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Chase stands out as a highly respected card issuer that continually enhances its credit card products to reflect the demands and preferences of today’s consumers.
When shopping habits shifted to everyday purchases, for example, Chase responded by adding bonus categories for everyday purchases to a number of its products. Additionally, to acknowledge the need for and encourage charitable giving, Chase added the ability to redeem points earned on several cards for statement credits for eligible charitable donations.
As the issuer’s portfolio of cards continues to evolve, so do your choices. You can select an everyday no-annual-fee card that still earns well on every purchase you make or a premium Chase card that comes with all the travel benefits you’ll ever need.
The Chase Freedom Unlimited^® and the Chase Sapphire Reserve^® are clear examples that illustrate the range of card choices with Chase. And while you might feel you have to decide which card is better for you at this moment in time, keep your mind open to the possibility that these cards may work best in tandem.
Before we dig deeper into the key attributes of the Freedom Unlimited card and the Chase Sapphire Reserve card, let’s glance at a high-level overview of the 2 cards.
Here’s an abbreviated comparison of the key features and benefits of both of our featured cards.
Feature or benefit
Welcome offer
Earning potential
 
Redemption options
Statement credits
 None
Top travel benefits and protections
Top shopping benefits and protections
Annual fees and authorized users
Immediately after approval for either the Freedom Unlimited card or the Chase Sapphire Reserve card, you’ll have an opportunity to earn a welcome bonus offer. Welcome offers are a unique one-time opportunity to earn a large number of points in a short period.
Here are the current offers for our featured cards:
This all-purpose cash-back card offers great bonus categories, including bonus points for every purchase you make!
The Chase Freedom Unlimited^® is easily one of the best cash-back credit cards on the market. There aren’t many no-annual-fee credit cards that offer multiple great bonus categories like 5% back on travel purchased through Chase, 3% back on dining and drugstore purchases, and 1.5% back on all other purchases.
When paired with other Chase cards in the Ultimate Rewards family, you can transfer that cash back into points if you wish – making it one of the most lucrative cards in your wallet.
Chase Ultimate Rewards
A top player in the high-end premium travel credit card space that earns points on travel and dining while offering top luxury perks.
If you’re looking for an all-around excellent travel rewards card, the Chase Sapphire Reserve^® is one of the best options.
The card combines elite travel benefits and perks like worldwide airport lounge access, with excellent point earning and redemption options. Plus, it offers top-notch travel insurance protections to cover you at home or on the road.
Don’t forget the more than $2,000 in annual credits, which can offset the annual fee!
Chase Ultimate Rewards
Each of our featured cards earns rewards on every purchase you make, as well as bonus earnings on specific category purchases.
Here’s how the earning potential compares between our featured cards:
Earnings category
Flights purchased via Chase Travel portal
5% cash-back
8 points per $1 spent
Car rentals, hotels, and dining booked via Chase Travel portal
5% cash-back
8 points per $1 spent
All other travel
1.5% cash-back
1 points per $1 spent
Flights and hotels booked directly with the airline or hotel
1.5% cash-back
4 points per $1 spent
Restaurants worldwide, takeout, and eligible delivery services
3% cash-back
3 points per $1 spent
Drugstores
3% cash-back
1 points per $1 spent
Lyft rides
2% cash-back
5 points per $1 spent
Select Peloton purchases
1.5% cash-back
10 points per $1 spent (only purchases over $150, valid through December 31, 2027)
All other purchases
1.5% cash-back
1 points per $1 spent
A key strength of the Freedom Unlimited card is its elevated earnings on purchases not in a bonus category. Still, you also earn well when using the card to book travel through the Chase Travel portal.
If you have large purchases not in bonus categories, such as tuition, medical bills, or car repairs, the Freedom Unlimited card earns more rewards on them than the Chase Sapphire Reserve card.
The Chase Sapphire Reserve card primarily functions as a premium travel rewards card, offering strong earnings on travel purchases and restaurants worldwide.
The Freedom Unlimited card earns 1.5% back on most purchases and strong 5% earnings on select travel purchases through Chase Travel. Additionally, dining and drugstore purchases earn 3% cash-back. The Chase Sapphire Reserve card, however, offers stronger overall earnings on travel booked through Chase Travel, as well as on flights and hotels purchased directly. Additionally, the card earns 3x points on dining purchases.
Both the Freedom Unlimited card and the Chase Sapphire Reserve card earn points that can be redeemed in several ways. Here are the choices you get at redemption time with each of our featured cards.
Redemption
Freedom Unlimited Card
Redeem for travel via Chase Travel
Yes, at a value of 1 cent per point
Yes, at a value of up to 2 cents per point on select flights and hotels via Points Boost
Transfer points to hotel and airline partners
No, only when paired with a premium Ultimate Rewards-earning card
Yes
Pay Yourself Back
Yes, on select charity donations at a value of 1.25 cents per point (ends June 30, 2025)
Yes, on various rotating categories at a value of 1.25 to 1.5 cents per point
Statement credit or cash
Yes, at a value of 1 cent per point
Gift cards, merchandise, shopping at select retailers
Yes
Yes
For a $0-annual-fee card, the Freedom Unlimited card offers several redemption options, including travel.
