Chase Ultimate Rewards MastercardChase Freedom Flex
Issued by Chase
Reviewed by the CardCurator Editorial Team
Before you apply
Use this quick check so you click out only when the offer and fee structure really fit.
- Best fit: strongest ongoing earning is 5x on Chase Travel.
- Bonus hurdle: spend $500 in 3 months.
- Annual fee: No annual fee.
- Who should skip: people chasing premium perks, lounge access, or outsized transfer-partner upside.
- What happens next: you will leave CardCurator for the issuer or partner application page in a new tab.
Confirm current issuer terms and approval rules before you submit an application.
Earning Categories
Current period: Q2 2026: Amazon, Chase Travel, and Feeding America
Current Welcome Bonus
Year 1 net value: +$400 (bonus − annual fee)
Maximize Your Chase Ultimate Rewards Points
Expert tips to get the most value from this program
Program Overview
Chase Ultimate Rewards is one of the most versatile transferable points currencies. Points are earned through Chase credit cards (Sapphire, Freedom, Ink) and can be redeemed through the Chase travel portal, transferred to 11+ airline and hotel partners, or used for cash back. Key strengths: - 1:1 transfers to premium partners like Hyatt, United, Southwest, and British Airways - Chase travel portal offers 1.25x-1.5x value with premium cards - Points pool across all UR-earning cards on the same account - No transfer minimums and instant transfers to most partners - Freedom cards earn bonus categories that pool into Sapphire/Ink cards
Earning Tips
Card stacking strategy for maximum earning: Premium card (pick one): - Sapphire Reserve: 3x dining/travel, 10x on hotels/car rentals via portal, $300 travel credit, Priority Pass - Sapphire Preferred: 3x dining, 2x travel, 5x on hotels/car rentals via portal, lower $95 AF Everyday earning: - Freedom Unlimited: 1.5x on everything (best base card), 3x dining/drugstores, 5x travel via portal - Freedom Flex: 5x on rotating quarterly categories (activate each quarter!), 3x dining/drugstores - Freedom Rise: 1.5% cash back, good for building credit Business cards: - Ink Business Preferred: 3x on first $150K in travel, shipping, internet, advertising, phone - Ink Business Cash: 5x on office supplies, internet, phone (first $25K/yr), 2x gas/dining - Ink Business Unlimited: 1.5x on everything Key tips: - All Freedom/Ink points transfer to Sapphire at 1:1 for portal or partner transfers - Stack Freedom Flex quarterly 5x with Sapphire for maximum portal/transfer value - Chase 5/24 rule: Won't approve most Chase cards if you've opened 5+ cards in 24 months - Apply for business cards first (some don't count toward 5/24)
Redemption Tips
Best redemption values: Hyatt transfers (often 2-5+ cpp): - Category 1-4 properties: Great value at 5,000-15,000 pts/night - All-inclusive resorts (Ziva/Zilara): 20,000-25,000 pts for rooms worth $500-800+ - Park Hyatt properties: Premium experience at reasonable points cost - Use Hyatt's "I'm Flexible" search to find best dates Airline sweet spots: - United: Domestic economy 5,000 miles one-way (short routes), 12,500 saver - British Airways Avios: 7,500 for short AA flights (under 1,151 miles) - Southwest: 5,000-10,000 pts for off-peak domestic one-ways - Virgin Atlantic: 60,000 for ANA first class Japan round-trip (via VS) - Air France: 50,000 miles for business class Europe one-way Chase portal (with Sapphire Reserve at 1.5x): - Effective 1.5 cpp makes portal competitive for simple bookings - Good for domestic economy flights where transfers don't offer better value - Hotels outside Hyatt portfolio often better via portal at 1.5x Avoid: - Cash back at 1 cpp (worst value) - Amazon/gift card redemptions (1 cpp or less) - Marriott transfers (usually poor value vs. Hyatt)
Transfer Strategy
Best transfer partners and ratios (all 1:1): Airlines: - United MileagePlus: Best for Star Alliance flights, especially domestic/short-haul awards - British Airways Avios: Excellent for short-haul flights on AA, Alaska, and BA metal - Southwest Rapid Rewards: Good value for domestic, especially with Companion Pass - Air France/KLM Flying Blue: Strong for SkyTeam business class to Europe - Singapore KrisFlyer: Premium cabin sweet spots on Singapore Airlines - Virgin Atlantic: Transfer for Delta flights and ANA first class bookings - Iberia Avios: Cheaper BA flight bookings and off-peak pricing Hotels: - World of Hyatt: Consistently the best hotel transfer at 1:1, often yielding 2+ cpp - IHG One Rewards: 1:1 ratio, decent for high-category properties - Marriott Bonvoy: 1:1 transfer but generally lower value than Hyatt Strategy tips: - Hyatt is almost always the best hotel transfer value - For flights, check United first for saver availability, then Avios for short routes - Never transfer speculatively; always confirm award availability first - Consider portal booking at 1.5x (Reserve) for simple domestic flights vs. transferring
Chase Ultimate Rewards Program
Since October 6 2025, sapphire cards no longer are redeemed at 1.25 or 1.5 respectively. The new terms is that all points earned after 10/6/2025 are redeemed at 1 cent per point (cpp). Chase has introduced the premium travel points boost, that for select premium travel (premium economy and higher, select hotels) points are redeemed at 1.75 for sapphire preferred and ink cards, while the reserve cards are redeemed at 2 cpp
Based on 10,000 points transferred
Compare This Card
See how the Chase Freedom Flex stacks up against other cards side by side — fees, bonuses, earn rates, and more.
Related guide: The Chase Ultimate Rewards Ecosystem: A Complete Guide
Approval Insights
Recent community application data for this card. Issuers make the final decision, but this gives you a public read on how similar applicants have been doing lately.
How to use this
- Use the approval summary as a signal, not a guarantee.
- Combine it with issuer rules like 5/24, Amex lifetime language, and velocity limits.
- Open the full approval page to see recent datapoints, profile bands, and notes.
Most card pages stop at a generic credit-score range. CardCurator layers real community submissions on top of card detail, rewards value, and application strategy.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is the annual fee for the Chase Freedom Flex?
- The Chase Freedom Flex has no annual fee.
- What is the best category to use the Chase Freedom Flex for?
- The Chase Freedom Flex earns 5x on Chase Travel, making it the strongest earning category for this card.
- What is the Chase Freedom Flex welcome bonus in 2026?
- The Chase Freedom Flex currently offers a welcome bonus of 20,000 points after spending $500 in the first 3 months.
- Does the Chase Freedom Flex charge foreign transaction fees?
- No, the Chase Freedom Flex does not charge foreign transaction fees, making it a good choice for international purchases.
- How much are Chase Ultimate Rewards points worth?
- Chase Ultimate Rewards points are worth approximately 1.50¢ per point on average, with premium redemptions reaching up to 2.00¢ per point. Values based on industry estimates including The Points Guy and NerdWallet.
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