The card_name credit card is an excellent daily use workhorse for many service members thanks to a generous slate of sign-up bonuses: 5% back on travel purchased through Chase, 3% on dining at restaurants and purchases at drugstores, 1.5% cash back on all other purchases, and a full slate of other useful perks and offers.
Here’s what you need to know about this powerful, no-annual-fee card.
Chase Freedom Unlimited® Overview
Summary
The card_name card offers cardholders a full range of perks. In addition to generous sign-up bonuses and offers mentioned below, cardholders also get:
- 3% back at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery services.
- 3% back on drugstore purchases.
- 5% back on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards.
- 5% back on qualifying Lyft services purchased through the Lyft app for new and existing cardholders through March 31, 2025.
- Earn 1% to 15% cash back at select merchants when you purchase through the Chase online bonus mall.
- Purchase protection covers new purchases for 120 days against damage or theft up to $500 per claim and $50,000 per account.
- Extended warranty protection adds an additional year to eligible U.S. manufacturers’ warranties of three years or less.
- Auto rental collision damage waiver provides coverage for theft and collision damage for most rental cars in the U.S. and abroad, secondary to your personal insurance within the U.S.?
- Trip cancellation/interruption insurance provides reimbursement up to $1,500 per person and $6,000 per trip for prepaid, nonrefundable travel expenses if a trip is canceled or cut short due to covered situations.
- Roadside dispatch offers pay-per-use roadside assistance services including towing, tire changing, and more.
- Cardholders have access to Chase Credit Journey, a tool that allows monitoring of credit scores and identity theft protection services.
- Discounts on services through Boxed, Postmates, ShopRunner, Fandango, and others.
- Points can be transferred to other Chase cards for more value, such as the Chase Sapphire Preferred or Chase Sapphire Reserve, where points can be worth more when used for travel through Chase’s portal?.
- Several premium Chase 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.
Chase Freedom Unlimited Sign-up bonus
One of the best perks of the Chase Freedom Unlimited card is a generous sign-up bonus.
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Chase Freedom Unlimited Credit Card Rates and Fees
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With competitive APR rates, no annual fee, and valuable rewards on everyday purchases, this card stands out as a versatile and rewarding option. Take advantage of the extensive protection and travel benefits, and earn cash back on your purchases.
Ready to unlock these perks and more? Apply for the Chase Freedom Unlimited card today and enjoy the rewards immediately.
Chase Freedom Unlimited® Overview
This $0 annual fee card is a worthy addition to your wallet, with attractive cash-back earnings in the categories you use the most. You can supersize those returns even more when you pair the card_name with another premium Chase card.
Service members can also enjoy considerable sign-up bonuses on all purchases with an added 1.5% cash-back bonus during the first year as a cardholder. You’re eligible to receive up to an additional $300 back on up to $20,000 in spending as a first-year cardholder.
First-year benefits mean you can get up to 6.5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel?, Chase’s premier rewards program that lets you redeem rewards for cash back, travel, gift cards, and more.
You’ll also get 4.5% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service, and 3% on all other purchases.
There are no minimum redemption amounts, and Cash Back rewards do not expire as long as your account is open.
In most cases, you’ll need at least a 680 FICO score to qualify, but if you do, the Chase Freedom Unlimited card is a smart choice that combines flexibility and generous benefits that make it attractive as a frequent-use card.
Compare the rates, fees, and rewards of top credit cards for military servicemembers and veterans, including cards with waived annual fees under the SCRA.
Earning Rewards with Chase Freedom Unlimited
The Chase Freedom Unlimited is marketed as a cash-back card, but your spending earns Chase Ultimate Rewards points. Points are worth a penny when redeemed for cash back, but there are ways to bump that rate.
You get 1.5% cash back or more, depending on the purchase category. For example, you’ll earn 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards and 3% cash back on eligible dining and drugstores.
