Chase Freedom Unlimited® vs. Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

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Welcome Bonus

Chase Freedom Unlimited®: SPECIAL OFFER: Unlimited Matched Cash Back. Chase will automatically match all the cash back you earned at the end of your first year! There is no limit to how much cash back you can earn.

Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card: Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $750 when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards®.

Cash Back Rewards

With the Chase Freedom Unlimited® you'll earn 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards, 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining, and 1.5% on everything else. Plus, you'll get unlimited matched cash back in your first year with the welcome bonus.

Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card rewards you with points instead of cash back. You'll earn 5x on travel purchases through Chase Ultimate Rewards, 3x on dining, and 2x on all other travel purchases. Also, Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card gives you 25% more value for your points when you redeem them through the Chase Ultimate Rewards portal.

Since the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is a travel rewards card, you also get some other travel benefits, such as trip cancellation/interruption insurance, baggage delay insurance, and trip delay reimbursement.

One card isn't really better than the other. The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is a better choice if you're after travel rewards and the Chase Freedom Unlimited® is a cash back credit card that rewards you for travel, but you also get cash back on dining and drugstore purchases.

Here are the details for each card.

Chase Freedom Unlimited®

Rewards:

Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card 

Rewards:

Rates and Fees

Chase Freedom Unlimited® offers a 0% introductory APR on purchases and balance transfers for the first 15 months. After that, your rate will be 20.49% - 29.24% variable, depending on your creditworthiness.

Chase Freedom Unlimited® does not have an annual fee, but it does have a foreign transaction fee of 3% of each transaction in U.S. dollars

Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is not offering a 0% introductory rate at this time. Your rate will be 21.49%-28.49% variable, depending on creditworthiness.

Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card has a $95 annual fee and no foreign transaction fee. The travel benefits and the lack of a foreign transaction fee make this card the one you'd want to take on an international trip.

Who the Chase Freedom Unlimited® is Best For

Chase Freedom Unlimited® is a great card for those who don't want to pay an annual fee and want some cash back rewards. You also get that 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 15 months, which is great if you're planning a major purchase or want to transfer other debt. 1.5% cash back on purchases that fall into the “other purchases” category is a step up from most other cards that only pay 1%. If you don't travel a ton, this card is a fantastic choice.

Who the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is Best For

Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is a great option for those who want an excellent travel rewards card. You that 25% bonus value for your points when you purchase travel through Chase, and if you transfer them to Chase's travel partners, your points can be worth even more. You get some valuable travel perks and there are no foreign transaction fees to slow you down. There is an annual fee, but it's a fairly low fee, and the welcome bonus more than makes up for it.

Does it make sense to get both cards?

Yes, these cards complement each other very well. You can transfer the points you earn from the Chase Freedom Unlimited® to the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card to get the boost in travel points. Or, transfer points to Chase's travel partners to possibly reap more value.

You can get excellent cash back rewards on almost all of your everyday purchases between both credit cards. Gas is the only category that neither card offers elevated rewards for. However, you can get 3% on gasoline purchases on your Chase Freedom Unlimited card during your first year since it falls under the “other purchases” category. After that, you can still get 1.5% cash back on those purchases which is still better than the 1% cash back that other cards offer for the “other purchases” category.

There is a caveat, though. Chase has an unwritten rule called the 5/24 rule. This means they won't (generally) approve anyone for a credit card if you've opened five accounts or more within the past 24 months–any credit card, not just Chase cards. So, if you've opened four accounts in the last 24 months, you'll need to think carefully about which card to apply for first. Then you might need to wait until you're under the 5/24 guideline to get the other card.

Approval Odds

The credit score data provided for some of the cards listed below comes from publicly available information in several forums. The accuracy of the information cannot be verified. Keep in mind that credit card issuers consider more than an applicant’s credit score and that underwriting standards change over time.

Chase Freedom Unlimited®

Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

Given that both cards are issued by the same lender, you'll need excellent credit to be approved for either card. Credit score data is pretty similar, just keep the 5/24 rule in mind, and you'll be good to go.