Chase Freedom Flex vs Chase Freedom Unlimited: A Complete Comparison of Cash Back and Benefits
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Written by
Jeanine Skowronski
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Edited by
Jasmin Baron, CCC™
The Chase Freedom brand has endured for over two decades, and for good reason. Its signature credit cards — the Chase Freedom Flex® and the Chase Freedom Unlimited® — both stand out among the best cash-back credit cards, thanks to generous welcome offers, lengthy introductory annual percentage rates (APRs), no annual fees and plenty of ancillary perks.
But each card uses a different rewards structure, with a few minor differences, making it a bit tricky to choose between the two. We’ll compare the Chase Freedom Flex vs. Chase Freedom Unlimited in-depth to help you determine which card is best for you.
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How the Cards Compare: Chase Freedom Flex vs. Chase Freedom Unlimited
Side By Side Comparison
Annual Fee
Purchase and Balance Transfer APR
Welcome Bonus
Ongoing Rewards
5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, our premier rewards program that lets you redeem rewards for cash back, travel, gift cards and more.
3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service, and unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases.
Pros & Cons
- No annual fee
- Cellphone protection
PROS
- Has foreign transaction fees
- Must activate your bonus categories quarterly
CONS
- Higher than average base rate of 1.5%
- Elevated 3-5% cash back on select categories
- Valuable bonus opportunity
PROS
- No ability to transfer points to travel partners unless you have an eligible annual-fee Chase card
- Charges a foreign transaction fee
CONS
Learn More
Welcome Bonuses
Both Freedom cards offer lucrative welcome bonuses and competitive introductory APRs, particularly given that they charge no annual fee.
Chase Freedom Flex Welcome Bonus
The Chase Freedom Flex lets you earn $200 if you spend $500 on purchases in your first three months as an account holder.
A balance transfer fee of 3% (minimum $5) applies to each transfer made within 60 days of account opening. After that, you’ll pay 5% of each transfer amount or $5, whichever is greater.
Chase Freedom Unlimited Welcome Bonus
The Chase Freedom Unlimited currently offers $250 to new cardholders who spend $500 on purchases within three months of account opening.
It offers the same 0% Intro APR on Purchases and Balance Transfers for 15 months, then 18.24% - 27.74% Variable APR, and the same balance transfer fees.
CardCritics™ Opinion
The Freedom Flex and Freedom Unlimited have nearly identical welcome offers, although occasionally one or the other will offer a slightly higher bonus. You get a nice, competitive return if and when you meet a (relatively) low spending threshold. The identical intro APR offers are also competitive with other cards that primarily play in the cash-back space. These two factors combine to rank them among the best no-annual-fee credit cards on the market.
Earning Rewards
The most significant difference between the Chase Freedom Unlimited vs. Chase Freedom Flex is their base rewards structure.
The Freedom Flex is a rotating category credit card, meaning it offers higher rewards in select categories that change each quarter. The Freedom Unlimited is primarily a flat-rate cash-back card, meaning its main selling point is earning the same rate on most purchases.
Both are solid, if not standout, cards within their respective categories.
How To Earn Rewards With the Chase Freedom Flex
Freedom Flex cardholders earn 5% cash back on up to $1,500 of combined purchases (then 1%) in designated quarterly bonus categories. You must activate these bonus categories to net the higher rewards rate, although, as a long-time cardholder, I can attest that Chase makes this easy by sending email reminders when it’s time to enroll.
Cardholders also earn 5% cash back on travel purchased through the Chase Travel℠ portal, 3% on drugstores and dining (including takeout and eligible delivery services), and 1% on all other purchases.
How To Earn Rewards With the Chase Freedom Unlimited
Freedom Unlimited cardholders earn a minimum 1.5% cash back on all purchases, 3% on dining and drugstores, and 5% on travel purchased through Chase Travel.
The additional bonus categories introduced in 2020 make it tricky to compare the Freedom Unlimited with other cash-back cards. For instance, the Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card offers a higher 2% cash rewards on all purchases, but no bonus categories, making the choice between the two contingent on your spending habits.
CardCritics™ Opinion
The choice between the Freedom Unlimited and the Freedom Flex also hinges on your spending habits — and how much attention you want to pay to them.
In addition to activating the Freedom Flex’s quarterly bonus categories, you’ll need to pay attention to and even track your spending in them to fully maximize rewards. Plus, there’s no guarantee that all categories, which change quarterly and year to year, will perfectly align with your spending habits. (I, for one, didn’t get full use out of Spring 2025’s bonus categories as I don’t routinely spend $1,500 a quarter solely on Amazon and select streaming services.)
With the Freedom Unlimited, conversely, you can easily net a nice return of at least 1.5% on many everyday expenses. Ultimately, the choice comes down to whether you want to do any legwork.
