Finder is committed to editorial independence. While we receive compensation when you click links to partners, they do not influence our opinions or reviews. Learn how we make money.
finder.com’s rating: 4.2 / 5.0
★★★★★
$150
Welcome offer
Up to 1.5%
Cash back
$0
Annual fee
0%
Intro purchase APR
for the first 15 months (then 16.49% to 25.24% variable)
| Product Name | Chase Freedom Unlimited® |
|---|---|
| Card type | Visa |
| Annual fee | $0 |
| Purchase APR | 0% intro for the first 15 months (then 16.49% to 25.24% variable) |
| Balance transfer APR | 0% intro for the first 15 months (then 16.49% to 25.24% variable) |
| Balance transfer fee | Intro fee of $5 or 3% of the transaction, whichever is greater for the first 60 days (then $5 or 5%) |
| Cash advance rate | 26.49% variable |
| Cash advance fee | $10 or 5% of the cash advance amount, whichever is greater |
| Foreign transaction fee | 3% of the transaction value |
| Interest free period | Up to 21 days |
| Late payment fee | Up to $39 |
| Returned payment fee | Up to $39 |
| Additional cardholder fee | $0 |
| Rates & fees | rates & fees |
Review by
Megan Horner is the credit cards publisher at finder.com. She's passionate about helping you find the best credit cards to meet your financial needs — whether that's earning great rewards or improving your credit score. Previously, she edited and published educational articles on credit cards as an assigning editor at Credit Karma.
Earn $150 cash bonus once you spend $500 in your first 3 months when you open your account.
Earn unlimited 1.5% cash back on all purchases, which equates to $1.50 for every $100 you spend when you choose to redeem your points for cash back. Accumulated points don’t expire as long as your account remains open and in good standing.
Pay no interest on purchases and balance transfers during the first 15 months from account opening. After the intro period, you’ll have a 16.49% to 25.24% variable APR. Where your APR falls in that range depends on your creditworthiness.
Here’s how much cash back you might earn based on these potential budgets:
If you clear the signup bonus, that’s another $150 on top for the first year.
Chase Freedom Unlimited® 3% cashback offer
Not having to pay a fee each year will help you keep this card around long-term and reap its cashback benefits.
Redeem your points for statement credits or bank deposits. You can also redeem points for gift cards, travel and experiences through Chase Ultimate Rewards®.
Chase covers cardholders with zero liability, extended warranty and purchase protection. Extended warranty protection adds an extra year to US manufacturer’s warranties that are three years or less. Purchase protection covers damage and theft up to $500 per claim and $50,000 per account.
Kevin Chen
Writer
There are many glitzy credit cards, but the majority of consumers can get the most out of a flat-rate cashback product. It’s simple, likely has no annual fee and offers solid, consistent rewards.
That’s why I like the Chase Freedom Unlimited® credit card. Day to day, I spend little in common bonus categories such as gas, dining and travel. My spending is spread across many categories — health and auto insurance, gym membership, random Amazon purchases, etc. — and my Chase card lets me earn solid points, no matter what I buy.
Pound for pound, the Citi® Double Cash Card can offer better rewards. But I’ve banked with Chase for a long time, so it was natural to get a credit card from the same provider. I like that I can easily redeem my Ultimate Reward points as statement credit or as a deposit to my checking account.
After your intro APR expires, your normal purchase and balance transfer APR will be 16.49% to 25.24% variable . You’re more likely to qualify for a lower APR if you have a higher credit score.
You pay a fee of 3% of the transaction value of each transaction when you use this Chase credit card to shop overseas.
While you won’t pay interest on balance transfers in the first 15 months from account opening, you are still on the hook for a fee of Intro fee of $5 or 3% of the transaction, whichever is greater for the first 60 days (then $5 or 5%) . This means that a transfer of $1,000 will cost you $50 in fees.
Ezra Wolfgang
Graduate Publisher
When I was 20, I figured I should start building up credit in order to be able to buy a car or a home in the future. A representative at my local Chase bank convinced me to sign up for their Freedom Unlimited card.
It’s a nice fit for college students looking to establish credit. When I signed up, I was encouraged to use the card for small purchases. Not only did this allow me to gradually build a solid credit score, but it taught me to sensibly manage my expenses. With the Chase mobile app, I can keep track of my spending on the credit card, read my monthly statements, pay my bill and check my credit score for free.
The only drawback is that it can take a while before you can extend your credit limit beyond the typical starting limit of $500 for those getting their first credit card. Otherwise, it’s a good way to build credit and develop smart spending habits.
A good to excellent credit score of 670 or higher will increase the chances of your application being approved.
Many cardholders praise the Chase Freedom Unlimited®‘s 1.5% cashback feature. However, a few customers expressed that they had trouble getting their credit limit increased.
Chase earns a Trustpilot score of 5.5 out of 10 at the time of this writing. Most negative reviews cite slow responses to fraud complaints and less-than-helpful customer service. Positive reviews cite the bank’s great mobile app and quick resolutions to their issues. Overall, your mileage may vary with Chase customer support.
The JPMorgan Chase Credit Card division earns an overall A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau.
You typically find out about your application’s status minutes after you submit it online if everything can be immediately confirmed. If approved, you’ll get your card in the mail within 10 business days.
After reviewing your application Chase will issue you either a Signature or Platinum card. If approved for a Signature account, your credit access line will be at least $5,000. If approved for a Platinum account, your credit limit will be at least $500.
Log in to your Chase account to redeem rewards. Your redemption options include:
How to redeem Chase Ultimate Rewards points
Between the $0 annual fee and the intro APR offer on purchases and balance transfers, you can get noticeable savings with the Chase Freedom Unlimited®.
An intro APR isn’t everything though, and you may need a rewards card that better suits your everyday life. You can look into balance transfer cards with rewards programs, travel rewards cards and even gas rewards cards.
★★★★★ — Excellent
★★★★★ — Good
★★★★★ — Average
★★★★★ — Subpar
★★★★★ — Poor
Our team evaluates credit cards to determine their value against similar cards on the market.
We rank card types — travel, cash back, business — on a set of factors that are most relevant to that type of card. We create these rankings to help you narrow down a credit card that best suits your spending and budget.