The Chase Freedom Flex® is one of the best cash back credit cards of 2025 for families who want to maximize rewards without paying an annual fee.
Cardholders get excellent quarterly bonus categories, plus generous rewards on dining and drugstore purchases. The card also offers new customers a generous welcome bonus and 0% intro APR.
Business Insider's personal finance experts evaluated this card against the best credit cards with no annual fees available right now and found it to be an industry leader for people who want an intro zero-interest period and credit card cellphone protection benefits with no annual costs.
Here's what you should know about this popular card and how you can add it to your wallet.
$0
0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for the first 15 months
18.99% - 28.49% Variable
Earn a $200 bonus
Good to Excellent
Pros
Cons
The Chase Chase Freedom Flex® is a great pick if you want one of the best no-annual-fee cards with big earning potential and impressive benefits. It's an even better choice if you already collect Ultimate Rewards points with other Chase cards, because you can combine your points and potentially get even more value.
Chase Freedom FlexChase Freedom Flex® Overview
The Chase Freedom Flex® is one of the best credit cards you can get this year.
It's a World Elite Mastercard, which comes with an outstanding range of benefits. You're also eligible for Chase purchase protection and other benefits such as trip interruption and cancellation insurance.
Chase Freedom Flex® Rewards
Welcome Bonus
The Chase Freedom Flex® offers a decent welcome bonus: $200 bonus after you spend $500 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.
The offer amount isn't the highest credit card bonus around, but it's very easy for most people to earn since the minimum spending requirement is relatively low.
How to Earn Rewards with the Chase Freedom Flex®
The Chase Freedom Flex® earns bonus rewards across several permanent categories of spend, as well as a handful of categories that change every three months. You'll earn the most rewards if you can take full advantage of the rotating categories each quarter.
Chase Freedom Flex® cardholders can earn:
- 5 points per dollar on travel booked through the Chase Travel℠ Portal including airfare, hotels, car rentals, cruises, and activities
- 5 points on Chase Freedom quarterly rotating bonus categories up to $1,500 in combined purchases each quarter when you activate
- 3 points on dining, including takeout and eligible delivery services
- 3 points at drugstores
- 1 point per dollar on everything else
How to Redeem Rewards from the Chase Freedom Flex®
You can redeem your rewards in many different ways including cash back, gift cards, travel through Chase, Chase Pay Yourself Back, and major retailers such as Apple and Amazon.
Maximizing Rewards with Other Chase Cards
The Chase Freedom Flex® is worth considering on its own, but you can actually boost the value of your rewards when you pair it with some of the best Chase cards including the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, Chase Sapphire Reserve®, and Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card.
Your points from the Chase Freedom Flex® are worth more when you transfer them to a travel rewards credit card with Chase Ultimate Rewards points transfer partners.
Chase Ultimate Rewards points are worth an average of 1.8 cents apiece, based on Business Insider's assessment of what points and miles are worth.
Pairing a Chase Freedom card with the Chase Sapphire Reserve® is one of the best ways to get the most from your Chase points, especially if you primarily plan to use your rewards to book travel.
On the Chase Sapphire Reserve®, points are worth 1.5 cents apiece when you book travel through the Chase Travel portal or through Pay Yourself Back on select purchases.
The Chase Sapphire Reserve® has an annual fee of $550, so it doesn't make sense for everyone. But if you travel on a regular basis, you may want to consider adding this card to your wallet to supplement your Chase Freedom Flex®.
Chase Freedom Flex® Benefits
The Chase Freedom Flex® comes with substantial purchase and travel protections, including select World Elite Mastercard benefits that are rare on no-annual-fee credit cards.
0% Intro APR on Purchases and Balance Transfers
New cardholders can take advantage of a 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for the first 15 months; after that, there's a 18.99% - 28.49% Variable APR.
This zero-interest period is handy for paying off large purchases over time without incurring huge interest charges or for consolidating high-interest credit card debt, making the Chase Freedom Flex® is one of our top picks of the best balance transfer cards.
Regardless of how you use this intro offer, plan ahead so you can pay off your full balance before the card's zero-interest period expires.
Cellphone Protection
When you use the Chase Freedom Flex® card to pay your monthly wireless bill, you're eligible for cellphone protection against covered theft or damage, up to $800 per claim and $1,000 per year. There's a $50 deductible per claim, and a maximum of two approved claims per 12-month period.
Purchase Protection
When you pay for an eligible new purchase with your Chase Freedom Flex®, Chase's purchase protection will reimburse you for approved claims of damage or theft within the first 120 days, up to $500 per claim.
Extended Warranty
Eligible items purchased with the Chase Freedom Flex® get an additional year of extended warranty coverage if the manufacturer's original warranty lasts three years or less.
