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We think the Chase Freedom Rise℠ makes sense if you want to build your credit history and earn rewards at the same time.
It doesn’t have the highest rewards rate available, but the Freedom Rise could be a good stepping stone for improving your credit score and qualifying for better credit cards.
Let’s explore our Chase Freedom Rise credit card review to see if this is the right starter card for you.
Great for Building Credit
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Chase Freedom Rise℠
Current Offer
$25 statement credit for enrolling in automatic payments within the first three months of account opening
Annual Fee
$0
Rewards Rate
1.5% cash back on all purchases
- Key takeaways
- Who should get the Chase Freedom Rise card?
- Chase Freedom Rise basics
- Why we like Chase Freedom Rise: benefits and perks
- Why we don’t like Chase Freedom Rise: drawbacks
- Earning and redeeming Chase Freedom Rise rewards
- FAQs about the Chase Freedom Rise
- Other cards to consider
- Bottom line
Key takeaways
- We recommend the Chase Freedom Rise if you have limited or no credit history and are interested in earning valuable Chase Ultimate Rewards points on your eligible purchases.
- The Freedom Rise could be a good fit for students who are building their credit history. Note that while the Chase Freedom Rise has effectively replaced the Chase Freedom® Student credit card, you don’t have to be a student to qualify for the Freedom Rise.
- We don’t think the Chase Freedom Rise makes sense if you already have an established credit history and may qualify for credit cards with better rewards rates and benefits.
Who should get the Chase Freedom Rise card?
If you want a credit-building card that earns Chase Ultimate Rewards points, consider the Chase Freedom Rise.
It’s a simple rewards card that is potentially available to those with lower credit scores, which could be an ideal fit if you’ve never had a credit card or don’t have much credit history.
With the Freedom Rise, you can earn 1.5% cash back on all purchases. It also has a $0 annual fee, and the recommended credit score is fair, bad.
The Freedom Rise could make a lot of sense for students who don’t have much or any credit history and want to earn rewards on various expenses. The Freedom Rise doesn’t make sense if you want to earn elevated rewards on specific purchases or already have an established credit history and can qualify for better rewards cards.
Chase Freedom Rise basics
| Card type | Cash back/ Student |
| Credit card issuer | Chase |
| Credit card network | Visa |
| Annual fee | $0 |
| Welcome offer | $25 statement credit for enrolling in automatic payments within the first three months of account opening |
| Reward rate | 1.5% cash back on all purchases |
| Recommended credit score | Fair, Bad |
| Foreign transaction fee | 3% |
Why we like Chase Freedom Rise: benefits and perks
- $0 annual fee: The Chase Freedom Rise has a $0 annual fee.
- Everyday earning potential: You can earn 1.5% cash back on all purchases, making it easy to earn a decent rewards rate on your everyday purchases.
- Autopay welcome offer: Earn $25 statement credit for enrolling in automatic payments within the first three months of account opening.
- Credit limit increase: Chase cardholders may receive a credit limit increase evaluation as soon as six months from account opening.
- Increased approval odds: You may increase your approval chances if you have a Chase checking or savings account with a balance of at least $250 and you’ve never had a credit card (including as an authorized user) before.
- Service and protection benefits: Take advantage of card benefits, including purchase protection, extended warranty protection, and trip cancellation and interruption insurance.
- Chase Credit Journey: Use Chase Credit Journey to track your credit score and learn how to improve it over time.
Why we don’t like Chase Freedom Rise: drawbacks
- Foreign transaction fees: You have to pay 3% foreign transaction fees on applicable purchases.
- Limited bonus categories: The Chase Freedom Rise provides a decent earning rate, but has almost no bonus categories. That means you won’t earn more rewards on purchases in specific categories, such as gas or groceries.
- No intro APR offers: The Freedom Rise doesn’t provide introductory APR offers on purchases or balance transfers. If you want to help avoid high interest rates for a certain amount of time, consider 0% intro APR credit cards.
Earning and redeeming Chase Freedom Rise rewards
The Chase Freedom Rise provides 1.5% cash back on all purchases, giving you the opportunity to earn a decent rate on any eligible purchase.
