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If you earn flexible rewards, such as Ultimate Rewards points, you’re already well on your way to a heavily subsidized vacation anywhere in the world. But what if I told you that you can triple and even quintuple your rewards without paying any extra fees?
The Chase Freedom Flex℠ card is a rebranded Chase Freedom card that earns generous rewards in popular spending categories and maintains its no-fee status.
Although it’s a cashback card, it can be paired with a Chase Sapphire-branded card, whose rewards can be transferred to a number of travel partners and used to book premium travel at low cost.
$200
Bonus
after you spend $500 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| High rewards earning rate | No trip/baggage delay protections |
| $200 welcome bonus | Having to keep track of rotating categories |
| No annual fee | 3% foreign transaction fee |
Earning Structure
The earning structure for the Chase Freedom Flex℠ is as follows:
- 5% cash back in rotating quarterly categories and travel booked through Chase
- 5% cash back on Lyft rides (through March 2022)
- 3% cash back on dining, including food delivery services, and at drugstores
- 1% cash back on everything else
The new Chase Freedom Flex℠ card offers quite a lineup of bonus categories. Earning 5% on quarterly categories and on groceries plus 3% at restaurants and drugstores is huge, making it easy to earn a boatload of rewards quickly.
However, if you pair the Freedom Flex with a premium Chase Ultimate Rewards card, the cash back can easily be flipped to transferable Ultimate Rewards points. We’ll get into that below.
How Much Are Rewards Worth?
Rewards earned with the Chase Freedom Flex℠ are in the form of cash back. Each point is worth 1 cent apiece. Rewards can be issued in the form of statement credits or a direct deposit into a U.S. checking or savings account.
Points also can be redeemed for merchant gift cards at the same rate of 1 cent each, unless stated otherwise.
As noted above, there are a few ways to make this cash back fully function as Ultimate Rewards points just by pairing the Freedom Flex with another card. This can help you get even more value.
Travel Protection
Trip Cancelation/Interruption Insurance
If your trip is cut short or canceled altogether because of illness or injury, you’re covered for up to $1,500 per person (up to $6,000 per trip) for nonrefundable expenses.
Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver
Whenever you rent a car and use your Chase Freedom Flex℠ to pay for it, you’re covered for collision damage. Keep in mind that coverage is secondary, and your personal auto insurance plan will be tapped first should you be involved in an accident or theft.
Travel and Emergency Assistance Services
Nobody is insured from emergencies. Should you run into problems in another country, reach out to a benefit administrator for medical and legal services, and Chase will provide the necessary resources.
Roadside Dispatch
Whether you need a tire changed, extra gas or a jumpstart, call 1-800-847-2869 for roadside assistance, and the Chase team will send a team to your location. (Fees apply.)
Other World Elite Mastercard Benefits
The Chase Freedom Flex℠ is on a Mastercard network, which comes with a list of its own benefits.
- Boxed: Receive 5% cash back to use toward your next Boxed order.
- Cell phone insurance: Pay your cell phone bill with the card and qualify for up to $800 per claim (up to $1,000 per year) in case your phone is stolen or damaged.
- Fandango: Earn 2X VIP+ points for movie tickets bought through Fandango.
- Lyft: Receive a $10 Lyft credit for every five rides taken each calendar month. (Credit limited to once per month.)
- ShopRunner: Enroll in the complimentary ShopRunner membership and receive free shipping and returns when you shop online with participating retailers.
DoorDash DashPass Membership
Most Chase-branded cards offer DoorDash benefits to cardholders. Chase Freedom Flex℠ cardholders who enroll in the perk by Dec. 31, 2021, will receive complimentary DashPass membership for three months.
The membership normally costs $9.99 per month and offers free unlimited deliveries on DoorDash orders of at least $12. Delivery fees are waived for DashPass members, which is free when you link an eligible credit card with the app and use it at checkout.
Access to the Chase Shopping Portal
Earning bonus rewards is extra fun when you have to put in minimal effort. With the Chase Freedom Flex℠ card, you have access to the Shop through Chase portal. In it, you’ll find a list of more than 400 online merchants willing to dish out rewards for making purchases via the portal.
Shop through Chase portal
To earn extra rewards, click on the online store of your choice and shop like you usually do. Once the purchase is tracked, you’ll earn bonus cash back. The bonuses vary and increase from time to time, typically around a major holiday, allowing you to earn even more cash back.
The key to success here is to not overspend and only go through the portal when you actually need to buy something and not for the sake of earning rewards.
Cards to Pair with the Chase Freedom Flex℠
Although the Chase Freedom Flex℠ is a lucrative credit card on its own, its rewards are limited to cash back. Don’t get me wrong. Cash is nice, but you can do so much more with Ultimate Rewards points instead.
By pairing your no-fee Freedom Flex with either the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card or the Chase Sapphire Reserve®, you’ll be able to increase the value of your rewards. For starters, portal redemption rates go up to 1.25 cents per point with the Chase Sapphire Preferred card and to 1.5 cents with the Chase Sapphire Reserve® card.
