If you're looking for your first rewards credit card — or you simply want to take advantage of flat-rate cash-back rewards — the Chase Freedom Unlimited® (see rates and fees) is a great pick.
The card currently offers a $200 cash-back welcome bonus, and the spending requirement is fairly easy to meet: Simply spend $500 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.
This easy-to-earn sign-up bonus and the ability to pool rewards with other Chase credit cards make the Freedom Unlimited appealing, especially if you're looking for your first rewards credit card.
The Chase Freedom Unlimited® is a no-annual-fee card that earns generous cash-back on everyday purchases and a lucrative welcome bonus. Plus, if you pair it with a premium Chase credit card that allows point transfers, you can convert your cash back into flexible travel rewards.
- Users get a high rewards rate and strong welcome bonus
- Purchases and balance transfers receive an intro APR
- No annual fee
- Has a foreign transaction fee
- Few rewarding ongoing benefits
Highlights
Highlights shown here are provided by the issuer and have not been reviewed by CNBC Select's editorial staff.
- Earn a $200 Bonus after you spend $500 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening
- Enjoy 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase TravelSM, 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 1.5% on all other purchases.
- No minimum to redeem for cash back. You can use points to redeem for cash through an account statement credit or an electronic deposit into an eligible Chase account located in the United States!
- Enjoy 0% Intro APR for 15 months from account opening on purchases and balance transfers, then a variable APR of 18.24% - 27.74%.
- No annual fee – You won't have to pay an annual fee for all the great features that come with your Freedom Unlimited® card
- Keep tabs on your credit health, Chase Credit Journey helps you monitor your credit with free access to your latest score, alerts, and more.
- Member FDIC
Balance transfer fee
Intro fee of either $5 or 3% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater, in the first 60 days. After that, either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater.
Foreign transaction fee
3% of each transaction in U.S. dollars
The Freedom Unlimited is a strong starter card
The Chase Freedom Unlimited has no annual fee and earns an above-average return of at least 1.5% cash back on every purchase. This straightforward rewards structure lets you profit from your rewards on day one instead of paying an annual fee and needing to earn it back. To qualify, you'll need at least a good credit score, or a FICO Score of 670 and up.
Bonus spending categories
While its baseline rewards are slightly lower than 2% cash-back cards, such as the Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card or Citi Double Cash® Card (see rates and fees) (1% when you buy and 1% when you pay), the Freedom Unlimited earns rewards in additional elevated categories:
- 5% cash back on travel booked through Chase Travel℠
- 3% cash back on dining at restaurants (including takeout and eligible delivery services)
- 3% cash back at drugstores
- 2% cash back on Lyft rides through Sept. 30, 2027
Additional benefits
While the card doesn't offer a ton of additional benefits, it does come with a complimentary six months of DashPass, which unlocks $0 delivery and lower service fees on eligible orders, as long as you activate by Dec. 31, 2027.
You can also take advantage of an intro APR on purchases and balance transfers, which can come in handy if you have a large, upcoming purchase — or if you happen to have credit card debt to pay off.
What you can do with this $200 bonus
Since the Freedom Unlimited earns an above-average return on non-category purchases, you can quickly increase your rewards balance, no matter what you spend on. Then, you can redeem rewards for gift cards, statement credits, travel (booked through Chase Travel℠) and more.
If all you ever want to do with your credit card rewards is redeem for cash back, the Freedom Unlimited is a great fit. Let's say you're approved for the card and spend an average of $1,000 a month with it, earning 1.5% cash back on all purchases. When including the welcome bonus, you'd earn at least $380 in cash back by this time next year — and even more if you spend in the 3% categories.
And if you're ever interested in diving into travel rewards, you won't need to ditch your Freedom Unlimited card. The card technically earns rewards as Chase Ultimate Rewards® points ($1 cash back = 100 points), which unlocks all sorts of rewards possibilities when paired with the right premium Chase credit card.
Transfer points to Chase travel partners
When you pair the Freedom Unlimited with a Chase card that allows point transfers, such as the Chase Sapphire Preferred® (see rates and fees), you can combine your points for greater redemption value. This instantly transforms all that cash back into transferable travel rewards.
The possibility of indirectly upgrading the Freedom Unlimited is what makes it such a great rewards credit card to start with; it's simple and low-cost, but you can ramp up the complexity (and value) if you want to. Instead of redeeming 20,000 points for $200 in gift cards or statement credits, you could transfer those points to United MileagePlus, Southwest Rapid Rewards or Air Canada Aeroplan at a 1:1 transfer ratio.
As such, consider opening the Chase Sapphire Preferred after a few months or years of accumulating rewards with the Freedom Unlimited.
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card packs a punch for a $95 annual fee card, offering annual travel credits, comprehensive travel protections, flexible rewards and more.
- You can transfer rewards to all of Chase's travel partners including World of Hyatt, Southwest Rapid Rewards and many more
- Long list of travel and shopping protections
- Annual Chase Travel hotel credit
- Has an annual fee
- Requires a high credit score
Highlights
Highlights shown here are provided by the issuer and have not been reviewed by CNBC Select's editorial staff.
