Chase Freedom Unlimited
What it earns, how it becomes a travel card beside a Sapphire, the welcome offer and the purchase and travel protection.
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No annual fee and cash back · Chase
Welcome offer
$200 bonus
Annual fee
$0
$200 cash back (20,000 points) after $500 in purchases in the first 3 months. Not available to current cardholders or to anyone who received this card’s bonus in the past 24 months.
Intro APR: 0% on purchases and balance transfers for 15 monthsRewards: Cash back, tracked as Ultimate Rewards points
The Atelier Take
Unremarkable alone, quietly powerful beside a Sapphire.
Who it suits
Sapphire holders who want a no-fee card for everything the Sapphire doesn’t reward well, and anyone wanting a no-fee card that can grow into a travel card later.
Who should skip it
Anyone who will never hold a Sapphire and only wants cash: a flat 2% card pays more on everyday spending. It is also a poor card abroad, as it charges a foreign transaction fee.
What it earns
Rewards: cash back, tracked as Chase Ultimate Rewards points (100 points = $1). Paired with a Sapphire card, the points become transferable to airlines and hotels.
5%
Travel booked through Chase Travel
3%
Dining, including takeout and eligible delivery
3%
Drugstores
2%
Lyft rides
Through September 30, 2027
1.5%
Everything else
Rewards are tracked as points worth 1¢ each in cash. Moved to a Sapphire Preferred or Reserve, the same points can be transferred to partners such as World of Hyatt and United; at TPG’s 2.05¢ valuation, 1.5x is then worth about 3.1¢ per dollar. Redeeming through Amazon’s Shop with Points gives only 0.8¢ a point.
Other benefits
DashPass
6 months free when activated by December 31, 2027; it then renews at the monthly rate unless canceled.
Rewards don’t expire
As long as the account is open, with no minimum to redeem.
What it is worth
No annual fee, so nothing to earn back. On its own it is a 1.5% cash-back card with better rates on dining, drugstores and Chase Travel.
Its real value is beside a Sapphire card: every point it earns can then be transferred, so 1.5% on everyday spending becomes about 3.1¢ per dollar at TPG’s valuation, more than most flat-rate cards pay.
Insurance and protections
Chase lists these on the card’s page; the Guide to Benefits has the full terms. Pay for the trip or purchase with the card to be covered.
Purchase protection
Damage or theft within 120 days of purchase, up to $500 per item.
Extended warranty
Adds one year to U.S. manufacturer warranties of three years or less.
Trip cancellation and interruption
Up to $1,500 per traveler and $6,000 per trip for prepaid, non-refundable fares.
Auto rental coverage
Theft and collision damage on most rentals; secondary to personal insurance in the U.S.
Travel and emergency assistance
Referrals and help while traveling; services themselves are paid for.
Pros and cons
Pros
- 1.5% on everything with no annual fee
- Earnings become transferable points when paired with a Sapphire card
- 0% intro APR for 15 months
- Trip cancellation cover, unusual for a no-fee card
Cons
- Alone, it is a plain cash-back card
- Other no-fee cards pay 2% flat
- Charges a foreign transaction fee
Card terms change often and some offers are personalized; the issuer’s page is the final word.