We’re frequently asked, “Which card is better? The Chase Freedom Unlimited and Chase Freedom Flex℠? Which one do you think I should get?”
As with most advice we dispense on this blog, the answers to such questions vary from person to person. Not everyone’s budget, travel goals, and spending habits are the same. (Not to mention, 5/24 status plays a big factor when deciding which credit cards to get.)
Also, there’s no law — as far as I know — stating you can’t carry both. So it doesn’t necessarily have to be an either/or situation. But when 5/24 comes into play, you might have to decide which card is better for you.
The cards overlap in many areas. Neither has an annual fee. Both have several of the same bonus categories. Their welcome bonuses are the same. Both earn Chase Ultimate Rewards®® points — which can be converted to cashback, statement credit, applied toward travel purchases made through Chase, transferred to a Chase travel partner, or one of a few other options.
But there are three significant differences between the two.
Below is a table comparing and contrasting the two cards. Their differences are highlighted in red. And we’ll discuss each in a couple of minutes.
| Chase Freedom Flex℠ (Learn how to apply) | Chase Freedom Unlimted (Learn how to apply) | |
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| Visa or Mastercard? | Mastercard | Visa |
| Current Welcome Offer | Receive $200 Cashback (awarded as 20,000 Ultimate Rewards points) when you spend $500 in eligible purchases within three months of being approved. |
Earn an additional 1.5% cash back (awarded as 1.5X Ultimate Rewards points) on all eligible purchases made during the first year of card membership. Offer applies to the first $20,000 made on eligible purchases, including normally bonuses categories. |
| Annual Fee | $0 | $0 |
| Quarterly 5% Categories | Yes | No |
| 5% Cashback on Travel Purchased Through Chase Ultimate Rewards® | Yes | Yes |
| 5% Total Cashback on Lyft Rides | Yes, through March 2025 | Yes, through March 2025 |
| 3% Cashback on Drugstore Purchases | Yes | Yes |
| 3% Cashback on Dining Purchases (Restaurants and Eligible Delivery Services) | Yes | Yes |
| All Other Purchases | 1% cashback | 1.5% cashback |
| Complimentary DoorDash DashPass Subscription (Read More About Activating the DashPass Benefit) | 3 months | 3 months |
The Differences
Here’s the meat-and-potatoes of how the two cards are different — and why you might pick one over the other.
Visa vs. Mastercard
The Chase Freedom Unlimited is a Visa-branded card, while the Chase Freedom Flex℠ is a Mastercard.
This is sort of a big deal for people who want to use their card in person someplace like Costco — which only accepts Visa credit cards. (Costco.com, FWIW, accepts Mastercard.)
The Chase Freedom Flex℠‘s Mastercard Signature benefits include cell phone protection:
“Get up to $800 per claim and $1,000 per year in cell phone protection against covered theft or damage for phones listed on your monthly cell phone bill when you pay it with your eligible credit card. Maximum of 2 claims in a 12 month period with a $50 deductible per claim.”
**RELATED: Why and How Delta Flyers Can Benefit from Chase Ultimate Rewards®**
5% Bonus Cashback Category
Here’s a biggie. The Chase Freedom Flex℠ offers cardholders 5% cash back in rotating categories each quarter.
For 2022, they were:
- Q1: January – March
- Grocery stores (excluding Target and Walmart)
- eBay
- Q2: April – June
- Amazon purchases
- Select streaming services
- Q3: July – September
- Gas stations
- Rental car agencies
- Movie theaters
- Select live entertainment
- Q4: October – December
- PayPal
- Walmart
In 2021, we enjoyed:
- Q1: January – March
- Select streaming services
- Wholesale clubs
- Phone, cable, and Internet services
- Q2: April – June
- Gas stations
- Home improvement stores
- Q3: July – September
- Grocery stores (excluding Target and Walmart)
- Select streaming services
- Q4: October – December
- PayPal
- Walmart
In 2020, they were:
- Q1: January – March
- Select streaming services
- Gas stations
- Phone, cable, and Internet services
- Q2: April – June
- Grocery stores
- Select streaming services
- Gym memberships
- Fitness clubs
- Q3: July – September
- Amazon
- Whole Foods
- Q4: October – December
- PayPal
- Walmart
The 5X bonuses earnings are capped at $1,500 in spending (or $75 cashback) each quarter. So if you max out that benefit, you get yourself $300 back (or 30,000 Ultimate Rewards points) each year — for a no-annual-fee card.
The Chase Freedom Unlimited does not offer this special feature.
1.5% Cashback vs. 1% Cashback
Chase Freedom Unlimited gives cardholders 1.5% back on purchases. That can be handy if you do a lot of traditionally un-bonused spending (tuition, car repairs, etc.). The Flex bottoms out at 1% back.
Which One Should Delta Flyers Get?
I have the Chase Freedom Flex℠ because I love the quarterly 5X categories. My 5/24 status doesn’t permit me to get the Chase Freedom Unlimited (yet). But I don’t lose any sleep over it.
So this is my practice. It may or may not work for you.
My spending is split across cards with good bonus categories. The rest goes on my Delta Reserves until I hit my MQM Status Boost goals.
For example, regular readers know that my wife and I swear by our Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express for 6% cashback on up to $6,000 in annual spending at U.S supermarkets (then 1%. Terms apply.) When we max that out, we switch to our Chase Sapphire Reserve (for the Pay Yourself Back feature) and American Express® Gold Card (4X at US supermarkets, up to $25,000 in annual spending, then 1X. Terms apply).
Purchases that usually are not bonused and earn only 1X on most cards (utilities, taxes, computer supplies, bourbon and red wine from my local liquor store…) are usually made on my Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card or whatever card for which we’re trying to meet a minimum spending requirement for a bonus.
Final Approach
The Chase Freedom Flex℠ or the Chase Freedom Unlimited are similar — yet a few differences may impact your decision as to which one is better for your needs. For my goals and budget, the Chase Freedom Flex℠ packs more punch.
Is there one you prefer? Why? Please share your thoughts in the below Comments section!
- To see rates and fees for The Platinum Card® from American Express, please visit this link. Terms apply.
- To see rates and fees for the American Express® Gold Card, please visit this link. Terms apply.
- To see rates and fees for the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card, please visit this link. Terms apply.
- To see rates and fees for the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express, please visit this link. Terms apply.
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Found the Freedom Unlimited great to pay my rent with. Would use my Amex BBP for 2x but they don’t take Amex, so 1.5x with the Freedom Visa was the next best thing.
They do charge a small convenience fee, but getting around 35k UR a year on a regular expense feels like a no brainer.
I suspect many, like me, have the original Freedom card and the Unlimited. Especially those of us who started long before 5/24. My question isn’t which of these to use (that’s easy, imo), but whether or not to trade in the Freedom for the Flex.
If you have the Unlimited and the legacy Freedom, then I say just hold on to the legacy Freedom.