We’ve talked about the new Chase product before, the Freedom Unlimited card. This is a good everyday card with the ability to earn UR points at a rate of 1.5 UR per dollar spent on all purchases, with no limit.
The card is now available. You can apply by phone or by visiting a branch as DoC reports. There’s two scenarios here, either applying for the card, or doing a product change from a different Chase card. You have to decide which one makes more sense for you, or even if you should get the card at all.
As you know, Chase has a pretty strict 5/24 rule, where they limit you to five new cards in 24 months. If this rule is a big issue for you, then most likely the best option would be to do a product change. You can change cards like the Chase Freedom, Sapphire, Sapphire Preferred or Slate. Keep in mind that you need to have a Sapphire Preferred of Ink card to take advantage of the Freedom Unlimited UR points.
I plan on changing just product changed my wife’s useless Slate to a Freedom Unlimited. The only reason she still has the card is because it’s one of her two oldest cards and it helps her FICO score. By doing a product change, you forfeit the sign up bonus, which currently is $175 (including $25 for AU). I plan on keeping my regular Freedom card for myself. If you’re doing a product change, you can just send a secure message. No need to call or visit a branch.
You also have to decide between the Freedom and the Freedom Unlimited. The former earns 1% but has rotating 5% categories and the latter has 1.5% on all purchases. With the regular Freedom card if you maximize the quarterly bonus, you can earn $300 (30,000 Chase UR) annually. That can also be transferred to a UR earning card.
There’s also the issue of losing out on 2% cashback that you would earn with a card like the Citi Double CashBack card, in order to earn 1.5% in UR points. UR points are pretty valuable, usually valued about 2 cents per point, but it depends on how valuable they are to you. So you need to get at least a 1.34 cent per point value out of URs in order for the Freedom Unlimited to make sense over a 2% straight cash back card.
Let us know if you decide to go for this card and what you plan to do.
Offer Details
- Apply Here
- $150 bonus after $500 spend within first 3 months
- $25 bonus after adding authorized user and making one purchase within 3 months
- 0% intro APR for 15 months
- Unlimited 1.5% cash back on any purchase
- No Annual Fee
