Advertiser disclosure: Cards and Points has partnered with CardRatings for our coverage of credit card products. Cards and Points and CardRatings may receive a commission from card issuers. Some or all of the card offers that appear on this site are from advertisers. Compensation may affect how and where card products appear on the site. The site does not include all card companies or all available offers. Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed or approved by any of these entities. Terms apply to all credit card benefits.
January 29, 2025: The Chase Freedom Unlimited® features two different sign-up bonuses depending on where and how you apply. You’ll only see the “extra 1.5%” offer promoted on most sites, but we think that the $200 after $500 offer is better for most people.
Here’s what you need to know about both Chase Freedom Unlimited bonuses so that you can pick the one that’s best for you.
Best Chase Freedom Unlimited® sign-up bonuses
Annual fee: annual_fees
Online affiliate offer: bonus_miles_full
Learn how to apply.
Direct and referral offer: As of February 14, 2025, referral links and Chase.com are showing the following offer: Earn a $200 bonus after you spend $500 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
Learn more and apply for the referral offer.
All information about direct and referral offers on the Chase Freedom Unlimited® card has been collected independently by cardsandpoints.com.
The $200 after $500 offer is probably the better offer, but you’ll earn more points with the “extra 1.5%” offer if you spend more than about $13,333 on the card in your first year.
Online offer: Extra 1.5% cash back on up to $20,000 spent in the first year
The welcome bonus you’ll find most often on the Chase Freedom Unlimited® through blogs and news sites that have affiliate links is the “extra 1.5%” offer:
bonus_miles_full
Learn how to apply.
This offer has the potential to earn the most points. If you’re planning on putting more than about $13,333 on your Freedom Unlimited card in the first year, this offer will earn you the most points.
Refer a friend offer: $200 after $500 in purchases
Chase offers a referral program for current cardmembers. As of January 29, 2025, the refer-a-friend offer matches the direct and in-branch offers: Earn a $200 bonus after spending $500 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening.
Earn some points for a friend. Most cardmembers who hold Chase Freedom Unlimited®, Chase Freedom Flex®, Chase Freedom Rise®, or the Slate Edge® can refer a new cardmember to any of these cards. Find a friend who can generate a referral link for you and they can earn points if you get approved.
All information about the referral offers on the Chase Freedom Unlimited® card has been collected independently by cardsandpoints.com.
In-branch Chase Freedom Unlimited® bonus: $250 after $500 (possibly gone)
Update January 14, 2025: Within less than 24 hours after we verified the welcome bonus for this article, we found that Chase.com and referral links had been changed back to the $200 after $500 article. This in-branch offer may no longer be available.
Chase occasionally runs better sign-up bonuses on the Freedom Unlimited in-branch, but as of January 13, 2025 the in-branch offer is the same as the referral and direct online offers: Earn a $250 bonus after you spend $500 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
If it’s convenient, it can be worth it to check for an in-branch offer. In-branch welcome offers change from time to time and this information is accurate as of our last check. The in-branch offer may be different or may no longer be available.
All information about the in-branch offers on the Chase Freedom Unlimited® card has been collected independently by cardsandpoints.com.
Are you eligible to earn the sign-up bonus?
In most cases, you are eligible to receive a sign-up bonus on this card if you don’t currently have a Chase Freedom Unlimited® and it’s been more than 2 years since you’ve gotten a bonus on this card. Here are the two specific rules you should be aware of:
- Current cardmembers cannot get the card. If you already have a Chase Freedom Unlimited® card, you cannot get a second card through a new card application.
- You can not have received a new cardmember bonus for this card in the previous 24 months. The specific language in the bonus terms refers to the time you received the bonus, not the date you applied for the card.
Our take: The $200 after $500 offer is likely better for you
There’s a fair amount of debate online about which Chase Freedom Unlimited® offer is better. The $200 after $500 offer is certainly easier to earn, but the “extra 1.5%” offer through affiliate channels can earn you more points. Ultimately, I think that the $200 after $500 is the better offer.
If you’re just choosing between the two offers, you’ll earn more with the “extra 1.5%” offer if you’re planning on spending $13,333 or more on the card in your first year of having it. If you’re going to spend less than this on the card, then going for the $200 after $500 offer is the better bet.
But if you’re willing to get more cards, you can do better. Assuming you have $20,000 to spend on credit cards over the next year and are willing to open a few cards, you could earn a ton more cash back. Here’s one path that has you earning at least $1,700 cash back:
- Get the Chase Freedom Unlimited® bonus offer and earn $200 after spending $500.
- Open a new Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card and spend $6,000 on it to earn $750 cash back.
- Open a new Ink Business Cash® Credit Card and spend a total of $6,000 on it to earn a total of $750 cash back.
- Still have $7,500 of free spending left over to go for one or two of our big cash back sign-up bonuses.
Unfortunately, you won’t see the $200 after $500 mentioned on most sites because many sites only show affiliate offers. It is our editorial policy to always promote the best offers we know about, even if it not available through our affiliate links.
