Chase Freedom Flex℠ Review
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- Welcome offer
- $200
- Cash back
- Up to 5%
- Annual fee
- $0
- Intro purchase APR for the first 15 months (then 19.99% to 28.74% variable)
- 0%
Our verdict
Get 5% cash back, the highest rate you can earn without paying an annual fee.
Formerly known as the Chase Freedom card, the Chase Freedom Flex℠ has updated more than just the name. For starters, you get to earn one of the highest rewards rates on Lyft rides and travel purchased through the Chase Ultimate Rewards portal.
This Mastercard still has rotating cashback categories that can be activated each quarter. A surprising addition to the rewards categories is now you get unlimited cash back for purchases made at restaurants — including takeout and delivery — and for purchases made at drugstores. This makes this card a rewards powerhouse for everyday purchases.
It also makes the card an excellent option for pairing with other Chase Sapphire or the Freedom Unlimited card. That's because you earn a higher rewards rate with the Freedom Flex on other categories than what you could earn with these cards. You can then transfer your points to a Chase Sapphire card and get either a 25% or a 50% higher redemption value on travel purchases through the Chase Ultimate Rewards program. You can also transfer your points to partner airline and hotel programs from a Sapphire account and get an even higher value for your points.
As of December 2021, Chase has even brought back the card's 15 months 0% Intro APR on purchases and balance transfers, which only reinforces the card's flexibility and value.
All things considered, it’s hard to find a card that’s as rewarding as the Chase Freedom Flex℠. If you never considered getting a Chase Freedom card before, now is the moment. It's an excellent standalone card, but it's even better if you pair it with another Freedom or a Sapphire card.
Pros
-
Cash back. Earn 5% cash back in select rotating categories on up to $1,500 each quarter you activate, then 1%. You'll also earn 5% back on travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards and on Lyft through March 2022, 3% back at restaurants and drugstores and 1% back on all other purchases.
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Signup bonus. Earn $200 cash back after you make $500 in purchases within the first 3 months of account opening.
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Intro APR. Get a 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for the first 15 months from account opening, then 19.99% to 28.74% variable.
Cons
-
You'll need to keep track of rotating categories. You won't get the 5% cashback rate on the same categories each quarter. Also, you'll need to activate your cashback categories, or you won't receive the bonus rate.
-
Categories not always known. Often, Chase won't reveal the whole year's rotating categories until they're close to launching.
-
Foreign transaction fees. You'll pay a 3% fee on transactions made abroad.
Details
Features
| Annual fee | $0 |
| Welcome offer | $200 after spending $500 in the first 3 months |
| Rewards | 5% cash back on up to $1,500 in combined purchases in bonus categories each quarter you activate. 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards® 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service, 1% cash back on all other purchases. |
| Purchase APR | 0% intro for the first 15 months (then 19.99% to 28.74% variable) |
| Balance transfer APR | 0% intro for the first 15 months (then 19.99% to 28.74% variable) $5 or 3% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater in the first 60 days |
| Minimum credit score | 670 |
| Issuer | Mastercard |
Fees
| Balance transfer fee | $5 or 3% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater in the first 60 days |
| Cash advance rate | 29.99% variable |
| Cash advance fee | $10 or 5% of the cash advance amount, whichever is greater |
| Penalty APR | Up to 29.99% fixed |
| Foreign transaction fee | 3% of the transaction value |
| Interest free period | Up to 21 days |
| Late payment fee | Up to $40 |
| Returned payment fee | Up to $40 |
| Additional cardholder fee | $0 |
| Security deposit | N/A |
How to apply for the Chase Freedom Flex℠
- Go to the provider's site to Learn more about how to apply for Chase Freedom Flex℠.
- Complete the application with details like your name, address, annual income and Social Security number.
- Review and submit your application.
What should I know before I apply?
Eligibility criteria
- You’re at least 18 years old
- You’re at least 19 years old if you live in Alabama or Nebraska
- You’re at least 21 years old if you live in Puerto Rico
Required documents and information
- Your name, residential status and residential address
- Your Social Security number
- Your email address, phone number and date of birth
- Financial information like your annual income, source of income and employment information
What credit score do I need?
You’ll have a better chance of being approved for the card if you apply with a good to excellent credit score of 670 or higher.
How long will it take for me to be approved?
Because approval is automated on the Chase website, you’ll likely get a decision within minutes. If there are issues with your application, it could take up to a few weeks to hear back.
What are my odds of getting approved?
We asked our readers, “What credit score did you have when you were approved for this credit card?” Note, this is informal data from our readers and not meant to provide advice on approval.
Based on a survey of 27 people out of 100 respondents on finder.com
| Answer choices | Responses |
|---|---|
| 740-850 | 44.44% |
| 670-739 | 40.74% |
| 580-669 | 14.81% |
| 300-579 | 0.00% |
Chase Freedom Flex℠ benefits
- Signup bonus. Earn a $200 bonus after you spend $500 in the first 3 months of account opening.
- Cash back. No other 5% cashback card with rotating categories earns such a high rewards rate on diverse categories outside the rotating ones. With this card, you earn 5% back on travel purchased through the Chase Ultimate Rewards portal, 5% back on Lyft rides through March 2022 and 5% back on up to $1,500 on rotating categories each quarter. You’ll earn 1% back after reaching the cap. You also earn 3% back at restaurants, including takeout and delivery, and on drugstore purchases. Everything else you buy earns 1% back.
- Intro APR period. Get 0% intro APR period on purchases and balance transfers for 15 months. This is basically an interest-free loan for large purchases. After the intro period expires, a variable APR of 19.99% to 28.74% applies. This is inline or slightly higher compared to similar 5% cashback cards.
