As a cash-back card, the Chase Freedom Unlimited® delivers a great treat for new cardholders followed by high ongoing value at a low cost. Its best features include:
Potentially rich sign-up bonus
Unlike a standard credit card bonus, which pays you a lump sum once you hit a specific spending amount, the bonus on the Chase Freedom Unlimited® comes in the form of higher reward rates in the first year, which, depending on how much you spend, can really add up: Earn an additional 1.5% cash back on everything you buy (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year) - worth up to $300 cash back! (NOTE: This offer is available when you apply through NerdWallet. If you apply directly with Chase or through a different website, you may not be eligible for this offer.)
Comparable no-fee cash-back cards nowadays offer bonuses of around $200.
Useful bonus categories
The bonus rewards categories are useful and lucrative:
3% back at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery services.
3% back on drugstore purchases.
5% back on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards®.
Through March 31, 2025, 5% back on qualifying Lyft services purchased through the Lyft app.
Restaurants and drugstores are especially useful rewards categories for many households. Spend $3,000 a year combined in those categories, and you’ll earn $90 annually.
And if you book travel through Chase, 5% can add up quickly on pricey travel itineraries. Vacation travel costing $6,000 gets you back $300, for example.
1.5% on 'everything else'
Cash-back credit cards with bonus categories, like 3% back on restaurants, typically offer 1% cash back on “everything else.” The Chase Freedom Unlimited® offers 1.5% back on everything else.
While 0.5% more doesn’t seem like much, it adds up for big spenders because it has no limit. And many big-ticket expenses seldom fall neatly into typical bonus categories — think medical bills, car tires and furnace repair.
For those who spend a lot, say $5,000 per month on “everything else,” the extra 0.5% rate on the Chase Freedom Unlimited® means an extra $300 a year in cash back, compared with its typical competitors.
Point transfers to maximize value
Because Chase allows you to transfer its points among cards that earn them, the Chase Freedom Unlimited® can be a cornerstone of a strategy to get maximum value out of every dollar you spend. If you have multiple Chase cards, you can:
Earn more points by splitting your spending between this card and the Chase Freedom Flex. By using the Chase Freedom Flex for purchases in the 5% bonus categories and the Chase Freedom Unlimited® on all other spending, you'd boost your overall rewards earnings significantly.
Get more value per point by transferring rewards to a card with elevated redemption values. Points earned with this card are usually worth a penny apiece. But several Chase cards give you more value per point when you use them to book travel through Chase's online portal, operated by Expedia:
With the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card and the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card, each point is worth 1.25 cents when redeemed for travel through Chase.
With the Chase Sapphire Reserve®, points are worth 1.5 cents apiece when redeemed for travel through Chase.
These three cards also allow you to transfer points at a 1:1 ratio to about a dozen airline and hotel loyalty programs, including United Airlines, Southwest Airlines, JetBlue, Marriott and Hyatt. Depending on how you use transferred points, you could reap even more value.
» MORE: What is the 'Chase trifecta'?
