Chase Freedom Unlimited Benefits for Travel
This highly regarded all-in-one card is a popular choice among new credit card users because of it’s versatility and practically so let’s take a closer look at the Chase Freedom Unlimited card’s benefits and see if this card is worth opening.
Annual Fee:
$0 - Making this card very attractive to people opening their first credit card.
Bonus Offer:
Earn an additional 1.5% cash back on everything you buy on up to $20,000 spent in the first year which is equal to $300 in cash back.
Rewards Program:
5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards
3% cash back at restaurants and this includes delivery and takeout
3% cash back on drugstore purchases, so think CVS, Walgreens and Duane Reade
At the time I’m writing this there is a special offer of 5% cash back on rides booked through the Lyft app
1.5% cash back on all other purchases
Additional Benefits:
No minimum to redeem your cash back so you don’t have to wait until you hit a certain amount to claim your cash! You can choose a statement of credit or a direct deposit into your checking or savings account
You can keep an eye on your credit score and profile through Chase Credit Journey which offers free access to your credit score and alerts related to your credit
0% APR for the first 15 months from the date you open your account and after the 15 months it’s 20%-29%
Who is the Chase Freedom Unlimited Good For?
I think this card is good for people who are opening their first credit card and want a straightforward rewards program and prefer to just have cash hit their bank account or credit against their statement. The Chase Freedom Unlimited is great for people who already have a Chase Sapphire Preferred or Reserved or Ink Business Preferred card, if you have the Chase Freedom Unlimited card and one of the previously mentioned cards you can transfer 1 point from your Chase Freedom Unlimited to your Chase Sapphire Preferred or Ink Business Preferred and each point is worth 1.25 cents in the Chase Travel Portal. If you have the Chase Sapphire Reserved you can transfer your Chase Freedom Unlimited points to that card and 1 point is worth 1.5 cents in the Chase Travel Portal.
Who is the Chase Freedom Unlimited Not Good For?
I don’t think the Chase Freedom Unlimited is for you if you are a veteran credit card user and want a serious travel credit card, the cash back is a nice reward for those who want a simple and easy to use perk, but it might be underwhelming for those who prefer to use their points to book travel directly. Keeping track of the different reward rates for each spending category might get confusing, trying to remember how much cash back you’ll get on each purchase might be too much hassle for some people who prefer a card with a flat and fixed rewards rate.
My Final Opinion
In order to determine if you think the Chase Freedom Unlimited is the right card for you, ask yourself do you want a simple cash back program or do you prefer to receive points that you can use to book travel. I think this is a good first credit card for someone who’s never used one before and just seeking cash back rewards, but for those who have experience using a credit card and want one with serious travel benefits then I recommend you look elsewhere.
