Unimaginable incomes with no annual price: Chase Freedom Flex card evaluation
Chase Freedom Flex overview
The Chase Freedom Flex is likely one of the greatest cash-back bank cards round due to phenomenal incomes charges throughout quite a lot of spending classes, all with no annual price to fret about. The cardboard turns into doubtlessly much more precious whenever you pair it with a Chase Final Rewards bank card, too. Card Ranking*: ⭐⭐⭐½
*Card Ranking is predicated on the opinion of TPG’s editors and isn’t influenced by the cardboard issuer.
In terms of journey rewards playing cards, it is easy to concentrate on premium merchandise with high-end perks like airport lounge entry and airline companion tickets — although these have a tendency to come back with excessive annual charges.
Nonetheless, there are fairly just a few glorious no-annual-fee playing cards that may be a better option for some of us, and sitting atop that record is the Chase Freedom Flex.
Though it is ostensibly a cash-back card, if in case you have one other Chase card that earns transferable Final Rewards factors, you’ll be able to mix the rewards out of your Freedom Flex with these out of your different account they usually turn into transferable to Chase’s airline and lodge companions. Given the Chase Freedom Flex’s robust incomes charges throughout quite a lot of buy classes, that makes the cardboard a doubtlessly highly effective device in any traveler’s pockets.
On prime of this, the cardboard has precious incomes classes and advantages you would not sometimes anticipate from a no-annual-fee bank card. Here is a deeper have a look at the advantages of the Chase Freedom Flex and who ought to contemplate this card.
Who is that this card for?
The Chase Freedom Flex is a good all-around bank card for inexperienced persons and followers of money again. It’s simpler to be accredited for than many top-tier playing cards from Chase and American Categorical, and it provides an awesome array of advantages for a no-annual-fee card.
However this card can also be nice for pairing as half of a bigger bank card technique for rewards specialists. When you’ve got a Chase Final Rewards bank card — such because the Chase Sapphire Most popular Card or Chase Sapphire Reserve — the rewards you earn with the Freedom Flex may be transformed to full-fledged Final Rewards factors, which doubles their worth in keeping with TPG’s newest valuations.
Lastly, the cardboard does include a 0% introductory annual share charge (APR) interval for 15 months on purchases and steadiness transfers (then a variable APR of 17.99%-26.74% applies after that), making it choice for these eager to finance a bigger buy with out paying curiosity.
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Signal-up bonus
Proper now, the Chase Freedom Flex is providing a top quality sign-up bonus. You’ll earn a $200 money bonus after you spend $500 on purchases within the first three months with the cardboard.
A $200 bonus after spending simply $500 in three months is an easy-to-hit supply that’s fairly precious for a no-annual-fee card — particularly if in case you have one other Chase card and may flip that $200 into 20,000 Final Rewards factors (value $400 in keeping with TPG valuations).
Associated: Straightforward sign-up bonuses you’ll be able to earn proper now
Primary advantages and perks
As a no-annual-fee bank card, you usually shouldn’t anticipate a lot in the way in which of perks and advantages outdoors of the incomes construction. Nonetheless, the Chase Freedom Flex does supply just a few further advantages for cardholders:
Cellphone safety
The Chase Freedom Flex is a Mastercard, in contrast to most of Chase’s bank cards. The truth is, it is a World Elite Mastercard. This implies you will have entry to a stable cellphone safety plan. You’re lined for $800 per declare for theft or harm, with a most of two claims and $1,000 whole in a 12-month interval (although you will have to pay a $50 deductible). You do need to pay to your month-to-month telephone invoice with the cardboard to obtain this protection.
Associated: The 8 most dear World Elite Mastercard advantages
Buying protections
When utilizing your Freedom Flex card to make purchases, you will have two further protections on these purchases. You will have entry to prolonged guarantee safety. This profit applies to U.S. producers’ warranties of three years or much less and can add a yr to the size of the prevailing guarantee.
You will even have entry to buy safety, which covers your new purchases towards harm or theft for as much as 120 days from the date of buy. This protection applies as much as the price of the merchandise or as much as $500 per declare and as much as $50,000 per account.
Meals supply perks
As a part of Chase’s partnership with DoorDash, cardholders get three months of complimentary DashPass, which will get you free supply on eligible orders and decreased service charges.
I do know I’ve personally saved fairly a bit utilizing my Chase bank card’s complimentary DashPass entry (although I get mine by the Sapphire Most popular, not the Freedom Flex).
As soon as your three months of free entry are over, you’ll nonetheless get 9 months of discounted entry for 50% off. Cardholders should register for this profit earlier than Dec. 31, 2024.
