Chase Freedom Limitless® Evaluation

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

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

In the event you’re in that camp, as we speak I need to focus on a bank card that could be the right introduction to the world of factors and miles: the Chase Freedom Limitless®.

This card gives nice worth, with no annual charge and strong incomes potential. It’s wonderful as a standalone card with tons of potential for leveling up your sport if and once you’re prepared. It’s a favourite for newbies and seasoned vacationers alike.

So, on this publish, 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 (typically known as CFU) is a bank card issued by Chase. What I really like about it’s that it has a $0 annual charge and gives 1.5% money again on all purchases. It’s nice for factors and miles newcomers who don’t need to fear about incomes at totally different charges throughout numerous classes.

Plus, in the event you do need to stage 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 providers
• 1.5% money again on all different purchases
• Present welcome provide: an additional 1.5% money again on the whole lot you purchase on as much as $20,000 spent within the first 12 months

You possibly can redeem this money again towards your subsequent assertion or select to get it straight deposited into your checking account.

However you may get much more out of this card once 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 wonderful incomes charges, you’ll get entry to numerous perks and advantages. Once more, because it has a $0 annual charge, these are all simply bonuses.

• Entry to Chase Affords, an ever-changing collection of offers for numerous retailers , together with on-line purchasing, fuel stations, supply providers, clothes manufacturers, and lodges, amongst many different sectors (you might actually see something right here)
• Complimentary three months of DashPass once 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 lower quick 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 superb cash-back card in its personal proper, it’s finest when paired with a extra premium Chase card that earns transferable factors. The Chase Sapphire Most well-liked®(CSP) or the Chase Sapphire Reserve® are the 2 hottest, although you might additionally do that with my favourite enterprise card, the Ink Enterprise Most well-liked®. (Observe that these playing cards do have charges.)

That’s as a result of, once you additionally maintain one in every of these playing cards, you’ll be able to convert the money again earned on the CFU to beneficial 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 less complicated (and definitely engaging), I think about factors to be way more beneficial. That’s as a result of you’ll be able to sometimes get not less than 2 cents per level when transferring to journey companions (typically way more).

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

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

By holding each a Chase Sapphire card and the Chase Freedom Limitless, you’ll be able to 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 the event 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 by means of Chase Journey (each playing cards)

Lastly, because the CFU does have a overseas transaction charge, you received’t need 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 wonderful mixture.

Execs of the CFU

• No annual charge
• Strong rewards construction, with not less than 1.5% again on the whole lot
• 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 charge
• Not a ton of journey advantages

Who is that this card for?

The Chase Freedom Limitless is good for many 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 permits you to proceed to stage up your sport, maximizing your rewards on all purchases.

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

This card can be not for anybody with poor credit score, as you want good or wonderful credit score to qualify. (If that’s you, take a look at the most effective bank cards for poor credit so you can begin bettering your rating as we speak.)

Lastly, this card does rely towards Chase’s 5/24 rule (you’ll be able to’t open greater than 5 playing cards inside 24 months). In the event you’ve already opened 5 bank cards (any playing cards, not simply Chase playing cards) throughout the previous two years (or need to open extra quickly), you both received’t be capable of get this card or may need 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 unbelievable card. With no annual charge and spectacular incomes charges, it’s the right gateway to the world of factors and miles in the event you’re simply beginning out.

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