The Chase Freedom Flex℠ is Chase’s take on the 5% rotating category card, offering increased rewards in limited-time categories that are announced quarterly. The Chase Freedom Flex℠ has no annual fee.
The Chase Freedom Flex℠ offers 5% back on up to $1,500 spent each quarter in rotating bonus quarterly categories. Categories have historically included purchases at grocery stores, Amazon.com, gas stations and big box retailers. In addition, the card offers 3% cash back on restaurants and drugstore purchases and 1% cash back on everything else. All rewards are earned as Ultimate Rewards points, but can be redeemed for cash back.
In addition to cash back rewards, the Chase Freedom Flex℠ offers a generous suite of benefits for a card with no annual fee. The card protects your purchases with Purchase Protection, Extended Warranty Protection, and Cell Phone Protection and it offers protection for your travels with secondary auto rental collision damage waiver insurance and trip cancellation/interruption insurance.
Chase Freedom Flex℠ welcome bonus:
Before you apply through the link below, be sure to see our coverage of the best welcome bonus on this card. There may be a better offer in-branch.
Earn a $200 bonus after you spend $500 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
Click here to learn more and apply for the Chase Freedom Flex℠.
Our take on the welcome bonus: $200 after $500 is the standard welcome bonus on this card.
The link above is a referral link. Someone on our team may earn points if you apply and are approved to the link above. We always show you the best offer, and this is the best offer we know about on this card.
Chase Freedom Flex℠ at a glance:
Annual fee: $0
Rewards: 5% in rotating categories (up to $1,500 in combined purchases per quarter). 5% travel through Chase. 3% dining. 3% drugstores. 1% other purchases.
Benefits: Extended warranty. Purchase protection. Cell phone protection.
Chase Freedom Flex℠ at a glance
Here’s what you need to know about the Chase Freedom Flex℠.
Rewards
| Travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards® | 5% | |
| Lyft rides through March 31, 2025 | 5% | |
| Rotating categories. On up to $1,500 of combined spending each quarter, when you activate. | 5% | |
| Dining at restaurants, including eligible takeout and delivery | 3% | |
| Drugstore purchases | 3% | |
| All other purchases | 1% |
Rewards are earned as Chase Ultimate Rewards® points, which can be redeemed for cash back at one cent per point. You can get more than one cent per point of value from Ultimate Rewards if you hold an additional premium credit card. See below for more details.
Benefits
| Consumer insurance benefits Purchase protection Chase extended warranty protection Cell phone protection | |
| Travel benefits Secondary auto rental collision damage waiver insurance Trip cancellation/interruption insurance | |
| Third-party merchant benefits Complimentary 3 months of DashPass Complimentary 3 months of Instacart+ |
Other important terms
| Annual fee: $0 | |
| Foreign transaction fee: 3% |
My take on the Chase Freedom Flex℠
I have the Chase Freedom Flex℠ and think that it’s a great card for anyone to have in their wallet. The card is one of the best cards for drugstore purchases and it’s usually one of the best cards to use for rewards in its rotating categories, which are published each quarter. I also like the card for its excellent Chase Extended Warranty benefit and it’s a good choice for paying your monthly cell phone bill thanks to cell phone protection.
At publication, the card offered a 5% gas and grocery offer that stacked with the rotating categories, giving new cardmembers an opportunity to get 9% rewards on gas and groceries when they come up in the rotating categories.
Although the card is marketed as a cash back card, it earns Ultimate Rewards. When you transfer the Ultimate Rewards you earn with your Chase Freedom Flex℠ to a premium Ultimate Rewards card, they instantly become more valuable, since they can be used for the high-value redemption options available on the premium card.
Bottom line: If you don’t have the Chase Freedom Flex℠ card, you should pick this one up. It’s a great value no-annual-fee card.
Welcome bonus
Chase Freedom Flex℠ welcome bonus:
Before you apply through the link below, be sure to see our coverage of the best welcome bonus on this card. There may be a better offer in-branch.
Earn a $200 bonus after you spend $500 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
Click here to learn more and apply for the Chase Freedom Flex℠.
Our take on the welcome bonus: $200 after $500 is the standard welcome bonus on this card.
The link above is a referral link. Someone on our team may earn points if you apply and are approved to the link above. We always show you the best offer, and this is the best offer we know about on this card.
