The card is a cash back card that provides significant value. It has no annual fee and earns at least 1.5% cash back for everyday purchases. Cardholders can maximize its benefits further by spending in bonus categories or pairing it with other Chase cards.
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Maximize the Chase Freedom Unlimited庐 Card’s Introductory Offers
If you just opened the Chase Freedom Unlimited庐 card or are considering doing so, one of the easiest ways to maximize your first-year value is to take advantage of its introductory offer. New cardholders can earn a $200 Bonus after you spend $500 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening.
In addition, the card offers a 15 months of 0% annual percentage rate introductory period on eligible purchases and balance transfers. However, once the promotional window closes, the card’s 18.24% to 27.74% variable APR will apply to any remaining balance. If you choose to transfer a balance to the card, keep in mind that you must pay a 3% balance transfer fee or $5, whichever is higher, on transfers within the first 60 days from opening the card. Afterward, the balance transfer fee increases to 5% or $5, whichever is higher.
Maximize the Highest-Earning Categories
Chase Freedom Unlimited庐 offers 5% cash back on travel purchased through the Chase Travel? portal. However, before you book, it’s best to compare prices and the rewards you might miss out on from booking directly with a specific airline or hotel.
“It’s definitely worth comparing prices before booking,” says R.J. Weiss, a certified financial planner and founder of The Ways to Wealth, a personal finance website. “Sometimes Chase Travel offers deals you won’t find elsewhere. But all things being equal, I prefer booking direct whenever possible when it’s just a few extra percent.”
Dining and drugstore purchases earn 3% cash back, so maximize your benefits by prioritizing using the card in those categories. “As someone who holds over a dozen cards myself, I use my Chase Freedom Unlimited庐 on dining, with the goal of combining those points with one of my Chase cards that earns transferable points,” says Weiss.
Keep in mind that all other spending on the card earns 1.5% cash back. As a result, it might be worth it to put all of your other everyday purchases on the card unless you have a card in your wallet that earns more in that specific category.
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Chase Freedom Unlimited庐 Benefits You Might Overlook
There’s another key benefit cardholders might not consider. “The Chase Freedom Unlimited庐 comes with great purchase protection offerings, such as extended warranty coverage,” says Leslie H. Tayne, finance and debt expert and founder of Tayne Law Group.
For example, Chase Freedom Unlimited庐 offers extended warranty protection and zero liability protection. The extended warranty protection can add an extra year to products that have a manufacturer’s warranty of three years or less, for up to four years. Zero liability protection means you generally won’t be held liable for unauthorized purchases on your card.
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Chase Freedom Unlimited庐 vs. Chase Freedom Flex庐
Like the Chase Freedom Unlimited庐, is a no-annual-fee that offers similar benefits. Both cards offer a sign-up bonus of $200 after you spend $500 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening. Also, some of the cash back spending categories overlap, such as 5% on travel purchased through Chase, 3% on dining and 3% on drugstore purchases.
However, a key difference is that Chase Freedom Flex庐 offers rotating 5% cash back quarterly bonus categories, such as grocery stores (excluding big box stores like Walmart and Target) on up to $1,500 per quarter. Plus, unlike Chase Freedom Unlimited庐, Chase Freedom Flex庐 earns 1% cash back on purchases outside of its rotating bonus categories.
Maximize Your Chase Freedom Unlimited庐 Benefits With the Chase Trifecta
Pairing your Chase Freedom Unlimited庐 card with two other Chase cards, a strategy known as the , can also help maximize your benefits. When you use the Trifecta, “the Chase Freedom Unlimited becomes the base-earning card that you use for nonbonus spending, as well as dining and drugstore purchases,” says Weiss.
You could add the Chase Freedom Flex庐 card to the mix to take advantage of 5% rotating spending bonuses the Unlimited card doesn’t offer.
After establishing your base, you could add a higher-tier Chase card, such as the or , to complete the Trifecta. Adding one of those cards gives you access to Chase’s airline and hotel transfer partners.
“If you transfer points to partners like Hyatt, it’s often possible to get substantially more value from your points than if you redeemed them for cash back,” Weiss says.
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