Journey cancellation and interruption insurance coverage
The cardboard additionally comes with journey protections. For pay as you go, nonrefundable fares booked along with your Chase Freedom Flex, you’re lined for $1,500 per particular person or $6,000 per journey if it’s canceled for a lined purpose. You can even benefit from the auto rental collision harm waiver profit. When you decline the rental firm’s protection, this profit can shield towards theft and collision harm, although that is secondary protection.
Associated: Why I switched from the Chase Freedom to the all-new Chase Freedom Flex
Incomes
When Chase launched the Chase Freedom Flex, it took the rotating class rewards construction of the unique Chase Freedom card (not open to new candidates) and added to it.
The Freedom Flex is full of incomes alternatives throughout prime spending classes, making it a compelling choice for each newbies in search of their first rewards bank card and specialists trying to spherical out their wallets.
Here is how you will earn factors with the Freedom Flex:
That’s a powerful lineup of incomes classes for any card — by no means thoughts a no-annual-fee bank card. Whereas specialists could desire to e book paid journeys instantly (particularly when reserving lodges), inexperienced persons can get quite a bit out of a card that earns 5% on journey booked by Chase’s platform, which is powered by Expedia.
The rotating classes will change every quarter and do require activation upfront. Classes we have seen recurrently embrace Walmart, gasoline stations and purchases with PayPal.
Redeeming
Your rewards are earned within the type of factors value 1 cent every, which is why this card is taken into account a cash-back bank card. Nonetheless, for those who maintain a Chase Sapphire Most popular, Chase Sapphire Reserve or Ink Enterprise Most popular Credit score Card, you’ll be able to pool your factors into one Chase Final Rewards account. This could provide you with entry to the total Chase Final Rewards program’s redemption worth.
Chase Final Rewards playing cards such because the Chase Sapphire Most popular have entry to Chase’s journey companions, which may also help you get outsized worth out of your factors. However inexperienced persons may also make use of Chase’s portal redemption bonuses. Factors are value 1 cent apiece in Chase’s journey portal and when making redemptions with Pay Your self Again. Nonetheless, Sapphire Most popular and Ink Enterprise Most popular cardholders get 25% extra, so factors are value 1.25 cents every on these redemptions. And Sapphire Reserve cardholders can redeem factors at 1.5 cents apiece utilizing these choices.
When you’re pooling your factors from the Freedom Flex to a different Chase card, you’ll have entry to the redemption classes and bonuses of the account you switch your factors to (for instance, transferring your factors to the Chase Sapphire Most popular would permit you to redeem your factors utilizing that card’s advantages).
Associated: How you can switch Final Rewards between accounts
If you do not have a bank card that earns transferable Final Rewards factors, then you’ll be able to redeem your Freedom Flex earnings as money again, resembling a press release credit score. Earnings might be value 1 cent apiece.
Which playing cards compete with the Chase Freedom Flex?
The Chase Freedom Flex is a stable cash-back bank card. Essentially the most direct competitor to the cardboard is its sister card, the Chase Freedom Limitless. The Freedom Limitless provides the identical sign-up bonus and rewards construction, with one notable distinction: relatively than incomes 5% on rotating classes, you’ll get 1.5% money again on all non-bonus spending.
Associated: Finest money again bank cards
For individuals who don’t just like the prospect of activating quarterly classes or who don’t assume they’d be capable to maximize these classes, the Chase Freedom Limitless will be the higher choice. Nonetheless, remember the fact that the Chase Freedom Limitless is a Visa bank card, which suggests you received’t get any of the Mastercard advantages outlined above, resembling cellphone safety).
Associated: Chase Freedom Limitless bank card evaluation
One other stable contender is the Citi® Double Money Card. Whereas its identify says “money,” enhancements to the Double Money card make your earnings extra versatile. You will earn 1 Citi ThankYou level for every greenback spent and one other level for every greenback when paying your invoice. Thus, you’ll be able to earn 2 factors per greenback. These are Citi ThankYou factors however have restricted makes use of, resembling redeeming for money again at a worth of 1 cent every or transferring factors to the next applications: Selection Privileges, JetBlue TrueBlue and Wyndham Rewards. Just like the Freedom Flex, there’s additionally an choice to broaden the worth of your rewards by having a more-premium bank card, such because the Citi Premier® Card, and unlocking all of Citi’s lodge and airline switch companions.
Associated: Citi Double Money Card evaluation
Backside line
The Chase Freedom Flex is a stable cash-back card that gives a powerful rewards construction and precious sign-up bonus — particularly contemplating it’s a no-annual-fee bank card.
Each inexperienced persons and specialists can get plenty of worth out of this card, and it’s undoubtedly value a more in-depth have a look at the Freedom Flex for a attainable addition to your pockets.
When you’ve got the cardboard, be certain that to activate the rotating classes every quarter.
Official utility hyperlink: Chase Freedom Flex
Extra reporting by Ryan Smith.
