Current Chase Freedom Unlimited and Chase Freedom Flex welcome offers
Editor's Note
When it comes to no-annual-fee credit cards, it doesn't get much better than Chase's duo of the Chase Freedom Unlimited® (see rates and fees) and the Chase Freedom Flex® (see rates and fees). They both come with valuable welcome offers, too, with the potential to take home tons of cash back.
Both the Freedom Flex and the Freedom Unlimited are excellent rewards credit cards with no annual fee. Even better, they offer the flexibility to earn either cash back or fully transferable Chase Ultimate Rewards points when combined with select Chase cards, such as the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (see rates and fees).
Let's dive deeper into these offers and see how they stack up.
Chase Freedom Unlimited welcome offer
Right now, new Chase Freedom Unlimited cardholders can earn a $200 bonus after spending $500 on purchases within the first three months from account opening.
Earning rates
- 5% cash back on travel booked through Chase Travel℠
- 3% cash back on dining
- 3% cash back at drugstores
- 1.5% cash back on everything else
These are valuable earning rates, but you should crunch the numbers to see if another card (like the Freedom Flex) makes more sense.
Apply: Chase Freedom Unlimited
Chase Freedom Flex welcome offer
New Chase Freedom Flex cardholders can earn $200 cash back after spending $500 on purchases in the first three months.
This is the regular welcome offer the card provides. While it offers solid value, you may want to hold off until it offers this amount of cash back plus an additional 5% category, which we've seen in the past for grocery and gas station purchases.
Earning rates
- 5% cash back on the first $1,500 spent on rotating categories each quarter (activation required)
- 5% cash back on travel booked through Chase Travel
- 3% cash back on dining
- 3% cash back at drugstores
- 1% cash back on all other purchases
That's an impressive lineup of earning categories for any card, let alone a no-annual-fee credit card.
Apply: Chase Freedom Flex
How to turn your cash back into Chase points
What really makes these two cards powerful is how well they play with others.
If you have another Chase card that earns transferable Ultimate Rewards points, such as the Chase Sapphire Preferred, the Chase Sapphire Reserve® (see rates and fees) or the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card (see rates and fees), you can combine the points from your Freedom Unlimited or Freedom Flex.
I have both the Freedom Unlimited and the Freedom Flex and pair them with my Sapphire Reserve to convert the cash back into Ultimate Rewards points.
This unlocks the ability to transfer your points at a 1:1 ratio to the Ultimate Rewards program's airline and hotel partners, including valuable programs like Air France-KLM Flying Blue, British Airways Club and World of Hyatt.
In this scenario, TPG's January 2026 valuations deem Chase points as worth 2.05 cents apiece, so your rewards have significantly more flexibility when used in this way.
Related: The power of the Chase Trifecta: Maximize your earnings with 3 cards
Key considerations
It's worth pointing out that both the Freedom Unlimited and the Freedom Flex impose foreign transaction fees, so they're not ideal to use outside the U.S. Rather, you should use a card with no foreign transaction fees.
Additionally, you'll want to make sure you comply with Chase's 5/24 rule and the issuer's other application restrictions before applying. You'd hate to waste a hard inquiry on your credit report only to not get approved.
Bottom line
If you're a current holder of the Sapphire Preferred or the Sapphire Reserve and don't have a Chase Freedom card, now could be a good time to apply for one of them. Both the Freedom Unlimited and the Freedom Flex are worth a look to boost your everyday spending.
To learn more, read our reviews of the Freedom Unlimited and the Freedom Flex.
Apply here: Chase Freedom Unlimited
Apply here: Chase Freedom Flex
TPG featured card
at Bilt's secure site
Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees.
| 1X | Earn up to 1X points on rent and mortgage payments with no transaction fee |
| 2X | Earn 2X points + 4% back in Bilt Cash on everyday purchases |
Pros
- Unlimited up to 1 Bilt Point per dollar spent on rent and mortgage payments
- Elevated everyday earnings with both Bilt Points and Bilt Cash
- $400 Bilt Travel Portal hotel credit per year (up to $200 biannually)
- $200 Bilt Cash annually
- Priority Pass membership
- No foreign transaction fees
Cons
- Moderate annual fee
- Housing payments may include transaction fees, depending on the payment method
- Designed primarily for members seeking a premium, all-in-one card
- Earn points on housing with no transaction fee
- Choose to earn 4% back in Bilt Cash on everyday spend. Use Bilt Cash to unlock point earnings on rent and mortgage payments with no transaction fee, up to 1X.
- 2X points on everyday spend
- $400 Bilt Travel Hotel credit. Applied twice a year, as $200 statement credits, for qualifying Bilt Travel Portal hotel bookings.
- $200 Bilt Cash (awarded annually). At the end of each calendar year, any Bilt Cash balance over $100 will expire.
- Welcome bonus (subject to approval): 50,000 Bilt Points + Gold Status after spending $4,000 on everyday purchases in the first 3 months + $300 of Bilt Cash.
- Priority Pass ($469/year value). See Guide to Benefits.
- Bilt Point redemptions include airlines, hotels, future rent and mortgage payments, Lyft rides, statement credits, student loan balances, a down payment on a home, and more.