Chase Freedom Flex® Credit Card

Chase Freedom Flex® is one of the highest-upside $0 annual-fee cards on the market if you’re willing to play the quarterly category game. You get a rotating 5% cash back bucket (with a cap and required activation) layered on top of strong everyday earn rates: 5% on Chase Travel, 3% on dining, and 3% at drugstores.

The Freedom Flex earns Ultimate Rewards® points that can be redeemed for 1¢/point in cash back. If you also hold a Sapphire/Ink “premium UR” card, you can combine points and unlock transfers to airline/hotel partners.

At a Glance

• Welcome Offer: 3 Months
• Rewards Rate:
  • 5% cash back on up to $1,500 in combined purchases in rotating quarterly bonus categories you activate
  • 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel
  • 3% cash back on dining at restaurants (including takeout and eligible delivery)
  • 3% cash back on drugstore purchases
  • 1% on all other purchases
• Annual Fee: $0
• Intro APR: 0% intro APR for 15 months from account opening on purchases and balance transfers
• Foreign Transaction Fee: 3% of the amount of each transaction in U.S. dollars
• Network: World Elite Mastercard

Overview

Freedom Flex is built around one core tradeoff:

• If you activate and actually spend into the rotating categories each quarter (up to the cap), your effective earn rate can beat most flat-rate cash back cards.
• If you don’t want to think about categories, the card still holds up thanks to the always-on 5% (Chase Travel) + 3% dining + 3% drugstores structure.

Rewards & Benefits

Rotating Categories

• Each quarter, you can earn 5% cash back on up to $1,500 in combined purchases in the activated categories; after you hit the cap, you revert to 1% for that quarter’s categories.
• Activation is required each quarter.

Normal Earn Rates

These apply year-round (not capped like the quarterly categories):

• 5% on travel via Chase Travel
• 3% on dining (restaurants, takeout, eligible delivery)
• 3% on drugstores

Redemption Mechanics

• Cash back rewards don’t expire as long as the account is open, and there’s no minimum to redeem.
• You can redeem for statement credit or direct deposit to most U.S. checking/savings accounts.
• If you also have a Sapphire/Ink premium Ultimate Rewards card, you can combine points and unlock transfer partners.

Fees & Requirements

• Annual fee: $0.
• Balance transfer fee: 3% (min $5) within 60 days of account opening; after that, 5% (min $5).
• Foreign transactions: 3% fee.

Protections & Perks

For a no-annual-fee card, the built-in protections are unusually strong:

• Purchase Protection: covers eligible new purchases for 120 days against damage/theft up to $500 per item.
• Extended Warranty: adds 1 year on eligible U.S. manufacturer warranties of 3 years or less.
• Cell Phone Protection: up to $800 per claim and $1,000 per 12-month period (2 claims max; $50 deductible; pay your wireless bill with the card).
• Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance: up to $1,500 per covered traveler and $6,000 per trip for eligible prepaid, non-refundable passenger fares.
• Auto Rental Coverage: collision/theft coverage; secondary in the U.S.
• DoorDash: 6 months of complimentary DashPass (activation deadline shown) + up to $10 off quarterly on non-restaurant orders through the listed end date.
• Lyft: earn 2% total cash back on Lyft rides through 9/30/2027.

Who It’s Best For

• Category optimizers: You can consistently hit the $1,500 quarterly cap in categories you already spend in.
• Chase ecosystem builders: You want a no-fee card that pairs with Sapphire/Ink to funnel spend into high-value UR points later.
• Drugstore + dining spenders: The always-on 3% categories are genuinely useful day-to-day.

Who Should Skip It

• International travelers: The 3% foreign transaction fee is a deal-breaker.
• People who hate activation/caps: If you won’t activate quarterly categories or track the $1,500 limit, you’re leaving the card’s main advantage on the table.
• Set-and-forget flat-rate seekers: You may be happier with a flat 2% card if simplicity is the top priority.

Compare

Bottom Line

Chase Freedom Flex is a top-tier no-fee card if you’ll:

1. Activate the quarterly categories and use the $1,500 cap, and/or
2. Leverage it as an Ultimate Rewards “feeder” into a Sapphire/Ink setup.

Just don’t treat it as a travel card: the foreign transaction fee is real, and it will quickly erode your rewards abroad.