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- The Chase Freedom Flex℠ and Chase Freedom Unlimited® have added a 0% intro APR on balance transfers.
- Previously, the cards only offered a 15-month 0% APR on purchases (then 14.99%–23.74% Variable APR).
- Taking advantage of a 0% APR balance transfer offer is a good way to consolidate high-interest debt.
- Read Insider's guide to the low-interest and 0% APR credit cards.
The Chase Freedom Flex℠ and Chase Freedom Unlimited® are among the most popular no-annual-fee credit cards, in part because of their strong welcome bonuses, solid earning rates, and variety of ways to redeem rewards. While they're marketed as cash-back cards, they actually earn Chase Ultimate Rewards points, which you can redeem for cash, travel, gift cards, merchandise, and more.
There's now another reason to consider opening a Freedom card. Both cards have consistently offered an introductory 0% APR on purchases for the first 15 months (then a 14.99% – 23.74% Variable APR), but now Chase has added a 0% intro APR on balance transfers for the same time period (followed by a 14.99% – 23.74% Variable APR as well).
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The intro balance transfer fee is 3% of the amount of each transfer (or $5, whichever is greater) on transfers made within 60 days of account opening. After that, the fee jumps to 5% of the amount of each transfer (or $5, whichever is greater).
Read more: The best cards with balance transfer offers of 2021
This is good news for folks who are looking to consolidate high-interest debt by taking advantage of a 0% APR balance transfer. Doing so can give you the breathing room you need to pay down debt without worrying about racking up huge interest charges — and can be a part of a strategy to get back on better financial footing.
Chase Freedom Flex and Unlimited 0% APR on balance transfers
Annual Fee
Regular APR
Credit Score
Editor's Rating
Annual Fee
Regular APR
Credit Score
Editor's Rating
Featured Reward
Intro APR
- Pros & Cons
- Details
Pros
- No annual fee
- Generous bonus cash-back categories
- Great welcome bonus
Cons
- Booking through Ultimate Rewards portal can restrict outside earning potential
- Varying percentages and rotating calendar categories require extra attention
- 3% foreign transaction fees
- Earn a $200 Bonus after you spend $500 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening.
- Earn 5% cash back on grocery store purchases (not including Target® or Walmart® purchases) on up to $12,000 spent in the first year.
- Earn 5% cash back on up to $1,500 in combined purchases in bonus categories each quarter you activate. Enjoy new 5% categories each quarter!
- Earn 5% on Chase travel purchased through Ultimate Rewards®, 3% on dining and drugstores, and 1% on all other purchases.
- No annual fee.
- 0% Intro APR for 15 months from account opening on purchases, then a variable APR of 14.99 - 23.74%.
- No minimum to redeem for cash back. Cash Back rewards do not expire as long as your account is open.
While a number of Chase credit cards have consistently offered a 0% intro APR on purchases, during the pandemic, Chase removed intro balance transfer promos from its cards — and even stopped taking applications for what was once the best balance transfer credit card, the Chase Slate® .
Read more: How to consolidate credit card debt
Chase recently introduced a new version of the Slate card— the Chase Slate Edge℠ — which comes with an introductory 0% APR on purchases and balance transfers for the first 12 months (then a 14.99% - 23.74% Variable APR).
The new intro 0% balance transfer offer on the Chase Freedom Flex℠ and Chase Freedom Unlimited® is for an even longer time period (15 months versus 12 months on the Chase Slate Edge℠), so it's a better deal. However, because the Chase Slate Edge℠ is geared toward those who are just getting started with credit or rebuilding credit, it may be easier to get approved for than one of the Freedom cards.
The welcome bonuses on the Freedom cards are also more generous — you can earn $200 after spending $500 on purchases in the first three months from account opening, awarded as 20,000 Ultimate Rewards points. New cardholders can also earn 5% back (5x points) at grocery stores (excluding Target and Walmart) on up to $12,000 in spending during the first year of account opening (then 1x).
Which Chase Freedom card is right for you?
Annual Fee
Regular APR
Credit Score
Editor's Rating
Annual Fee
Regular APR
Credit Score
Editor's Rating
Featured Reward
Intro APR
- Pros & Cons
- Details
Pros
- Solid flat cash-back rate
- You can combine cash-back rewards with Ultimate Rewards points if you have an eligible card
- No annual fee
Cons
- Some other cards offer a higher rate of cash back on certain types of purchases
- Earn a $200 Bonus after you spend $500 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening.
