Cash back cards don't get much better than the Chase Freedom Flex℠. It has a fantastic rewards program, including multiple 5% back categories. There's also a large welcome offer, and all for no annual fee. Find out if it's right for you in this Chase Freedom Flex℠ review.
Ratings Methodology
Apply Now for Chase Freedom Flex℠
OnChase'sSecure Website.
2024 Award Winner
Chase Freedom Flex℠
Apply Now for Chase Freedom Flex℠
OnChase'sSecure Website.
Rating image, 5.00 out of 5 stars.
5.00/5Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.5 stars equals Best.4 stars equals Excellent.3 stars equals Good.2 stars equals Fair.1 star equals Poor.We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs. = Best = Excellent = Good = Fair = Poor
Rating image, 5.00 out of 5 stars.
5.00/5Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.5 stars equals Best.4 stars equals Excellent.3 stars equals Good.2 stars equals Fair.1 star equals Poor.We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs. = Best = Excellent = Good = Fair = Poor
Credit Score:Falling within this credit range does not guarantee approval by the issuer. An application must be submitted to the issuer for a potential approval decision. There are different types of credit scores and creditors use a variety of credit scores to make lending decisions.
Recommended Credit Score required for this offer is: Good/Excellent (670-850)
Poor
Fair
Good
Excellent
300-579
580-669
670-739
740-850
Apply Now for Chase Freedom Flex℠
OnChase'sSecure Website.
Credit ScoreFalling within this credit range does not guarantee approval by the issuer. An application must be submitted to the issuer for a potential approval decision. There are different types of credit scores and creditors use a variety of credit scores to make lending decisions.
Good/Excellent (670-850)
Intro APR0% Intro APR on Purchases
Purchases: 0% Intro APR on Purchases, 15 months
Balance Transfers: 0% Intro APR on Balance Transfers, 15 months
Regular APR
20.49%-29.24% Variable
Rewards5% cash back on up to $1,500 in combined purchases in bonus categories each quarter you activate. Enjoy new 5% categories each quarter! Plus, earn 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards®, 3% on dining and drugstores, and 1% on all other purchases.
5% cash back offer
Annual FeeN/A
$0
Welcome OfferEarn a $200 Bonus after you spend $500 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening!
$200 bonus
This Chase card is one of our favorites, and with good reason. You earn 5% cash back on up to $1,500 in combined purchases in bonus categories each quarter you activate, alongside other standout perks (and at least 1% on all purchases). Plus, this one comes without an annual fee and with a generous welcome bonus.
- Big sign-up bonus
- Lucrative cash back program
- Long 0% intro APR
- No annual fee
- Purchase and travel protections
- Foreign transaction fee
- Earn a $200 Bonus after you spend $500 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening.
- 5% cash back on up to $1,500 in combined purchases in bonus categories each quarter you activate. Enjoy new 5% categories each quarter!
- 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards®, our premier rewards program that lets you redeem rewards for cash back, travel, gift cards and more
- 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service, and unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases.
- No minimum to redeem for cash back. You can choose to receive a statement credit or direct deposit into most U.S. checking and savings accounts. Cash Back rewards do not expire as long as your account is open!
- 0% Intro APR for 15 months from account opening on purchases and balance transfers, then a variable APR of 20.49%-29.24%.
- No annual fee - You won't have to pay an annual fee for all the great features that come with your Freedom Flex℠ card
- Keep tabs on your credit health - Chase Credit Journey helps you monitor your credit with free access to your latest score, real-time alerts, and more.
- Member FDIC
Full Chase Freedom Flex review
This credit card is a good fit for: Consumers who want to earn lots of cash back in a variety of bonus categories. Everyone from budget-conscious shoppers to big spenders can get plenty of value from this versatile rewards card.
Top perks
The Chase Freedom Flex℠ is loaded with benefits, starting with the opportunity to earn lots of cash rewards.
Sign-up bonus
You earn a sign-up bonus after spending just $500 on purchases in the first 3 months. It's a large amount of cash back, and it doesn't require you to spend that much. Overall, it's in line with the best sign-up bonuses for no annual fee credit cards.
Up to 5% back
The Chase Freedom Flex℠ has a long list of bonus categories. Here are the card's cash back rates:
- 5% back on up to $1,500 in combined purchases in bonus categories each quarter you activate
- 5% back on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards
- 5% back on Lyft rides through March 31, 2025
- 3% back on dining at restaurants, which includes takeout and orders through eligible delivery services
- 3% back at drugstores
- 1% back on other purchases
With so many bonus opportunities, this Chase card outperforms most of the competition. For example, there are other cash back cards with rotating 5% back categories, but those are their only bonus categories. The Chase Freedom Flex℠ has those and several other areas where it earns 3% to 5% back. That makes it great for maximizing your credit card rewards.
