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Chase Freedom Flex Review: A High-Value Cash Back Card With Big Bonus Categories

Review Updated
Lyle Daly
Author: Lyle Daly
Lyle Daly
Lyle Daly
Writer

Lyle Daly is a personal finance writer who specializes in credit cards, travel rewards programs, and banking. His work with Motley Fool Money and The Motley Fool has appeared syndicated in USA Today and Yahoo! Finance. He was born in California but currently lives as a digital nomad with a home base in Colombia.

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Nathan Alderman
Fact Checked: Nathan Alderman
Nathan Alderman
Nathan Alderman
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Nathan Alderman has been a full-time Motley Fool employee since 2005, making errors his arch-enemies in a variety of roles including a six-year stint as the dedicated fact-checker for The Motley Fool's premium newsletter services. As Motley Fool Money's Compliance Lead, he makes sure that all the site's information is accurate and up to date, which ensures we always steer readers right and keeps various financial partners happy. A graduate of Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism, Nathan spends his spare time volunteering for civic causes, writing and podcasting for fun, adoring his wife, and wrangling his two very large young children.

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The Chase Freedom Flex® is good for maxing out your cash back with fixed and rotating bonus rewards. It also has a large welcome offer and a long 0% intro APR, and all for no annual fee. If you don't mind keeping track of its bonus categories, you can earn quite a bit back with this card.

Find out if it's right for you in our Chase Freedom Flex® review.

Ratings Methodology
Chase Freedom Flex®
Apply Now for Chase Freedom Flex®

On Chase's Secure Website.

Chase Freedom Flex®

Apply Now for Chase Freedom Flex®

On Chase's Secure Website.

Chase Freedom Flex®
Rating image, 5.00 out of 5 stars.
5.00/5 Circle with letter I in it. Our 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
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Rating image, 5.00 out of 5 stars.
5.00/5 Circle with letter I in it. Our 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: Circle with letter I in it. 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)
Apply Now for Chase Freedom Flex®

On Chase's Secure Website.

Credit Score Circle with letter I in it. 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.

Good/Excellent (670-850)

Intro APR Circle with letter I in it. 0% Intro APR on Purchases

Purchases: 0% Intro APR on Purchases, 15 months

Balance Transfers: 0% Intro APR on Balance Transfers, 15 months

Regular APR

19.74% - 28.49% Variable

Rewards Circle with letter I in it. 5% 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 Travel℠, 3% on dining and drugstores, and 1% on all other purchases.

5% cash back offer

Annual Fee

$0

Welcome Offer Circle with letter I in it. Earn 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 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 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 19.74%-28.49%.
    • 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

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
Rating image, 5.00 out of 5 stars.
5.00/5 Circle with letter I in it. Our 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
Best for cash back on rotating categories 		Discover will match all the cash back you’ve earned at the end of your first year. 1% - 5% Cashback Circle with letter I in it. Earn 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.

Intro:

Purchases: 0%, 15 months

Balance Transfers: 0%, 15 months

Regular: 18.49% - 27.49% Variable APR *Rates as of December 12, 2024.

Apply Now for Discover it® Cash Back

On Discover's Secure Website.

Rates & Fees External Link Icon

Rating image, 5.00 out of 5 stars.
5.00/5 Circle with letter I in it. Our 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
Best for cash rewards on everyday spending 		$200 cash rewards Circle with letter I in it. Earn a $200 cash rewards bonus after spending $500 in purchases in the first 3 months. 2% cash rewards Circle with letter I in it. Earn unlimited 2% cash rewards on purchases.

Intro: Circle with letter I in it. 0% intro APR for 12 months from account opening on purchases and qualifying balance transfers

Purchases: 0% intro APR, 12 months from account opening

Balance Transfers: 0% intro APR, 12 months from account opening on qualifying balance transfers

Regular: 19.24%, 24.24%, or 29.24% Variable APR

Apply Now for Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card

On Wells Fargo's Secure Website.

