Chase Freedom Card vs Chase Freedom Unlimited^®: Which Comes Out on Top?

Editor's note: The Chase Freedom card is no longer available. It has been replaced with the Chase Freedom Flex. Read our Chase Freedom Flex℠ review for more information.

If you're wondering how to upgrade your Chase Freedom to a Freedom Unlimited, jump to this section.

Chase offers an impressive lineup of credit cards. Two card offers from this issuer that you might be weighing are the Chase Freedom Card and Chase Freedom Unlimited^®. These cashback credit cards are both highly rated and offer impressive rewards. Comparing them by names alone, however, can easily lead to mistaking them to be the same card, which isn’t the case. 

Aside from sharing similar names, they have a few other features in common. But they also have a lot that makes them distinctive. Keep reading to who should win for you in a Chase Freedom vs. Chase Freedom Unlimited comparison.

Chase Freedom vs. Freedom Unlimited

These are two of the best cash back credit cards from Chase that have may similarities. There are also a number of differences that set the two apart, especially in the earning structure. Here’s a side-by-side comparison:

	Chase Freedom Card	Chase Freedom Unlimited®
Rewards rate	5% cash back in rotating bonus categories (up to $1,500 in combined purchases per quarter) and 1% cash back on all other purchases	5% cash back on Chase travel purchased through Ultimate Rewards®, 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service and unlimited 1.5% cash back on all other purchases
Sign-up bonus	$200 cash back bonus after spending $500 in the first 3 months	Earn an additional 1.5% cash back on everything you buy (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year) - worth up to $300 cash back
Intro APR	0% APR on purchases for 15 months (then 14.99% to 23.74% (variable))	0% APR on purchases for 15 months (then 20.49% - 29.24% Variable)
Annual fee	$0	$0
Foreign transaction fee	3%	3% of each transaction in U.S. dollars
Redeeming rewards	Cashback statement credit Transfer points to a premium Chase card Direct deposit Travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards Gift cards	Cashback statement credit Transfer points to a premium Chase card Direct deposit Travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards Gift cards
Free credit score?	Yes — through Chase Credit Journey	Yes — through Chase Credit Journey
Recommended credit	Excellent, Good	Excellent, Good
Plastic or metal?	Plastic	Plastic
Best for:	Maximizing cashback rewards in select 5% rotating bonus categories	Simple cash back on every purchase and with fixed bonus categories

How to choose which Chase Freedom card is right for you

While there’s a difference in earning potential between the two credit cards, there are some other important factors to take into consideration when comparing the Chase Freedom vs. Freedom Unlimited to help you determine which Chase Freedom card is better for you.

The Chase Freedom rewards program utilizes a cashback calendar that changes every quarter and isn’t announced until shortly before the window opens to activate it, so you don’t always know what’s going to be offered. Although the calendar often changes between popular rotating categories like grocery stores, gas stations, restaurants, home improvement stores, department stores, or PayPal, it’s impossible to know exactly what the quarterly bonus categories will be, and that makes it difficult for cardholders to plan ahead.

If you’re someone who dines out often but “restaurants” never appears on the calendar, you’ll be stuck earning 1% instead of the 3% you could have been earning with the Freedom Unlimited. Also keep in mind that the bonus categories usually only show up for one quarter, limiting the 5% you would earn dining out to only three months out of the year.

The changing bonus categories with the Chase Freedom do have their appeal, though. It can be exciting to see what category is announced next, especially if they align perfectly with your spending habits. But if you’re not interested in having to activate a new cashback category every three months, the straightforward earning structure offered by the Chase Freedom Unlimited might be more attractive.

Best for first-year value: Chase Freedom Unlimited

If you’re able to max out your spending in all of the bonus categories, the Chase Freedom Unlimited is the clear winner. Just remember that spending in the bonus categories is where you're going to earn the most. 

Both cards also offer a very useful introductory APR. Having a low interest rate could save you money if you have big purchases planned and can pay them off within the promotional period, before the regular variable APR goes into effect.