Redeeming Rewards
The Freedom Flex and the Freedom Unlimited use the Chase Ultimate Rewards® ecosystem, and, while both are billed as cash-back cards, you can also put their points towards gift cards, travel and other eligible purchases. Points don’t expire so long as your account is in good standing.
How To Redeem Rewards With the Chase Freedom Flex
You can redeem your Chase Freedom Flex rewards through the Ultimate Rewards program (accessible through Chase’s mobile app or website) for:
- Cash back in the form of a statement credit or direct deposit into a bank account. Rewards redeemed as cash back are generally worth 1 cent each, so, for instance, 10,000 points would result in a $100 credit or deposit.
- Gift cards, which are sometimes discounted to give you more bang for your buck. For instance, you might be able to get a $15 gift card for 1,350 points instead of 1,500, a 10% discount.
- Pay with points, which lets you use rewards to buy eligible products or services from third-party retailers, like Amazon, through the Ultimate Rewards shopping portal. Sometimes, you can earn bonus rewards on these purchases, though redemption values vary.
- Travel, which lets you use rewards to book eligible hotel stays, flights, rental cars and excursions through the Chase Travel portal. Redemption value may vary (and you could pay a service fee if you call to book), but you’ll receive 5% cash back on these purchases.
How To Redeem Rewards With the Chase Freedom Unlimited
The Chase Freedom Unlimited also lets you redeem rewards through the Ultimate Rewards program for cash back, gift cards, pay with points and travel at the same redemption rates. (So, in other words, in this regard, it and the Freedom Flex are identical.)
However, since Chase lets you combine points across its Ultimate Rewards credit cards, you could juice your Chase Freedom Unlimited® and Chase Freedom Flex® earnings if you also have both cards or the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card or Chase Sapphire Reserve®.
These top Chase credit cards let you transfer points in increments of 1,000 to Chase’s travel partners and come with a Points Boost feature to increase redemption values through Chase Travel.
CardCritics™ Opinion
I’m hard-pressed to call this one anything other than a tie, as both cards offer the same redemption options and point values. Ultimately, you’ll need to reflect on how you’d prefer to earn your cash back to choose one over the other, based on their respective rewards programs.
Card Benefits
The Freedom Flex and Freedom Unlimited are known for offering solid shopping and travel insurance benefits for no-annual-fee cash-back credit cards.
Chase Freedom Flex Benefits
In addition to its welcome offer and base rewards program, the Chase Freedom Flex offers:
- Purchase protection: Protects you against up to $500 in damage or theft for 120 days from the date of an eligible purchase.
- Extended warranty protection: Extends eligible U.S. manufacturer warranties on select card purchases by an additional year
- Trip cancellation and interruption insurance: Reimburses up to $1,500 per covered traveler and $6,000 per trip for your pre-paid, non-refundable passenger fares, if your trip is canceled or cut short by covered situations
- Auto rental coverage: Provides reimbursement for theft and collision damage for most rental vehicles, if you decline the rental company’s collision insurance and fully charge the rental to your card; this coverage is secondary to your personal car insurance.
- Travel and emergency assistance: Provides legal and medical referrals and access to other emergency services while traveling; however, you must pay for all services accessed.
- Cell phone protection: Covers theft or damage for cell phones associated with your monthly wireless bill (so long as you’re using the card to pay it) for up to $800 per claim and $1,000 per 12-month period; you’re allowed a maximum of two claims in a 12-month period with a $50 deductible per claim.
Chase Freedom Unlimited Benefits
Chase Freedom Unlimited benefits include the same purchase protection, extended warranty protection, trip cancellation and interruption insurance, auto rental coverage, and travel and emergency assistance.
It does not provide cell phone protection.
CardCritics™ Opinion
The Freedom Flex edges out the Freedom Unlimited in card benefits due to its cell phone protection. That could be an important distinction or differentiator if you plan to use the card to pay your monthly phone bill.
Fees and Costs
Both cards have relatively standard fee structures for rewards credit cards, meaning their APRs and penalty fees can be a bit pricier than those of low-interest or balance transfer credit cards. That said, they’re still more affordable than premium products.