- Earn 75,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
- Enjoy benefits such as 5x on travel purchased through Chase TravelSM, 3x on dining, 3x on vacation homes, 3x on gas & EV charging, 3x on top streaming services and online groceries (excluding Walmart, Target, and wholesale clubs), 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases
- Earn up to $100 in statement credits each account anniversary year for hotel stays through Chase Travel
- Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Emergency Evacuation and Transportation and more
- Get a year of complimentary Apple TV when activated by December 31, 2026 - a value of $156.
- Complimentary DashPass which unlocks $0 delivery fees & lower service fees for 12 months when you activate by 12/31/27. Plus, a $10 promo each month on non-restaurant orders.
- Receive one statement credit of up to $120 every four years as reimbursement for the application fee charged to your card for a Global Entry, TSA Precheck® or NEXUS application.
- Transfer points to leading airline and hotel loyalty programs
- Member FDIC
Balance transfer fee
Either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater
The Chase Sapphire Preferred currently offers a 75,000-point bonus after spending $5,000 in the first three months, and combining your rewards from both cards could yield enough points to book a dream vacation. Chase points transfer to the following airlines and hotels:
Chase Ultimate Rewards® transfer partners
| Chase transfer partner | Transfer ratio for Chase Sapphire Reserve® and Sapphire Reserve for BusinessSM cards | Transfer ratio for Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card and Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card |
|---|---|---|
| Aer Lingus AerClub | 1:1 | 1:1 |
| The British Airways Club | 1:1 | 1:1 |
| Flying Blue (Air France and KLM) | 1:1 | 1:1 |
| Iberia Club | 1:1 | 1:1 |
| JetBlue TrueBlue | 1:1 | 1:1 |
| Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer | 1:1 | 1:1 |
| Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards | 1:1 | 1:1 |
| United MileagePlus | 1:1 | 1:1 |
| Virgin Atlantic Flying Club | 1:1 | 1:1 |
| Air Canada Aeroplan | 1:1 | 1:1 |
| IHG One Rewards | 1:1 | 1:1 |
| Marriott Bonvoy | 1:1 | 1:1 |
| World of Hyatt | 1:1 | 4:3 |
| Wyndham Rewards | 1:1 | 1:1 |
With these transfer options, you can book cheap domestic travel, luxury flights to Europe, Asia and beyond or a wide range of hotels — from a Holiday Inn Express in a small-town U.S.A. to the Park Hyatt in New York City. This can greatly increase the value you receive from your rewards.
Don't qualify? Consider the Chase Freedom Rise
As noted above, the Chase Freedom Unlimited requires at least a good credit score for approval, or a FICO Score of 670 and up. If your score doesn't quite meet those requirements, or you're still working to build credit to begin with, you have options.
The Chase Freedom Rise (see rates and fees) is available to those with limited-to-fair credit, meaning you don't even need a credit score or credit history for approval (students are also able to apply). You can further increase your chance of approval by having at least $250 in Chase checking or savings accounts.
You'll still earn 1.5% cash back on every purchase, and Chase will automatically evaluate your account history each year to see if you qualify to upgrade to the Chase Freedom Unlimited. Similar to the Freedom Unlimited, the Freedom Rise technically earns Chase Ultimate Rewards® points that can be redeemed for cash back or combined with higher-tier Chase credit cards for elevated travel value.
The Chase Freedom Rise® is one of the most rewarding cards that's available if you're new to credit.
- No credit history required
- Above average flat-rate rewards
- No annual fee
- Small welcome offer
- Has a foreign transaction fee
Highlights
Highlights shown here are provided by the issuer and have not been reviewed by CNBC Select's editorial staff.
- Limited Time Offer - Earn 3% cash back on dining at restaurants, including takeouts and eligible delivery services, on up to $6,000 spent in the first 6 months from account opening.
- Increase your approval chances - Having a Chase checking or savings account with a balance of at least $250 will increase your chances of getting approved for Chase Freedom Rise®
- Earn Cash Back - With Chase Freedom Rise®, you can establish credit while earning 1.5% cash back on all purchases. Cash Back rewards do not expire as long as your account is open and there is no minimum to redeem for cash back.
- Earn a $25 statement credit after signing up for automatic payments within the first three months of opening your account. With automatic payments, just pick a date and dollar amount to make sure your Credit Card gets paid on time.
- Credit Limit Increase - As a Freedom Rise® cardmember, you'll be evaluated for a credit line increase in as soon as 6 months. Your credit line is the maximum amount of money you can spend on your Freedom Rise® Card
- Free Credit Score - Track your credit score and learn how to build it with Chase Credit Journey.
- No Annual Fee - You won't have to pay an annual fee for all the great features that come with your Freedom Rise® Card.
- Member FDIC
Balance transfer fee
5% or $5 of each transfer, whichever is greater
Foreign transaction fee
3% of the amount of each transaction in U.S. dollars.
Money matters — so make the most of it. Get expert tips, strategies, news and everything else you need to maximize your money, right to your inbox. Sign up here.
Why trust CNBC Select?
At CNBC Select, our mission is to provide our readers with high-quality service journalism and comprehensive consumer advice so they can make informed decisions with their money. Every personal finance article is based on rigorous reporting by our team of expert writers and editors with extensive knowledge of financial products. While CNBC Select earns a commission from affiliate partners on many offers and links, we create all our content without input from our commercial team or any outside third parties, and we pride ourselves on our journalistic standards and ethics.
Catch up on CNBC Select's in-depth coverage of credit cards, banking and money, and follow us on TikTok, Facebook, Instagram and X to stay up to date.
