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Amid the pandemic, most companies suffered a great loss and cut their expenses. Also, we already saw many bankruptcies of iconic companies.
That is why nobody expected Chase to roll out a new credit card during Coronavirus while the wounds are still fresh. Especially with such great offerings as the new Chase Freedom Flex card. And we are really talking about some serious bonuses here.
The intention of the Chase Freedom new card is to replace the current Freedom card, but with added bonuses that are on par with the Freedom Unlimited. That being said, Chase is also updating the Freedom Unlimited with some additional offerings at the same time (maybe in an effort to compensate and make the Unlimited more attractive ).
The new Freedom Flex card will be available for new sign-ups as well as to old clients. However, the sign-ups for the old but gold Freedom card are closed. That means all new customers can only get the Freedom Flex and not the old version.
On the contrary, customers that already hold the old Freedom card can choose to keep it or replace it with the new Freedom Flex.
Chase Freedom Flex sign-ups and the new bonuses on the Chase Freedom Unlimited will both launch on September 14, 2020.
So without further ado let’s dive into the great bonuses of the new Freedom Flex that can help you stack some points very soon.
Read More: 5 Best Credit Cards of 2020 after COVID-19
Chase Freedom Flex New Card Overview
If you are a credit card geek, like us, the first question you are going to ask yourself is whether this whole thing with the new Freedom Flex isn’t just a rebranding of the old Freedom card.
The fact that the old Freedom will be closed for new sign-ups makes you think that. Moreover, the new Freedom flex has many things in common with the old Freedom card.
For example, the fact that it is a no-fee credit card and you have a $200 sign-up bonus when you spend $500 in the first three months of owning the card.
Also, there are many overlapping bonus categories on both cards, but more on that later.
There is one big change that makes it obvious the Flex card is more of a new product rather than an update or rebranding. It is the fact that the new freedom card is actually a Mastercard and not a Visa, like the old Freedom and Freedom Unlimited.
Furthermore, Chase advertises the Freedom Flex as a brand new product. And it makes sense why Chase is allowing old customers to keep the old Freedom card. They just want to treat the two cards as two separate products.
But anyway, how does the fact that the new Flex card is a Mastercard impacts the user’s experience? And what other perks do you get with the new Freedom Flex card?
For instance, the main benefit is that when you own a Flex Mastercard you will have access to Mastercard’s World Elite Benefits. What are these benefits and is it worth it to switch cards just for that? Let’s see.
1. Lyft
World Elite Mastercard holders can enjoy $10 credits for Lyft rides when they complete 5 rides in a calendar month. The discount is automatically applied which is convenient, however, you can only take advantage of this bonus once a month.
Still, on their official website, Chase also announced that you will get 5% cashback on each Lyft ride through March 2022 when using the Flex Mastercard. So when you have the two bonuses combined you can stack up some serious Lyft discounts.
2. Boxed
You simply get 5% on all Boxed purchases which can be applied towards future purchases.
3. Cell Phone Insurance
This is a pretty cool perk. You can get up to $800 per claim ($50 deductible per claim) for cell phone insurance. However, note that Cardmembers are covered against phone theft or damage only if the phone is on their monthly bill. So make sure to roll that in.
Also, note that the maximum coverage per year is $1,000. If you have two big claims in a single year (that is the maximum amount of claims by the way) you might end up underinsured. So you might want to get additional coverage in that case.
4. Fandango
You can purchase movie tickets via Fandango app or Fandango.com you get double VIP points. You can use the points towards new movie tickets or for streaming on FandagoNOW.
5. ShopRunner
Last but certainly not least, you get free membership for ShopRunner. You can receive free 2-day shipping and free return shipping at over a hundred online retailers. Kind of like Amazon prime, but for free.
There are other cool perks and if you want to learn more you can check the World Elite Benefits webpage.
Despite the cool bonuses, you get from the World Elite benefits, Chase has also made sure to present an irresistible offer, by adding some bonus categories that weren’t previously available on the normal Freedom card.
Bonus Categories on the New Chase Freedom Flex Card
To start off, Chase made a smart move by keeping the 5% rotating cash back on bonus categories that were also available with the old Freedom. Each quarter there are different categories that rotate and you can get 5% cash back on them for combined purchases up to $1,500.
This cool bonus includes categories like gas, streaming services, and even Amazon purchases.
Next up we have another sign-up bonus. As we already mentioned there is no annual fee for the card and you get $200 when you spend $500 in the first three months. But that is not all.
Apart from that, there are 3 fixed bonus categories which are also very competitive. First off, you have 5% cashback on all travel purchases made through the Chase Ultimate Rewards portal and that includes vacations and car rentals.
The drawback here is that to earn the points you must book your trip through the Chase Ultimate Rewards portal. The portal doesn’t always give you the best deal though and you might be getting a better one (let’s say 15% cheaper) for the same trip elsewhere regardless of the 5% cash back.
Of course, this 5% doesn’t mean only cash back. You should make sure you have a Chase card that can turn the cashback from the Freedom Flex into actual points. If you have a Chase card that can earn Ultimate Rewards points you can do that easily.
Good examples are the Chase Sapphire and Ink Business Preferred Credit Cards. With them, you can always transfer the cash back into Ultimate Reward points. And that is the goal since earning credit card points is often even better than airline frequent flyer miles.
Also, these two cards combine with the freedom give you the famous Chase Trifecta, where the bonuses on the different cards complement each other.
Although the new categories on the Freedom Flex are overlapping with some of the other two cards categories, which kind of breaks the whole idea of having 3 cards that fit together perfectly.
The next fixed bonus is the 3% cash back on dining. Not only for dining out at a restaurant but also for take out and eligible delivery services. Rather cool!
The last fixed bonus is 3% on drugstores for all essentials like toiletries, diapers, medicine, and other similar items.
As with most cards you have an unlimited cashback for other types of purchases. In the case of the new Freedom Flex is the standard 1% cashback on all other purchases.
In the end, it’s worth mentioning that the Freedom Unlimited will be updated with the same fixed bonus categories the only difference being that you will get 1.5% on all other purchases.
And remember if you are looking to maximize your credit card points and you don’t know how – you can always ask us.
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