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Writer's pictureJoel Velazquez

Chase Freedom Unlimited: My Go-To Credit Card For Anyone

The Chase Freedom Unlimited was my first Chase credit card. I got this card during college when I saw the $200 intro bonus after spending $500 in 3 months. I realized by getting this no annual fee card and spending money I was already planning to, I could easily earn the $200 intro bonus. It was a no brainer - which is why it is my go-to recommendation for anyone. On top of the intro offer, the card earns Chase Ultimate Rewards Points which can be cashed out at 1 cent per point or even more value when combining points with a Chase Sapphire card.


How it Earns
  • 5% on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards

  • 5% on Lyft rides

    • Valid through March 31, 2025

  • 3% on dining

    • Restaurants

    • DoorDash

    • GrubHub

    • Uber Eats

  • 3% at drugstores

  • 1.5% on everything else

The 1.5% on everything is a great catch all value. In addition, the 3% back on dining provides a ton of value to my family since we like to dine out on the weekends.


What it Earns
  • Ultimate Reward Points

A valuable feature of the Chase cards is that they earn Ultimate Rewards Points - which are my favorite credit card points currency. These points can easily be cashed out at the industry standard of 1 cent per point. In addition, the Chase Sapphire cards unlock the ability to use Transfer Partners including Southwest (unique to Chase), United, and British Airways to name a few. Utilizing Transfer Partners can get you value upwards of 2 cents per point pretty easily and even up to 10+ cents per point on first class international travel. That being said, I personally value the points at 1.5 cents per point as a baseline, since that is the most reliable value I have found when redeeming them.


How to Redeem
  • Cash Back - 1 cent per point

  • Travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards - 1 cent per point

  • Gift Cards - 1+ cent per point

  • Combine with Chase Sapphire Card

    • 1.25+ cents per point

    • Transfer partners - 1.5+ cent per point

The industry standard for credit card points redemption is 1 cent per point. You want to ensure that you are never redeeming your points for less than that. Thanks to the flexibility of Chase Ultimate Rewards Points, there are plenty of options for getting a minimum of that from your points.


Benefits
  • DashPass membership ($75 value)

    • 3 months free

    • Next 9 months 50% off

    • Activate by December 31, 2024

  • Instacart+ Membership ($90 value)

    • 3 months free

    • Additional $10 credit each quarter

    • Enroll by July 31, 2024

    • Valid through July 31, 2024

  • Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver

    • Secondary coverage in the U.S.


Annual Fee
  • $0

Having no annual fee is the best part about this card and it allows you to keep it long-term. When you look at how it earns, what it earns, and the benefits, it makes for a great addition to your credit card strategy.


Pros/Cons

Pros

  • 20,000 point intro bonus

  • 3% and 5% bonus categories

  • DashPass membership

  • Instacart+ Membership

Cons

  • Other cards have >1.5% minimum return


How I Use It
  • 1.5% catch all card

  • 3% on dining


How I Use Ultimate Rewards Points
  • Southwest Flights

    • 1.5 cents per point

  • Cash back

    • 1 cent per point

At the time of getting this card's 20,000 point intro bonus, I cashed out the points for a quick $200. Now that I have the Chase Sapphire Preferred and am more well versed on how to maximize the use of Chase Ultimate Rewards Points, I most frequently use my points to book domestic Southwest flights at a value of 1.5 cents per point. My wife and I had a ton of weddings to go to this year, so using points for domestic travel made the most sense. Next year, we aim to utilize points for international travel where we should be able to see upwards of 2 cents per point utilizing Transfer Partners.


Intro Bonus
  • 20,000 Ultimate Rewards Points ($200 minimum value)

    • After spending $500 in first 3 months

  • 0% APR for 15 months

    • On purchases and balance transfers

If you are looking to apply for this card, click here and it can help us both out. Make sure you check out Chase's website to ensure you are getting the best possible intro bonus. Thanks!


Stay Tuned:

If you found this article valuable I would appreciate it if you shared it with a friend. If you have any questions, tips, or general info you want to share, leave a comment or use the chat and I will get back to you! If you are curious to learn more about my credit card setup, tips, and tricks, checkout my What's In My Wallet blog post. I am going to be doing additional reviews like this one in the future so you can better understand what cards are right for you. Sign up for my mailing list at the bottom of the page so you don't miss anything!



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