If you’ve been busy comparing rewards credit cards, it’s possible the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card and the Chase Freedom Unlimited® have caught your eye. While the Freedom Unlimited card earns cash back with no annual fee, the Sapphire Preferred earns flexible travel points with a good selection of travel perks. These credit cards diverge quite a bit, so you’ll want to compare all their details side by side to find the right fit.
Based on our analysis, we believe the Chase Sapphire Preferred is a better deal for most people despite its $95 annual fee. That’s because the Sapphire Preferred has more flexible rewards, a much larger welcome bonus and better additional perks.
Both cards are solid rewards credit cards, but the right fit for your wallet will come down to your spending habits. And if you find it hard to choose, the Sapphire Preferred and Freedom Unlimited also work well together -- particularly if you pool your points.
Comparing annual fees
Winner: Chase Freedom Unlimited®
- $95
- $0
The Chase Freedom Unlimited wins in this category for a simple reason -- it doesn’t have an annual fee. This can be a big deal if you’re looking to avoid fees or if your annual credit card spending is relatively low.
Meanwhile, the Chase Sapphire Preferred has a $95 annual fee, which is reasonable if you can take advantage of all the perks this travel credit card can offer.
Welcome bonus
Winner: 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 Travel℠.
- Earn an extra 1.5% on everything you buy (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year) -- worth up to $300 cash back. That’s 6.5% on travel purchased through Chase Travel, 4.5% on dining and drugstores, and 3% on all other purchases.
The Chase Sapphire Preferred is a huge winner in this category due to its exceptional welcome offer. New cardholders can earn 60,000 points after spending $4,000 on purchases within three months of account opening. If you redeem these for travel through Chase Travel℠, this is worth $750. Otherwise, this bonus is worth $600 via statement credits or gift cards.
Meanwhile, the Chase Freedom Unlimited® offers up to $300 in bonus cash back by letting you earn an extra 1.5% on everything you buy up to $20,000 spent in the first year. The offer is worth considerably less no matter how you choose to redeem your points.
Earning rewards
Winner: Chase Freedom Unlimited®
- 5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠.
- 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries.
- 2x on all other travel purchases.
- 1x on all other purchases.
- Enjoy 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel, our premier rewards program that lets you redeem rewards for cash back, travel, gift cards and more
- 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service
- 1.5% on all other purchases
The Chase Freedom Unlimited® inches ahead in this category since you earn a higher rewards rate on all non-bonus purchases made with the card (1.5% back versus 1X point earned with the Sapphire Preferred). But both Chase credit cards have generous rewards rates -- the right fit for you will come down to your spending habits.
If you spend more on dining and streaming, the Sapphire Preferred will net you more rewards than the Freedom Unlimited. However, if you spend more on general purchases -- those not covered by the card’s bonus categories -- the Freedom Unlimited will be more rewarding.
Try not to change your spending to match either card. Instead, choose the card that best fits your usual spending. Overspending can lead to credit card debt and costly interest charges if you can’t pay off your statement balance in full each month. This can offset any rewards you’ve earned.
Redeeming rewards
Winner: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
Redeem for:
- Statement credits
- Gift cards
- Merchandise
- 1:1 transfer rate to travel partners
- 25% point bonus when used to book travel through Chase Travel℠
Redeem for:
- Statement credits
- Gift cards
- Merchandise
Both of these cards let you redeem rewards for cash back, statement credits, gift cards and merchandise. You can also use points from the Chase Freedom Unlimited® to book travel through Chase at a rate of one cent per point.
That said, the Chase Sapphire Preferred really shines in this category since you can transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards points to 11 airline partners and three hotel loyalty programs at a 1:1 ratio. Not only that, but you get 25% more value for your points when you use them to book travel through Chase Travel℠.
Introductory APR offer
Winner: Chase Freedom Unlimited®
The Chase Sapphire Preferred doesn’t feature an introductory APR.
The Chase Freedom Unlimited offers an introductory 0% APR on purchases and balance transfers for 15 months (then 20.49% to 29.24% variable).
