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Chase Freedom Flex℠ review: No annual fee and 5% cash back in popular categories

This credit card does not disappoint with no annual fee, bonus cash back earned in multiple categories, and a generous welcome offer to kick off your earnings.
author Jennifer Doss

Chase Freedom Flex℠

Chase Freedom Flex℠
Our Rating:   
Excellent, Good

CardRatings Editor's Analysis: Pros & Cons

  • New cardholders can earn $200 cash back once spending $500 within the first three months of opening and account.
  • There are so many bonus categories here that racking up rewards should be a breeze.
  • Enjoy up to $1,000 a year in cell phone insurance just for paying your cell phone bill with your FlexSM card.
  • There's a ton of rewards-earning potential here, but there are several categories to keep up with. If you'd rather not think about when and where you use your credit card, a flat-rate card may be a better fit for you.
Terms and Limitations Apply.

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Information related to Chase Freedom FlexSM has been collected independently by CardRatings and was neither reviewed nor provided by the card issuer

CHASE FREEDOM FLEX℠ BENEFITS

As the newest cash-back credit card from Chase, the CardName comes with an impressive package of benefits and rewards. Rather than having a flat rate, CardName is a unique tiered/rotating-category hybrid, offering:

  • 5% cash back on up to $1,500 in purchases made in rotating quarterly bonus categories
  • 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards
  • 3% cash back on dining and drugstore purchases
  • 1% unlimited cash back on other purchases

Plus, the card has a number of other perks, including Mastercard World Elite benefits, allowing cardholders access to:

  • No annual fee
  • Intro 0% APR on new purchases and balance transfers for the first 15 months, then RegAPR
  • Complimentary ShopRunner membership for free two-day shipping from more than a hundred online retailers
  • Complimentary three-month DoorDash DashPass, followed by a 50% discount for the following nine months
  • 5% cash back on Lyft rides through March 2022, plus a $10 credit for every five rides taken in a calendar month
  • 5% cash rewards on Boxed purchases for use on future purchases
  • Double VIP+ points at Fandango for movie ticket purchases

Additionally, the card comes with a valuable sign-up bonus and cell phone insurance.

CHASE FREEDOM FLEX℠ SIGN-UP BONUS

New CardName cardholders can receive $200 cash back after spending $500 within the first three months of opening an account. As far as welcome bonuses go, that's a solid offer for no-annual-fee credit card. Not only is the spending requirement low, but the bonus reward equals out to 40% cash back on the required purchases.

CHASE FREEDOM FLEX℠ INSURANCE

Cell phone insurance is another valuable perk offered by CardName. Cardholders are insured for up to $800 per claim and $1,000 per year against covered theft or damage. There's a maximum of two claims per 12-month period and each claim has a $50 deductible.

To receive this coverage, cardholders simply need to pay their monthly wireless bill using the CardName card. Insurance coverage is automatically extended to phones listed on a bill's plan.

Top Features

 Rewards
5% cash back on up to $1,500 in combined purchases in bonus categories each quarter you activate. Enjoy new 5% categories each quarter! Plus, earn 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards®, 3% on dining and drugstores, and 1% on all other purchases.
 Bonus Rewards
Earn a $200 Bonus after you spend $500 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening!
 Annual Fee
$0

CHASE FREEDOM FLEX℠ FOREIGN TRANSACTION FEE AND OTHER POTENTIAL DOWNSIDES

While CardName offers robust benefits and cash-back offers, it's not perfect.

For one thing, it comes with a foreign transaction fee. Although the CardName offers 5% cash back on travel booked through Chase Ultimate Rewards, it's not actually what we would consider a travel rewards card. As a result, it doesn't offer all the same perks as some travel cards, such as no foreign transaction fees, which is often waived with many true travel cards. The foreign transaction fee means this isn't a card you'd want to use while traveling overseas and may be a better choice for everyday spending close to home.

If you are looking for a travel card, consider the CardName or the CardName which are considered premier cards in the category.

Finally, if you are an existing Chase Freedom® customer and request to change your card to the CardName, you won't be eligible for the $200 welcome cash-back bonus. That offer is only available to cardholders opening a new account.

IS CHASE FREEDOM FLEX℠ REPLACING CHASE FREEDOM®?

Chase will no longer accept applications for Chase Freedom®, meaning the CardName will be the only Chase option for new cardholders who want 5% cash back on rotating categories.

However, Chase Freedom® cash-back offers and benefits will continue to be available to existing cardholders. The company says people won't be forced to transfer their card to the new CardName unless they want to make the switch.

CHASE FREEDOM FLEXSM CARDHOLDER SCORES

CardRatings conducts a survey annually to learn what actual cardholders think of their cards. Here are the results:

Current Scores Past Scores
Overall Score 74.3 80.6
Features Satisfaction 7.4 7.8
Customer Service 7.1 8.4
Website/App Usability 7.5 8.2
Likelihood of Continuing to Use 8 8.3
Recommend to a Friend/Colleague 7.4 8.1

*Scores above reflect the results of surveys with actual cardholders. Full methodology below.

HOW CHASE FREEDOM FLEX℠ COMPARES TO OTHER CREDIT CARDS

Chase Freedom Flex℠ vs. Chase Freedom Unlimited®

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While Chase Freedom® will be discontinued to new cardholders in favor of CardName, you can still apply for the CardName card. With the launch of the CardName card, Freedom Unlimited® received some updates too.

The main difference between CardName and Freedom Unlimited® are their cash-back structures. While the Flex℠ card offers enhanced rewards in rotating quarterly categories, the Unlimited® card will not earn rewards in rotating categories. Instead, it earns 6.5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel, our premier rewards program that lets you redeem rewards for cash back, travel, gift cards and more; 4.5% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service, and 3% on all other purchases (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year). After your first year or $20,000 spent, enjoy 5% cash back on Chase travel; 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining; and unlimited 1.5% cash back on all other purchases.