Car Rental Insurance
You're covered for theft and collision damage on most cars when you decline the rental company's collision insurance, and charge the entire rental cost to your Chase Freedom Flex®.
Within the U.S., the rental car coverage from this card is secondary to your personal insurance. In most other destinations, you'll enjoy primary rental car insurance benefits, meaning you can file a claim directly through the Chase Freedom Flex® without having to first go through your car insurance company.
Trip Cancellation and Interruption Insurance
If you pay with your Chase Freedom Flex®, you're covered for up to $1,500 per person and $6,000 per trip if your trip is canceled or shortened because of illness, severe weather, or other eligible events.
Travel and Emergency Assistance Services
If you're away from home and run into trouble, Chase Freedom Flex® cardholders have access to a travel and emergency assistance hotline that can help arrange things like legal and medical referrals, prescriptions, translation services, and more. Keep in mind that any third-party costs are your responsibility.
Bonus Points on Lyft Purchases
Cardholders earn 2% back on purchases made with Lyft through September 2027.
Other World Elite Mastercard Benefits
Since the Chase Freedom Flex® is a World Elite Mastercard, you'll have access to other included perks:
- Lyft: Pay for three rides in a calendar month with your card and receive a $5 Lyft credit
- Fandango: Spend $20 at Fandango or on Fandango's streaming service and get a $5 Fandango Reward
- ShopRunner: Receive a complimentary one-year ShopRunner membership and get free two-day shipping and free returns at over 100 merchants
Chase Freedom Flex® Fees
The Chase Freedom Flex® doesn't charge an annual fee, so it's a great long-term keeper card.
Keeping a card open for a long time can increase your average credit age and potentially improve your credit score. Just note that you'll incur interest if you carry a balance (currently a 18.99% - 28.49% Variable APR) once the introductory APR period is over.
The Chase Freedom Flex® does charge foreign transaction fees, so it's not a good choice for bringing on international trips or for charging international purchases.
As with many other cards, there are various other charges in certain circumstances, including balance transfer fees, cash advance fees, late payment fees, and returned payment fees.
Chase Freedom Flex® Alternatives
The Chase Freedom Flex® is powerful, but has several worthy competitors that may be an even better fit for your wallet.
Chase Freedom Flex® vs. Chase Freedom Unlimited®
$0
0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for the first 15 months
18.99% - 28.49% Variable
Earn a $200 bonus
Good to Excellent
Pros
Cons
The Chase Freedom Unlimited® is a great choice for credit card beginners and experts alike. With no annual fee and a high earnings rate, it's worth considering as an everyday card — and it's even better when you pair it with an annual-fee Chase card like the Chase Sapphire Reserve®.
Chase Freedom Unlimited- Intro Offer: Earn a $200 Bonus after you spend $500 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening
- Enjoy 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 1.5% 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!
- Enjoy 0% Intro APR for 15 months from account opening on purchases and balance transfers, then a variable APR of 18.99% - 28.49%.
- No annual fee – You won't have to pay an annual fee for all the great features that come with your Freedom Unlimited® card
- Keep tabs on your credit health, Chase Credit Journey helps you monitor your credit with free access to your latest score, alerts, and more.
- Member FDIC
The Chase Freedom Unlimited® (rates and fees) is a cousin of the Chase Freedom Flex®, and one of Business Insider's top credit card picks.
This card is very similar to the Chase Freedom Flex®, but is better for families and people who value simplicity over maximum rewards. It earns 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service, and 1.5% on all other purchases.
Like the Freedom Flex, the Chase Freedom Unlimited® also earns rewards in the form of Ultimate Rewards points, which can be transferred to other Chase Ultimate Rewards credit cards in the same way. However, the Chase Freedom Unlimited® does not come with cellphone protection benefits.
New Chase Freedom Unlimited cardholders can earn a $200 bonus after you spend $500 on purchases in the first three months from account opening. They an also take advantage of a 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for the first 15 months, then a 18.99% - 28.49% Variable APR.
Learn more in our Chase Freedom Unlimited review.
Chase Freedom Flex® vs. Citi Custom Cash℠ Card
If you value the rewards on this card but want to earn Citi ThankYou points instead, consider the Citi Custom Cash℠ Card, which also has a $0 annual fee.
The Citi Custom Cash℠ Card earns 5% cash back, in the form of Citi ThankYou points, on up to $500 in your top spending category each billing cycle across several eligible bonus categories including restaurants, gas stations, grocery stores, select travel, select transit, select streaming services, drugstores, home improvement stores, fitness clubs, and live entertainment. You'll earn 1% back after that, as well as a flat rate of 1% back per dollar spent on every other purchase.
