The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is one of the best travel credit cards thanks in part to a massive welcome bonus of 8 0,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points after spending $4,000 in the first three months (or even more if you apply in person at a Chase branch ). But that doesn't mean you should stop there – just the opposite.
Once you've earned that welcome bonus on the Sapphire Preferred, you're generally much better off putting your grocery shopping and many other everyday expenses on a different credit card that earns you more points. And that's where the Chase Freedom Flex and Chase Freedom Unlimited® cards come in.
These two Chase credit cards have no annual fee and typically earn cashback. But pair them with the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card or even the Chase Sapphire Reserve® , and it forms a powerful tandem that can help you earn even more Chase Ultimate Rewards points on your everyday spending.
We'll walk you through why you may want to pair one of these cards alongside your Chase Sapphire Preferred Card – and how you can earn up to 100,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points (and then some).
Chase Freedom Flex vs. Freedom Unlimited
What's the difference between these two Chase credit cards?
Chase introduced the Freedom Flex Card as a replacement for the wildly popular Chase Freedom Card, which is no longer available for new applications. At the same time, Chase updated the benefits of the Chase Freedom Unlimited to make that card even stronger.
So let's take a look at what each card offers.
Chase Freedom Flex
Welcome Offer Bonus : Earn a $200 bonus after spending $500 in the first three months of card membership.
Earn 5% cashback on rotating quarterly categories on up to $1,500 of spending which could include:
Grocery stores, gym memberships, streaming services, gas stations, etc. See our guide of the rotating Chase Freedom bonus categories .
Earn 5% cashback on travel booked through the Chase Ultimate Rewards portal
Earn 5% cashback on Lyft rides through March 2025.
Earn 3% cashback on dining , including takeout and delivery services
Earn 3% cashback at drugstores
No Annual Fee!
Click Here to learn more about the Chase Freedom Flex Card.
Chase Freedom Unlimited
Earn an additional 1.5% cash back on everything you buy (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year) – worth up to $300 in additional cash back!
After your first year or $20,000 spent, enjoy 5% cash back on Chase travel purchased through Ultimate Rewards®, 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, and unlimited 1.5% cash back on all other purchases.
Earn 5% cashback on travel booked through the Chase Ultimate Rewards portal starting Sept. 15, 2020.
Earn 5% cashback on Lyft rides through March 2025.
Earn 3% cashback on dining
Earn 3% cashback at drugstores
Earn an unlimited 1.5% cashback on all other purchases.
No Anual Fee!
Click Here to learn more about the Chase Freedom Unlimited Card.
These cards clearly have a lot of overlap. They're designed to be a mainstay in your wallet, a smart way to pay for many of your everyday expenses. And while the Chase Sapphire Preferred is still worth keeping longterm, it's not the right card to keep swiping day in and day out.
The biggest difference is that the Chase Freedom Flex earns 5% back (on up to $1,500 of spending each quarter) on a set of rotating quarterly bonus categories . Stay up-to-date on the latest Chase Freedom Flex bonus categories!
Meanwhile, the Chase Freedom Unlimited earns an unlimited 1.5% cashback on all other spending. That makes it a good catch-all card for your other spending – especially if you feel you can't max out the Chase Freedom Flex bonus categories.
One other critical difference: Unlike the Chase Freedom Unlimited Card, the new Freedom Flex card isn't from Visa. It’s a World Elite Mastercard . That may seem like a meaningless distinction, but it opens up even more benefits like cell phone insurance, earning free Lyft credits, discounts on Postmates deliveries, and more. See all the World Elite Mastercard benefits.
While Chase technically allows you to hold both the Freedom Unlimited and the Freedom Flex, you only need one to pair with your Chase Sapphire Preferred (or Reserve) Card.
Why You Should Pair a Sapphire Card with a Freedom Card
The one-two punch of holding a Chase Freedom card with a Chase Sapphire Preferred or Reserve credit card is undeniable.
When you've got a Chase Sapphire card, the cashback your Freedom card earns can be turned into Chase Ultimate Rewards points . Every cent you earn equals 1 Chase point. Therefore, earning 5% cashback could also mean 5x Chase Ultimate Rewards points.
Let's say you've got the Chase Freedom Flex and the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card. Just for spending $500 in the first three months of card membership on the Freedom Unlimited, you'll earn a $200 cash bonus. If you hold the Sapphire Preferred, that $200 can be turned into 20,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points to use towards travel.
That's 100,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points right off the bat. But you can do better.
Both Freedom cards will earn more points in certain categories than you would earn with the Chase Sapphire Preferred card on its own. Holding one of the Freedom cards is a great way to make sure you squeeze the most value out of your everyday spending to keep racking up points over the long run.
Those points work out to at least $1,250 in free travel. Not bad for paying just $95 in annual fees. But this is a limited-time opportunity: The 80,000-point bonus on the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card is ending soon!
Click Here to get more information about the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card.
How to Responsibly Earn the Bonus on Chase Credit Cards
Let's be clear about something: Spending $4,500 in three months to earn these bonuses is no small task. And spending the full $4,500 in the first year to earn the full 100,000 points can be even more difficult. If you don't think you can do it responsibly, you shouldn't try.
Credit cards are serious business, and debt is a major problem in this country. If you charge expenses you can't pay off immediately, paying back high-interest rates will negate the value of whatever points you earn and also harm your credit score.
But if you can meet the spending requirement responsibly, this is a fantastic strategy to earn two big Chase bonuses – and then keep earning Chase points on your everyday spending. If spending $4,500 in three months sounds like a stretch, keep in mind that there are creative ways to responsibly hit those minimum spending requirements.
Bottom Line
Pairing one (or both) of the Chase Freedom cards with a Chase Sapphire Card is a powerful points-earning duo. You'll unlock more points upfront, and maximize more of your everyday spending from there on out.
Because of the Chase 5/24 rule , it's smart to prioritize Chase credit cards as you work to earn points to fuel your future travels. And with this many potential points on the table, the time is ripe.
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