A few weeks ago I wrote a post about the Chase Freedom Unlimited card. In that post I spent a few paragraphs explaining why I didn’t personally think the Chase Freedom Unlimited card was worth carrying. However, in that post I discussed the situations where I thought the card did make sense to have.
Well, fast forward a few weeks and, sure enough, I applied and eventually opened a Chase Freedom Unlimited card account. Now, before you get too upset, you have to understand that a lot has changed this year. My spending in 2020 is completely different than last year. Furthermore, Chase launched an attractive signup offer for the Chase Freedom Unlimited card that I just couldn’t pass up.
Chase Improved The Freedom Unlimited Card Offering
Shortly after writing my post about the Chase Freedom Unlimited Card, Chase made some welcomed changes to the card. Most notably, Chase began offering a $200 cash back sign-up bonus after spending $500. Additionally, Chase is now offering 5x points on the first $12,000 spent on groceries for the first 12-months you carrying the card.
Those changes alone made me reconsider the Chase Freedom Unlimited card. For starters, I’d earn $200 cash back, or 20,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points, from the sign-up bonus on the no annual fee card. That’s an excellent return for just $500 of spend. Additionally, I can earn up to 60,000 Ultimate Rewards points on grocery store spend in the next 12 months! That’s especially appealing considering I’ve been spending more on groceries than ever before.
As you can see, Chase’s improved sign up bonus for the Chase Freedom Unlimited card made the card much more attractive to open, but Chase also made some ongoing changes to the card. Specifically, Chase is now offering 5% Cash Back on travel booked through Chase Travel, 3% Cash Back on dining and drugstores, and 1.5% cash back on all other purchases. Since I transfer Chase cash back into Ultimate Rewards points, that equates to 5x UR points on Chase Travel, 3x on dining and drugstores, and 1.5x on all other purchases. Overall, that makes the no annual fee Chase Freedom Unlimited Card as appealing to carry as the Chase Sapphire Reserve card which comes with a $550 annual fee!
Receiving My Chase Freedom Unlimited Card
Since Chase made the Freedom Unlimited card much more attractive to carry, I decided to open an account a few weeks ago. Shortly after my new Chase Freedom Unlimited Card arrived in the mail. As with most new credit cards, my new card arrived in a plain white envelope.
Inside the plain envelope I found my new card and some information on my new card. As always, my new card was affixed to a page with my credit limit, card account number, and other information.
Similar to other new Chase credit cards, the Chase Freedom Unlimited card is a contactless credit card. This means you only need to tap the card on card readers to pay.
Overall, the Chase Freedom Unlimited card looks a lot like the standard Chase Freedom card.
My Plans For The Chase Freedom Unlimited Card
Personally, given the other cards I currently carry in my wallet, I’m going to use the Chase Freedom Unlimited card exclusively for groceries for the next 12 months. In general I spend between $150 and $300 a week on groceries so I should manage to hit the $12,000 grocery threshold sometime next year. I’ve also started buying more of my household items (soap, paper towels, and toilet paper) at the grocery store to ensure I hit the $12,000 threshold. By maximizing the grocery store sign-up bonus I’ll earn about $900 worth of Ultimate Rewards points, which is great considering the Chase Freedom Unlimited card lacks an annual fee.
Beyond the 12 months promotional period, I don’t plan to use the Chase Freedom Unlimited card. Instead, this card will most likely move to my sock drawer for safekeeping. Sure, the card now offers decent bonus cash back on dining and everyday spend, but I earn more rewards from my Citi Prestige and Citi Double Cash cards.
Final Thoughts
Overall, I’m quite pleased with the current Chase Freedom Unlimited sign up offer. I think the offer perfectly reflects the dramatic shift in consumer spending that happened in 2020. So, if you’ve also found yourself spending much more on groceries, I think the Chase Freedom Unlimited card is a great grocery card for the next 12 months.
However, beyond the promotional period, I still don’t think the Chase Freedom Unlimited card is worth using everyday. Instead, I’d still recommend the Citi Double Cash card. That being said, Chase has made some ongoing changes to the card that could help it earn a spot in your wallet if you’re looking for a good all-rounder without an annual fee.
