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 concerning the matter, 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 payment, or simply are typically cautious of the entire thing.

When you’re in that camp, at the moment I need to focus on a bank card that could be the proper introduction to the world of factors and miles: the Chase Freedom Limitless®.

This card gives nice worth, with no annual payment and strong incomes potential. It’s wonderful as a standalone card with tons of potential for leveling up your recreation if and while 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 need to use 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 payment and gives 1.5% money again on all purchases. It’s nice for factors and miles newbies who don’t need to fear about incomes at completely different charges throughout numerous classes.

Plus, when you do need to stage up your recreation, you may 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 way of Chase Journey^SM
• 5% money again on Lyft rides (by way 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 all the things you purchase on as much as $20,000 spent within the first 12 months

You may redeem this money again in opposition to your subsequent assertion or select to get it instantly deposited into your checking account.

However you may get much more out of this card while you mix it with one among 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 a variety of perks and advantages. Once more, because it has a $0 annual payment, these are all simply bonuses.

• Entry to Chase Gives, an ever-changing collection of offers for numerous retailers , together with on-line procuring, fuel stations, supply providers, clothes manufacturers, and lodges, amongst many different sectors (you can actually see something right here)
• Complimentary three months of DashPass while you activate by January 31, 2025 (by way 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 in your pay as you go, nonrefundable passenger fares, in case your journey is canceled or minimize brief by illness, extreme climate, or different coated conditions)
• Buy safety (covers your new purchases for 120 days in opposition to 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 good 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 well-liked® Card (CSP) or the Chase Sapphire Reserve® are the 2 hottest, although you can additionally do that with my favourite enterprise card, the Ink Enterprise Most well-liked® Credit score Card. (Be aware that these playing cards do have charges.)

That’s as a result of, while you additionally maintain one among these playing cards, you may convert the money again earned on the CFU to worthwhile Chase Final Rewards factors. (The Freedom Limitless by itself solely earns money again.) Which means you may pool factors earned on both card collectively and have entry to Chase’s nice airline and resort switch companions.

Whereas getting money again is simpler (and definitely attractive), I contemplate factors to be far more worthwhile. That’s as a result of you may sometimes get at the least 2 cents per level when transferring to journey companions (typically far 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 various playing cards incomes several types of factors which you could’t mix.)

By holding each a Chase Sapphire card and the Chase Freedom Limitless, you may make certain that you’re incomes at the least 1.5x factors on all purchases, a rarity in a journey card (each Sapphires solely earn 1x factors on all purchases).

When 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 way of Chase Journey (each playing cards)

Lastly, because the CFU does have a overseas transaction payment, 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 a better incomes charge on all purchases. Utilizing the 2 collectively is a wonderful mixture.

Execs of the CFU

• No annual payment
• Stable rewards construction, with at the least 1.5% again on all the things
• Straightforward 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 payment
• 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 charge 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 lets you proceed to stage up your recreation, maximizing your rewards on all purchases.

As with every 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 wonderful credit score to qualify. (If that’s you, try the very best bank cards for low credit score so you can begin bettering your rating at the moment.)

Lastly, this card does rely towards Chase’s 5/24 rule (you may’t open greater than 5 playing cards inside 24 months). When 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 would possibly need to skip it for now.

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Whether or not you’re simply dipping your toes into the points-and-miles recreation or trying to complement your present lineup, the Chase Freedom Limitless is a improbable card. With no annual payment and spectacular incomes charges, it’s the proper gateway to the world of factors and miles when you’re simply beginning out.

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