Chase Freedom Flex Fees and Costs
The Chase Freedom Flex carries the following costs:
- Annual fee: $0
- APR: 0% Intro APR on Purchases and Balance Transfers for 15 months, then 18.24% - 27.74% Variable
- Balance transfer fee: 3% (minimum $5) applies to each transfer made within 60 days of account opening. After that, you’ll pay 5% of each transfer amount or $5, whichever is greater
- Cash advance APR: Variable 28.49%
- Cash advance fee: $10 or 5% of the advanced amount, whichever is greater
- Penalty APR: Up to variable 29.99%
- Foreign transaction fee: 3% of each transaction in U.S. dollars
- Late payment fee: Up to $40
- Returned payment fee: Up to $40
Chase Freedom Unlimited Fees and Costs
The Chase Freedom Unlimited carries the following costs:
- Annual fee: $0
- APR: 0% Intro APR on Purchases and Balance Transfers for 15 months, then 18.24% - 27.74% Variable
- Balance transfer fee: 3% (minimum $5) applies to each transfer made within 60 days of account opening. After that, you’ll pay 5% of each transfer amount or $5, whichever is greater
- Cash advance APR: Variable 28.49%
- Cash advance fee: $10 or 5% of the advanced amount (whichever is greater)
- Penalty APR: Up to variable 29.99%
- Foreign transaction fee: 3% of each transaction in U.S. dollars
- Late payment fee: Up to $40
- Returned payment fee: Up to $40
CardCritics™ Opinion
As you can see from the cost summaries, the Freedom Flex and Freedom Unlimited carry identical APRs and fees, so, again, choosing between the two largely hinges on how you feel about their rewards programs and benefits.
How To Choose Between Chase Freedom Flex vs. Freedom Unlimited
Once you look “under the hood,” so to speak, the Chase Freedom Flex and the Chase Freedom Unlimited are quite similar. That means your choice comes down to a few central questions:
- Do you prefer a rotating or flat-rate cash-back credit card? I’d add that it’s important to consider which one aligns more closely with your spending habits, but, given the bonus categories on the Freedom Flex change year after year, that can be hard to assess. Ultimately, you’ll want to decide how much time and effort you’d like to put into maximizing your rewards.
- Would you like to earn a higher welcome offer? Sometimes Chase offers elevated welcome bonuses on either card. If that’s the case, you might consider opening the card with the bigger bonus.
- Will you use cell phone protection? If this lesser-known card perk is important to you, you might want to consider the Chase Freedom Flex, which offers it while the Freedom Unlimited doesn’t.
Something else worth considering: You can carry both cards. I do, as I’ve found they complement each other quite nicely — and that doing so removes some of the Flex’s legwork.
In lieu of closely tracking bonus categories, I simply tap the Freedom Unlimited for most everyday purchases and break out the Freedom Flex when its 5% cash-back categories align with my spending. (Say I’m planning to buy a dryer and the Freedom Flex offers 5% cash back on up to $1,500 that quarter at Lowe’s.)
A few caveats if you plan to replicate this strategy: It really only works if you’re not prone to carrying a balance. Otherwise, the lure of rewards — and all that extra credit — could easily entice you to overspend.
Second, you might want to space out applications, as each one can cost your credit score a few points, and Chase is known for being persnickety about approving potential cardholders who have applied for many cards in a short period.
The information related to the Chase Sapphire Reserve® and Chase Freedom Rise® 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 the Chase Freedom Flex vs. Freedom Unlimited
What is the difference between the Chase Freedom Flex and the Freedom Unlimited?
The biggest difference between the Chase Freedom Flex and the Chase Freedom Unlimited is that the Freedom Flex is a rotating-category cash-back card that offers extra rewards on quarterly bonus categories. Meanwhile, the Freedom Unlimited is largely a flat-rate cash-back card that offers at least 1.5% back on all purchases, a lucrative return that’s one of the many reasons the Chase Freedom Unlimited is worth it.
Should I get the Chase Freedom Flex if I have the Freedom Unlimited?
You could get a Chase Freedom Flex if you have the Chase Freedom Unlimited, but whether or not you should depends on your spending habits. For instance, if you fear that having too much credit or rewards-earning opportunities might cause you to overspend, you’re better served choosing one card over the other.
What are the disadvantages of Chase Freedom Flex?
The biggest disadvantage of the Chase Freedom Flex is that maximizing its rewards takes some legwork. For instance, you must activate quarterly bonus categories to earn the top-tier 5% cash back, and you might want to track spending so you know whether you’ve reached or exceeded the $1,500 in eligible spending each quarter.
What are the disadvantages of Chase Freedom Unlimited?
The biggest disadvantage of the Chase Freedom Unlimited is that, while it offers competitive cash back on all purchases, it’s not necessarily the most lucrative flat-rate cash back card. Both the Citi Double Cash® Card, an advertising partner, and the Wells Fargo Active Cash Card effectively offer 2% cash rewards on all purchases. With the Citi Double Cash Card, you earn 1% cash back when you make a purchase and an additional 1% when you pay your bill, for a total of 2% cash back.
Is Chase Freedom being discontinued?
No, the Chase Freedom credit cards, which now include the Chase Freedom Flex, Chase Freedom Unlimited and Chase Freedom Rise®, have not been discontinued. The original Chase Freedom, however, was closed to new applicants and replaced in 2020 by the Freedom Flex, which follows a similar rewards structure.
