Chase Freedom Unlimited

A solid no-fee everyday card, but its real value shows up only when you also hold a Sapphire to convert that cash back into transferable points. On its own you get 1.5% flat plus bonus dining and drugstore rates; spend $15,000 across general purchases and that's about $225 back. The flat-rate Wells Fargo Active Cash pays more (2%) if you won't pair cards, so pick this one for the Chase ecosystem, not in isolation. Verify intro-APR length on chase.com.

Chase Freedom Unlimited at a glance

Rewards & perks

• Pair it with a Sapphire card to turn cash back into travel points
• Redeem at any amount, no minimum
• Stretch of 0% intro APR

Pros

• No annual fee
• Dependable flat rate with extra bonus categories on top
• 0% intro APR

Cons

• 3% fee on foreign purchases
• Bonus categories don't add up to much in value

Who should apply

• A good credit score
• Counts against the Chase 5/24 rule

Before you apply: card terms change often. Confirm the current annual fee, APR, welcome offer and rewards on the official Chase site. CreditCardCompare is an independent comparison resource, not the card issuer, and this is not financial advice.