Chase Freedom Flex℠ at a glance:
Annual fee: $0
Rewards: 5% in rotating categories (up to $1,500 in combined purchases per quarter). 5% travel through Chase. 3% dining. 3% drugstores. 1% other purchases.
Benefits: Extended warranty. Purchase protection. Cell phone protection.
Rewards: 5% in rotating categories, plus bonus rewards on dining and drugstores
The Chase Freedom Flex® card’s flagship feature is its rotating 5% rewards in rotating categories. But the card is also one of the best cards to use for restaurants, food delivery, and drugstore purchases. Here’s what the Freedom Flex earns:
- 5% on up to $1,500 in purchases each quarter when you activate. Learn more about the Freedom Flex card’s current rotating category rewards.
- 5% on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠.
- 3% on dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery services.
- 3% on drugstore purchases.
- 1% on all other purchases.
Chase markets the Chase Freedom Flex® card as a cash back card, but the card earns Ultimate Rewards® points, which can be redeemed for cash back. For more on the rewards of the Chase Freedom Flex℠, click to expand any of the sections below:
How to get the most out of your rewards
If you hold only the Chase Freedom Flex® card, your best bet is to redeem your rewards for cash back at 1 cent per point. Here are the only redemption options you should usually consider:
- Cash back. You’ll receive 1 cent for each of your points when you redeem them for cash back.
- Gift cards on sale. Gift cards on sale can be a good use of your rewards. Normally you’ll receive 1 cent per point for gift card redemptions but Chase frequently puts popular brands on sale for 10% off.
- Pay Yourself Back®. Pay Yourself Back® periodically offers promotions that give you greater than 1 cent per point of redemption value. Redeeming your points through a Pay Yourself Back promotion can give you more value than you’ll get through cash back redemptions.
However, you can get much better value for your points when you pair your card with a premium credit card that earns Ultimate Rewards® and transfer your points to that card. Transferring your points can be done online through Chase.com.
- The Chase Sapphire Preferred® and the Ink Business Preferred® both allow you to book travel using your points through Chase Travel℠ at 1.25 cents per point. (10,000 points are worth $125 in travel bookings.)
- The Chase Sapphire Reserve® gives you even better value—allowing you to book travel at 1.5 cents per point. (10,000 points are worth $150 in travel bookings.)
- All three cards enable transfers to Chase’s Ultimate Rewards® transfer partners. Learn more in our guide to Ultimate Rewards®.
Earning more rewards
The Chase Freedom Flex® offers you a few additional ways to earn extra rewards using your card:
- Chase Offers is a card-linked merchant offers program. When you add a Chase Offer to your card and make a qualifying purchase, you can earn additional cash back on your purchase.
- Shop through Chase is Chase’s online shopping portal. You can earn additional points when you click through to partner merchants from the Chase portal and make a purchase.
- Chase Refer-A-Friend allows you to earn additional points when someone you refer applies through your link and is approved for a Chase credit card.
Ultimate Rewards® cards that compliment your Freedom Flex℠
Cards that earn bonus points and cash back in categories where the Freedom Flex℠ earns only 1% rewards can help increase the total amount of rewards you earn. You can compliment your Chase Freedom Flex℠ card with cards that earn Ultimate Rewards® points. Or you can look at cards from other banks that earn increased rewards on gas, cash back on groceries, bonuses on other rotating categories, or even 2% everywhere.
Personal Ultimate Rewards® credit cards
Here are Chase’s personal credit cards that earn Ultimate Rewards® points and what they earn in each category:
| Chase Freedom Unlimited® | Chase Freedom Flex℠ | Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card | Chase Sapphire Reserve® | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 |  |  |  | |
| Dining | 3x | 3x | 3x | 3x 10x on Chase Dining |
| Drugstores | 3x | 3x | ||
| Groceries (Online) | 3x | |||
| Streaming (Select providers) | 3x | |||
| Travel – Chase Ultimate Rewards | 5x | 5x | 5x | 5x on airfare. 10x on hotels and car rentals. |
| Travel – Lyft* | 5x* | 5x* | 5x* | 10x* |
| Travel – All other travel purchases | 2x | 3x | ||
| Rotating Categories c | 5xc | |||
| Everywhere Else | 1.5x | 1x | 1x | 1x |
c Bonus earning caps apply to these categories
- Chase Freedom Flex℠ Rotating Categories. The Chase Freedom Flex℠ card earns 5x in categories that rotate quarterly. You can earn 5x on up to $1,500 of combined spending each quarter, then 1x.