The Citi Custom Cash℠ Card also offers Citi Entertainment access to presale tickets for concerts, sporting events and more. However, this card doesn't come with any consumer benefits such as rental car insurance or cell phone protection.
New cardholders can earn an intro bonus of $200 cash back, fulfilled as 20,000 ThankYou® Points, after you spend $1,500 on purchases in the first six months of account opening. There's also a 0% intro APR on balance transfers and purchases for 15 months, followed by a 18.24% - 28.24% Variable APR.
Learn more in our Citi Custom Cash card review.
Chase Freedom Flex® vs. Discover it® Cash Back
$0
0% intro APR for 15 months on purchases and balance transfers
18.24% - 27.24% Variable APR
Earn Unlimited Cashback Match®
Good to Excellent
Pros
Cons
The Discover it® Cash Back is one of the best credit cards that offers 5% back on popular rotating categories each quarter up to a spending limit when activated. Your rewards are matched by Discover after the first 12 months, and the card has no annual fee.
Discover it® Cash Back- Intro Offer: Unlimited Cashback Match for all new cardmembers–only from Discover. Discover will automatically match all the cash back you’ve earned at the end of your first year! There’s no minimum spending or maximum rewards. You could turn $150 cash back into $300.
- Earn 5% Cashback Bonus® at Grocery Stores and Wholesale Clubs, April 1 through June 30, 2025, on up to $1,500 in purchases, when you activate. Plus, earn unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases.
- Redeem your rewards for cash at any time.
- Apply and you could get a decision in as little as 60 seconds. No annual fee.
- Start shopping and earning rewards in minutes with your digital card, before your physical card arrives in the mail, if eligible.
- Discover could help you reduce exposure of your personal information online by helping you remove it from select people-search sites that could sell your data. Activate by mobile app for free.
- Get a 0% intro APR for 15 months on purchases. Then 18.24% to 27.24% Standard Variable Purchase APR applies, based on credit worthiness.
- Terms and conditions apply.
The Discover it® Cash Back is another cash-back credit card with $0 annual fee. It earns 5% back on rotating categories each quarter with activation on up to $1,500 in combined spending (earn 1% on other purchases).
This quarter, you can earn 5% cash back at grocery stores and wholesale clubs, April 1 to June 30, 2025, on up to $1,500 in purchases after enrollment, then 1% back on all other purchases.
The Discover it® Cash Back beats the Freedom Flex when it comes to travel, since it doesn't charge foreign transaction fees.
Cardholders also get access to their FICO credit score and can take advantage of one waived late payment fee on their first late payment.
This card also offers new cardholders a 0% intro APR for 15 months on purchases and balance transfers, then a 18.24% - 27.24% Variable APR. And while new cardholders don't earn a traditional welcome bonus, Discover will match all of the cash back you earn within your first 12 months of card ownership through its Discover Cashback Match Program.
Learn more in our Discover it Cash Back card review.
Chase Freedom Flex® Cardholder Reviews
The Chase Freedom Flex® is well-loved for its many benefits. In addition to compiling our own research, Business Insider's credit card experts sought out user experiences and feedback across popular websites to see what everyday consumers have to say about this card.
Cardholders across Reddit and other online forums particularly appreciated the following perks:
Winning Combo: No Annual Fee, Generous Rewards, Valuable Benefits
Fans of the Chase Freedom Flex® say there are "no downsides" to this no-annual-fee card that comes with rotating 5% categories as well as premium-tier perks such as cell phone protection.
One Reddit member said that "the cellphone protection provided has saved me over $700 in repairs alone."
Lucrative Bonus Categories… If You're Willing to Work for Them
The Chase Freedom Flex® is a great card for many consumers, but only maximizes rewards for cardholders willing to track the card's 5% rotating categories each quarter. Instead, some consumers prefer the Chase Freedom Unlimited® for a flat rate of 1.5% per dollar spent.
Card Comparison: If you're torn between the Chase Freedom Flex® and theChase Freedom Unlimited®, we have a comparison guide comparing the Chase Freedom Flex vs. the Chase Freedom Unlimited.
Generous Welcome Bonus for a No-Annual-Fee Credit Card
The Chase Freedom Flex® often comes with an introductory offer that surpasses that of the Chase Freedom Unlimited®. And if you don't need your points immediately, Redditors suggest holding onto your rewards until you can combine them with a higher-redemption card.
If you transfer the points you earn on the Chase Freedom Flex® to the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, Chase Sapphire Reserve®, and Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card, your effective rate of rewards return can be up to 7.5% per dollar spent on bonus categories, since the Sapphire cards have point multipliers that apply when purchasing travel through Chase.
Since Business Insider values Ultimate Rewards points at an average of 1.8 cents apiece, this equates to a lucrative 13.5 cents back per dollar spent.
