Chase Freedom® Review | NerdWallet
NerdWallet Logo
Advertiser Disclosure

Chase Freedom®

Apply Nowon Chase’s secure website.
Apply Nowon Chase’s secure website.

Chase Freedom®

Apply Nowon Chase’s secure website.
Apply Nowon Chase’s secure website.

Card details

  • Earn a $150 Bonus after you spend $500 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening
  • Earn 5% cash back on up to $1,500 in combined purchases in bonus categories each quarter you activate
  • Unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases - it's automatic
  • 0% Intro APR for 15 months from account opening on purchases and balance transfers, then a variable APR of 14.24-23.24%. Balance transfer fee is 5% of the amount transferred, $5 minimum
  • Enjoy new 5% categories every 3 months like gas stations, restaurants, and wholesale clubs
  • Cash Back rewards do not expire as long as your account is open
  • No annual fee

APR, Variable

APR: 14.24% - 23.24% Variable APR

Cash Advance APR: 25.24%, Variable

Pros

  • No annual fee
  • Qualify with Good credit

Cons

  • If you value simplicity, a flat rate cash back card may be better

Rewards rate

1.00%

Annual fee

$0

Intro APR

0% on Purchases and Balance Transfers for 15 months

Recommended credit score

Disclaimer: Any editorial content is not provided or commissioned by Chase Bank USA, N.A. Opinions expressed here are author's alone, not those of Chase Bank USA, N.A, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by Chase Bank USA, N.A. "Sponsored" above means this site may be compensated through the Chase Bank USA, N.A Affiliate Program.

Nerdwallet Review

Author: Erin El Issa

The Chase Freedom® rewards cardholders with 5% cash back on rotating quarterly categories. For 2016, these categories are as follows:
  • Q1 (Jan. 1 – March 31): Gas stations and local commuter transportation (not including parking, tolls or Amtrak)
  • Q2 (April 1 – June 30): Grocery stores (not including Target and Wal-Mart) and more
  • Q3 (July 1 – Sept. 30): Restaurants and more
  • Q4 (Oct. 1 – Dec. 31): Holiday shopping
The 5% rewards are capped at $1,500 in spending per quarter. Any bonus category purchases above this amount will be rewarded at the standard rate of 1%. To receive the 5% rewards, you'll have to opt in on a quarterly basis. But don't panic if you forget to do it at the start of a quarter -- you'll receive retroactive rewards as long as you opt in by the 14th day of the third month of the quarter (March 14, June 14, September 14 and December 14).

Want more rewards? The Chase Freedom® has a signup bonus: Earn a $150 Bonus after you spend $500 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening. There's also a $25 cash bonus if you add an authorized user and make a purchase in the first three months.

If you need some time to pay off a large purchase or you want interest relief while paying down current debt, the Chase Freedom® has an introductory APR of 0% on Purchases and Balance Transfers for 15 months, and then the ongoing APR of 14.24% - 23.24% Variable APR.

For more information, check out our full review of the Chase Freedom®.

We also recommend

Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
Citi®Double Cash Card – 18 month BT offer

NerdWallet reviews are the result of independent research by our editorial team while cardholder reviews are contributions from independent users not affiliated with NerdWallet. Banks, issuers and credit card companies are not responsible for any content posted on the NerdWallet site, nor do they endorse or guarantee any posted comments or reviews.

Write a review

Read Our Posting Guidelines

Some of the reviews on the NerdWallet site were purchased through a third party provider. Users who post a review directly on the NerdWallet site will not be compensated in any way. Please see our Terms of Use and Posting Guidelines for more information.