Finding the right credit card provider can unlock a chain of benefits, rewards, and offers to help you manage your finances better and avoid the hassle that comes with taking out personal or payday loans. Chase Freedom Unlimited credit cards are very competitive in today’s credit market. Take a look at this detailed breakdown of their perks and features to decide if it’s the credit card for you.
Overview
Chase Freedom Unlimited is a credit card that offers cash back credit and immense value to its users. If you have a Chase Freedom Unlimited card, you earn 5% cash back on up to $12,000 spent on purchases from grocery stores in your first year of use. These cashback offers apply to every other grocery store save for Walmart and Target. It also offers a cashback of 5% on all travel using Chase Ultimate Rewards. That’s not all. Drugstore shopping and dining accrue a 3% cashback while overall purchases with the card receive a 1.5% cashback.
The card lets you enjoy an APR of 0% on purchases for the first 15 months. At the end of the introduction period, you get an APR of between 15% and 25%. Chase Freedom Unlimited does not have any annual fees. The perks of this card are seemingly endless, with a $200 reward once you spend $500 by making purchases in your first three months after acquiring the card.
That notwithstanding, your credit score mainly determines the APR that Chase Freedom Unlimited will offer you. If you are late in making monthly payments and paying your bills, you may find yourself paying a higher APR than you anticipated. These are the great benefits of Credit Cards compare to Debit Cards.
Advantages
- Purchases enjoy a 0% APR.
- No annual fees.
- Chase Freedom Unlimited offers an excellent introduction bonus.
- The card offers numerous cashback offers on most everyday purchases.
- There is no minimum restitution amount on the card.
- Users enjoy an unlimited cashback of at least 1.5% on all purchases done with the card.
- All rewards accumulated by your account do not have an expiry date.
- You can redeem any amount at any time as long as you have the required points.
Disadvantages
- Its APR is relatively high compared to regular credit cards.
- It assesses a fee for credit card balance transfers.
- The card abandons additional rewards on grocery purchases after the first year.
- There is a 3% fee on all foreign transactions.
- The fees that apply to cash advances are pretty high. The card charges 5% or 10%, whatever is more significant.
- Balance transfers also have fees of 5% or $5, whatever is higher.
- The 0% APR does not apply to balance transfers.
Additional Benefits
The Chase Freedom Unlimited comes with various benefits perks that make it a convenient and valuable option for customers who travel a lot. Here are some of the credit card’s additional benefits.
- Car rental insurance – You enjoy secondary coverage for collision, damage, and theft if you book and pay for rental cars with your Chase Freedom Unlimited card.
- Purchase protection – Chase Freedom Unlimited offers a reimbursement of up to $500 for claims of theft or damage related to goods purchased with your card. This sort of protection only applies during the first 120 days after purchase. The maximum amount you can get as a refund for any of these circumstances is $50,000 for one account.
- Extended warranty – When you purchase goods with warranties from the manufacturer, Chase Freedom Unlimited offers an additional year of warranty coverage. This perk is not enjoyed on all purchases, so yours has to qualify first. The extended warranty only applies to goods whose warranty period does not exceed three years.
- Trip cancellation and interruption insurance – If a user is forced to cancel a trip or cut it short because of a covered scenario. They are reimbursed for all non-refundable fares that are charged to your credit card. Such scenarios include illness and severe weather conditions.
- Chase offers roadside assistance to all eligible cardholders.
- Users can easily keep up with their credit score because of the lender’s weekly credit score updates.
- Chase credit cardholders enjoy a free three-month membership to DashPass, after which one is free to buy a plan or opt-out at their convenience.
A Chase Freedom Unlimited card offers endless perks and benefits for its users, mainly if you use your card to make expensive and essential purchases.
Redeeming Rewards
Users can redeem their credit card rewards on Chase Freedom Unlimited for the following:
- Direct deposits and statement credit at 1 cent per point
- Gift cards for 1 cent per point
- 1 cent per point on all travels booked through Chase
- 0.8 cents for every point on Amazon purchases
- Make purchases using the Pay With Points offer at Purchases 0.8 cents for every point
Pair your Chase Freedom Unlimited card with a Chase premium card of your choice and enjoy even greater rewards, bonuses, and offers to redeem them. Premium cards allow you to consolidate all your rewards and redeem for higher cents per point offers. Incorporating a premium card with your Chase Freedom Unlimited card widens your points’ value. It even allows you to enjoy services that aren’t offered by the Chase Freedom Unlimited Card on its own. These include the ability to transfer your rewards to any hotels and airlines that have partnered with Chase.
How To Get Approved By Chase Freedom Unlimited
Your credit score has to be nearly perfect for you to get a Chase Freedom Unlimited credit card. It is essential that you check your credit score and overall eligibility before applying. The numerous benefits offered by this card are worth the wait, so you can choose to strategically improve your credit rating and then apply when you have satisfied all their requirements. If your credit score is below 670, the chances of your application going through are very slim.
Chase Freedom Unlimited is also very strict, especially regarding the number of credit card accounts you can open. This lender checks how many accounts you have opened in the past two years preceding your application. If you have opened more than five accounts with another credit card provider during that period, Chase will likely decline your application.