MORE TOP PICKS: Best Cash Back Credit Cards
0% intro APR for 15 months
For the first 15 months, this Chase credit card has a 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers. After the intro period, the go-to variable APR applies.
A 0% intro APR can be useful if you have large expenses coming up that you can't pay in full right away. Or, if you have debt, you could transfer it to this card to pay it down while avoiding interest charges (for a small balance transfer fee, see pricing and terms for details). Do your best to pay off your full balance within the first 15 months to avoid interest charges entirely.
No redemption minimum
A helpful and underrated perk of Chase credit cards is that you can redeem any amount of rewards you want, even as little as $0.01 in cash back. There are credit cards that make redemptions more inconvenient by requiring you to hit a minimum amount of cash back first, such as $20 or $25.
Complimentary protections
The Chase Freedom Flex℠ has some valuable benefits beyond its flagship lineup of perks. These include:
- Cellphone protection: When you pay your monthly cellphone bill with your Chase Freedom Flex℠, you'll receive complimentary protection against covered theft or damage. The coverage limit is up to $800 per claim and $1,000 per year, with a maximum of two claims per 12-month period and a $50 deductible per claim.
- Purchase protection: Eligible new purchases are covered for up to 120 days against damage or theft. The coverage limit is $500 per claim and $50,000 per credit card account.
- Extended warranty protection: Extends the time period of the U.S. manufacturer's warranty by an additional year, on eligible warranties of three years or less.
- Trip cancellation/interruption insurance: Can reimburse you up to $1,500 per person and $6,000 per trip for your prepaid, non-refundable passenger fares. Applies if your trip is canceled or cut short by sickness, severe weather, and other covered situations.
- Auto rental collision damage waiver: Applies when you decline the rental company's collision insurance and charge the entire rental cost to your card. This covers theft and collision damage for most rental cars in the United States and abroad. For U.S. car rentals, coverage is secondary to your personal insurance.
LEARN MORE: A Guide to Chase Freedom Flex Card Benefits
What could be improved
While this Chase cash back card doesn't have any major problems, there are a couple of small drawbacks.
Foreign transaction fee
The Chase Freedom Flex℠ has a foreign transaction fee of 3% of each transaction in U.S. dollars. Considering so many of the top credit cards have done away with these types of fees, we'd like to see Chase do the same.
Standard rate of 1% back
On purchases that don't fit into its bonus categories, this card earns 1% back. That's understandable -- 1% is the standard rate for credit cards with bonus categories. But there are also cards that earn a flat rate of 2% on purchases in all categories. A card like that may be a better choice if your spending is more balanced, and you don't expect to spend a large amount in this card's bonus categories.
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Suggested credit score
A FICO® Score of 670 or higher is recommended to apply for the Chase Freedom Flex℠. Most of Chase's credit cards are targeted at consumers with good credit or excellent credit, and this one is no different. Keep in mind that your credit score doesn't guarantee approval or denial.
Another important factor any time you apply for a Chase credit card is the number of credit cards you've opened recently. If you've already opened five or more cards in the last 24 months, you'll likely get an automatic denial due to what's known as Chase's 5/24 rule.
RELATED: How to Build Credit Fast
How to increase your Chase rewards
Chase's credit cards are popular, and one benefit that people love is being able to carry multiple Chase cards and combine rewards. This is a good way to earn bonuses across a wider range of categories. You can even move rewards earned on a Chase cash back card to a Chase travel card. One common rewards strategy built around this is called the Chase Trifecta.
Chase Freedom Flex vs. Chase Freedom Unlimited
There's another Chase Freedom card, the Chase Freedom Unlimited®, that shares many of the same features. They also have similar cash back rates, with 5% back on travel purchased through Chase Travel and 3% on dining and at drugstores. Here's what makes these two cards different:
- The Chase Freedom Unlimited® earns 1.5% back on non-bonus spending. That's 50% more than the Chase Freedom Flex℠ and its standard rate of 1%.
- The Chase Freedom Flex℠ has rotating quarterly bonus categories you can activate to earn 5% back on up to $1,500 in purchases. The Chase Freedom Unlimited® doesn't have these.
- The Chase Freedom Flex℠ is a Mastercard, and the Chase Freedom Unlimited® is a Visa. For most consumers, this won't be important, as both Mastercard and Visa are widely accepted.
Deciding between the Chase Freedom credit cards ultimately depends on which cash back setup you prefer. If you want 5% in rotating quarterly categories, then the Chase Freedom Flex℠ is the way to go. If you don't need that and would rather earn 1.5% on non-bonus spending, get the Chase Freedom Unlimited®.
