The Chase Freedom Unlimited and Rakuten American Express® Card are closely matched. Chase Freedom Unlimited wins on 1 categories ($200 signup bonus); Rakuten American Express® Card wins on 1 (20,000 pts signup bonus). The better pick depends on your spending patterns.
Chase Freedom Unlimited vs Rakuten American Express® Card
Side-by-side comparison of fees, rewards, benefits, and transfer partners.
Which Card Comes Out Ahead?
Chase Freedom Unlimited and Rakuten American Express® Card are close enough that the better pick depends on where you spend most, how much value you get from perks, and whether you prefer one rewards ecosystem over the other.
Best if your main priority is the larger current welcome offer.
Best if you care most about stronger category earning on everyday spend.
Comparison Method
CardCurator compares measurable differences first: annual fee, current welcome offer, top-end earning, and recurring credits. If the cards are close, the right answer depends on spending pattern and perk usage rather than headline prestige.
- Chase Travel 5x
- Dining 3x
- Drugstores 3x
- Rakuten Dining 10x
- Rakuten purchases 5x
- Groceries and restaurants 2x
- Virgin Atlantic Flying Club
- Aer Lingus AerClub
- Air Canada Aeroplan
- British Airways Executive Club
- Flying Blue
- +9 more
- Bilt Rewards
- American Express Membership Rewards
Quick summary
A short version of the comparison with the main differences at a glance.
The Chase Freedom Unlimited and Rakuten American Express® Card are closely matched. Chase Freedom Unlimited wins on 1 categories ($200 signup bonus); Rakuten American Express® Card wins on 1 (20,000 pts signup bonus). The better pick depends on your spending patterns. On raw upside, Chase Freedom Unlimited tops out at 5x versus 10x for Rakuten American Express® Card. Current signup bonus values are roughly $200 for Chase Freedom Unlimited and $2 for Rakuten American Express® Card. Updated June 3, 2026. Source: https://cardcurator.ai/compare/chase-freedom-unlimited-vs-rakuten-american-express-card
- Chase Freedom Unlimited wins 1 of 4 comparison categories in CardCurator's quick verdict model.
- Top earn rate: Chase Freedom Unlimited reaches 5x; Rakuten American Express® Card reaches 10x.
- Annual fee: Chase Freedom Unlimited is no annual fee; Rakuten American Express® Card is no annual fee.
- Current public bonus values are approximately $200 and $2.
Common Questions: Chase Freedom Unlimited vs Rakuten American Express® Card
Is the Chase Freedom Unlimited or Rakuten American Express® Card better for dining?
Chase Freedom Unlimited earns 3x on dining; Rakuten American Express® Card earns 10x on dining. Rakuten American Express® Card wins for dining.
Which has the higher signup bonus in 2026?
Chase Freedom Unlimited currently offers $200 signup bonus. Rakuten American Express® Card offers 20,000 pts signup bonus (spend $2,000 in 3 months). Chase Freedom Unlimited has the larger bonus.
Which card is better for international travel?
Both cards charge no foreign transaction fees, making either a solid choice for international travel.
Can I hold both the Chase Freedom Unlimited and the Rakuten American Express® Card?
In most cases yes — holding both is allowed and can be a smart strategy for maximizing rewards across different spending categories. Chase Freedom Unlimited is from Chase and Rakuten American Express® Card is from Imprint, so they're governed by separate bank policies.
Keep Researching
If this matchup is close, the stronger next step is usually to read the full card reviews or use a broader ranking page instead of comparing random pairs one by one.