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.

When you’re in that camp, right this moment I wish to focus on a bank card that could be the proper introduction to the world of factors and miles: the Chase Freedom Unlimited®.

This card provides 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 once 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 (typically known as CFU) is a bank card issued by Chase. What I like about it’s that it has a $0 annual payment and provides 1.5% money again on all purchases. It’s nice for points and miles beginners who don’t wish to fear about incomes at totally different charges throughout numerous classes.

Plus, in case you do wish to stage up your recreation, you possibly can mix it with a Chase Sapphire card to supercharge your rewards incomes capabilities (extra on that under).

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 provide: an additional 1.5% money again on every part you purchase on as much as $20,000 spent within the first yr

You possibly can redeem this money again in opposition to your subsequent assertion or select to get it instantly deposited into your checking account.

However you will get much more out of this card once 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 lot of perks and advantages. Once more, because it has a $0 annual payment, these are all simply bonuses.

• Entry to Chase Affords, an ever-changing choice of offers for numerous retailers , together with on-line procuring, gasoline stations, supply companies, clothes manufacturers, and resorts, 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 rise 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 in your pay as you go, nonrefundable passenger fares, in case your journey is canceled or minimize quick 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 popular® Credit score Card. (Notice that these playing cards do have charges.)

That’s as a result of, once you additionally maintain considered one of these playing cards, you possibly can convert the money again earned on the CFU to useful Chase Final Rewards factors. (The Freedom Limitless by itself solely earns money again.) Meaning you possibly can pool factors earned on both card collectively and have entry to Chase’s nice airline and lodge switch companions.

Whereas getting money again is simpler (and positively attractive), I contemplate factors to be far more useful. That’s as a result of you possibly can usually get at the very least 2 cents per level when transferring to journey companions (typically far more).

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

Whereas this is a wonderful 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 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 can’t mix.)

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

When you maintain the Chase Sapphire Most popular 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, because the CFU does have a international transaction payment, you received’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 the next incomes fee on all purchases. Utilizing the 2 collectively is a wonderful mixture.

Professionals of the CFU

• No annual payment
• Stable rewards construction, with at the very least 1.5% again on every part
• 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 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 stage up your recreation, maximizing your rewards on all purchases.

As with every bank card, you shouldn’t get it in case you’re already carrying a steadiness or plan to hold one. Rates of interest for journey bank cards are notoriously excessive, and this one is not any totally different. The factors simply aren’t price it in case you’re paying curiosity every month.

This card can also 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 right this moment.)

Lastly, this card does rely towards Chase’s 5/24 rule (you possibly can’t open greater than 5 playing cards inside 24 months). When you’ve already opened 5 bank cards (any playing cards, not simply Chase playing cards) throughout the previous two years (or wish to open extra quickly), you both received’t be capable 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 implausible card. With no annual payment and spectacular incomes charges, it’s the proper gateway to the world of factors and miles in case you’re simply beginning out.

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