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The Chase Freedom Unlimited® and Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card are among the best rewards credit cards on the market. While the two cards share the same rewards program, their rates and redemption options differ.
The right one for you depends on how you spend your money and how you want to use your credit card points. You can even use both cards to maximize the earning potential on your everyday spending.
Chase Freedom Unlimited vs. Chase Sapphire Preferred overview
Annual fee
The Chase Freedom Unlimited has a $0 annual fee, making it the clear winner over the $95 annual fee of the Chase Sapphire Preferred.
Winner
Chase Freedom Unlimited®
Welcome bonus
Here are the available welcome offers on both cards:
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Chase Freedom Unlimited: Earn $200 cash back after you spend $500 in the first 3 months.
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Chase Sapphire Preferred: Earn 60,000 bonus points after $4,000 in purchases in your first three months from account opening.
The Chase Sapphire Preferred welcome offer is better because it’s worth at least $600 (or at least $750 when booking through the Chase Travel portal), compared to the $300 cash back you can get with the Freedom Unlimited offer.
Winner
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
Rewards
These are the Chase Freedom Unlimited and Sapphire Preferred rewards rates:
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Chase Freedom Unlimited:
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5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel
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3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants (includes takeout and eligible delivery service)
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1.5% on all other purchases
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Chase Sapphire Preferred:
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5x points on travel purchased through Chase Travel
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3x points on dining, select streaming services, and online groceries
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2x points on all other travel purchases
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1x points on all other purchases
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The better rewards rate largely depends on your spending habits. However, Freedom Unlimited may be better for most people because it has a higher base rewards rate of 1.5% on all other eligible purchases.
With this type of earning rate, you can earn elevated rewards in any type of spending category.
Winner
Chase Freedom Unlimited®
Redemption options
The Chase Sapphire Preferred has the same redemption options as the Freedom Unlimited, and you can also transfer Chase points to other rewards programs. That includes partner loyalty programs like Air Canada Aeroplan, United MileagePlus, and World of Hyatt.
This is a huge deal if you travel because it gives you more flexibility to use your points and potentially get more value from them.
Winner
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
Purchase and travel protection benefits
The Chase Freedom Unlimited and Sapphire Preferred share many of the same travel and purchase protection benefits, but the Sapphire Preferred has more. Specifically, travelers can feel more protected with the additional benefits of the Sapphire Preferred, such as baggage delay insurance, lost luggage reimbursement, and trip delay reimbursement.
Winner
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
Introductory APR offers
The Chase Sapphire Preferred doesn’t provide intro APR offers on purchases or balance transfers. With the Chase Freedom Unlimited, you get:
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Intro APR offer on purchases: 0% intro APR on purchases for 15 months (then 19.49% - 28.24% variable APR).
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Intro APR offer on balance transfers: 0% intro APR on balance transfers for 15 months (then 19.49% - 28.24% variable APR).
Freedom Unlimited is the better option if you have upcoming large purchases or want to transfer a balance without having to pay interest for a while.
Winner
Chase Freedom Unlimited®
Additional perks and benefits
The Chase Freedom Unlimited doesn’t provide much in terms of additional benefits, other than having multiple redemption options. However, the Sapphire Preferred has the same redemption options (plus transfer partners) and multiple additional perks.
Additional Sapphire Preferred benefits include:
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Chase Ultimate Rewards points are worth 25% more when redeemed for airfare, hotels, car rentals, and cruises through Chase Travel
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Earn up to $50 in annual statement credits for hotel stays purchased through the Chase Travel portal
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On every account anniversary, earn bonus points equal to 10% of your total purchases made the previous year
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No foreign transaction fees
The Sapphire Preferred is the clear winner here.
Winner
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
Choose the Chase Freedom Unlimited Card if…
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You don’t want an annual fee
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You prefer earning cash back
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You want intro APR offers
The Chase Freedom Unlimited makes sense as an everyday cash-back credit card for people who don’t want to pay an annual fee. It has an above-average base earning rate of 1.5% and some useful bonus categories. You also have multiple redemption options to choose from.
Chase Freedom Unlimited®
- Annual fee$0
- Welcome offerEarn a $200 bonus after you spend $500 in your first 3 months
- Introductory Purchases APR0% Intro APR on Purchases for 15 months
- Ongoing Purchases APR18.99% - 28.49% Variable
- Introductory Balance Transfer APR0% Intro APR on Balance Transfers for 15 months
- Ongoing Balance Transfer APR18.99% - 28.49% Variable
- Recommended credit scoreExcellent/Good
- Rewards rate
- Enjoy 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠
- 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants (includes takeout and eligible delivery service)
- 1.5% on all other purchases
- Benefits
- You can choose to receive a statement credit or direct deposit into most U.S. checking and savings accounts
- Chase Credit Journey helps you monitor your credit with free access to your latest score, alerts, and more
- Generous intro APR on purchases and balance transfers
Choose the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card if…
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You prefer earning travel rewards
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You want travel perks and protections
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You want to transfer points to travel partners
The Chase Sapphire Preferred is an excellent travel rewards card suitable for any traveler, whether you’re just starting with travel credit cards or have been using them for years.