- Earn 5% cash back on grocery store purchases (not including Target® or Walmart® purchases) on up to $12,000 spent in the first year.
- Earn unlimited 1.5% cash back on all other purchases.
- Earn 5% on Chase travel purchased through Ultimate Rewards®, 3% on dining and drugstores, and 1.5% on all other purchases.
- No annual fee.
- 0% Intro APR for 15 months from account opening on purchases, then a variable APR of 14.99 - 23.74%.
- No minimum to redeem for cash back. Cash Back rewards do not expire as long as your account is open.
The Chase Freedom Flex℠ and Chase Freedom Unlimited® are solid picks if you're looking for a no-annual-fee card that earns flexible rewards. They offer the same welcome bonus and intro APR offer, and have (mostly) similar benefits, so the right card for you really depends on your spending habits.
Both cards earn 5% back on travel booked through Chase and 3% back on dining (including takeout) and drugstores. Beyond that, each earns rewards a little differently.
Read more: Chase Freedom Flex versus the Chase Freedom Unlimited: Which cash-back card is right for you?
With the Chase Freedom Flex℠, you can earn 5% cash back in bonus categories that rotate every quarter, on up to $1,500 in combined spending (then 1% back) when you activate. For Q3 2021 (July through September), you'll earn the bonus on grocery stores and select streaming services. All other purchases earn 1% back.
If you don't want to worry about activating and tracking bonus categories, the Chase Freedom Unlimited® may be a better choice. Beyond earning 5% back on travel booked through Chase and 3% back on dining and drugstores, it earns 1.5% back on all other purchases, which is a decent rate of return for non-bonus category spending.
Here's a a side-by-side comparison of both cards to help you decide.
| Chase Freedom Flex℠ | ||
| Annual fee |
$0 |
$0 |
| Welcome bonus |
$200 after spending $500 on purchases in the first three months from account opening 5% back (5x points) at grocery stores (excluding Target and Walmart) on up to $12,000 in spending during the first year of account opening (then 1x) |
$200 after spending $500 on purchases in the first three months from account opening 5% back (5x points) at grocery stores (excluding Target and Walmart) on up to $12,000 in spending during the first year of account opening (then 1x) |
| Rewards rate |
5% cash back (5x points) on travel purchased through Ultimate Rewards 3% cash back (3x points) on dining and drugstore purchases 1.5% cash back (1.5x points) on everything else |
5% cash back (5x points) on travel purchased through Ultimate Rewards 5% cash back (5x points) on up to $1,500 in purchases each quarter in rotating bonus categories when you activate 5% cash back (5x points) on Lyft rides through March 2022 3% cash back (3x points) on dining and drugstore purchases 1% cash back (1x points) on everything else |
| Card benefits |
Extended warranty Secondary car rental insurance in the US (primary otherwise) Trip interruption/cancellation insurance Travel and emergency assistance services
|
Car rental insurance (secondary in the US, primary otherwise) Trip cancellation/interruption insurance Purchase protection Extended warranty Travel and emergency assistance services Free credit score |
| Introductory 0% APR offer |
0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for the first 15 months, then a 14.99%–23.74% Variable APR |
0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for the first 15 months, then a 14.99% – 23.74% Variable APR |
| Foreign transaction fee |
Yes |
Yes |
| Review | Chase Freedom Flex credit card review |
To learn more about the best credit card combinations for maximizing rewards, check out our guides to pairing the Freedom and Sapphire cards and earning the most cash-back without an annual fee.
Disclosure: This post is brought to you by the Personal Finance Insider team. We occasionally highlight financial products and services that can help you make smarter decisions with your money. We do not give investment advice or encourage you to adopt a certain investment strategy. What you decide to do with your money is up to you. If you take action based on one of our recommendations, we get a small share of the revenue from our commerce partners. This does not influence whether we feature a financial product or service. We operate independently from our advertising sales team.
Disclosure: This post is brought to you by the Personal Finance Insider team. We occasionally highlight financial products and services that can help you make smarter decisions with your money. We do not give investment advice or encourage you to adopt a certain investment strategy. If you take action based on one of our recommendations, we get a small share of the revenue from our commerce partners. This does not influence whether we feature a financial product or service. We operate independently from our advertising sales team.
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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