* Limitations apply to these categories.
- Travel – Lyft. Earn bonus cash back and points on Lyft rides through March 31, 2025.
Small Business Ultimate Rewards® credit cards
If you’re a small business owner, you can combine your Ultimate Rewards® points across both your personal and business cards. Here are Chase’s small business credit cards that earn Ultimate Rewards® points and what they earn in each category:
| Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card | Ink Business Cash® Credit Card | Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Category Name |  |  |  |
| Advertising with select social media and search engines c | 3xc | ||
| Dining c | 2xc | ||
| Gas stations c | 2xc | ||
| Office supplies* | 5xc | ||
| Internet, cable and phone services c | 5xc | 3xc | |
| Shipping | 5xc | ||
| Travel – Lyft* | 5x | 5x | 5x |
| Travel – All other travel purchases | 3xc | ||
| Everywhere Else | 1.5x | 1x | 1x |
c Bonus earning caps apply to these categories
- Ink Business Cash Card – Office supplies and internet, cable, and phone services. The Ink Business Cash earns 5x on the first $25,000 spent in combined purchases in these categories each account anniversary year.
- Ink Business Cash Card – Gas stations and dining. The Ink Business Cash earn 2x on the first $25,000 spent in combined purchases at gas stations and restaurants each account anniversary year.
- Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card. The Ink Business Preferred® earns 3x points on the first $150,000 spent in combined purchases across the following categories: Shipping purchases; advertising purchases made with social media sites and search engines; internet, cable and phone services; and travel.
* Limitations apply to these categories.
- Travel – Lyft. Earn bonus cash back and points on Lyft rides through March 31, 2025.
How to apply:
Chase Freedom Flex℠ welcome bonus:
Before you apply through the link below, be sure to see our coverage of the best welcome bonus on this card. There may be a better offer in-branch.
Earn a $200 bonus after you spend $500 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
Click here to learn more and apply for the Chase Freedom Flex℠.
Our take on the welcome bonus: $200 after $500 is the standard welcome bonus on this card.
The link above is a referral link. Someone on our team may earn points if you apply and are approved to the link above. We always show you the best offer, and this is the best offer we know about on this card.
Chase Freedom Flex℠ at a glance:
Annual fee: $0
Rewards: 5% in rotating categories (up to $1,500 in combined purchases per quarter). 5% travel through Chase. 3% dining. 3% drugstores. 1% other purchases.
Benefits: Extended warranty. Purchase protection. Cell phone protection.
A few notes on applying for Chase cards
- 5/24 rule. Chase generally won’t approve you if your credit report is showing 5 or more new credit card accounts opened in the last 24 months. This rule is knows as the 5/24 rule. If you’re unsure if you are “under 5/24” you should check your 5/24 status before applying for a Chase card. Note that recently this rule seems to have softened, especially for Ink cards. See our coverage about Chase 5/24 for more.
- Only one Sapphire-branded card. You can only hold one Chase Sapphire-branded card at a time. This means you can have either a Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card or a Chase Sapphire Reserve®, but not both.
- You can get a welcome bonus on a Chase card, even if you’ve had the card previously. How often you can earn a welcome bonus on a Chase card varies by card family.
- Most cards allow you to earn a welcome bonus if it has been at least 24 months since your last received a welcome bonus on the same card.
- Chase Sapphire-branded cards, such as the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card and Chase Sapphire Reserve®, you can only earn a welcome bonus once every 48 months. (We published a separate article to help you determine if you can get a Sapphire welcome bonus.)
- Marriott cards have their own special rules.
- Chase will match an increased bonus. If you apply for a Chase card and the bank offers a higher bonus within 90 days, you can send Chase a secure message or call them to have your welcome offer matched.
- In-branch offers are sometimes better. Chase sometimes has better credit card welcome offers in-branch than it will publish on its own website or through affiliate networks. Check all channels to make sure you’re getting the best bonus.
- Chase business cards do not report to personal credit reports and do not impact your 5/24 status as long as they are current.
Should you keep the Chase Freedom Flex℠ after the first year?