The Chase Freedom Unlimited® is the only card between these two that has an introductory APR offer, so it automatically wins in this category. Those who choose this card get an introductory 0% APR on purchases and balance transfers for 15 months, followed by a variable APR of 20.49% to 29.24%.
The Chase Sapphire Preferred doesn’t have an introductory APR, so you’ll pay a high APR right off the bat if you carry a balance. Currently, that APR is from 21.49% to 28.49% variable. You won’t have to worry about the card’s APR if you pay your full statement balance each month.
Travel perks
Winner: Chase Sapphire Preferred®
- $50 annual hotel credit for hotels booked through Chase Travel℠
- trip cancellation/interruption insurance
- trip delay reimbursement
- baggage delay insurance
- auto rental collision damage waiver
- lost luggage insurance
- travel and emergency assistance services
- purchase protection
- extended warranty protection
- auto rental collision damage waiver
- trip cancellation/interruption insurance
- travel and emergency assistance services
- purchase protection
extended warranty protection
The Chase Freedom Unlimited® comes with several travel-related perks despite the fact it earns cash back instead of flexible travel points. For example, cardholders get trip cancellation and interruption coverage worth up to $1,500 per traveler and up to $6,000 per trip, travel and emergency assistance services, and secondary auto rental coverage.
However, the Chase Sapphire Preferred has a lot more travel benefits. These include a $50 annual hotel credit, trip cancellation and interruption insurance worth up to $10,000 per traveler and up to $20,000 per trip, baggage delay insurance worth up to $100 per day for five days (for delays of at least six hours), trip delay reimbursement worth up to $500 per ticket, travel and emergency assistance services, and primary car rental coverage.
Note: Primary rental car insurance lets you file a claim through your credit card company and comes before your personal car insurance policy. Generally, only top-tier credit cards offer primary rental insurance. Secondary car rental insurance kicks in only if your personal insurance doesn’t cover the full bill.
General perks
Winner: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
The Chase Sapphire Preferred also wins when it comes to general perks, which include Instacart+ membership benefits and statement credits, a DoorDash DashPass subscription (activate by Dec. 31, 2024), purchase protection and extended warranties.
Meanwhile, the Chase Freedom Unlimited® comes with three months of DoorDash DashPass membership (activate by Dec. 31, 2024), purchase protection and extended warranty coverage.
Read more: Uber Eats and DoorDash Are Expensive. These Credit Cards Can Save You Money on Food Delivery
The bottom line
Comparing the Chase Sapphire Preferred with the Chase Freedom Unlimited is challenging since both cards can be valuable for different types of people. For example, the Chase Sapphire Preferred is best for relatively big spenders who want more perks and rewards, as well as flexible redemption options. Meanwhile, the Chase Freedom Unlimited® is best for people who want to earn cash back, as well as those who want an introductory APR for purchases and balance transfers.
But you don’t have to decide between the two if you’re in the market for more than one credit card. These cards work well together to maximize your rewards. You can use the Chase Sapphire Preferred for its perks, bonus categories, and reward flexibility, then the Chase Freedom Unlimited® for its categories and higher rate for non-category purchases.
The best part? Chase lets you pool all your rewards in one account so you can redeem them however you want. Just be aware that Chase has an unofficial 5/24 rule, which means you can’t be approved for more than five credit cards in a 24-month period.
FAQs
You may be able to upgrade or downgrade between these two Chase credit cards, but you’ll need to speak with a customer service representative to find out. Your best bet is calling the number on the back of your Chase card.
The Chase Freedom Unlimited® doesn’t earn points that transfer to Chase airline and hotel partners directly. However, you can sign up for a Chase travel credit card -- like the Chase Sapphire Preferred -- and transfer your points to that account to unlock premium travel rewards rates.
You can have both of these Chase credit cards at once provided you can get approved separately for each one. Keep in mind Chase has an unofficial 5/24 rule, which means you can’t apply for more than five credit cards in a 24-month period.
The editorial content on this page is based solely on objective, independent assessments by our writers and is not influenced by advertising or partnerships. It has not been provided or commissioned by any third party. However, we may receive compensation when you click on links to products or services offered by our partners.