Finally, if you live near a Chase branch bank, you might want to check in-branch for a better offer. In the last year, Chase has been known to run exclusive in-branch bonuses that were better than the online bonuses on this card. (As of our last check, they weren’t, but we don’t visit a Chase branch every day.)
In every case, the current Chase Freedom Unlimited welcome bonuses are market-leading welcome offers. It’s a good time to get the card.
How to use the points you earn from the Chase Freedom Unlimited® bonus
While the Chase Freedom Unlimited® is marketed as a cash-back credit card, it earns Ultimate Rewards® points behind the scenes. Here are the best ways to use the Ultimate Rewards points you’ll earn with the Freedom Unlimited.
- Cash back. You can always use Ultimate Rewards® points for cash back redemptions. You’ll get 1 cent per point for cash back redemptions on any Ultimate Rewards credit card.
- Options available with premium cards. If you hold a premium Ultimate Rewards card, you can a few additional options for using your points. Premium Ultimate Rewards cards include the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, Chase Sapphire Reserve®, and Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card. You can also use the points you earn on your no-annual-fee card for these premium redemption options if you first transfer your points to your premium card.
- Travel through Chase Travel℠. Premium Ultimate Rewards cards offer increased value when you use your points to book travel through Chase Travel℠. You get 25% more value for bookings through Chase Tavel with the Sapphire Preferred or Ink Preferred. And you’ll get 50% more value for bookings made through the Sapphire Reserve card.
- Transfers to airline and hotel partners. All of the Premium Ultimate Rewards cards offer point transfers to travel partners. Transfers to partners offer the opportunity to get outsized value for your points through luxury travel redemptions. Our favorite Ultimate Rewards® transfer partners include Air Canada Aeroplan, Air France/KLM Flying Blue, British Airways Avios, United Mileage Plus, Virgin Atlantic Flying Club, and World of Hyatt.
For more on maximizing the value you get from Ultimate Rewards, see our complete guide to Ultimate Rewards.
Chase Ultimate Rewards® card synergies
Chase Ultimate Rewards® points can always be redeemed for cash back rewards at one cent each. This makes 10,000 points worth $100. But your points can become even more valuable when you hold a premium Ultimate Rewards® credit card.
If you hold a Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, Chase Sapphire Reserve, or Ink Business Preferred card, you have access to a handful of redemption options that can increase the value of your points:
- Point transfers to airline and hotel partners
- Increased value when you redeem for travel through Chase Travel℠
- Pay Yourself Back options
To use the points you earned from your non-premium Ultimate Rewards® credit card for one of these redemptions, simply transfer your Ultimate Rewards® points to your premium Ultimate Rewards® credit card.
About the Chase Freedom Unlimited®
Here’s a quick overview of the rewards, benefits, and features of the Chase Freedom Unlimited®, but for more on the card, see our full review of the Chase Freedom Unlimited.
Annual fee: annual_fees
Foreign transaction fee: foreign_transaction_fee
The Chase Freedom Unlimited® is an excellent choice for a use-anywhere card, thanks to its 1.5% cash back rewards and extended warranty benefit.
Sign-up bonus
Online affiliate offer: bonus_miles_full
Learn how to apply.
Direct and referral offer: As of February 14, 2025, referral links and Chase.com are showing the following offer: Earn a $200 bonus after you spend $500 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
Learn more and apply for the referral offer.
All information about direct and referral offers on the Chase Freedom Unlimited® card has been collected independently by cardsandpoints.com.
The $200 after $500 offer is probably the better offer, but you’ll earn more points with the “extra 1.5%” offer if you spend more than about $13,333 on the card in your first year.
Rewards
- 5% on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠.
- 5% on Lyft rides through March 31, 2025.
- 3% on dining at restaurants, including eligible takeout and delivery services.
- 3% drugstore purchases.
- 1.5% on other purchases.
Rewards are marketed as cash back, but earned as Chase Ultimate Rewards® points.
Ultimate Rewards® can be combined across cards you hold. If you hold a premium Ultimate Rewards card, you can transfer your points to Chase’s transfer partners or use your points for increased value when you book travel through Chase Travel℠. For more about using Ultimate Rewards, check out our guide on the Ultimate Rewards program.
Benefits
Consumer insurance benefits
Travel insurance benefits
- Trip Cancellation and Interruption Insurance.
- Auto Rental Coverage.
- Roadside Assistance.
- Travel and Emergency Assistance.
Partner benefits and statement credits
- 6 months of complimentary access to DashPass.
Subject to auto-renewal at the current monthly rate. Activate by December 31, 2027.
Bottom line: One of the easiest offers available on a great card
The $200 after $500 bonus available on the Chase Freedom Unlimited® card through referral links is one of the easiest bonuses to earn and on one of the best cash back cards available. If you don’t already have the Chase Freedom Unlimited in your wallet, now is a great time to pick up the card.
Advertiser disclosure: Cards and Points has partnered with CardRatings for our coverage of credit card products. Cards and Points and CardRatings may receive a commission from card issuers. Some or all of the card offers that appear on this site are from advertisers. Compensation may affect how and where card products appear on the site. The site does not include all card companies or all available offers. Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed or approved by any of these entities. Terms apply to all credit card benefits.