Redemption options include:
- Travel booked through Chase Ultimate Rewards
- Statement credits
- Direct deposits into most U.S. checking and savings accounts (including with Chase Bank)
- Amazon.com orders
- Gift cards
Note that while the Chase Freedom Rise card details make it appear as a cash back card that earns cashback rewards, you might discover it can also function as a travel rewards credit card. This is similar to other Chase credit cards that use the Chase Travel program, including the Chase Freedom Unlimited® and Chase Freedom Flex℠.
Your Ultimate Rewards points can be combined with points from most other cards that also earn Ultimate Rewards. This could be useful for reaching personal finance and redemption goals quicker, especially if you or a member of your household has a card like the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card.
The Sapphire Preferred provides a 25% bonus to redemption value if your points are redeemed for travel through Chase Travel℠.
FAQs about the Chase Freedom Rise
Is the Chase Freedom Rise hard to get approved for?
No, you typically only need a fair or bad credit score. On the FICO scoring range, that’s a score between 300 to 669, while a good credit score is at least 670. Chase also notes that having a Chase checking or savings account with a balance of at least $250 may increase your chances of getting approved for the Chase Freedom Rise if you’ve never had a credit card.
How often will Chase increase the credit limit?
Chase may evaluate your credit card account for a credit line increase as soon as six months from account opening. You could typically improve your chances of receiving a credit line increase by frequently using your credit card and making on-time payments rather than late payments.
What type of card is the Chase Freedom Rise?
The Chase Freedom Rise is a credit-building and rewards credit card that’s meant to be a first-time credit card for people who have little or no credit history. This could include students who are new to credit cards, but there’s no requirement to be a student to apply for the Chase Freedom Rise.
Other cards to consider
The Chase Freedom Rise is one of many starter credit cards that could help you build credit and earn rewards. You can compare credit cards and credit card offers to see what might be the best option for you.
We recommend comparing the Freedom Rise with the Capital One Quicksilver Secured Cash Rewards Credit Card and Bank of America®️ Customized Cash Rewards Credit Card for Students.
| Card | Welcome offer | Rewards rate | Annual fee | Recommended credit score |
| Chase Freedom Rise℠ | Earn $25 statement credit for enrolling in automatic payments within the first three months of account opening | 1.5% cash back on all purchases | $0 | Fair, Bad |
| Capital One Quicksilver Secured Cash Rewards Credit Card |
None | unlimited 1.5% cash back on every purchase, every day; plus unlimited 5% cash back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel | $0 | Fair |
| Bank of America®️ Customized Cash Rewards Credit Card for Students |
Earn a $200 cash rewards bonus after spending a $1,000 on purchases in the first 90 days | 3% cash back in a category of your choice and 2% cash back at grocery stores and wholesale clubs (on up to $2,500 quarterly for these two categories combined); and 1% cash back on all other purchases | $0 | Excellent, Good, Fair |
The Capital One Quicksilver Secured Cash Rewards has a similar earning rate to the Chase Freedom Rise. But it could be easier to qualify for the Quicksilver Secured because secured credit cards tend to have less strict credit requirements.
Learn more in our Capital One Quicksilver Secured review.
The Bank of America Customized Cash Rewards Credit Card for Students has more earning potential than the Freedom Rise if your spending habits align with its bonus categories. Finding that alignment shouldn’t be an issue since you’re able to choose the top earning category each calendar month.
Learn more in our Bank of America Cash Rewards for Students review.
Great for Building Credit
Chase Freedom Rise℠
Why We Like It
$25 statement credit for enrolling in automatic payments within the first three months of account opening
See how these cards compare:
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Capital One Quicksilver Secured Cash Rewards Credit Card
- Earn unlimited 1.5% cash back on every purchase, every day; plus unlimited 5% cash back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
- Higher credit lines available as you build credit
- Track your progress with CreditWise
- Potential to upgrade to an unsecured credit card
- No annual or foreign transaction fees
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Bank of America®️ Customized Cash Rewards Credit Card for Students
- $200 cash rewards bonus after spending a $1,000 on purchases in the first 90 days
- Introductory APR on purchases and balance transfers
- 3% cash back on your category choice
- No annual fee
Bottom line
The Chase Freedom Rise makes sense if you want a credit-building card that provides a decent rewards rate on all eligible purchases. This could be especially helpful for students who are just starting to build their credit history and learning the ins and outs of credit card rewards.
But if you’re a student who doesn’t qualify for the Chase Freedom Rise or you would rather apply for a rewards credit card with more bonus categories, check out our list of the best credit cards for students.