Top 15 Chase Freedom Unlimited benefits [2021]

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The Chase Freedom Unlimited® is a great example that even a simple, no-annual-fee credit card can carry a ton of valuable benefits and perks. And that’s in addition to its incredible welcome offer!

And as a cardmember, you’ll also be able to take advantage of a number of perks that can not only help you stretch the value of your points but also save you money in the long run. Chase Freedom Unlimited benefits include travel and shopping protections like trip cancellation insurance and extended warranty.

I’ll go over 15 Chase Freedom Unlimited® benefits so you can see exactly how this card can add value to your wallet outside of the cash back bonus on your everyday purchases.

Chase Freedom Unlimited Benefits

$200 welcome bonus

With the Chase Freedom Unlimited’s current intro offer you can earn $200 (20,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points) after you spend $500 on purchases in the first three months of account opening.

Fantastic ongoing bonus categories

• 5% cash back on travel purchased through the Chase Travel Portal 
• 3% cash back on dining, including takeout and delivery
• 3% cash back at drugstores

A minimum of 1.5% cash back on everything (that’s right, everything!)

For any and all purchases that don’t fall into one of the bonus categories listed above, you’ll earn 1.5% cash back. That’s a solid minimum earning rate. Especially considering how valuable Ultimate Rewards points can really be. 

No annual fee

That’s right. You’ll get these 15 card benefits without paying a dime. So it’s no surprise that this card consistently ranks as one of the top no-annual-fee cards out there. 

Points pooling with other eligible Chase cards

The Chase Freedom Unlimited earns cash back in the form of Ultimate Rewards points. On their own, these points earned on the Chase Freedom Unlimited can be redeemed through the Chase Travel Portal for 1 cent per point. But if you have another Chase card that also earns Ultimate Rewards points, you could pool the points to get even more value. That’s because Ultimate Rewards points redeemed through certain cards are worth more through the Chase Travel Portal.

Here are some other Chase cards you can pool your points with:

• Chase Sapphire Reserve® (points are worth 1.5 cents per point when redeemed for travel through the Chase Travel Portal)
• Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card(points are worth 1.25 cents per point when redeemed for travel through the Chase Travel Portal)
• Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (points are worth 1.25 cents per point when redeemed for travel through the Chase Travel Portal)

I personally carry both the Chase Freedom Unlimited and the Chase Sapphire Reserve, and I regularly transfer all my points to the Chase Sapphire Reserve so that I can take advantage of the higher redemption value of 1.5 cents per point.

Rewards that don’t expire

Another great perk of the Freedom Unlimited? As long as your account is open and in good standing, the cash back you earn won’t expire. And it’ll be stored in your account in the form of Ultimate Rewards points until you use them or decide to close your account.

Save on Amazon purchases

Amazon offers the option to use the Chase Ultimate Rewards points you earn with cards like the Chase Freedom Unlimited to be redeemed for Amazon purchases. Using your points outright for Amazon purchases is never a great idea. But sometimes Amazon offers deals where you can get 20% or $20 off, for example, for using a single Ultimate Reward point. And those deals are incredible.

Fraud protection & alerts

You can rest easy knowing Chase has your back when it comes to fraudulent activity on your credit card. As a cardholder, you won’t be held responsible for unauthorized charges to your account.

Chase also has a system for alerting cardholders of potential fraud. This is a nice benefit because it means you can address any potential fraud almost immediately. And fix the issue before it gets out of hand. 

Here’s our full guide to Chase fraud protection.

Trip Interruption/Cancellation Coverage

If you’ve booked a trip and charged at least part of it to your card, you’ll be pleasantly surprised to know that you’ll be covered in the event you have to cancel due to an unexpected event.

The Chase Freedom Unlimited provides coverage to reimburse you for certain eligible non-refundable expenses up to $1,500 per person, up to a maximum of $6,000 for all covered persons traveling together on the same trip.

Qualifying events include changes in military orders, severe weather, sickness experienced by you or a traveling companion and more. And you could be reimbursed for expenses related to airline, cruise line, railroad, other common carrier fees, change fees and ground transportation expenses.

A complete list is available in the Guide to Benefits.

