8 Chase Freedom Unlimited Benefits You May Not Know About
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Written by
Jasmin Baron, CCC™
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Edited by
Emily Gadd, CCC™
The Chase Freedom Unlimited® card is among the best cash-back credit cards, and for good reason. It’s popular, in part, because it offers high earning rates and straightforward redemptions, with no annual fee.
But that’s not all the Freedom Unlimited has going for it, since it comes with perks that can save you money and help you maximize your spending. Let’s take a closer look at Chase Freedom Unlimited benefits to help you make the most of the card — or decide if it’s a good fit for your wallet in the first place.
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1. Welcome Bonus
For a limited time, the Chase Freedom Unlimited card is offering an elevated welcome bonus of $300 after you spend $500 on purchases in the first three months of account opening.
The Freedom Unlimited doesn’t earn cash back directly; instead, it earns Chase Ultimate Rewards® points that you can redeem for cash back, travel, gift cards and more. After meeting minimum spending requirements, you’ll actually earn 30,000 Ultimate Rewards points (worth $300 in cash back).
2. Introductory APR on Purchases and Balance Transfers
New cardholders also qualify for a 0% Intro APR on Purchases and Balance Transfers for 15 months, then 18.49% - 27.99% Variable. That’s a significant interest-free period that can save you money on purchases you might want to pay off over time, or on balance transfers from high-interest credit cards.
There’s an intro balance transfer fee of $5 or 3% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater, on transfers made within 60 days of account opening. After that, it’s either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater.
This is a competitive offer that puts the Freedom Unlimited on our list of the best low-APR credit cards. While a few cards come with longer intro periods, most of them don’t earn rewards.
3. Rewards for Spending
Chase Freedom Unlimited cardholders can take advantage of a generous earning structure, including a better-than-average base earning rate:
- 5% cash back (5x points) on travel booked through Chase Travel℠
- 3% cash back (3x points) on dining (including eligible takeout and delivery services)
- 3% cash back (3x points) at drugstores
- 1.5% cash back (1.5x points) on other purchases
Plus, through Sept. 30, 2027, the card earns 2% cash back (2x points) on Lyft rides.
I typically use my Freedom Unlimited Card at restaurants and drugstores to earn 3x points on those purchases. This is also a useful “catch-all” card for spending that doesn’t fall into typical bonus categories, such as vet bills, car repairs and insurance payments.
4. Flexible Redemption Options
The Freedom Unlimited isn’t a standard cash-back credit card, even though it’s marketed that way. Because it earns Ultimate Rewards points, you’ll have the flexibility to redeem your rewards in multiple ways, including:
- Cash back: Redeem points for a statement credit or bank deposit (1 cent per point)
- Book travel: Use points to cover flights, hotels, rental cars, activities, tours and cruises booked through Chase Travel (1 cent per point)
- Gift cards: Purchase gift cards from dozens of popular merchants using points (typically 1 cent per point, but sometimes more if gift cards are on sale)
- Pay with points: Use points at checkout to pay for purchases with Amazon, Apple or PayPal (rates vary)
- The Shops at Chase: Cash in points for merchandise through Chase’s shopping portal (1 cent per point)
However, if you have certain other Chase credit cards that earn Ultimate Rewards, you can get even more value from your points.
5. Combine Points With Other Chase Cards
When you have a premium Chase card that earns transferable Ultimate Rewards points, such as the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, Chase Sapphire Reserve® or Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card, you can unlock more redemption options that can provide better value. To do this, you’ll need to move points from your Freedom Unlimited account to one of the accounts mentioned above.
Once points are in your premium Chase card account, you can:
- Transfer them to Chase’s airline and hotel partners to book award travel
- Redeem them for select bookings through Chase Travel at a higher rate using Points Boost (for example, up to 1.75 cents per point with the Sapphire Preferred Card or up to 2 cents per point on Sapphire Reserve)
Transferring points to partners is one of the best ways to maximize your rewards. I like to move points from my Freedom Unlimited to my Sapphire Preferred Card account, then transfer them to World of Hyatt, United MileagePlus, Air Canada Aeroplan and Southwest Rapid Rewards to book award travel.
6. Travel and Purchase Protections
You might expect minimal travel and purchase coverage from a no-annual-fee card like the Chase Freedom Unlimited, but that’s not the case here. Cardholders receive a surprisingly robust range of travel insurance and purchase protections, including:
- Trip cancellation/interruption insurance: When you use your card to pay for travel, you can be reimbursed up to $1,500 per covered traveler and $6,000 per trip for prepaid, nonrefundable fares if your trip is interrupted or canceled for a covered reason.
