Chase Freedom Limitless® Evaluation

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

Nonetheless, regardless of how typically I discuss concerning the subject, many vacationers (or would-be vacationers) are reluctant to get one. They assume it’s a rip-off, don’t wish to pay an annual price, or simply are typically cautious of the entire thing.

Should you’re in that camp, right this moment I wish to talk about a bank card which may be the right introduction to the world of factors and miles: the Chase Freedom Limitless®.

This card provides nice worth, with no annual price and strong incomes potential. It’s glorious as a standalone card with tons of potential for leveling up your sport if and if 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 utilize 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 like about it’s that it has a $0 annual price and provides 1.5% money again on all purchases. It’s nice for factors and miles inexperienced persons who don’t wish to fear about incomes at completely different charges throughout numerous classes.

Plus, when you do wish to degree up your sport, you’ll be able to 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 by means of Chase Journey^SM
• 5% money again on Lyft rides (by means of March 2025)
• 3% money again on drugstore purchases and eating at eating places, together with takeout and eligible supply companies
• 1.5% money again on all different purchases
• Present welcome provide: an additional 1.5% money again on every little thing you purchase on as much as $20,000 spent within the first yr

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 may get much more out of this card if you mix it with certainly one 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 quite a lot of perks and advantages. Once more, because it has a $0 annual price, these are all simply bonuses.

• Entry to Chase Affords, an ever-changing number of offers for numerous retailers , together with on-line purchasing, gasoline stations, supply companies, clothes manufacturers, and lodges, amongst many different sectors (you possibly can actually see something right here)
• Complimentary three months of DashPass if you activate by January 31, 2025 (by means of which members stand 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 individual and $6,000 per journey on your pay as you go, nonrefundable passenger fares, in case your journey is canceled or minimize brief by illness, extreme climate, or different lined 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 superb 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 popular® Card (CSP) or the Chase Sapphire Reserve® are the 2 hottest, although you possibly can additionally do that with my favourite enterprise card, the Ink Enterprise Most popular®. (Word that these playing cards do have charges.)

That’s as a result of, if you additionally maintain certainly one of these playing cards, you’ll be able to convert the money again earned on the CFU to precious Chase Final Rewards factors. (The Freedom Limitless by itself solely earns money again.) Meaning you’ll be able to 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 definitely attractive), I take into account factors to be way more precious. That’s as a result of you’ll be able to sometimes get at the very least 2 cents per level when transferring to journey companions (generally way 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 inside 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 which you can’t mix.)

By holding each a Chase Sapphire card and the Chase Freedom Limitless, you’ll be able to ensure that you’re incomes at the very least 1.5x factors on all purchases, a rarity in a journey card (each Sapphires solely earn 1x factors on all purchases).

Should you maintain the Chase Sapphire Most popular 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 companies (each playing cards)
• 5x on Lyft (till March 2025, each playing cards)
• 5x on journey bought by means of Chase Journey (each playing cards)

Lastly, because the CFU does have a overseas transaction price, 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 fee on all purchases. Utilizing the 2 collectively is a superb mixture.

Execs of the CFU

• No annual price
• Stable rewards construction, with at the very least 1.5% again on every little thing
• 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% overseas transaction price
• Not a ton of journey advantages

Who is that this card for?

The Chase Freedom Limitless is right for many who need an easy-to-use card that will get a better-than-average incomes fee 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 permits you to proceed to degree up your sport, maximizing your rewards on all purchases.

As with all bank card, you shouldn’t get it when 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 value it when 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 one of the best bank cards for bad credit report so you can begin enhancing your rating right this moment.)

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

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 improbable card. With no annual price and spectacular incomes charges, it’s the right gateway to the world of factors and miles when you’re simply beginning out.

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