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Chase Freedom Flex℠ vs. Chase Freedom Unlimited®: Side-by-side comparison

The Chase Freedom Flex℠ and Chase Freedom Unlimited® both have no annual fee, offer increased rewards on purchases with Chase Travel℠, at restaurants, and at drugstores, and feature a solid suite of consumer insurance protections.

Chase Freedom Flex card art Chase Freedom Unlimited® card art

But which of these cards is right for you? In this article, we’ll look at these two cards side-by-side to help you pick.

Summary: Biggest differences between the Chase Freedom Flex℠ and Chase Freedom Unlimited®

Chase Freedom Flex card art
Chase Freedom Flex℠
Chase Freedom Unlimited® card art
Chase Freedom Unlimited®
Rewards in 5% rotating categoriesEarns 5% cash back in rotating categories
on up to $1,500 spent each quarter.
Rewards on general purchases1% cash back.1.5% cash back.
Benefits – Cell phone protection
Differences between the Freedom Flex and Freedom Unlimited

Card basics: Both no annual fee cards that earn cash back rewards

The Chase Freedom Flex℠ and the Chase Freedom Unlimited® both have no annual fee and earn cash back rewards. The Freedom Flex is issued as a Mastercard while the Freedom Unlimited will come as a Visa, but both processing networks are so widespread that the choice of network likely won’t matter.

Spending categoryChase Freedom Flex card art
Chase Freedom Flex℠
Chase Freedom Unlimited® card art
Chase Freedom Unlimited®
Annual fee$0$0
Card typeWorld Elite MastercardVisa Platinum or
Visa Signature
RewardsMarketed as cash back, but earns Ultimate Rewards®.Marketed as cash back, but earns Ultimate Rewards®.
Card basics of the Freedom Flex vs. Freedom Unlimited

Rewards: Categories vs. better rewards everywhere else

When it comes to rewards, the biggest difference between the two cards is that the Chase Freedom Unlimited® gives you 1.5% cash back rewards on your general purchases, vs 1% cash back rewards on non-category purchases with the Chase Freedom Flex℠. Here’s what the cards earn:

Spending categoryChase Freedom Flex card art
Chase Freedom Flex℠
Chase Freedom Unlimited® card art
Chase Freedom Unlimited®
Rotating quarterly categories5%
on up to $1,500 in purchases each quarter
Chase Travel℠5%5%
Lyft rides
through March 31, 2025
5%5%
Drugstores3%3%
Dining at restaurants
including takeout and eligible delivery services
3%3%
General purchases1%1.5%
Rewards of the Freedom Flex vs. Freedom Unlimited

Although the cards are marketed as cash back cards, both cards earn Ultimate Rewards® points behind the scenes. If you hold a premium credit card like the Chase Sapphire Reserve® or Chase Sapphire Preferred®, you can combine your points across accounts and transfer them to travel partners.

What are rotating quarterly categories?

The Chase Freedom Flex℠ earns 5% cash back rewards on up to $1,500 spent in rotating quarterly categories. If you’re not familiar with 5% rotating category cards, this concept may seem a bit unfamiliar. Here’s how rotating categories work.

About 15 days prior to each calendar quarter (January-March, April-June, etc.) Chase publishes its Freedom quarterly categories. If you have a Freedom Flex card and enroll in your quarterly bonus categories, you can earn 5% cash back on the first $1,500 you spend within bonus categories during the calendar quarter. Enrollment is simple and can be done with one click if you sign up for Chase’s email alerts.

Bonus categories have historically included useful categories like grocery stores, gas stations, Amazon.com, and warehouse clubs.

Benefits: Largely the same, but the Freedom Flex adds cell phone protection

The benefits on the Chase Freedom Flex℠ and the Chase Freedom Unlimited® are similar. Both cards offer basic consumer protections that you’d expect from Chase cards, but the Freedom Flex comes with cell phone protection, making it a good choice to use for paying your monthly cell phone bill—you’ll automatically get coverage for a stolen or damaged mobile phone.

Spending categoryChase Freedom Flex card art
Chase Freedom Flex℠
Chase Freedom Unlimited® card art
Chase Freedom Unlimited®
Purchase protection
Extended warranty protection
Trip cancellation/interruption insurance
Secondary auto rental collision damage waiver insurance
Cellular wireless telephone protection
Benefits of the Freedom Flex vs. Freedom Unlimited

How to pick between the Chase Freedom Flex℠ and Chase Freedom Unlimited®

For most people, getting the Chase Freedom Unlimited® is likely the best choice, due to its simpler reward structure and 50% better rewards on general purchases.

If you want simpler rewards go with the Chase Freedom Unlimited®. You’ll give up the opportunity to earn 5x rewards in rotating categories, but you won’t find yourself wondering if you should use your card for groceries this quarter or if you’ve activated your bonus categories. And with the card’s 1.5% cash back rewards on all non-category purchases, it’s a decent card to use “everywhere else.”

If you want more rewards or cell phone protection, add the Chase Freedom Flex℠ to your wallet. If you’re chasing rewards, you’re likely not opposed to the idea of carrying a few credit cards. Sure, the card earns only 1% on general purchases, but adding a 2% cash back credit card or a Freedom Unlimited card to your wallet solves this problem.

About the author

  • Photo of Aaron Hurd, credit card and travel rewards expert.

    Aaron Hurd is a credit card, travel rewards, and loyalty program expert. Over the past 15 years, he has authored over a thousand expert contributions published by leading outlets including WSJ, TIME, Newsweek, Forbes, NerdWallet, The Points Guy, Bankrate, CNET, and many others. He has also served in consulting roles for many of these same outlets, designing content strategy, hiring teams of teams of editors and contributors, developing thought-leadership pieces, and ghost-editing for senior editors. Aaron is well-known in the miles and points community and regularly presents about travel rewards at conferences like the Chicago Seminars and Minnebar. Aaron has enjoyed the game of optimizing credit card rewards since getting his first credit card shortly after he turned 18. He started learning about credit cards and travel rewards from the (now defunct) FatWallet Finance forums and FlyerTalk. He holds more than 40 open credit cards and has first-hand experience with almost every major credit card product.

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