Chase Freedom Flex®

• Cash-back rewards don't expire as long as your account is open.
• No minimum to redeem for cash back. You can use points to redeem for cash through an account statement credit or an electronic deposit into an eligible Chase account located in the United States.
• No annual fee!

When it comes to Chase Ultimate Rewards, the best way to maximize your points is to redeem them with travel.

[.dontreco] We don’t recommend: Turning your points into cash-back [.dontreco]

While you can redeem your points for cash back or gift cards at a rate of 1 cent per point, or use Chase's Pay Yourself Back option, it simply doesn’t provide the best value. With the Freedom Flex, you wouldn’t need to worry about this since your card is already earning cash back.

[.sometimesreco] We sometimes recommend: Using the Chase Travel Portal [.sometimesreco]

If paired with a more premium Chase card, you can redeem your points for flights, hotel stays, and car rentals through Chase TravelSM, at varying rates. While this is a decent option, it’s still not the best.

[.alwaysreco] We always recommend: Using transfer partners at a 1:1 ratio to stretch your points as far as humanly possible. [.alwaysreco]

In the case of the Freedom Flex, you can redeem your cash back as points. The bottom line is — if a flight or hotel room can be bought with cash, you can use your points to book it. If paired with a premium card, transferring your Chase points to airline and hotel partners can yield great value. Top picks include Hyatt, United, British Airways, IHG One Rewards, and so many more. Taking advantage of these transfer partners is one of the best ways to justify your Freedom Flex. Chase often runs bonus promotions, giving you up to 30% more points or miles when you transfer to a partner.

But how can I actually transfer my Ultimate Rewards points?

Transferring your Chase points is a super simple process. Simply log in to your Chase account and click on “points” in the top right corner. Then, you’ll see three dots on the top of the screen. Click those and select “transfer points to partners.” From there, you’ll be able to view any bonuses and available transfer options.

Oh yeah, did we mention that theFreedom Flex has possibly the best list of transfer partners in the world? In case you need convincing, here’s that list:

Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card — Annual Fee: $95

Why? Pairing the Sapphire Preferred with the Chase Freedom Flex card is a smart strategy for several reasons. The Sapphire Preferred earns 3x points on dining, 2x points on travel, and 1x points on all other purchases. Meanwhile, the Freedom Flex offers 5% cash back on rotating quarterly categories (up to $1,500 per quarter, activation required), 5% on travel purchased through Chase Travel, 3% on dining and drugstores, and 1% on all other purchases. By combining these cards, you can take advantage of higher earning rates across a wide range of spending categories. The points earned with the Freedom Flex can be transferred to the Sapphire Preferred, allowing you to pool your rewards and redeem them for travel through the Chase Travel portal with a 25% bonus (yay!). This also enables you to transfer points to Chase's airline and hotel partners for potentially greater value. Plus, the Sapphire Preferred provides valuable travel and purchase protections, such as trip cancellation insurance and primary rental car insurance.

Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card — Annual Fee: $395

Why? The Venture X earns 2x miles on all purchases, 5x miles on flights, and 10x miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel. It also offers premium benefits like a $300 annual travel credit, airport lounge access, and a 10,000-mile anniversary bonus. The Freedom Flex provides 5% cash back on rotating quarterly categories (up to $1,500 per quarter, activation required), 5% on travel purchased through Chase Travel, 3% on dining and drugstores, and 1% on all other purchases. By using the Freedom Flex for its bonus categories and the Venture X for all other purchases, you can maximize your rewards and enjoy premium travel perks. This combination offers high earning potential and valuable benefits for both travel and everyday spending.

Chase Freedom Unlimited® — Annual Fee: $0

Why? If you’re not interested in having another card with an annual fee but want to earn better reward rates in different categories, the Freedom Unlimited is your guy. Not only are you earning unlimited cash-back (with an additional 1.5% cash back on up to $20,000 spent in the first year) but you can transfer that cash into Ultimate Rewards Points through Chase. Pairing the two is a smart move because it earns 1.5% on all purchases, as opposed to the Sapphire Preferred's 1x point per dollar on non-bonus categories. And for frequent travelers, the Freedom Unlimited also offers up to $100 in Global Entry or TSA PreCheck fee credit. So here you have a match made in heaven — the Sapphire Preferred with its transfer partners and the Freedom Unlimited covering everyday purchases.

1. The Miles and Points Beginner

Are you just getting started with the miles and points game? At Daily Drop, we’re always going to recommend the Freedom Flex as an excellent starter card and pairing card. First of all, it legit has no annual fee. And while the initial welcome offer might not seem like all that, when you turn that cash into points, you unlock a whole new world. More on that below 👇

1. The Chase Lover

If Chase Ultimate Rewards are your thing, this is an excellent card to have in your wallet. Because you can turn this cash back into Ultimate Rewards, this is just extra money in your pocket. Allow me to dazzle you with a hypothetical situation. Let’s say you want to get started in the world of credit cards, and Chase catches your eye (because same). You sign up for the Freedom Flex and earn those $200 from the initial bonus. Let’s say you also spend the $1,500 in combined purchases in bonus categories that rotate quarterly. Let’s also say you sign up for the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card and earn those 60,000 bonus points from the sign-up offer. Stick with me here. After a year, you’d be sitting on about 70,000 Ultimate Rewards (and that’s without calculating any additional spending on either card). That’s about $1,000 worth of travel with one small fee of $95 (not to mention — you’d earn that $200 from the Freedom Flex), so really, you’re making an additional $100. Convinced yet?

1. The College Student

Listen I grew up hearing that Dave Ramsey was king (no hate), and if you touched a credit card, you would immediately be in debt for the rest of your life. That’s a tough thing to unlearn. But, if you’re responsible with your credit cards, and keep up with spending, they can actually make you money. If you’re just getting started in the miles and points game, this is a great card to consider. Maybe you’re fresh into college, starting to accumulate everyday expenses and want to turn those expenses into travel points? That was my exact position. I started my credit card journey and earned over 100,000 points in under a year using starter cards. And so can you.

Here’s a good rule of thumb: You probably shouldn’t own a credit card if you: (1) have a bad credit score, (2) are a non-U.S. resident (for this particular card), and (3) cannot control your spending. If your credit score is low, you'll need to improve it before applying for travel credit cards, as approval for the best ones, like the Freedom Flex, is unlikely. Be honest with yourself: if a new credit card will tempt you to overspend, it's best to avoid it. Credit cards are crucial for earning miles and points, but they require responsible use.

The recommended credit score for the Freedom Flex is good to excellent. But again, if you’re in a solid place with your credit and feel you are ready for a new card, don’t let the fear of being rejected keep you from applying. Keep in mind, that this is a beginner card. Your odds of being accepted even without any credit history or open accounts are definitely higher than they would be for other cards.