The Chase Freedom Flex℠ has an annual fee of $0. Even if you don’t use the card, keeping it open and occasionally putting spending on a no-annual-fee credit card can help you build your credit. However, there are still a number of reasons to keep the Chase Freedom Flex open. Here are the benefits that might make this card worth keeping after the first year.
- 5% cash back earning on rotating categories
- Increased earnings in bonus categories like travel, dining and drugstore purchases
- Purchase protection and extended warranty benefit
Benefits of the Chase Freedom Flex℠
In addition to earning rewards on a variety of bonus categories, the Chase Freedom Flex comes with a slate of additional benefits. Details on relevant benefits are below.
Purchase insurance benefits: Protect the stuff you buy
Purchase insurance benefits protect the things you buy using your card. They include purchase protection, return protection, and extended warranty. Here’s what you’ll get with the Chase Freedom Flex℠:
| Benefit | Available on the Chase Freedom Flex℠ | Essential terms |
|---|---|---|
| Purchase protection Protects against damage, theft, and certain types of loss. | 120 days from purchase $500 per claim $50,000 per account 120 days from purchase | |
| Return protection If a merchant won’t offer a refund for a refund of a product, return protection can reimburse you. | – | |
| Extended warranty protection Extends the warranty on the items you buy. | Adds 1 year to eligible warranties of 3 years or less $10,000 per claim $50,000 per account |
The inclusion of both a strong purchase protection benefit and an extended warranty benefit make the Chase Freedom Flex℠ an excellent card to use for expensive, durable items. Unfortunately, the card’s lack of return protection means you may want to consider another card when shopping at a retailer with a stingy return policy.
When purchase insurance benefits matter
Purchase insurance benefits matter more as the replacement cost of the non-consumable stuff you buy increases. Electronics like cell phones, computers, and office equipment or household durable goods like furniture, and kitchen appliances are examples of purchases that you might consider using a card that earns less in rewards if it has better purchase insurance benefits.
As a rule of thumb, if you would ever repair or sell a physical, non-consumable item buy, you should probably choose a card with robust purchase insurance over a card that earns more cash back.
Learn more about purchase protection, return protection, and extended warranty protection.
Travel insurance benefits
Auto rental collision damage waiver – Car rental loss and damage insurance protects you against damage or theft to your rental vehicle. For coverage to apply, you need to reserve and pay for your vehicle using your card and decline your car rental company’s collision damage waiver. The coverage provided by your Chase Freedom Flex is secondary to your personal auto insurance. This means that you will be required to make a claim against your personal auto insurance before this policy will pay. Additional terms apply. See your card’s guide to benefits for details.
Trip cancellation and interruption insurance – Trip cancellation and interruption insurance can reimburse you for prepaid travel expenses if your trip is canceled or you must cut your trip short for a covered reason. Chase will cover up to $1,500 per person of prepaid, nonrefundable passenger fares, if your trip is canceled or cut short by sickness, severe weather and other covered situations.
Why trust us? Human-created, independent advice.
Many sites discuss credit cards. Here’s why you should trust cardsandpoints.com.
Everything you’ll read on our site is human-created and independently researched. We’re writing for you, not for SEO. And we do independent research—when you’re on our site, you’re reading our views, informed by our independent research.
Our views are independent and not influenced by our affiliate partners. We pay our writers with the money we earn through affiliate links. But we don’t let this impact our views of the cards and our affiliate partners never have editorial control. In fact, we don’t get paid for many of the cards we cover on our site.
Read more about our editorial policies.
Read more about the Chase Freedom Flex®
-
Citi Dividend Q4 2024 categories: Restaurants and Citi Travel℠
September 13 2024: Citi has now published the fourth quarter bonus categories for the Citi Dividend card: Restaurants and Citi Travel℠. Restaurants is probably a useful category for most, but Citi Travel℠ is largely useless. If you’re booking through Citi Travel, you probably…
-
Chase Travel and Emergency Assistance: One phone number to get help abroad
Chase Travel and Emergency Assistance services is a credit card benefit that you hope to never have to use, but if you’re traveling abroad and need a medical referral, get into legal trouble, or need emergency transportation, having a single phone number to…
-
The best credit cards to use at Walmart: Up to 6% cash back rewards
Now that Capital One and Walmart have officially broken up, it’s time for a refresh of our article on the best cards to use at Walmart. Previously, the Capital One Walmart® Rewards Card offered reasonable rewards for Walmart shoppers online, but that card…
