Hello Friends, I hope all is well with you! Today, I am going to be reviewing Chase Freedom Unlimited rewards credit card. I wanted to make sure that everyone knows that I have this rewards card. My opinions are my own and are no way influenced by others.
Overall Verdict: I think that this is great rewards credit card. The Chase Freedom Unlimited Rewards card offers a flat rate rewards program like some of the other cards; there are cards that have a higher rewards amount, but they might not offer all of the benefits that this card offers at no annual fee. This card does charge a foreign transaction fee, something that I am not a big fan of, but it does offer extra benefits, which is something that is helpful and could make up for the foreign transaction fee.
Some things about this card I like:
- No annual fee
- Extra benefits
- Easy to reach sign-up bonus
Some things about the card that I don’t like:
- There are other cards that have a higher reward amount for no annual fee
- No foreign transaction fees
What type of reward are you getting?
The Chase Freedom Unlimited rewards credit card offers you the opportunity to earn cash back rewards for every dollar that you spend. This cash back accumulates in your account until you decide when and how you want to redeem it. You can redeem your cash back as a statement credit, you can book travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards (Chase’s travel website), you can redeem it for gift cards, you can shop on Amazon, you can redeem the points for Apple products, and you can even direct Chase to have your cash back directly deposited in your bank account.
Is there an annual fee?
There is no annual fee to be a cardholder of this rewards credit card.
What is the rewards amount?
The Chase Freedom Unlimited Rewards credit card offers a flat rate of 1.5% cash back on every dollar that you spend. The reward amount applies to all categories, so every dollar you spend will have cash back earned. There is no limit to the amount of cash back that you can earn on this card. Chase also offers you the opportunity to earn extra cash back by buying certain brands or shopping at certain stores. You may earn 10% cash back at Starbucks or earn an extra $5 for filing your taxes with TurboTax; there are limits to the amount of cash back you can get on these extra bonus offers. The stores and the limits vary depending on the deal, so make sure to check out the details.
Is there a bonus offer?
The Chase Freedom Unlimited Rewards card does offer a pretty good bonus compared to the amount you have to spend. The bonus offer is $200 if you spend at least $500 on purchases in your first three months from when the account opens. This is 40% return on the amount you spend and $500 is much more easily obtainable than the $1,000 that most of the card issuers have the minimum set at.
Are there foreign transaction fees?
Unfortunately, there is a 3% foreign transaction fee on the amount of each purchase in U.S dollars. Again, I am not a big fan of this fee, but it shouldn’t be the deciding factor in this case since Chase does offer other nice benefits.
Are there any other benefits?
This rewards card does offer some nice added benefits that other no annual fee cards may not have. These extra benefits include:
- Zero liability protection – you are not responsible for unauthorized purchases
- Fraud protection – your account is being monitored for fraudulent activity
- Purchase protection – covers new purchases for 120 days against damage or theft up to $500 per claim
- Extended warranty protection – this extends the time period for the manufacturer’s warranty
- Complimentary DoorDash’s subscription service – you get 3 months of DashPass
- Lyft cash back – you get 5% cash back on Lyft rides through 2021
- Auto rental collision damage waiver – you need to decline the rental company’s collision insurance and use your card for the rental car purchase. You are covered for theft or collision incidents on most cars in the U.S and abroad
- Trip cancellation and trip interruption insurance – you can be reimbursed if your trip is canceled or cut short for covered situations
For more information and details on their benefits, check out their benefits page.
What is the interest rate and are there any other fees?
Chase offers you an introductory APR of 0% for the first 15 months. After the 15 months, the APR is between 14.99% and 23.74%, but this is based off your credit score.
They also have other fees such as:
- Cash advance fee – $10 or 5% of the amount of each cash advance, whichever is greater
- Late payment fee –up to $39
- Balance transfer fee – $5 or 5% of the amount of each cash advance, whichever is greater
- Returned payment fee – up to $39
For more information on their fees, check out their fee schedule.
How is the customer service like?
There are a couple of ways to contact their customer service. The first way would be to call the number on the back of the card. The second way would be to send them a secure message through their online message portal. They are pretty good at replying back in a timely manner, and that’s what I mostly use to contact them. It’s important to note that your experience with their customer service will vary from time to time.
Should you get the Chase Freedom Unlimited Rewards Card?
This card is a good no annual fee card.
Who it’s perfect for:
- People who want cash back instead of miles
- People who want an easier to reach sign-up bonus
- People who have good credit
- People who want the extra benefits that this card offers
Who it isn’t perfect for:
- People who have a low credit score
- People who travel abroad or deal with purchasing products that’s in foreign currency
- People who want the highest reward possible
If you are still unsure if a rewards credit card makes sense, check out my post on Why You Should Use Rewards Credit Cards.
Additionally, if this card isn’t right for you, I invite you to check out my credit cards page for more information on other cards.