The Chase Sapphire Preferred card, however, offers elevated value with the opportunity to receive up to 2 cents per Ultimate Reward point in value when redeeming with Points Boost. You may realize the most significant potential value by utilizing Chase airline and hotel partners. Transferring points earned on the card to book award flights and free hotel nights is a valuable redemption option.
Bottom Line: The Chase Sapphire Reserve card offers greater flexibility and better value at redemption time. One notable point, however, is that if you have both cards, you can transfer points earned on the Freedom Unlimited card to the Chase Sapphire Reserve card to take advantage of the higher redemption value and be able to transfer to the Chase travel partners for even greater potential value. 
The Chase Sapphire Reserve card offers a long list of statement credits for select purchases.
Some offers require registration. Terms and conditions, as well as additional information, can be found in your Chase Sapphire Reserve card online account.
Travel benefits can save you money or provide perks during your journey.
Here are the travel benefits exclusive to the Chase Sapphire Reserve card only.
The Chase Sapphire Reserve card comes with a complimentary Priority Pass Select membership and access to over 1,300 locations worldwide.
You’ll also be able to bring 2 additional guests to most lounges. Lounge access applies to authorized users on the card.
If your Freedom Unlimited Card is issued as a Visa Signature (most are), you have access to the Visa Signature Luxury Hotel Collection and the associated benefits.
The benefits are available on over 900 properties worldwide and can be booked through the Visa Signature Luxury Hotel Collection website.
You get elite-style benefits, including room upgrades, early check-in and late checkout when available, daily breakfast for 2, a special on-site amenity worth up to $100, and complimentary Wi-Fi with each stay. Reservations and payment must be made with your eligible Chase card, and a minimum 2-night stay is required.
Don’t forget to use your $500 The Edit credits (up to $250 in credits twice per year) for your stays by booking through Chase Travel.
Enjoy National Emerald Club Executive membership with National, plus discounts and elite-style benefits with Avis. Log in to your Chase card account and register to receive the benefits.
It’s common to experience setbacks during your travels. Having travel insurance protection can provide an element of peace of mind during your trip.
Rental car insurance can be secondary (you must first file a claim with other applicable insurance) or primary insurance that kicks in right away at the time of loss. The Freedom Unlimited card comes with secondary auto rental coverage, whereas the Chase Sapphire Reserve card comes with primary auto rental coverage.
With either card or coverage level, you must pay for the entire rental with your card and decline the rental agency’s CDW/LDW coverage. You’ll then be eligible for rental car coverage, which includes damage, theft, loss of use, and towing. Terms and conditions apply.
If your covered trip needs to be canceled or is interrupted for a covered reason, you may receive up to $10,000 per covered person, up to a maximum of $20,000 per covered trip. If your trip is delayed by more than 6 hours or results in an overnight stay, you may be eligible to receive up to $500 per ticket for lodging and covered incidentals.
You could receive up to $1,500 per covered person, up to $6,000 per coverage trip, if your trip needs to be canceled or is interrupted for a covered reason. The Freedom Unlimited card does not offer trip delay coverage.
Have access to 24/7 emergency assistance should a covered event occur during your travels. Services include translator, legal, and medical referrals, as well as help with emergency transportation, ticket replacement, and lost luggage, among other services.
In addition to the travel protections listed above, the Chase Sapphire Reserve card offers these additional protections:
Pay for your common-carrier trip with your card and receive emergency evacuation services, up to $100,000.
Receive up to $2,500 in coverage for emergency medical or dental coverage and $75 per day for a hotel if recovery is needed (up to 5 days). There is a $50 deductible per claim.
Never worry when you’re stranded on the roadside — help is on the way. You’ll receive up to 4 service calls each year, with a maximum of up to $50 per call. Any remainder will be charged to your card. Services include limited towing, tire changing, lockout service, emergency fuel, and more.
If your baggage is lost, you may be eligible to receive up to $3,000 per covered person. For baggage that is delayed for more than 6 hours, you could receive up to $100 a day for up to 5 days for necessary incidentals.
While the Freedom Unlimited card is ideal for use while traveling domestically, it does charge a foreign transaction fee. The Chase Sapphire Reserve card does not charge these fees, making it a perfect card for international travel.
Bottom Line: While the Freedom Unlimited card offers secondary auto rental coverage, trip cancellation and interruption insurance, and travel emergency services, the Chase Sapphire Reserve card is superior for its extensive list of travel benefits and protections. The card, however, comes with a significantly higher annual fee.
Shopping benefits can save you money on purchases made with your card, while shopping protections can provide economic relief should something go wrong with an eligible purchase.
Earn rewards faster and save money with both the Freedom Unlimited card and the Chase Sapphire Reserve card by making purchases via the Chase shopping portal and using Chase Offers.