The low $95 annual fee won’t break the bank, and there are plenty of benefits (in addition to earning rewards) that can help you offset the cost.
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
- Annual fee$95
- Welcome offerEnding soon: Earn 100,000 bonus points after spending $5,000 in the first 3 months
- Ongoing Purchases APR19.99% - 28.24% Variable
- Recommended credit scoreExcellent/Good
- Rewards rate
- 5x points on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠
- 3x points on dining, select streaming services, and online groceries
- 2x points on all other travel purchases
- 1x points on all other purchases
- Benefits
- Points are worth 25% more when you redeem for airfare, hotels, car rentals and cruises through Chase Travel
- Earn up to $50 in annual statement credits for hotel stays purchased through Chase Travel
- On every account anniversary, earn bonus points equal to 10% of your total purchases made the previous year
Should I get both cards?
Yes, we recommend having both Chase credit cards in your wallet if you like using Chase Ultimate Rewards points and want to maximize your earning potential.
Here’s a look at your combined rewards rate with both cards:
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5x points on travel purchased through Chase Travel
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3x points on dining, select streaming services, and online groceries
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3% cash back on drugstore purchases
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2x points on all other travel purchases
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1.5% cash back on all other eligible purchases
Note that any cash-back rewards you earn with the Freedom Unlimited can be moved to the Sapphire Preferred, where you can transfer them to travel partners or redeem them for an additional 25% bonus through the Chase Travel portal.
Other cards to consider
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
- Annual fee$95
- Welcome offerEarn 75,000 miles after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months, plus a one-time $250 Capital One Travel credit in your first cardholder year – that’s equal to $1,000 in travel
- Purchase APR19.99% - 29.24% variable
- Rewards rate
- 5x miles on hotels, vacation rentals, and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
- 2x miles on all other purchases
- Benefits
- Receive up to a $120 statement credit for Global Entry or TSA Precheck application fees
- Receive a $50 experience credit, room upgrades, and early check-in at eligible hotels
- Access Hertz's Five Star membership tier, offering free upgrades, a wider selection of vehicles, and more
Why we like it: The Capital One Venture Rewards makes it easy to earn travel rewards without worrying about different spending categories. If you only want to carry one card in your wallet, this could be the one for you.
Read our full Capital One Venture Rewards review
Wells Fargo Active Cash® Credit Card
- Annual fee$0
- Welcome offerEarn a $200 cash rewards bonus after spending $500 within the first 3 months
- Introductory APR0% intro APR on purchases and qualifying balance transfers for the first 12 months, after which the standard APR applies
- Purchase APR19.24% - 29.24% variable
- Rewards rate2% cash rewards on purchases
- Benefits
- Get up to $600 of cell phone protection against damage or theft ($25 deductible applies)
- 0% introductory APR is useful to finance large purchases or transfer a balance from another card
Why we like it: The Wells Fargo Active Cash has a higher base cash-back rate than the Freedom Unlimited and no bonus categories. This makes it a straightforward card for earning rewards on everyday purchases, regardless of category.
Read our full Wells Fargo Active Cash review
American Express® Gold Card
- Annual fee$325
- Welcome offerEarn 60,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 on eligible purchases in the first 6 months
- Ongoing Purchases APRSee Pay Over Time APR
- Rewards rate
- 4x Membership Rewards Points at restaurants worldwide (on up to $50,000 per calendar year in purchases, then 1x)
- 4x Membership Rewards points at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 per calendar year in purchases, then 1x)
- 3x Membership Rewards points on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com
- 2x Membership Rewards points on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com
- 1x Membership Rewards points on all other eligible purchases
- Benefits
- Earn up to $10 in statement credits each month when you pay with your American Express Gold Card at Five Guys, Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, and Wine.com (enrollment required)
- Up to $100 in annual statement credits ($50 semi-annually) when you use your American Express Gold Card on eligible purchases at U.S. restaurants on the Resy app or Resy.com
- Up to $84 per year ($7/month) in statement credits after you enroll and pay with your American Express Gold Card at more than 9,000 U.S. Dunkin’® locations
Why we like it: The Amex Gold is one of our favorite cards for earning travel rewards on everyday purchases, especially if you frequently dine out. With its elevated rewards rate and multiple dining perks, this is an excellent choice for foodies.
Read our full Amex Gold Card review
This article was edited by Alicia Hahn
Editorial Disclosure: The information in this article has not been reviewed or approved by any advertiser. All opinions belong solely to Yahoo Finance and are not those of any other entity. The details on financial products, including card rates and fees, are accurate as of the publish date. All products or services are presented without warranty. Check the bank’s website for the most current information. This site doesn't include all currently available offers. Credit score alone does not guarantee or imply approval for any financial product.