You can also redeem points for gift cards (1 cent per point), travel booked through Chase (1 cent per point, and Amazon purchases (0.8 cents per point).
Redeeming Rewards With Chase Freedom Unlimited
You can redeem Chase Ultimate Rewards points through the Chase Ultimate Rewards travel portal, as a statement credit or choose a direct deposit into most U.S. checking or savings accounts.
There’s no minimum to redeem, so you can cash in your rewards whenever you like.
However, if you also have a premium Chase card, such as the card_name or card_name, you can combine your Chase Ultimate Rewards points and redeem them for an increased rate or transfer them to one of Chase’s travel partners for a potentially higher value.
For example, if you have the Chase Freedom Unlimited and the Chase Sapphire Preferred cards, your points will be worth 25% more when redeemed for travel through Chase’s Travel Portal. Instead of earning 5% cash back, you’ll earn an effective cashback rate of 6.25%.
Similarly, your restaurant and drugstore spending will be worth 3.75%, and everyday spending will bump up to 1.875%.
Even more impressive, points transferred to the card_name are worth 50% more when used for travel.
When you combine your Freedom Unlimited with a premium Chase card, you can also transfer your rewards to Chase’s airline and hotel transfer partners at a 1:1 rate. The Freedom Unlimited Card alone does not offer that privilege.
» LEARN MORE: See how the Chase Freedom Unlimited compares to other top cards
How to Get the Chase Credit Card Military Fee Waiver
Chase offers benefits for active military members under the Military Lending Act law for service members on active duty who applied for cards after September 20, 2017. Benefits apply only to personal credit cards, not Chase business cards.
Under this act, service members will receive waived annual and other fees (except late fees and insufficient fund fees). In addition, the Military Annual Percentage Rate (MAPR) must not exceed 36%, and any introductory promotional interest rates must be honored.
After you’re approved, you can request these benefits by accessing your Chase.com online banking profile, going to “secure messages,” and under “inquires,” selecting Military SCRA benefits. You will need your account number and supporting documents.
You can also call 1-877-469-0110 to ask about credit card fee waivers for Chase credit cards (8 am-10 pm Monday through Friday and 9 am-6 pm Saturdays). Internationally, call collect at 318-340-3348.
Applying for the Chase Freedom Unlimited Credit Card
The Chase Freedom Unlimited card is relatively hard to get because applicants must have a minimum credit score of 680 for approval. Applicants must also demonstrate an ability to make minimum monthly payments, reasonable amounts of existing debt, the size of their monthly housing payment, the number of recently opened credit accounts, and other similar factors.
Chase has an online prequalification tool, so you’ll have a good indication of approval in a matter of seconds based on the information you provide. Prequalification doesn’t affect your credit score because the process is considered a soft inquiry.
Chase will make a hard inquiry on your credit report if you apply.
» MORE: Learn more about the Chase Freedom Unlimited card
Chase Freedom Unlimited Credit Card Pros & Cons
Pros
- No annual fee
- Generous welcome offer for a no-annual-fee card
- Unlimited 1.5% minimum rate for Cash Back rewards
- 0% Intro APR period for 15 months, APR after that
- High rewards rate when combined with other premium Chase cards
- No minimum redemption amount
Cons
- Requires excellent credit
- Foreign transaction fee
- Ongoing balance transfer fee is high
- Reward rates in some spending categories is difficult to understand.
- You must have a companion card to transfer points to travel partners
Is the Chase Freedom Unlimited Card Worth It?
The Chase Freedom Unlimited is a great deal for military members, especially those with a partner card such as the Chase Sapphire Preferred or Chase Sapphire Reserve cards.
Users can immediately take advantage of a generous sign-up offer and practical bonus rewards categories that give plenty of options for cashing in rewards.
Coupled with a variety of other benefits, including rental car insurance, trip cancellation protection, extended product warranties, and several others, Chase Freedom Unlimited is a great addition to your wallet.
» NEXT: Learn how to apply for the Chase Freedom Unlimited
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