Chase Freedom Flex Refresh: $250 Bonus, No FTF and Points Boost
As rumored, Chase has officially refreshed the Chase Freedom Flex, adding a few new travel-related features while also removing one existing benefit.
The card now has no foreign transaction fees, adds Points Boost on select Chase Travel hotel bookings, comes with a new card design, and is launching with a $250 welcome bonus after $500 in spending. At the same time, cell phone protection has been removed.
What’s Changing
The current welcome offer is $250 after spending $500 within the first three months. The normal offer is typically $200, although Freedom Flex bonuses have changed frequently over time and we have seen $250 in the past.
Chase has also added Points Boost to the Freedom lineup. Cardholders can now redeem Ultimate Rewards points for up to 10% more value on select hotel bookings through Chase Travel. Since Freedom points are normally worth 1 cent each through Chase Travel, eligible Points Boost bookings can raise that value to as much as 1.1 cents per point.
Another useful change is the removal of foreign transaction fees. Freedom Flex previously charged 3% on foreign purchases, but cardholders can now use the card abroad or with international online merchants without that extra fee.
There is a tradeoff, however. Cell phone protection has been removed from the Freedom Flex. That benefit previously covered eligible phones when the monthly wireless bill was paid with the card.
The card also gets a new look, with a deeper blue background and redesigned upward-sloping stardust graphic. Chase says the updated card art is available to both new and existing cardholders.
Old Freedom Card
The old Chase Freedom card is still around. If you have that card, now Chase is once again allowing product changes from the original Chase Freedom to Freedom Flex.
The legacy Freedom card has also dropped its foreign transaction fee.
Guru’s Wrap-Up
This is a modest refresh, with good and bad news for cardholders.
The removal of foreign transaction fees is probably the most useful permanent improvement, while Points Boost adds a little extra value for certain Chase Travel hotel redemptions. The $250 welcome bonus is also better than the typical $200 offer, but I doubt many people will rush to get the card because of it.
On the negative side, losing cell phone protection takes away one of the card’s more practical benefits.
