Update: One or more card offers in this post are no longer available. Check our Hot Deals for the latest offers.
Joseph: Chase has introduced a new offer for the Chase Freedom Unlimited. And depending on your spending habits, this could be an even better deal than before!
You’ll get 3% back (3 Chase Ultimate Rewards points per $1) on all purchases during your first cardmember year! That’s a pretty big deal, as Chase Ultimate Rewards points are perhaps the most useful kind of rewards in this hobby. They’re definitely my favorite to collect!
The downside is this offer does NOT come with a sign-up bonus. But I’ll show you why that might not matter!
The information for this new Chase Freedom Unlimited offer has been collected independently by Million Mile Secrets. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
We don’t get a commission for this card, but we’ll always give you every option to help you get Big Travel with Small Money!
Let’s decide if this new offer is better for your situation.
New Chase Freedom Unlimited Welcome Offer
Link: Chase Freedom Unlimited
Link: How to Easily Earn Tons of Travel Points With These 3 Cards and Just ONE Annual Fee
The old Chase Freedom Unlimited offer came with a $150 (15,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points) sign-up bonus after spending $500 in the first 3 months of account opening. Plus, the card earned 1.5% back on every purchase.
This new offer comes with NO sign-up bonus, and 3% back on every purchase for the first year. After that, the card drops to the normal 1.5% earning rate.
Because Chase Ultimate Rewards points are so valuable, I personally consider this card one of the most important in this hobby. So If you’re new to the miles and points, the Chase Freedom Unlimited could be an excellent card to begin with! It has no annual fee, and the earning structure is very straightforward.
Plus, if you have either the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card, Chase Sapphire Reserve, or Ink Business Preferred Credit Card, you can combine your points to one of these cards and use them to buy travel through the Chase Ultimate Rewards Travel Portal. Depending on which card you have, you’ll get a value of up to 1.5 cents per point towards travel, giving you a return of 4.5% (1.5 cents per point X 3 points per $1).
Or transfer your points to valuable travel partners, like Hyatt, Southwest, and United Airlines.
However, if you’ve opened 5+ cards from any bank (NOT counting Chase business cards and these other business cards) in the past 24 months, it’s unlikely you’ll be approved for this offer. So this probably isn’t an option for folks who have been collecting miles & points for a while.
Is Earning 3X Instead of a Sign-Up Bonus a Good Deal?
If you spend more than $10,000 on your card the first year, this is a better deal for you.
For example, with the old offer, $10,000 in spending X 1.5 points per $1 = 15,000 + 15,000 point sign-up bonus = 30,000 points. Then you’d continue to earn 1.5 points per $1 on any other purchases.
But with this deal, $10,000 in spending X 3 points per $1 = 30,000 points. Plus, you’ll continue to earn 3 points per $1 spent for the entire year!
So if you’re a big spender, this new offer can be a powerhouse!
Note: This card does incur foreign transaction fees. So it’s not a good card for overseas spending.
Other Cards to Consider
The Chase Freedom Unlimited is perhaps the best card to put spending that you won’t earn a bonus from with other cards. But depending on your spending habits, you might benefit more from a different Chase card. For example:
- Chase Freedom – 5% back (5 Chase Ultimate Rewards points) in quarterly rotating categories (like grocery stores, gas stations, Amazon purchases, etc.)
- Chase Sapphire Preferred – 2X Chase Ultimate Rewards points on travel and dining
- Chase Sapphire Reserve – 3X Chase Ultimate Rewards points on travel (excluding $300 travel credit) and dining
Some of these cards have annual fees. But you’ll need a Chase Ultimate Rewards points earning card with an annual fee to unlock the full potential of the rewards you earn with the Chase Freedom Unlimited anyway!
Bottom Line
Chase has changed the welcome bonus for the Chase Freedom Unlimited! It has an amazing earning rate of 3% back (3 Chase Ultimate Rewards points) on all purchases for the first cardmember year. But Chase has eliminated the $150 (15,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points) sign-up bonus.
If you will spend $10,000+, you’ll do better with this card’s offer than the previous offer. However, if you prefer to spread your spending around on other cards to earn valuable sign-up bonuses, it might be worth waiting to see if Chase brings the old offer back to this card.
We don’t earn a commission for this card, but we want you to get the best deal out there!