasoned vacationers alike.

So, on this put up, I’m going to interrupt down why the Chase Freedom Limitless deserves a spot in your pockets and the way you should utilize 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 like about it’s that it has a $0 annual payment and gives 1.5% money again on all purchases. It’s nice for points and miles beginners who don’t wish to fear about incomes at completely different charges throughout varied classes.

Plus, should you do wish to stage up your recreation, you may mix it with a Chase Sapphire card to supercharge your rewards incomes capabilities (extra on that beneath).

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 all the pieces 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 immediately 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 glorious incomes charges, you’ll get entry to quite a few 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 varied retailers , together with on-line purchasing, fuel stations, supply providers, clothes manufacturers, and resorts, amongst many different sectors (you may 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 Harm Waiver
• Journey cancellation/interruption insurance coverage (as much as $1,500 per particular person and $6,000 per journey to your pay as you go, nonrefundable passenger fares, in case your journey is canceled or minimize quick by illness, extreme climate, or different coated conditions)
• Buy safety (covers your new purchases for 120 days in opposition to harm 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 finest when paired with a extra premium Chase card that earns transferable factors. The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (CSP) or the Chase Sapphire Reserve® are the 2 hottest, although you may additionally do that with my favourite enterprise card, the Ink Enterprise Most well-liked®. (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 may convert the money again earned on the CFU to worthwhile Chase Final Rewards factors. (The Freedom Limitless by itself solely earns money again.) Which means you may pool factors earned on both card collectively and have entry to Chase’s nice airline and resort switch companions.

Whereas getting money again is less complicated (and definitely engaging), I contemplate factors to be way more worthwhile. That’s as a result of you may usually get at the least 2 cents per level when transferring to journey companions (generally way more).

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

Whereas this is a superb possibility (and what many individuals do), having two playing cards inside the similar “household” ensures that you simply maximize incomes classes whereas incomes the identical kind of factors. (You don’t wish to unfold your self too skinny throughout too many alternative playing cards incomes several types of factors which you could’t mix.)

By holding each a Chase Sapphire card and the Chase Freedom Limitless, you may make sure that you’re incomes at the least 1.5x factors on all purchases, a rarity in a journey card (each Sapphires solely earn 1x factors on all purchases).

Should you maintain the Chase Sapphire Most well-liked 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, for the reason that CFU does have a international transaction payment, you gained’t wish to use this card when touring. Consider the CSP as your journey card and the CFU as your on a regular basis card with a better incomes charge on all purchases. Utilizing the 2 collectively is a superb mixture.

Execs of the CFU

• No annual payment
• Strong rewards construction, with at the least 1.5% again on all the pieces
• 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 charge 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 lets you proceed to stage up your recreation, maximizing your rewards on all purchases.

As with all bank card, you shouldn’t get it should you’re already carrying a stability 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 should you’re paying curiosity every month.

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

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

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

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