Introductory No-Interest APR on Purchases and Balance Transfers
People with large expenses coming up often apply for the Chase Freedom Flex® and charge the planned purchase to this card to take advantage of the 0% introductory APR offer.
New cardholders with high-interest debt from other credit cards utilize the Chase Freedom Flex® zero-interest offer for balance transfers as well. This buys consumers a little extra time to pay off outstanding balances without dipping into emergency funds or other cash reserves.
Who Should Consider the Chase Freedom Flex?
The Chase Freedom Flex® is a great fit for many, but some people will do better with a more premium travel rewards credit card. The following types of people are ideal cardholders:
Chase Ultimate Rewards Loyalists
If you already have Chase Ultimate Rewards points through another Chase card, the Chase Freedom Flex® can help you double or even triple your earning potential.
A cardholder on Reddit called this card "the biggest point collector" out of their three Chase credit cards, pointing out that the rotating bonus categories regularly cover common household expenses such as Amazon, Paypal, and groceries.
People Who Value Credit Cards with No Annual Fee
The Chase Freedom Flex® is one of our favorite credit cards with no annual fee because the benefits and earning rates far outstrip the cost of keeping it in your wallet.
Redditors with this card say it's a no-brainer to keep open even after the initial zero-interest period is over because of the bonus categories and lack of an annual fee.
People Who Value Cash Back
You can redeem Chase Ultimate Rewards for far greater value than their stated worth, but the Chase Freedom Flex® is still worth keeping if you value cash back.
Rewards can be redeemed at a rate of 1 cent per point, which can easily add up to 5%, 7%, or even 9% cash back depending on the rotating bonus category.
Chase Freedom Flex® Drawbacks
Not everyone loves the Chase Freedom Flex®. While some users praise the card's rewards and customer service, others express concerns over approval odds and promotional offers. Yet others were frustrated by the complexity of tracking ever-changing bonus categories.
Requires Good to Excellent Credit
The Chase Freedom Flex® has no annual fee, but it still requires strong credit for approval. If you don't already have a good credit score, it may be worth your while to work toward building stronger credit before applying for this card. Many of the best starter credit cards can help people who are new to credit, while the best credit cards for bad credit are designed to help people repair bad credit scores.
Rotating Bonus Categories Are Hard to Remember
If you like most aspects of the Chase Freedom Flex® but don't want to deal with ever-changing bonus categories, cardholders recommend the Chase Freedom Unlimited®, reviewed in the section below.
Why You Should Trust Us: How We Reviewed the Chase Freedom Flex®
Business Insider's credit cards team reviewed the Chase Freedom Flex® by comparing it to several similar no-annual-fee credit cards. We looked at several factors in our assessment, including:
- Ease of use — Is the card's rewards earning and redeeming easy to understand, even for beginners? Are there multiple options for using rewards?
- Potential rewards on rotating categories— Does the card offer bonus categories that are useful for everyday spending? Are the categories practical for the average consumer?
- Annual fee — Many issuers offer no-annual-fee cards. But not all of them come with significant cardholder benefits, or provide similar or equal value to that of the Chase Freedom Flex®.
- Zero-interest intro APR — Does this card incentivize consumers to make large purchases or transfer existing card balances to avoid paying high rates of interest?
Learn more about our approach in Business Insider's full guide to how we rate credit cards.
FAQs
What is the Chase Freedom Flex Credit Card?
The Chase Freedom Flex® is a cash-back card with no annual fee that earns Chase Ultimate Rewards on everyday purchases and rotating bonus categories.
Does the Chase Freedom Flex Credit Card have an annual fee?
The Chase Freedom Flex® has no annual fee, but there are other fees such as balance transfer fees and foreign transaction fees. The Chase Freedom Flex® charges foreign transaction fees on international purchases: 3% of the amount of each transaction in U.S. dollars.
Is the Chase Freedom Flex® a good credit card for beginners?
The Chase Freedom Flex® is a great credit card for beginners and experts alike. It earns generous rewards with no annual fee, and comes with premium benefits such as cell phone insurance and a 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for the first 15 months APR.
What's better, the Chase Freedom Flex® or Freedom Unlimited?
The Chase Freedom Unlimited® and Chase Freedom Flex® are targeted toward different types of consumers. You'll earn the most if you can maximize the Chase Freedom Flex®'s rotating bonus categories every three months. But the Chase Freedom Unlimited®'s flat-rate 1.5% rate of return can be simpler for people who don't want to think about which card to use for every purchase.
Editorial Note: Any opinions, analyses, reviews, or recommendations expressed in this article are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any card issuer. Read our editorial standards.
Please note: While the offers mentioned above are accurate at the time of publication, they're subject to change at any time and may have changed, or may no longer be available.
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