Apply now for the Chase Freedom Unlimited

Best for sign-up bonus: Freedom and Freedom Unlimited

The Chase Freedom and Freedom Unlimited tie for this honor. With the Chase Freedom you can earn $200 cash back bonus after spending $500 in the first 3 months, and with the Chase Freedom Unlimited you earn an additional 1.5% cash back on everything you buy (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year) - worth up to $300 cash back. For both of these cards, you should be able to easily earn the bonus.

Best for simple cash back: Chase Freedom Unlimited

The reward structure you get with the Chase Freedom Unlimited is simpler because it doesn’t require you to track and activate bonus categories each quarter, allowing you to go about your life without any added responsibility. For the most part, you'll benefit from the simple flat-rate cash back.

The rewards structure of the Chase Freedom Unlimited card is ideal for those who want to make sure they’re earning cash back every time they swipe their card. This would be someone who does not want to worry about remembering the activation step in order to earn their bonus cash back.

Read our Chase Freedom Unlimited review. Or, ready to apply? Click here

Best if you want to earn Chase Ultimate Rewards points: Chase Trifecta

Chase pays its cashback rewards in the form of Chase Ultimate Rewards points. These can be used to get cash back or they can be redeemed for travel purchases through the Chase travel portal. Since the cashback rate that you earn on your purchases is the main difference between the Freedom vs. Freedom Unlimited, this is where you’ll want to look for the best value:

• With the Chase Freedom Unlimited’s 5% cash back on Chase travel purchased through Ultimate Rewards®, 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service and unlimited 1.5% cash back on all other purchases, you earn at least 1.5 points (worth $0.015) for every dollar spent.
• With the Chase Freedom, you earn 1% cash back on all other purchases outside of its rotating bonus category, which earns you 1 point (worth $0.010) for every dollar spent. When you make purchases in one of the rotating bonus categories (up to $1,500 quarterly), then that gives you 5% cash back, which translates to 5 points (worth $0.05) for every dollar spent.

If you like the sound of all these rewards, you can take your earning a step further with something known as “The Chase Trifecta.” This is a simple strategy that involves using both Chase Freedom cards and the Chase Sapphire Reserve^® card strategically to maximize the number Chase Ultimate Rewards you earn on your purchases. This is the best way to earn the most travel rewards with Chase credit card.

Best if you’re willing to put in extra effort: Chase Freedom

It requires some additional effort on your part, but if you’re willing to track the bonus categories and make sure to activate them when the time comes, the Chase Freedom can offer an overall higher earning potential.

The extra effort might also mean organizing and planning your spending around the rotating bonus categories. To help you out, we regularly update our Chase Freedom bonus categories calendar.

How to upgrade from Chase Freedom to Chase Freedom Unlimited

Chase allows you to product change between different Chase credit cards. This means you can have one Chase card and turn it into a different one, which would give you all the benefits of the new card while removing the features of the old one. In addition, doing a product change like this would also retain the credit history you’ve already built up on the card.

Keep in mind, you can’t product change a Chase card like the Freedom or Freedom Unlimited to a co-branded Chase card like the Southwest Rapid Rewards^® Plus Credit Card or IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card. You also can’t product change a co-branded Chase card to one of the Freedom or Sapphire cards.

If you want to upgrade your Chase Freedom to a Chase Freedom Unlimited, call the Chase customer service line or send a secured message to Chase through your online account. The main reason to make this change is to take advantage of the Freedom Unlimited bonus categories that you won’t find on the Chase Freedom. If your everyday expenses align with the Freedom Unlimited’s earning categories, you’ll likely earn more rewards.

But making this change would also mean you’d lose access to the rotating categories and higher earning rate on the Chase Freedom. You also wouldn’t get the opportunity to earn a sign-up bonus on the Freedom Unlimited if you change products rather than applying for it directly. If you're looking for a generous welcome bonus, you might just want to apply for a card like the Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card instead.

Frequently asked questions

Bottom line

If you’re considering either the Chase Freedom or Chase Freedom Unlimited card, there really is no wrong decision when it comes to these rewards credit cards. They are two comparable cards with similar features and benefits, and you'll often find them both on the lists of best credit cards. The only real decision is which rewards rate works best with how you spend.

And, if you get one card and find you still want to benefit from the rewards offered by the other, you can always apply for the second one. Then you’ll be earning on both Chase Freedom cards!