Rates & Fees External Link Icon

Rating image, 4.00 out of 5 stars.
4.00/5 Circle with letter I in it. Our 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
Best for unlimited rewards on purchases 		25,000 points Circle with letter I in it. 25,000 online bonus points after you make at least $1,000 in purchases in the first 90 days of account opening - that can be a $250 statement credit toward travel purchases 1.5 points per dollar Circle with letter I in it. Earn unlimited 1.5 points per $1 spent on all purchases, with no annual fee and no foreign transaction fees, and your points don't expire as long as your account remains open.

Intro: Circle with letter I in it. 0% Intro APR for 15 billing cycles for purchases. 0% Intro APR for 15 billing cycles for any balance transfers made in the first 60 days. After the intro APR offer ends, 18.49% - 28.49% Variable APR on purchases and balance transfers will apply. A 3% fee for 60 days from account opening, then 4% fee applies to all balance transfers.

Purchases: 0% Intro APR for 15 billing cycles for purchases

Balance Transfers: 0% Intro APR for 15 billing cycles for any balance transfers made in the first 60 days

Regular: 18.49% - 28.49% (Variable)

Apply Now for Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card

On Bank of America's Secure Website.

Chase Freedom Flex review

Is the Chase Freedom Flex worth it?

The Chase Freedom Flex® has all the important features top cash back cards offer. That includes its competitive cash back rates, sign-up bonus, and 0% intro APR. Considering there's no annual fee, it's easy to get your money's worth from this card.

Author's personal experience
Image of reviewer

I have the Chase Freedom Flex® and several other Chase credit cards. What I love about Chase is that I can transfer points from cash back cards, including my Chase Freedom Flex®, to my Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, to redeem them for travel. Chase cards also work well together to earn more rewards, and this Chase card is a standout for its bonuses. While I'm not the biggest fan of rotating bonus categories, I love how easy it is to activate them, and Chase usually offers some good ones.

What everyone else is saying

Here's a summary of what other credit card reviews and social media users say about the Chase Freedom Flex®.

What other review sites say

Average review site rating: 4.5 / 5.0 stars

We read reviews of this card from five top review sites, and it got high marks. Some reviewers consider it one of the best credit cards, particularly for optimizers -- people who don't mind keeping track of lots of bonus categories. Here are some of the top perks that other reviews mentioned:

  • Fixed (year-round) and rotating bonus categories of up to 5%
  • An impressive sign-up bonus
  • A long 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers
  • Useful extra protections, including cellphone protection

The most common criticism was that managing this card can be a lot of work. You need to stay on top of where it earns bonus cash back and activate the rotating bonus categories every quarter. Reviewers also pointed out that it's not a good choice abroad because of its foreign transaction fee.

Online consensus

The Chase Freedom Flex® is well-liked on social media. Many rewards enthusiasts follow a strategy known as the Chase Trifecta, which involves getting three Chase cards to earn bonus rewards across more categories. With all its bonus categories, the Chase Freedom Flex® is usually an integral part of that.

This card seems to be most popular as part of those advanced, multi-card reward strategies. It's less popular as the anchor in a one-card wallet. And while people generally like the bonus opportunities, some aren't fans of its rotating bonus categories.

Chase Freedom Flex features and benefits

A long list of bonus categories for no annual fee

You won't have any trouble earning bonus cash back with the Chase Freedom Flex®. Here are its 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

There aren't many credit cards with so many bonus categories, and it's even rarer among no annual fee cards. It's also a fairly diverse selection of categories, including those rotating bonus categories. Last but not least, when you open this card, you can also earn a $200 sign-up bonus for spending $500 in the first three months.

Long 0% intro APR to save on debt or large purchases

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 19.74% - 28.49% Variable APR applies.

