Chase’s Freedom Flex Earns 5 Percent Cash Back on Travel

Condé Nast Traveler has partnered with CardRatings for our coverage of credit card products. Condé Nast Traveler and CardRatings may receive a commission from card issuers. We don’t review or include all companies, or all available products. Moreover, the editorial content on this page was not provided by any of the companies mentioned, and has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities. Opinions expressed here are entirely those of Condé Nast Traveler’s editorial team.

Chase credit cards are a staple in savvy travelers’ wallets. So when the company launches a new card, it’s worth our attention. And with its latest offering, the Freedom Flex, Chase certainly didn’t disappoint.

Developed in partnership with Mastercard, the Chase Freedom Flex card has no annual fee, and its earning categories are structured to benefit travelers who want to rack up points even while traveling less during the pandemic. As of September 15, the card is accepting applications. Here’s everything to know about Chase’s brand new credit card.

How the Chase Freedom Flex earns rewards

Like the other cards in Chase’s “Freedom” suite, the Freedom Flex earns cash back in the form of valuable Ultimate Rewards points. The card has three set bonus categories that earn higher rates of cash back. Those categories include:

  • 5 percent on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards (including vacation home and car rentals)
  • 3 percent on dining purchases including takeout and select delivery services
  • 3 percent on drugstore purchases

The card also earns 5 percent cash back on rotating quarterly bonus categories. Each quarter, cardmembers can activate these bonus categories for extra cash back on purchases at grocery stores, select streaming services, and more to receive up to $1,500 back. Aside from bonus categories, the Freedom Flex earns 1 percent unlimited cash back on all other purchases.

Additional perks

Freedom Flex cardholders will also receive perks from Mastercard’s World Elite Benefits. These include a $10 Lyft credit for every five rides taken (automatically applied to the next ride and capped at once per month), and a free ShopRunner membership to receive two-day shipping and free return shipping at more than 100 online retailers.

Freedom Flex cardmembers also have access to a complimentary DoorDash DashPass membership for the first three months, followed by a 50 percent off membership for the next nine months. Through March 2022, the Freedom Flex will also earn 5 percent total cash back on all Lyft rides.

New perks to Freedom Unlimited

In addition to introducing the brand new Freedom Flex, Chase has added new benefits to its Freedom Unlimited card, which debuted in 2016. Like the Freedom Flex, the Freedom Unlimited will now earn: