Chase's Freedom Unlimited is one of the best cash-back credit cards of 2018 - and it comes with perks that many competing cards don't offer

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The Points Guy

• The Chase Freedom Unlimited is a compelling cash-back credit card for anyone looking to earn with a simple, easy-to-understand rewards program and no annual fee.
• While it is not the very best awards rate out there, it does come with some valuable benefits that competing cash-back cards don't offer.
• As long as you pay it off in full every month, you have a lot to gain and almost nothing to lose with the Freedom Unlimited card.

If you want to earn cash back on every single purchase, the Chase Freedom Unlimited credit card may be a great choice. This card offers unlimited 1.5% cash back on every purchase with no limits, annual fees, or bonus categories to worry about.

This card came about after a long reign by the Chase Freedom card, which offers 5% cash back on rotating bonus categories and 1% everywhere else, as an alternative that allows users a simpler, but still lucrative, cash-back experience. Depending on your spending habits, the Chase Freedom Unlimited card may be the right fit.

Chase Freedom Unlimited rewards

This card starts users with a valuable $150 cash-back bonus after spending $500 on purchases in the first three months after signing up for a new account. At the same time, you earn 1.5% cash back on every purchase. There is no limit to what you can earn.

Compared to the original Chase Freedom card, this card offers an interesting value. With the old Freedom card, which is still available, you can earn more with the 5% bonus categories. But with only 1% everywhere else, you may still earn more cash back in total with the 1.5% flat rate cash back. It really depends on where you shop most.

If you also have a Chase Sapphire Reserve or Chase Sapphire Preferred Card, you can turn cash back into Ultimate Rewards points at a rate of 1 cent per 1 point. If you value free rewards travel, this is another way to earn rewards points that can be worth a lot more than 1 cent each depending on how you redeem.

The 1.5% cash back rate is pretty good, but it isn't the best out there. Even among cards with no annual fee, you may do better with Citi Double Cash, which offers 1% cash back when you shop and 1% when you pay your bill. That is an equivalent 2% cash back on every purchase. For big spenders with great credit, the Alliant Cashback Visa Signature credit card may offer even more with a 2.5% rate and 3% for the first year.

Read more: 4 reasons anyone who cares about credit card points and miles should be using Chase Ultimate Rewards

Chase Freedom Unlimited features

Unlike some other banks, Chase offers a lot in additional benefits on its cards. In addition to zero fraud liability, which is standard for pretty much every credit card, Freedom Unlimited includes an automatic extended manufacturer's warranty and purchase protection.

The extended warranty gives you an additional year on top of the manufacturer's warranty for eligible purchases with a warranty of three years or less. Purchase protection will repair or replace new purchases for 120 days due to loss or theft. If you just got a brand-new phone and dropped it, that screen repair is covered up to $500 per claim and $50,000 per account lifetime.

This card does not offer any benefits specific to travel.

Read more: Chase offers bonus points or miles when you add authorized users to certain credit cards - adding your kid will help them build a credit history

Freedom Unlimited costs and fees

This card has no annual fee and most other fees are easily avoidable. As long as you pay your card off in full every month and skip balance transfers, cash advances, and pay on time, you won't ever pay to keep or use this card.

Starting out, this card offers 0% APR for 15 months on purchases and balance transfers. That is a great deal and may allow you to consolidate other debt to this card and pay it off completely during the no-interest period. After the intro period, the card charges variable-rate interest. Current rates are 16.74% to 25.49% APR based on your credit history. Rates can change at any time with market rates. In the current rising interest rate environment, they are likely to follow suit. Cash-advance transactions charge a higher 26.74% variable rate APR.

Balance transfers cost 5% of the transferred balance with a $5 minimum. Cash-advance transactions charge 5% with a $10 minimum. Late and returned payments cost up to $38 per occurrence.

This card charges a 3% foreign transaction fee. If you travel outside the United States regularly, you can find a card, like the Chase Sapphire cards mentioned above, that charge no foreign transaction fee.

The bottom line: Is this the best card for you?

Overall, this is a compelling cash-back credit card for anyone looking to earn with a simple, easy-to-understand rewards program and no annual fee. While it is not the very best awards rate out there, it does come with some valuable benefits that competing cash-back cards don't offer.

If you are a fan of Chase cards or just want a simple way to earn every time you swipe (or dip, tap, or pay online), the Chase Freedom Unlimited credit card has you covered. The $150 cash back sign-up bonus may be enough to tip the odds in favor of this card as well. As long as you pay it off in full every month, you have a lot to gain and almost nothing to lose with the Freedom Unlimited card.

Click here to learn more about the Chase Freedom Unlimited from Insider Picks' partner The Points Guy.

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