Now, we'll take a closer look at the key perks for these credit cards.
Wells Fargo Active Cash Card has the slight edge on welcome offer
The Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card offers a $200 cash rewards welcome bonus for spending $500 on purchases in the first 3 months. It's not as valuable as the other card, but it only requires a small fraction of the spending. While both cards have good welcome offers, I give the slight edge to the one from Wells Fargo, because it's so much faster and easier to earn.
The Chase Freedom Unlimited® has one of the largest welcome offers you'll find on a no annual fee card, but it also requires more spending than usual. You can earn up to $300. Earn 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.
When it comes to rewards, Chase Freedom Unlimited® offers more
The Chase Freedom Unlimited® offers high cash back rates in bonus categories and on non-bonus spending. Here's how much it earns:
- 5% on travel purchased through Chase Travel
- 3% on dining at restaurants, which also includes takeout and eligible delivery services
- 3% on drugstore purchases
- 1.5% on other purchases
The Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card doesn't have any bonus categories. It earns 2% on purchases, no matter where you use it.
Both cards have fantastic rewards programs. Most people could get plenty of value with either one. The Chase Freedom Unlimited® just has a bit more to offer. It has bonus categories where people typically spend money every month in dining and drugstores, and it earns quite a bit on travel if you use Chase's booking portal. The deciding factor is that it offers all that and earns a respectable 1.5% everywhere else.
Pro tip: Check for special offers with the card you choose. Each card issuer has its own special offers hub, Chase Offers and My Wells Fargo Deals, where you can earn bonus rewards with select retailers. You can find these offer hubs in your online account or your card issuer's mobile app. Offers need to be activated to earn bonus rewards, so it's a good idea to review what's available regularly and activate any offers you think you could use.
Both cards are tied for intro APR
The Chase Freedom Unlimited® has a 0% intro APR for 15 months on purchases and balance transfers. Once the intro period ends, a 19.74% - 28.49% Variable APR applies. If you plan to make any balance transfers, the intro balance transfer fee is 3% ($5 minimum) for transfers made within 60 days of account opening. After that, the fee is: Either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater.
The Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card also has a 0% intro APR for 12 months from account opening on purchases and qualifying balance transfers. After the intro period, a 19.24%, 24.24%, or 29.24% Variable APR APR applies. Balance transfers made within the first 120 days qualify for the intro APR and an intro balance transfer fee of 3% ($5 minimum). After that, the balance transfer fee goes up to 5%, min: $5.
