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Chase Freedom Rewards Card Review
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You’ve probably seen numerous promotions about the latest card from Chase, the Chase Freedom Rewards card, and the recently expired $250 promotional bonus for signing up for the card; but if you are like me, you never really took a look at the merits of the card to see if it was worth applying for. From a superficial glance, I would say it looks like a solid grocery and gas station card as it offers 3% cash back from those purchases and 1% from everything else. In addition to those mainstay options, you can also get 3% back from quick-service restaurants (I think that’s lingo for fast food).
3% on grocery store purchases is only a single percent better than my current Citi Platinum Dividend card (currently shelved as I’m taking advantage of a 12 month 0% balance transfer option) and still 2% less than my Citi mtvU card (Citi mtvU review) for all restaurants (not just quick service), so this card doesn’t look like a winner for me.
Now, the main gimmick of his card is that you can convert dollars to points to whatever else but that’s not something that appeals me. I only want cash back, you can keep the rewards and the airline tickets, I want greenbacks. In fact, the only reason why I’m using the Citi mtvU card and the Thank You Network is because I can use it to pay off student loans.
The one good thing I do see is that if you save up $200 in cashback, you can get $250 back, making it slightly better if you’re willing to hold off on cutting the checks. One almost cool thing is that they’re offering a 6 month 0% balance transfer but it comes with a 3% fee which makes it bad for arbitrage and not great for actually transferring balances (if you need one, go with a longer period or at least a fee cap card otherwise that 3% can be brutal). As with any card I’d ever consider (except a business card), this one has no annual fee.
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 By Jim |
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I have the Chase Perfect Card and I like many of the features, but 3% cash back on groceries would be very nice. However, I do love how the Chase Perfect Card has the rewards automatically added to your balance the next statement instead of waiting for a check. Althougth the $50 bonus would definitely be worth waiting for.
And I still have the song from the Chase Freedom commercial in my mind….
I like the free chase card commercial. Where did the song come from and who sings it. Thanks.
Commercials are scientifically designed to get your attention and make you identify with the product. BUT…a nut singing in falsetto while pinching his nose causes me to instantly change channels.
I’m upset with the latest Chase Freedom Visa “offer” for teens. My 18-year old daughter got an invitation to sign-up for the Chase Freedom Visa Signature card with a promise of getting $250 back the first time she spent a penny.. yada yada yada.. Reading the very very small print for 30 mins, I finally found out where the letter stated that she would be automatically switched to a Platinum card if she didnt qualify, and that the benefits and conditions would be different for the Platinum card. Excuse me? Chase knows my daughters age from accessing her credit report. This is a scam to get kids excited about getting $250 back, when there is no chance that these teens have the credit history to qualify for their $250 cash-back “Signature Card.” It’s a seedy bait and switch offer. And even though it might be legal, and is stated in confusing small small print that you have to dig for… I don’t feel this is an honorable offer.
This bank is a scam. One thing to be careful is that after the first year, starting year 2, Chase will charge you 30 bucks as a reward program fee even though it posts there will be no any fee. This bank is shitty.
This is the WORST card I have ever owned. The customer service is very arrogant and rude. Talk to the card holder like trash like you are begging for their mercy to get their money. Though I always pay on time and cover beyond the total amount I have to pay at that moment. They are not flexible and try to squeeze the blood from the crab. Please do not use this card. Use Citibank, American Express or Discover card, they have better service and kindly understand customers. I owned this card more than a year but just delay my due date payment one day due to my financial institution discrepancy, they even not waive your late fee. They have made tons of fee from my purchase but they willlose more than they think because we will never ever use CHASE CARD including my friends, relatives…etc.
I have the Chase Freedom card for a year now. Recently, they reduced my credit limit even when my credit score was excellent. Reason: “used only a limited amount of your credit access line”. I have a amex card for few years now and I don’t use it for more than a couple hundred dollars and “never” had amex complained about it.
I think these are signs of things to come.