If the unexpected happens and you do have to file a claim, you can expect to follow this general process:

• Contact Chase at 888-320-9656. It’s recommended to do this within 20 days of finding out you won’t be able to make your travel plans
• You’ll be sent claim forms which will need to be signed and completed
• You may need to provide supporting documentation such as copies of your travel itinerary and documents supporting your trip cancellation circumstances such as medical documents or death certificate

Purchase protection

If you purchase an eligible item brand new, it’ll be covered against damage or theft for 120 days, up to a limit of $500 per claim and $50,000 per account.

You’ll be covered as long as you made at least part of the purchase with your card.

To take advantage of this perk, you’ll need to contact Chase within 90 days after the loss, damage or theft occurred. They’ll let you know what documentation they’ll need, which could include a copy of the store receipt, police report or any other documentation to substantiate the claim.

Certain items are not eligible for this coverage, such as animals, antiques, computer software and medical equipment. You can check the Guide to Benefits for a complete list of excluded items.

Extended Warranty Protection

Eligible items that are purchased with your Chase Freedom Unlimited could have the original manufacturer’s warranty extended by up to one additional year on eligible warranties of three years or less. Coverage is limited to $10,000 per claim and $50,000 per account.

You’ll qualify for this extended warranty coverage if you made at least part of the purchase with your card.

Taking advantage of this benefit is fairly straightforward. You’ll want to contact Chase within 90 days of the product failure and provide any supporting documentation they may require, such as copies of repair invoices, the original warranty, etc.

Personally, the extended warranty perk saved me several hundred dollars when my out-of-warranty laptop needed a new keyboard. And as I recall, the claim process was very simple! I simply contacted the credit card company, provided a copy of my original purchase receipt and repair invoice, and was promptly mailed a paper check reimbursing me in full for the cost of parts and labor.

There are some items that are excluded from coverage, and you can find the full list in the Guide to Benefits.

Travel Emergency Services

If you need help but don’t know where to turn or who to call, travel emergency services is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days per year.

• Outside the US, call: 804-673-1691
• Inside the US, call: 888-320-9656

They provide a wide range of services, but it’s important to note that they provide only assistance and referral only. You will be responsible for the cost of any services or goods provided.

Here are some examples of services they can provide referrals for:

• Medical referral assistance
• Legal referral assistance
• Emergency transportation assistance
• Emergency ticket replacement
• Lost luggage locator service
• Emergency translation service
• Prescription assistance

Roadside Dispatch

Tacking on roadside assistance to your car insurance can be pricey, so if you’ve opted out of that on your personal insurance policy, the roadside dispatch offered on the Chase Freedom Unlimited could serve as a great alternative or backup option.

And there’s no separate enrollment process. Once you’re a card member, you’re automatically all set to take advantage of this benefit if and when you need to. Just call 800-847-2869 and you can get help for the following services:

• Towing (up to five miles included)
• Tire changing (you must provide a good, inflated spare)
• Jump-start – battery boost
• Lockout service (no key replacement)
• Fuel delivery (up to five gallons; cost of fuel not included)
• Winching (within 100 feet of paved or county-maintained road only)

Once you call in, the dispatcher will stay on the line with you while they arrange for a local towing or service provider to come to you. It saves you the hassle of having to find a local company yourself, and the fees will be billed directly to your credit card account.

Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver (Auto Rental CDW)

When you decline a car-rental agency’s Collision Damage Waiver (CDW)/Loss Damage Waiver (LDW), you’ll get secondary coverage when you pay for your car rental with the Chase Freedom Unlimited. Coverage is global and is eligible with most private passenger vehicles. Covered losses are:

• Physical damage and theft of the vehicle
• Valid loss-of-use charges while the damaged vehicle is out of service
• Reasonable and customary towing charges

You can find much more information starting on page 2 in the Chase Guide To Benefits.

Bottom line

Carrying a card with a simple rewards structure doesn’t mean you have to give up anything in terms of perks and benefits. Life and the unexpected happens, and you could arguably get more value out of the perks than the cash back bonus you’d be earning on your daily purchases.

A single canceled trip, for instance, could save you as much as $6,000 in fees that would otherwise be non-refundable. Using the extended warranty perk even once could potentially save you as much as $10,000 for a single claim. And if you purchase an eligible item brand-new only to have it stolen or damaged, you could be protected for up to $500.

There are a number of use cases for this card, so you should definitely consider applying for the Chase Freedom Unlimited. It won’t cost you anything to keep because the card carries no annual fee. And the card’s current welcome offer is a great one.

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