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
60,000
bonus points
after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months of account opening.
Annual Fee: $95
60,000
Chase Ultimate Rewards® Points
after you spend $4,000 in 3 months
Annual Fee: $550
Also, getting access to Chase’s hotel and airline partners is where true value lies. Booking complicated itineraries, business-class flights or five-star hotels with points by transferring them to loyalty programs is key to extracting the most from your rewards.
Cash back earned with the Freedom Flex can be turned into points as long as you hold one of the premium cards. Transferring points between the accounts is free and fast.
And why stop here? Feel free to add the no-fee Chase Freedom Unlimited® to your wallet for the ultimate Chase trifecta and earn 1.5X to 5X Ultimate Rewards points on all of your purchases.
Earn an additional 1.5% cash back on everything you buy
(on up to $20,000 spent in the first year) - worth up to $300 cash back!
Chase Refer a Friend
One of the fan-favorite ways to generate even more rewards is by referring friends and family to apply for the same cards. Referring others to the Chase Freedom Flex℠ card will get you a reward worth $100, and your friend still gets the publicly available welcome bonus. Everybody wins.
How Does the Chase Freedom Flex℠ Card Compare to the Discover it Cash Back Card?
The Chase Freedom was quite similar to the Discover it Cash Back Card with its quarterly rotating categories and no annual fees. Let’s take a look at how the Chase Freedom Flex℠ compares to the Discover it Card after its rebranding.
| Chase Freedom Flex℠ Credit Card | Discover it Cash Back Card |
|---|---|
| Welcome bonus: $200 cash back | Welcome bonus: dollar-for-dollar cash back match after the first year |
| 5% back on rotating categories (on the first $1,500 each quarter), travel booked with Chase and Lyft rides 3% back at restaurants and drugstores 1% back on everything else | 5% back on rotating categories (on the first $1,500 each quarter) 1% back on everything else |
| Rewards can be turned into points when paired with an eligible Chase card | Rewards are in the form of cash back, gift cards or Amazon purchases |
| 3% foreign transaction fees | No foreign transaction fees |
| Annual fee: $0 | Annual fee: $0 |
Both cards have no annual fees and earn 5% cash back in rotating categories. However, the Freedom Flex’s new bonus categories in the travel portal, drugstores and restaurants make it a better card from the ongoing earnings perspective.
What’s unique about the Discover it Card is that it lets you control the size of your welcome offer. At the end of your first cardmember year, Discover will match your cash back and essentially double its worth, which means that 5% back turns into 10%. Depending on your monthly expenses, you can come out significantly ahead here. The Freedom Flex’s welcome bonus is set at $200.
Another edge that the Discover it Cash Back Card has over the Chase Freedom Flex℠ is the absence of foreign transaction fees. You can take your Discover it Card anywhere in the world and not have to pay an extra 3% on every transaction, which is great in theory. However, in reality, not every merchant overseas accepts Discover cards. A Mastercard, on the other hand, boasts a higher acceptance rate.
From the redemption perspective, the Discover it Cash Back lets you redeem rewards in any amount at any time. However, the rewards are limited to cash or its equivalent. Points earned with the Chase Freedom Flex℠ can be turned into Ultimate Rewards in conjunction with one of the premium Sapphire cards, which makes it more flexible and more valuable.
Is the Chase Freedom Flex℠ Worth the Annual Fee?
This one is tough…not! The card charges no membership fees, which makes it a great choice to keep year after year. With its highly rewarding earning structure, you basically get paid to use the card. Just make sure to keep track of the bonus categories for maximum rewards.
Final Thoughts
The Chase Freedom card was already a great cashback card, and now it’s even better with more ways to earn rewards. Additionally, Chase’s partnership with Mastercard is adding a whole new list of perks without cutting any old ones. Overall, the Chase Freedom Flex℠ card is a good standalone credit card, but it’s a great card when paired with an Ultimate Rewards-earning card.
New to the world of points and miles? The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is the best card to start with.
With a bonus of 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months of account opening. , 5x points on travel booked through the Chase Travel Portal and 3x points on restaurants, streaming services, and online groceries (excluding Target, Walmart, and wholesale clubs), this card truly cannot be beat for getting started!
after you spend $500 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening
Editors Note: Opinions expressed here are author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included within the post.
10xTravel is part of an affiliate sales network and receives compensation for sending traffic to partner sites, such as CreditCards.com. This compensation may impact how and where links appear on this site. This site does not include all financial companies or all available financial offers. Terms apply to American Express benefits and offers. Enrollment may be required for select American Express benefits and offers. Visit americanexpress.com to learn more.
Editors Note: Opinions expressed here are author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included within the post.
bonus points
after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months of account opening.
Chase Ultimate Rewards® Points
after you spend $4,000 in 3 months
Venture Miles
after you spend $4,000 in purchases in the first 3 months.
Membership Rewards® Points
after you spend $6,000 on eligible purchases with your new Card within the first 6 months. Terms apply.