Both cards are solid choices for everyday expenses, and one strategic option to consider would be to get both cards and use the CardName for spending in bonus rotating categories while paying with the Freedom Unlimited® for all other purchases to earn that 1.5% cash-back rate on everything not falling in a bonus category.

Chase Freedom Flex℠ vs. CardName

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Both CardName and the CardName are rewarding credit cards, but they have different strengths. CardName is a good card for everyday use while the Sapphire Preferred® card offers plenty of perks for travelers.

With the Chase Sapphire Preferred®, you can earn 60,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 on purchases within three months of opening an account. Those points are worth $750 in travel when redeemed through Chase Ultimate Rewards. The card also offers 5X total points on all travel purchased through the Chase Ultimate Rewards portal; 3X points on dining, including eligible delivery services and takeout; 3X points on online grocery purchases (excluding Target, Walmart and wholesale clubs); 3X points on select streaming services; 2X points on travel purchases; and 1X point on all other purchases. However, while the CardName doesn't have an annual fee, the Sapphire Preferred® charges AnnualFees a year.

You can have both the CardName and Chase Sapphire Preferred®, and if you end up with both cards, be aware that rewards can be combined under your Chase Sapphire Preferred® card. Then, when you redeem for travel, you can access the Sapphire card's 25% bonus on points when booking through Chase Ultimate Rewards.

Chase Freedom Flex℠ vs. CardName

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Both these cards are good for everyday spending. Neither charges an annual fee, and both offer tiered cash-back categories. However, the CardName has different reward categories. American Express is a CardRatings advertiser.

Blue Cash Everyday® cardholders earn 3% cash back at U.S. supermarkets, U.S. gas stations and on U.S. online retail purchases (up to $6,000 spent in each category per year, then 1%). All other eligible purchases earn 1% cash back. As a welcome offer, the Blue Cash Everyday® offers an opportunity to earn a $200 statement credit after you spend $2,000 in purchases on your new card within the first six months.

Both cards have strong cash-back programs; however, since the CardName offers 5% cash back on quarterly rotating categories, we think it has a slight edge over Blue Cash Everyday®.

IS CHASE FREEDOM FLEX℠ A GOOD CARD?

Yes, we think so. It's rare to see a new cash-back card that really excites us. However, by offering 5% cash back on multiple categories, an achievable sign-on bonus and plenty of extras, we think the CardName could be a great addition to any wallet.

Survey Methodology: CardRatings commissioned Op4G in September 2023 to conduct surveys among 1,869 cardholders nationwide. CardRatings website analytics from Jan. 1, 2023-Aug. 31, 2023 were used to determine a selection of the most popular cards and additional cards were included to add survey breadth. Responses to each of nine questions were given on a scale of 1-10 and respondents' scores were then averaged under broad topics. To determine the overall score, responses from questions 1-8 were summed and the answer to "How likely are you to recommend this card to a friend, coworker or family member?" was double weighted. “Current Scores” reflect scores from the most recent survey (2023); "Past Scores" reflect scores from the 2022 survey.


See Rates and Fees for the CardName

Chase Freedom Flex℠ Compared to Other Travel rewards Cards

Apply online for Chase Freedom Flex℠
Chase Freedom Flex℠
Apply online for Chase Sapphire Reserve®
Apply online for Mastercard® Titanium Card™
Apply online for Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
Apply online for Citi Premier<sup>®</sup> Card
Rewards
5% cash back on up to $1,500 in combined purchases in bonus categories each quarter you activate. Enjoy new 5% categories each quarter! Plus, earn 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards®, 3% on dining and drugstores, and 1% on all other purchases. 
Rewards
Earn 5x total points on flights and 10x total points on hotels and car rentals when you purchase travel through Chase Travel? immediately after the first $300 is spent on travel purchases annually. Earn 3x points on other travel and dining & 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases. 
Rewards
Flat-rate redemption value of 1% for cash back or 2% value for airfare redemption with no airline or seat restrictions and no blackout dates. Earn one point for every dollar spent. Straightforward redemption without needing a high-maintenance reward strategy. No foreign transaction fees, no earning caps, no rotating categories, and no need to chase down transfer partners to escape very low point values. 
Rewards
2 Miles per dollar on every purchase, every day. 5 Miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel. 
Rewards
Earn 3 Points per $1 spent at Restaurants and Supermarkets. Earn 3 Points per $1 spent at Gas Stations, Air Travel and Other Hotels. Earn 1 Point per $1 spent on all other purchases. 
Bonus Rewards
Earn a $200 Bonus after you spend $500 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening!  
Bonus Rewards
Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $900 toward travel when you redeem through Chase Travel℠.  
Bonus Rewards
N/A  
Bonus Rewards
Enjoy a one-time bonus of 75,000 Miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening  
Bonus Rewards
Earn 60,000 bonus ThankYou® Points after you spend $4,000 in purchases within the first 3 months of account opening. Plus, for a limited time, earn a total of 10 ThankYou® Points per $1 spent on hotel, car rentals, and attractions (excluding air travel) booked on the Citi Travel portal through June 30, 2024.  
Annual Fee
$0 
Annual Fee
$550 
Annual Fee
$195 
Annual Fee
$95 
Annual Fee
$95 

Disclaimer: The information in this article is believed to be accurate as of the date it was written. Please keep in mind that credit card offers change frequently. Therefore, we cannot guarantee the accuracy of the information in this article. Reasonable efforts are made to maintain accurate information. See the online credit card application for full terms and conditions on offers and rewards. Please verify all terms and conditions of any credit card prior to applying.

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