There are a few ways you could save money with this. If you have some major expenses coming up, the 0% intro APR on purchases gives you time to pay them off interest free. And if you're already in credit card debt, you could transfer it over to take advantage of the 0% intro APR on balance transfers.

A quick word of advice: If you don't need a 0% intro APR, don't use it. This is more of a "break in case of emergency" option than something to use just because. Given the choice, it's better to stay out of debt, even debt with a 0% intro APR.

An impressive list of complimentary insurance protections

Been thinking about paying for cellphone insurance every month? If you use this Chase card to pay your monthly wireless bill, you won't need to. It includes complimentary cellphone protection against damage or theft.

That's just one of several built-in protections the Chase Freedom Flex® offers on eligible purchases. You also get:

  • Purchase protection
  • Extended warranty protection
  • Trip cancellation/interruption insurance
  • Auto rental collision damage waiver

Even if you hope to never use these, they're nice to have just in case. You can find out more about each protection and the coverage limits in this card's guide to benefits.

Works even better in combination with other Chase cards

The Chase Freedom Flex® is more versatile than your typical cash back card. Technically, it earns Ultimate Rewards points. If you want to use your rewards as cash back, you can redeem them at a value $0.01 per point.

But if you have a travel card with Chase, you could also move your points there. You'll then have access to travel redemptions, including transferring your points to Chase's airline and hotel partners. This allows you to use the Chase Freedom Flex® in its bonus categories to maximize your rewards there, even if you want to use your points to save on travel.

What could be improved

Foreign transaction fee makes this a lackluster travel card

The Chase Freedom Flex® works well in combination with Chase's travel rewards cards, and it earns 5% back on Chase Travel bookings. But it's not a great travel card on its own for one simple reason: a foreign transaction fee of 3% of each transaction in U.S. dollars. Outside the United States, you'll pay an extra $30 in fees for every $1,000 you spend.

Foreign transaction fees are fairly common on cash back cards. There are some exceptions, though, and it'd be nice to see Chase get rid of this fee.

Rotating bonus categories are a mixed bag -- and tricky to manage

Rotating bonus categories have never been my favorite credit card perk. They turn your card into a mystery box every quarter, where you're never quite sure how useful it will be. They're also more work, since you need to activate them and keep track of how close you are to the quarterly bonus limit of $1,500 in purchases.

In defense of the Chase Freedom Flex®, it also has fixed bonus categories, which make it much more useful. Activating the rotating bonus categories is quick and easy, too. Even so, there's more work involved than there is with your typical cash back card.

Find the best credit card for your needs
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What to know before applying

Chase Freedom Flex credit score

A FICO® Score of 670 or higher is recommended to apply for the Chase Freedom Flex®. Another important factor is the number of credit cards you've opened recently. Because of Chase's 5/24 rule, your application will likely be denied if you've already opened five or more credit cards in the last 24 months.

Pre-approval process

Chase sometimes has an online tool where you can see if you're pre-approved for Chase cards. When it's available, you can enter basic information and check for pre-approvals in a matter of seconds.

Intro APR

The Chase Freedom Flex® has a 0% intro APR for 15 months on purchases and balance transfers. This is one of the longer introductory periods for a card that also earns cash back. The go-to 19.74% - 28.49% Variable APR applies at the end of the intro period.

Fees

Here are the fees for the Chase Freedom Flex®:

  • Annual fee: $0
  • Balance transfer fee: Either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater.
  • Cash advance fee: Either $10 or 5% of the amount of each transaction, whichever is greater.
  • Foreign transaction fee: 3% of each transaction in U.S. dollars

Credit limit

The minimum credit limit for the Chase Freedom Flex® is $500, according to the pricing and terms. Many applicants are approved for more than that, as Chase sets your credit limit based on several factors, including your income and creditworthiness. Some cardholders have reported limits of $20,000 or more.

Apply now for the Chase Freedom Flex® card

Our credit card methodology

At Motley Fool Money, 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.

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 Motley Fool Money 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.