Chase Freedom Unlimited® Review: Cashback for Diners and Travelers 

If you’re looking to maximize your points, the Freedom Unlimited is best used in combination with other cards that can fill in its gaps. 

. . .

Overview of the Chase Freedom Unlimited®

The Chase Freedom Unlimited®’s cashback at restaurants and drugstores can help you save money if you frequently dine out or order in, or if you spend a significant chunk of your budget on personal care or medication. 

And its cashback on Lyft purchases (through March 31, 2025) is a good deal if you regularly use ridesharing to get around.

That said, the card doesn’t offer high rates for gas or groceries. And although the rate on purchases made through Chase Travel℠ is eye-catching, the prices for flights and hotels may be higher than what you’d pay if you booked directly through the airline or hotel.

Cashback earned with the Chase Freedom Unlimited can be redeemed for a standard statement credit or for nonstandard redemptions like a deposit into a checking or savings account, gift cards, credit for purchases on Amazon.com, or travel booked with Chase Travel℠. 

But keep in mind that the value you get may vary for nonstandard redemption paths.

LEARN MORE: Chase Freedom Unlimited®

Chase Freedom Unlimited® Benefits

Cashback aside, the Chase Freedom Unlimited’s bundle of benefits compares favorably with other no-annual-fee cards, which often skimp on added perks.

Travel insurance

If you need to cancel a trip bought with the card due to a covered reason, Chase will reimburse you and your immediate family members up to $1,500 per person and $6,000 per trip. 

Covered reasons include things like a serious illness or injury, severe weather, terrorism, or a labor strike.

Rental car insurance

The Freedom Unlimited’s auto rental collision damage waiver will cover loss-of-use charges, towing fees, and damage if your rental car is stolen or involved in a collision. 

The coverage lasts for up to 31 consecutive days and applies if you pay for the rental vehicle with your card and decline the rental company’s collision damage waiver.

Purchase protection

Purchase protection covers new items purchased with your card for 120 days against damage or theft, up to $500 per claim and $50,000 per account. 

Extended warranty

If an item you buy with the Chase Freedom Unlimited has a U.S. manufacturer’s warranty of three years or less, that warranty will be extended by an additional year. 

This extended warranty protection is limited to $10,000 per claim and $50,000 per account.

DoorDash

You can activate three free months of DashPass membership with the card. After that, you’ll be enrolled in DashPass at 50% off for nine months (must activate by Dec. 31, 2024).

Referrals

You can get a $50 referral bonus if you recommend a Chase Freedom card (Unlimited, Flex, or Rise) to a friend and their application is approved. 

The bonus is granted for up to 10 referrals and $500 in combined referral bonuses per year.

What We Like About the Chase Freedom Unlimited®

The Chase Freedom Unlimited® is one of the best credit cards for beginners.

The cashback rates are adequate (and pretty great for your first year or first $20,000 spent), especially if you don’t want to juggle more than one card at a time. And the welcome bonus can help you rake in extra dough without spending too much. 

It’s also impressive that the card has so many extra perks, like travel insurance, purchase protection, and extended warranty, which are harder to find with no-annual-fee cards.

What We Dislike About the Chase Freedom Unlimited®

The Freedom Unlimited does have weaknesses, and it’s ultimately best when used in combination with other cards that can fill in some of its gaps. 

Keep in mind that the enhanced cashback rates are for your first year or first $20,00 spent. After that, they drop by 1.5%. There are other no-annual-fee cards out there if you want a higher base cashback rate from the start, or on everything, or if your purchases vary seasonally.

Using the right mix of no-annual-fee cashback credit cards can help you earn the highest rate possible for all your spending — provided you always repay your card balances on time and in full.

Alternatives to the Chase Freedom Unlimited®

Chase Freedom Flex®

. . .

The Chase Freedom Flex® offers cashback in spending categories that rotate every three months. 

The quarterly spending categories for the past two years have been particularly well suited to those who take summer road trips (5% back on gas stations and car rentals from July through September in 2022) or spend a lot on holiday party-hosting and gift-buying (5% back at Walmart and wholesale clubs from October through December in 2023). 

LEARN MORE: Chase Freedom Flex®

Citi Double Cash® Card

. . .

The Citi Double Cash® Card is a great credit card if your expenses are distributed across a wide variety of purchase categories — and it's one of the few cards that incentivizes you to consistently repay your credit card debt by giving you cashback.

That said, the Citi Double Cash® only has one accelerated cashback category, which is on hotel and car rentals booked on the Citi Travel℠ portal. Its other benefits are also quite meager compared with the extra perks provided by the Chase Freedom Unlimited.

Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card

. . .

The Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card is a great fit if you’re a food lover or spend a lot on entertainment and streaming services. But its base cashback rate on everything else is lower than the Freedom Unlimited's. 

And although it doesn’t charge foreign transaction fees, it’s missing some of the Freedom Unlimited’s key benefits, like purchase protection and trip cancellation/interruption insurance.

LEARN MORE: Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card

FAQs

What is the Chase Freedom Unlimited credit limit?

The minimum credit limit for the Chase Freedom Unlimited is $500 for any approved cardholder. 

More qualified applicants may be approved for a Signature account, which has a minimum credit limit of $5,000. Some cardholders report having credit limits over $15,000.

Does the Chase Freedom Unlimited charge foreign transaction fees?

You will be charged a 3% fee each time you use the Chase Freedom Unlimited to pay for something in a foreign currency. This limits the card’s utility when traveling overseas.

The Bottom Line

The Chase Freedom Unlimited® is a solid starter card, since it has no annual fee, earns decent rewards, and comes with perks like travel insurance and purchase protection. It’s especially appealing if you dine out a lot or spend a lot of money at drugstores.

But to get the most out of your credit card spending, you might want to combine it with another credit card that offers better earning rates in other categories. 

. . .

---

Disclosure: Opinions expressed here are the author's alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included within the post.