Chase Freedom Unlimited® Review

If you wish to journey cheaper, higher, and longer, among the finest 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 need to pay an annual charge, or simply are usually cautious of the entire thing.

For those who’re in that camp, right this moment I need to talk about a bank card which may be the proper introduction to the world of factors and miles: the Chase Freedom Unlimited®.

This card presents nice worth, with no annual charge and stable incomes potential. It’s wonderful as a standalone card with tons of potential for leveling up your sport if and once you’re prepared. It’s a favourite for newbies and seasoned vacationers alike.

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

Plus, for those who do need to degree up your sport, 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 means of Chase Journey^SM
• 5% money again on Lyft rides (by means of March 2025)
• 3% money again on drugstore purchases and eating at eating places, together with takeout and eligible supply companies
• 1.5% money again on all different purchases
• Present welcome supply: an additional 1.5% money again on all the things you purchase on as much as $20,000 spent within the first 12 months

You possibly can 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 once you mix it with one in every of Chase’s Sapphire playing cards (extra on this quickly).

Perks and Advantages of the Chase Freedom Limitless

Along with these wonderful incomes charges, you’ll get entry to plenty of perks and advantages. Once more, because it has a $0 annual charge, these are all simply bonuses.

• Entry to Chase Provides, an ever-changing collection of offers for varied retailers , together with on-line purchasing, gasoline stations, supply companies, clothes manufacturers, and motels, amongst many different sectors (you possibly can actually see something right here)
• Complimentary three months of DashPass once you activate by January 31, 2025 (by means of which members stand up to $10 off quarterly on non-restaurant DoorDash orders)
• Secondary Auto Rental Collision Injury Waiver
• Journey cancellation/interruption insurance coverage (as much as $1,500 per particular person and $6,000 per journey on your pay as you go, nonrefundable passenger fares, in case your journey is canceled or lower brief by illness, extreme climate, or different lined 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 greatest 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 possibly can 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, once you additionally maintain one in every of these playing cards, you may convert the money again earned on the CFU to useful 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 attractive), I think about factors to be way more useful. That’s as a result of you may sometimes 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 throughout the similar “household” ensures that you simply maximize incomes classes whereas incomes the identical sort of factors. (You don’t need to unfold your self too skinny throughout too many alternative playing cards incomes several types of factors you can’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).

For those who 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 companies (each playing cards)
• 5x on Lyft (till March 2025, each playing cards)
• 5x on journey bought by means of Chase Journey (each playing cards)

Lastly, for the reason that CFU does have a overseas transaction charge, you gained’t need 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 fee on all purchases. Utilizing the 2 collectively is a superb mixture.

Professionals of the CFU

• No annual charge
• Strong rewards construction, with at the least 1.5% again on all the things
• 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% overseas transaction charge
• Not a ton of journey advantages

Who is that this card for?

The Chase Freedom Limitless is good for many who need an easy-to-use card that will get a better-than-average incomes fee 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 degree up your sport, maximizing your rewards on all purchases.

As with all bank card, you shouldn’t get it for those who’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 value it for those who’re paying curiosity every month.

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

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

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

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