Bottom Line

If you feel that keeping track of all your credit cards and points is getting exhausting, or if you're looking for a good place to start your points journey, the simplicity of this card meets both of those needs. There is no keeping track of spending categories, and a lot of flexibility in redeeming points. It's a great card to swipe anywhere and always get something back -- especially when you're getting 3% back on everything purchase in your first year. If you have the Chase Sapphire Reserve, you could get the Freedom Unlimited, roll up 3% on all your spends in year one, and transfer up to 60,000 points to your Reserve card. At that point, your 60,000 points will convert to 90,000 because you have the Reserve card.

Why You Might Want This Card

Great Card To Start With Chase

This unassuming cards is special in a few ways. One of the things we like best is the 3% cash back on ALL your purchases in the first year, up to $20,000. Then earn 1.5% cash back with no keeping track of spending categories needed. Let's throw in 120-day purchase protection, extended warranty protection, 0% annual fee, 0% APR for the first 15 months and it makes for an attractive package -- for the right person.

There's a lot to like about this card, but let's face it, no one credit card is perfect for everyone. This card isn't good if you aren't a big spender. You need to spend at least $10,000 in your first year to make it worth it -- and $20,000 to make it shine. Also, we all love a good sign-up bonus, so the 20,000 points on this card is underwhelming. When traveling, leave this one at home, the foreign fee will add up abroad.

Check out our Chase Ultimate Rewards page for more details on how to best use Chase Points.

Exceptions To The Rule

About Chase Ultimate Rewards

Chase Ultimate Rewards are aptly named -- as they are the “gold standard” of points. But most people barely scratch the surface in redeeming these points. Here’s what makes them so valuable:

1. Accumulating points is relatively easy with the variety of cards Chase offers, especially their business cards.
2. The points are worth a lot... if you have the Reserve Card (why you should). Your points are worth a minimum of 1.5 cents each, and often more with transfer partners.
3. Chase has the best values in transfer partners, with Hyatt, United, and Southwest being the top three.
4. Chase points are easy to use. The Ultimate Rewards portal is intuitively built for booking travel directly through their portal with points. Or easily transferring those points to partners.
5. You can transfer your points with your partner, so long as you share the same address.

The key to maximizing value, though, is how you use those points. Think of Chase Ultimate Rewards as your most easily convertible points. And all other point systems are great, but not nearly as flexible.

How does that affect you in practical terms? If Chase is your hub, you and your partner should also get the Hyatt card, United card, and Southwest card(s) over a year. Let’s say you and your partner have two Chase cards, plus one of each of the other cards. Here is an example of how you can use them:

• Trip One:
  • On Hyatt’s site, use 60,000 Hyatt points topped off with a 20,000 Chase point transfer for 4 nights at the all-inclusive at Zilarra Cancun.
  • On Southwest’s site, book two flights to Cancun free using your Southwest Points (topped of with a Chase points transfer as needed)
• Trip Two:
  • On United’s site, book two round trip tickets to any European city for 60,000 United miles each, top off with Chase Points as needed
  • Book hotels on Hyatt’s site using additional Chase transfers as needed. Since you can transfer between Partners, they can be either person’s account to start.

That is just a pair of examples, but it’s a very real scenario. Most people are happy to just use the points to book a free flight or two through the portal. The reality is you can make entire vacations nearly free.

Amex and Citi have similar systems, but the points are more limited in how many you can earn. Also, the value of the transfer partners and the quality of their portals isn’t as good. That’s not to say you shouldn’t be happy when you find those points. We’re just saying all else being equal, we’ll take (or save on using) Chase Ultimate Rewards Points over any other point system.

It’s also worth noting you can’t transfer points back from partners, so never transfer until the actual time of booking. The transfers are usually instantaneous (you might have to log out and log back in to the partner site).

Where Chase Freedom Unlimited Fits In This Point Ecosystem

Personal Experience