- Cell phone protection. This is a rare perk with this type of card. Pay your phone bill with the Chase Freedom Flex℠ and get up to $800 protection per claim and $1,000 per year against theft or damage. You can have a maximum of two claims in a 12-month period, with a $50 deductible per claim.
- DoorDash benefits. Get three months of DashPass, DoorDash’s subscription service. This comes with an unlimited $0 delivery fees and reduced service fees on orders of $12 or more. DashPass typically costs $9.99 per month, which makes this benefit worth $29.97.
- No annual fee. This card has no annual fee at all.
Chase Freedom Flex℠ 2022 cashback calendar
| Quarters | January–March 2022 | April–June 2022 | July–September 2022 | October–December 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Primary 5% category | Grocery stores (excluding Target and Walmart) | Amazon.com | Gas stations and car rentals | Walmart |
| 5% sub category | eBay | Select streaming services | Select movie theaters | PayPal |
What to watch out for
- You don’t get 5% cash back on rotating categories automatically. To earn 5% cash back, you need to activate it every quarter. You can do so online, by email, over the phone, at an ATM or at a Chase branch. Chase will let you know when to activate your cashback bonus categories when you opt in for email reminders.
- Foreign transaction fees. A 3% fee per transaction is applied to all international purchases.
- Hidden rotating 5% categories. Unfortunately, you won’t know what your 5% rotating categories will be at the start of the year. Chase only reveals them as each quarter draws near.
- Pay Yourself Back feature is limited. For this card, the Pay Yourself Back feature only applies to contributions made to eligible charities.
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Does the Chase Freedom Flex℠ earn cash back or points?
Even though Chase markets the card as a cashback card, it actually earns Chase Ultimate Reward points. This is the same “currency” earned by the Freedom Unlimited card and the two Sapphire cards.
This makes the card ideal for pairing with any of these three cards. Because once you pair them, you can move your points between cards and maximize the redemption value. The most common combination of Chase credit cards is known as the Chase trifecta.
Note: Before you start applying to multiple Chase credit cards, take the Chase 5/24 rule into consideration. This unwritten rule says Chase will automatically decline your credit card application if you have opened five or more credit cards within the last 24 months.
Chase Freedom Flex℠ reviews and complaints
Cardholders are generally thrilled with the Chase Freedom Flex℠‘s bonus categories and 1% cash back. However, some customers say they’ve had trouble with Chase autopay.
JPMorgan Chase Credit Card is not accredited with the Better Business Bureau but it has an C+ rating and a composite score of 1.18 out of 5 stars based on 229 customer reviews as of December 2021. Most customer complaints revolve around poor customer service and hidden costs Chase credit cards in general. Make sure you read your card’s terms and the rewards agreement to avoid issues with your account.
As of December 2021, Chase earns a Trustpilot score of 1.6out of 5. Most negative reviews cite slow responses to fraud complaints and less-than-helpful customer service. Positive reviews cite the bank’s great mobile app and quick resolutions to their issues. Overall, your mileage may vary with Chase customer support.
What interests you most about this credit card?
Based on a survey of 66 people (out od 100 respondents) on finder.com
| Answer choices | Responses |
|---|---|
| Rewards | 56.06% |
| Signup bonus | 12.12% |
| Features and benefits | 21.21% |
| APR | 10.61% |
I got the card. Now what?
- Manage your account online. Register with the Chase website to keep an eye on your spending and payments.
- Activate your 1% cash back. To get the 1% cashback premium, activate your bonus every quarter. If you don’t take this step, you’ll earn only 1% cash back.
- Steer clear of penalties. Late payments and returned checks can attract fees of up to $40.
- Consider using the card less often overseas. You pay foreign transaction fees each time you use this card outside the US. Learn more about cards that have no foreign transaction fees.
- Contact customer service. Contact Chase Credit Cards support with any questions you have at 1-800-432-3117.
Earn more with Shop Through Chase
With Shop Through Chase, you can click through to select Chase partners and earn even more cash back through your Chase Freedom Flex℠. For example, you might earn 6% extra cash back at Neiman Marcus, 8% extra cash back at Under Armour and more.
Earnings and offers vary by time period and cardholder, so log in to your Chase account to see your offers.
Bottom line
The Chase Freedom Flex℠ is currently one of the best credit cards for earning rewards you can get. It comes with a generous signup bonus and massive cashback rates on everyday categories. Consider pairing this card with the Chase Freedom Unlimited® and the Chase Sapphire Reserve® to maximize your rewards.
Compare Chase Freedom Flex℠ with other cards
Common questions about the Chase Freedom Flex℠
What happens if I forget to activate the cash back on this card?
If you don’t activate your spending bonus before the quarterly deadline, you’ll only earn 1% cash back on purchases you make in bonus categories. You can always activate the bonus during the next quarter.
Do my points expire?
Your points don’t expire as long as your account remains open and in good standing.
What happens after I spend $1,500 on combined purchases in the quarterly bonus categories each quarter?
If you spend up to your $1,500 combined limit for bonus categories, your bonus will revert to the standard 1% cash back on all purchases with no maximum.
Image: chase.com
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Charisse Finder
August 17, 2019
Hi Beverly,
Thanks for reaching out to Finder.
You can cancel a Chase credit card without calling by logging in to your online account and accessing your Chase dashboard. From there, select the card you’d like to cancel and then write a brief message about why you’d like to cancel your card.
If that does not work for you, you will have to contact Chase directly using the number found at the back of your credit card.
I hope that helps.
Cheers,
Charisse
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Beverly
August 17, 2019
How do I cancel Chase freedom credit card?