The Shop through Chase shopping portal offers additional earnings at select retailers that are over and above what you’d typically earn by shopping with your card. Just log in to your Ultimate Rewards online account to see the list of hundreds of stores.
Chase Offers are in your online card account. Log in to your Chase card account, add the offers to your eligible card, and make the associated purchase to receive the statement credit offer.
With the Chase Sapphire Reserve card, you receive at least 1 full year of complimentary DoorDash DashPass membership if you activate your membership by December 31, 2027. You receive a $5 monthly DoorDash credit, 2 $10 monthly credits for uses other than restaurants, free delivery, and reduced service fees with your free membership.
Freedom Unlimited cardholders receive the same free delivery and reduced service fees with a complimentary 6-month DoorDash DashPass membership when they activate the benefit by December 31, 2027 (if a new enrollee). At the end of the complimentary period, they are automatically enrolled in DashPass at the current monthly rate. Cardholders also receive a quarterly $10 non-restaurant credit while enrolled in DashPass.
If an eligible item purchased with your card is damaged or stolen within the first 120 days after the purchase date, you could receive up to $500 per claim with the Freedom Unlimited card or up to $10,000 per claim with the Chase Sapphire Reserve card. Each card has a limit of $50,000 per account.
Eligible items with manufacturer’s warranties of 3 years or less receive 1 additional year of coverage.
Bottom Line: The Freedom Unlimited card and the Chase Sapphire Reserve card offer similar shopping benefits and protections. The Chase Sapphire Reserve card, however, offers a broader DoorDash benefit, increased purchase protection limits, and return protection. If you have a large upcoming purchase or need to transfer a high-interest credit card balance, the Freedom Unlimited card could save you money with the introductory 0% APR period. 
The Freedom Unlimited card has a $0 annual fee. The Chase Sapphire Reserve card charges an annual fee of $795.
You can add authorized users to the Freedom Unlimited card for no additional charge. There is a fee of $195 for each authorized user added to the Chase Sapphire Reserve card.
Bottom Line: Although the Chase Sapphire Reserve card comes with a high annual fee and a charge to add each authorized user, it offers a long list of premium travel benefits for the primary cardholder and authorized users. Worldwide lounge access is an example of the added value offered with the card. 
The Chase Sapphire Reserve card provides additional benefits for cardholders who spend $75,000 or more annually.
The Chase Sapphire Reserve card offers significantly more earning potential, redemption options, statement credits, and travel insurance benefits than the Freedom Unlimited card. It also comes with a higher annual fee. If you’re not comfortable with paying a higher annual fee or you won’t use enough of the benefits on the Chase Sapphire Reserve card to validate the expense, the Freedom Unlimited card can still deliver plenty of value.
We mentioned at the beginning of this article that it wasn’t necessary to select from either of these 2 cards because they can work very well in tandem. If you can utilize the benefits of the Chase Sapphire Reserve card (and don’t mind the annual fee) but still want to earn at least 1.5% on every purchase, there’s value in having both cards.
For example, you could use the Freedom Unlimited card for purchases that don’t fall within the bonus categories on the Chase Sapphire Reserve card. You could then transfer those points to the Chase Sapphire Reserve card and redeem them for travel with increased value. You could then take advantage of the ability to transfer points to hotel and airline partners for potentially even greater value.
Before considering any Chase credit card, however, you should be aware of Chase’s unwritten rule that affects whether you can be approved for any of the issuer’s credit cards. Chase’s 5/24 rule means that you can only have been issued up to 5 credit cards from any source in the past 24 months to qualify for approval.
If you travel frequently, value premium travel benefits, and don’t mind paying an annual fee, the Chase Sapphire Reserve card could offer better value.
However, the Freedom Unlimited card works well as an everyday card and has a $0 annual fee.
The better card for you will depend on the mix of your spending, which redemptions work best for you, and whether you value premium travel benefits.
Both the Freedom Unlimited card and the Chase Sapphire Reserve card earn rewards in the form of points on each eligible purchase. Rewards earned on the Freedom Unlimited card can be redeemed directly for cash-back, so the card is marketed as a cash-back card.
Rewards earned on the Chase Sapphire Reserve card are earned as Ultimate Rewards points that offer greater options and value at redemption time than the Freedom Unlimited card.
Points, however, can be transferred between the 2 cards (with limitations), allowing you to take advantage of the greater value offered on the Chase Sapphire Reserve card at redemption time.
You can redeem points earned on the Freedom Unlimited card for flights via Chase Travel, but you cannot transfer points to airline or hotel programs.
To do so, you must first transfer points to a Chase premium card that has the ability to transfer to travel partners.
Each purchase you make on the Freedom Unlimited card earns a percentage of the purchase price back in the form of points. These points can then be redeemed in several ways, including cash-back.
The points can also be transferred to Chase premium cards to be redeemed for potentially even greater value.
The information regarding the Chase Freedom Unlimited^® was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.
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Christine ran her own business developing and managing insurance and financial services offices. This stoked a passion for points and miles and she now has over 2 dozen credit cards and creates in-depth, detailed content for UP.
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