Chase Freedom Limitless® Overview

If you wish to journey cheaper, higher, and longer, among the finest instruments in your arsenal is a stable rewards bank card.

Nonetheless, regardless of how usually I speak in regards to the subject, many vacationers (or would-be vacationers) are reluctant to get one. They suppose it’s a rip-off, don’t wish to pay an annual payment, or simply are usually cautious of the entire thing.

In case you’re in that camp, at the moment I wish to focus on a bank card which may be the proper introduction to the world of factors and miles: the Chase Freedom Limitless®.

This card presents nice worth, with no annual payment and stable incomes potential. It’s glorious as a standalone card with tons of potential for leveling up your sport if and while you’re prepared. It’s a favourite for newbies and seasoned vacationers alike.

So, on this submit, I’m going to interrupt down why the Chase Freedom Limitless deserves a spot in your pockets and the way you should use it to show on a regular basis purchases into free journey.

What’s the Chase Freedom Limitless?

The Chase Freedom Limitless (generally known as CFU) is a bank card issued by Chase. What I really like about it’s that it has a $0 annual payment and presents 1.5% money again on all purchases. It’s nice for factors and miles newcomers who don’t wish to fear about incomes at completely different charges throughout varied classes.

Plus, in case you do wish to stage up your sport, you may mix it with a Chase Sapphire card to supercharge your rewards incomes capabilities (extra on that under).

This card earns you the next:

• 5% money again on journey bought via Chase Journey^SM
• 5% money again on Lyft rides (via March 2025)
• 3% money again on drugstore purchases and eating at eating places, together with takeout and eligible supply providers
• 1.5% money again on all different purchases
• Present welcome provide: an additional 1.5% money again on every part you purchase on as much as $20,000 spent within the first 12 months

You’ll be able to redeem this money again towards your subsequent assertion or select to get it immediately deposited into your checking account.

However you will get much more out of this card while you mix it with one in every of Chase’s Sapphire playing cards (extra on this quickly).

Perks and Advantages of the Chase Freedom Limitless

Along with these glorious incomes charges, you’ll get entry to a lot of perks and advantages. Once more, because it has a $0 annual payment, these are all simply bonuses.

• Entry to Chase Gives, an ever-changing choice of offers for varied retailers , together with on-line procuring, fuel stations, supply providers, clothes manufacturers, and inns, amongst many different sectors (you may actually see something right here)
• Complimentary three months of DashPass while you activate by January 31, 2025 (via which members rise up to $10 off quarterly on non-restaurant DoorDash orders)
• Secondary Auto Rental Collision Harm Waiver
• Journey cancellation/interruption insurance coverage (as much as $1,500 per particular person and $6,000 per journey on your pay as you go, nonrefundable passenger fares, in case your journey is canceled or reduce brief by illness, extreme climate, or different coated conditions)
• Buy safety (covers your new purchases for 120 days towards harm or theft as much as $500 per declare and $50,000 per account)
• Prolonged guarantee safety

 

Combining with a Chase Sapphire Card

Whereas this card is a good cash-back card in its personal proper, it’s greatest when paired with a extra premium Chase card that earns transferable factors. The Chase Sapphire Most well-liked® Card (CSP) or the Chase Sapphire Reserve® are the 2 hottest, although you may additionally do that with my favourite enterprise card, the Ink Enterprise Most well-liked® Credit score Card. (Be aware that these playing cards do have charges.)

That’s as a result of, while you additionally maintain one in every of these playing cards, you may convert the money again earned on the CFU to precious Chase Final Rewards factors. (The Freedom Limitless by itself solely earns money again.) Which means you may pool factors earned on both card collectively and have entry to Chase’s nice airline and lodge switch companions.

Whereas getting money again is simpler (and positively attractive), I contemplate factors to be far more precious. That’s as a result of you may usually get not less than 2 cents per level when transferring to journey companions (generally far more).

So why not simply have one of many Chase Sapphire Playing cards and no Freedom Limitless?

Whereas this is a superb choice (and what many individuals do), having two playing cards throughout the identical “household” ensures that you simply maximize incomes classes whereas incomes the identical kind of factors. (You don’t wish to unfold your self too skinny throughout too many alternative playing cards incomes several types of factors you could’t mix.)

By holding each a Chase Sapphire card and the Chase Freedom Limitless, you may make sure that you’re incomes not less than 1.5x factors on all purchases, a rarity in a journey card (each Sapphires solely earn 1x factors on all purchases).

In case you maintain the Chase Sapphire Most well-liked and the Chase Freedom Limitless, for instance, you’d earn:

• 1.5x on all purchases (CFU)
• 2x on all journey (CSP)
• 3x on drugstores (CFU)
• 3x on eating, together with takeout and eligible supply providers (each playing cards)
• 5x on Lyft (till March 2025, each playing cards)
• 5x on journey bought via Chase Journey (each playing cards)

Lastly, because the CFU does have a international transaction payment, you received’t wish to use this card when touring. Consider the CSP as your journey card and the CFU as your on a regular basis card with the next incomes price on all purchases. Utilizing the 2 collectively is a superb mixture.

Execs of the CFU

• No annual payment
• Stable rewards construction, with not less than 1.5% again on every part
• Simple to redeem money again as assertion credit score or direct deposit
• Nice worth when paired with a Chase Sapphire card

Cons of the CFU

• 3% international transaction payment
• Not a ton of journey advantages

Who is that this card for?

The Chase Freedom Limitless is right for individuals who need an easy-to-use card that will get a better-than-average incomes price on all purchases. It additionally leaves room to develop into the points-and-miles world when mixed with a higher-level card from Chase. And, if you have already got a Sapphire card, including the CFU to your pockets means that you can proceed to stage up your sport, maximizing your rewards on all purchases.

As with all bank card, you shouldn’t get it in case you’re already carrying a steadiness or plan to hold one. Rates of interest for journey bank cards are notoriously excessive, and this one is not any completely different. The factors simply aren’t price it in case you’re paying curiosity every month.

This card can be not for anybody with poor credit score, as you want good or glorious credit score to qualify. (If that’s you, try the most effective bank cards for spotty credit so you can begin enhancing your rating at the moment.)

Lastly, this card does depend towards Chase’s 5/24 rule (you may’t open greater than 5 playing cards inside 24 months). In case you’ve already opened 5 bank cards (any playing cards, not simply Chase playing cards) throughout the previous two years (or wish to open extra quickly), you both received’t be capable of get this card or may wish to skip it for now.

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Whether or not you’re simply dipping your toes into the points-and-miles sport or seeking to complement your present lineup, the Chase Freedom Limitless is a incredible card. With no annual payment and spectacular incomes charges, it’s the proper gateway to the world of factors and miles in case you’re simply beginning out.

And, if and while you wish to take issues up a notch, you may pair it with a premium Chase card down the street to essentially maximize your factors. It’s a no brainer selection that may kickstart your journey to mastering factors and miles.