If you’re looking for a new cash back credit card this spring, Chase has a new offer worth checking out.
For a limited time, the card_name has boosted its welcome bonus offer for new applicants:
Limited Time Offer: Earn a $250 Bonus after you spend $500 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening
This is a very good welcome bonus for a card with no annual fee. And the spending requirement is very manageable, with just $500 required over the first three months.
But, as you likely know, Team Clark rarely recommends chasing a short-term gain on a long-term decision like adding a new credit card to your wallet. It needs to have some other redeeming qualities to make it a good decision beyond this welcome offer.
And though the everyday cash back this card offers does not quite match the 2% Clark Howard recommends, we do think there are some areas where this card makes sense. Let’s take a closer look.
Is the Chase Freedom Unlimited® Worth It?
This new welcome bonus may have you considering adding this card to your wallet.
I have an in-depth review of the card available to help with that analysis, but let’s take a quick look here.
First, here’s a glance at the basics of what the card offers:
Chase Freedom Unlimited®
card_name
Annual Fee:
$0.00
Bonus Offer:
Limited Time Offer: Earn a $250 Bonus after you spend $500 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening
Rewards Program Details:
Enjoy 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase TravelSM, the premier rewards program that lets you redeem rewards for cash back, travel, gift cards and more; 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service, and 1.5% on all other purchases.
Intro APR Rate on New Purchases:
0%
Intro APR Period on New Purchases:
15 months
Intro APR Rate on Balance Transfers:
0%
Intro APR Period on Balance Transfers:
15 months
Balance Transfer Fees:
Either $5 or 5% of the amount of each balance transfer, whichever is greater.
Variable APR:
19.24% – 27.74%, based on your creditworthiness.
As I mentioned before, it doesn’t quite meet the unlimited 2% cash back we recommend for an everyday spender. That’s a shame.
But there are a couple of ways you could use this card in your wallet if you already have a 2% card in play:
It could be your best option for a no-annual-fee dining card. This card offers unlimited 3% back dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery. If you don’t already have a card beating 2% back on dining, this could make it a great “role player” in your wallet. In fact, this card earns a mention in our review of the best credit cards for dining.
If you shop in the Chase ecosystem, you could use this for travel purchases. This is not a traditional travel credit card by any stretch, but the 5% cash back you earn if you use the Chase TravelSM portal for travel purchases is pretty solid.
Do you have this card in your wallet? If not, is this bonus offer tempting you? We’d love to hear your thoughts in the Clark.com community.
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