The original Chase Freedom is no longer open to new applicants, so this take is for people who already carry it. For them it remains worth keeping: there is no annual fee, and the 5% rotating categories (grocery stores excluding Walmart and Target, plus dining, in Q4 2026) pay well on up to $1,500 in combined quarterly spend before dropping to 1%. The tradeoff is the 1% base rate on everything else and the need to keep track of each quarter's categories, plus a foreign transaction fee that rules it out for travel abroad. If you are shopping for a new card instead, the Freedom Flex is the direct successor with the same rotating 5% structure plus 3% on dining and drugstores, and the Freedom Unlimited suits anyone who would rather earn a flat 1.5% without activating anything.
Earn rates & credits
| Category | Rate |
|---|---|
Rotating categories Q4 2026: grocery stores (excluding Walmart and Target), dining, and donations to the American Red Cross on first $1,500/qtr, then 1% Q4 2026: Groceries, Dining | 5% |
Everything Else | 1% |
Card details
Foreign transaction fee | Yes |
Approval odds
Product changes
Where cardholders came from before landing on this card, and what they moved it to afterwards. Thicker flows carry a larger share of the changes in that direction.
Chase Sapphire Preferred
Chase Freedom Unlimited
Chase Sapphire Reserve
Chase Freedom Flex
Chase Slate Edge
Chase FreedomChase FreedomBased on 22 reported product changes. Percentages are shares of each direction, not of all cardholders, and a small sample can swing a long way.