The Chase Freedom Flex is right for you if:
Considering all the perks of the Chase Freedom Flex℠, it will work well for you in any of these situations:
- You want a cash back card that earns bonus rewards on everyday purchases.
- You don't want to pay an annual fee.
- You have one or more big purchases you'd like to pay off over time or want to use balance transfer strategies with a 0% intro APR.
Credit card comparison
We recommend comparing options to ensure the card you're selecting is the best fit for you. To make your search easier, here's a short list of standout credit cards.
| Offer | Our Rating | Welcome Offer | Rewards Program | APR | Learn More |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Discover it® Cash Back | Rating image, 5.00 out of 5 stars. 5.00/5Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.5 stars equals Best.4 stars equals Excellent.3 stars equals Good.2 stars equals Fair.1 star equals Poor.We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs. | Discover will match all the cash back you’ve earned at the end of your first year.N/A | 1% - 5% CashbackEarn 5% cash back on everyday purchases at different places you shop each quarter like grocery stores, restaurants, gas stations, and more, up to the quarterly maximum when you activate. Plus, earn unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases—automatically. | Intro: Purchases: 0%, 15 months Balance Transfers: 0%, 15 months Regular:17.24% - 28.24% Variable APR | |
Chase Freedom Unlimited® Apply Now for Chase Freedom Unlimited® OnChase'sSecure Website. | Rating image, 5.00 out of 5 stars. 5.00/5Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.5 stars equals Best.4 stars equals Excellent.3 stars equals Good.2 stars equals Fair.1 star equals Poor.We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs. | Up to $300 cash backEarn an extra 1.5% on everything you buy (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year) — worth up to $300 cash back. That's 6.5% on travel purchased through Chase Travel, 4.5% on dining and drugstores, and 3% on all other purchases. | 1.5% - 5% cash backEnjoy 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel, our premier rewards program that lets you redeem rewards for cash back, travel, gift cards and more; 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service, and 1.5% on all other purchases | Intro:0% Intro APR on Purchases and Balance Transfers for 15 months Purchases: 0% Intro APR on Purchases, 15 months Balance Transfers: 0% Intro APR on Balance Transfers, 15 months Regular:20.49% - 29.24% Variable | Apply Now for Chase Freedom Unlimited® OnChase'sSecure Website. |
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card Apply Now for Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card OnChase'sSecure Website. | Rating image, 4.50 out of 5 stars. 4.50/5Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.5 stars equals Best.4 stars equals Excellent.3 stars equals Good.2 stars equals Fair.1 star equals Poor.We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs. | 60,000 bonus pointsEarn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $750 when you redeem through Chase Travel℠. | 5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3x on dining and 2x on all other travel purchasesEnjoy benefits such as 5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries, 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases, $50 Annual Chase Travel Hotel Credit, plus more. | Intro:N/A Purchases: N/A Balance Transfers: N/A Regular:21.49%-28.49% Variable | Apply Now for Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card OnChase'sSecure Website. |
Our Credit Card Methodology
At The Motley Fool Ascent, we rate credit cards on a five-star scale (1 = poor, 5 = best). Our rating criteria includes rewards rates, welcome bonuses, fees, and perks like travel credits and 0% intro APR offers to evaluate our ratings.
Our highest-rated credit cards have:
- A rewards rate above 2% (or 2x points or miles) with average spending, or competitive 0% intro APR balance transfer and purchase offers
- Attainable welcome bonuses that make up for any annual fees
- Low annual fees or a balance transfer fee of 3%
- Top perks such as purchase and travel protections, no foreign transaction fees, travel credits, and status upgrades
We combine these factors with an evaluation of brand reputation and customer satisfaction to ensure you're getting the best card recommendations. Learn more about how The Ascent rates credit cards.
FAQs
The Chase Freedom Flex℠ has a minimum credit limit of $500, but it's possible to get a much larger amount, including over $20,000. Chase determines your credit limit based on many factors, with your income and credit history being most important.
The Chase Freedom Flex℠ is a World Elite Mastercard®.
The Chase Freedom Flex℠ usually isn't hard to get for qualified applicants. In particular, it helps to have a FICO® Score of at least 670. Make sure you also haven't opened five or more credit cards in the last 24 months. If you have, your application will most likely be denied due to Chase's 5/24 rule.
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By:Lyle Daly
Writer
Lyle Daly is a personal finance writer who specializes in credit cards, travel rewards programs, and banking. He writes for The Ascent and The Motley Fool, and his work has appeared in USA Today and Yahoo! Finance. He was born in California but currently lives as a digital nomad with a home base in Colombia.
Fact CheckedEric McWhinnie
Eric McWhinnie has been writing and editing digital content since 2010. He specializes in personal finance and investing. He also holds a bachelor’s degree in Finance.