- Rental car insurance: Pay for your rental with the card and decline the agency’s collision damage waiver to be covered for vehicle damage due to theft or collision (secondary rental car coverage in the US, primary otherwise).
- Travel and emergency assistance: Cardholders can access a hotline to arrange services such as legal referrals or translation services while traveling away from home. The service is complimentary, but any third-party costs are the cardholder’s responsibility.
- Roadside assistance: This pay-per-use service allows you to arrange things like towing, tire changes and jumpstarts for a pre-negotiated, flat service fee.
- Purchase protection: If you paid for a qualifying item with the card and the item is damaged or stolen within 120 days of purchase (90 days for New York residents), you could be reimbursed up to $500 per item.
- Extended warranty: Pay for a qualifying item with your card and extend the time period on eligible US manufacturers’ warranties by an additional year for warranties of three years or less.
7. DoorDash Perks
With the Freedom Unlimited, you can enroll to receive six months of complimentary DoorDash DashPass membership (activation required by Dec. 31, 2027). DashPass members also receive $10 off per quarter on non-restaurant DoorDash orders through the same date.
DashPass gets you $0 delivery fees and lower service fees on qualifying orders, so if that’s a service you already use, this perk could amount to decent savings.
Note that after the six complimentary months are up, you’ll be charged the regular monthly rate (currently $9.99) unless you cancel.
8. Chase Offers
Chase Offers are card-linked discounts that can save you money on purchases you make anyway. These offers are specific to each cardholder, but typically include savings with popular stores, restaurants, services, hotel chains and more.
To take advantage of a Chase Offer, simply add it to your card through your online account or mobile app. Then, once you make a qualifying purchase with the partner merchant, you’ll receive a statement credit within 14 days of the charge.
I’ve saved about $60 with Chase Offers on my Freedom Unlimited so far, which is a nice little bonus from a card with no annual fee.
Bottom Line
The Chase Freedom Unlimited is a terrific rewards credit card that offers high rewards, easy redemptions and solid benefits with no annual fee. Plus, it’s currently offering an elevated, limited-time welcome bonus of $300 after you spend $500 on purchases in the first three months of account opening. It’s a good time to consider the card if you don’t already have it.
It’s also a great pairing card if you already collect Ultimate Rewards points from premium cards like the Chase Sapphire Reserve and Sapphire Preferred Card. By transferring points from your Freedom Unlimited to one of these accounts, you can unlock better redemption options, including points transfers to partners.
The Chase Freedom Unlimited is worth it for me because I get a ton of value from its rewards and perks — and since it’s a no-annual-fee card, I don’t have to worry about justifying keeping it every year.
The information related to the Chase Sapphire Reserve® and Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card was collected by CardCritics™ and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer of this product/card. Product details may vary. Please see issuer website for current information. CardCritics™ does not receive a commission for this product.
Frequently Asked Questions About Chase Freedom Unlimited Benefits
Who is eligible for the Chase Freedom Unlimited?
For the best chance of getting approved for the Chase Freedom Unlimited, you’ll need at least a good credit score (670 or higher on FICO’s scale). Chase will consider other factors, including the number of new cards you’ve opened in the past 24 months, when deciding on your application.
What’s the difference between the Chase Freedom Unlimited and Freedom Flex?
Though they’re similarly named, the Chase Freedom Flex® and Freedom Unlimited have noteworthy differences in earning structure and benefits. For example, the Freedom Flex earns 5% cash back in rotating quarterly bonus categories after activation, on up to $1,500 in combined purchases, then 1%. It also offers cell phone protection worth up to $800 per claim (with a $50 deductible) when you use it to pay your monthly wireless bill.
Is the Chase Freedom Unlimited good for travelers?
Whether the Chase Freedom Unlimited is good for travel depends on your travel habits and booking preferences. For example, you could earn loads of rewards by booking flights, hotels, rental cars and more via Chase Travel, since the card earns 5% cash back (5x points) on purchases made through the platform. However, it’s not a good card for international travelers, because it charges foreign transaction fees on purchases made outside the US.
Does the Chase Freedom Unlimited come with travel insurance?
Yes, you’ll get some travel insurance perks with the Chase Freedom Unlimited, namely trip cancellation/interruption insurance and auto rental coverage. That said, it doesn’t include other common protections, such as trip delay coverage or reimbursement for lost/delayed luggage. If those benefits are important to you, consider one of the best credit cards for travel insurance instead.
