Chase Freedom Unlimited Vs. Wells Fargo Active Cash

Chase Freedom Unlimited

With the Chase Freedom Unlimited®, you can earn an additional 1.5% cash back on up to $20,000 spent in the first year, worth up to $300 cash back.

Well Fargo Active Cash Card

The Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card offers a $200 cash rewards bonus after spending $500 in purchases in the first 3 months.

Neither credit card charges an annual fee, which means you don’t have to evaluate the benefits at the end of every membership year to decide if the card is worth the cost.

The Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card earns a flat 2% cash rewards on purchases, meaning you don’t have to activate bonus earning rates every quarter or keep track of the spending categories at all.

The Chase Freedom Unlimited®, on the other hand, has a few 5% and 3% back categories but has a lower 1.5% earning rate on everyday spending. Determine where you spend your money, before deciding which of these cards is the better choice for you.

Chase Freedom Unlimited

The Chase Freedom Unlimited® earns 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3% cash back on eligible dining and drugstores and 1.5% on all other purchases, plus an additional 1.5% cash back on the first $20,000 in purchases the first year.

Wells Fargo Active Cash Card

With the Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card, you’ll earn 2% cash rewards on purchases regardless of the spending category they fall into.

Chase Freedom Unlimited®

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On Chase Bank USA, NA's Website

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3.4

Forbes Advisor created additional star ratings so that you can see the best card for specific needs. This card shines for this use, but overall the star ratings may differ when compared to other cards.

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On Chase Bank USA, NA's Website

Up to 6.5X Reward Rate

Earn an additional 1.5% cash back on up to $20,000 spent in the first year, after that 5% cash backRead More

Welcome Bonus

Up to $300 cash back

Annual Fee

$0

Regular APR

20.49% - 29.24% Variable

Credit Score

Excellent, Good (700 - 749)

Editor's Take

A good overall spending card that allows you to hold a balance on new purchases with a low introductory APR, pay no annual fee, and still earn at least 1.5% cashback on all purchases

Expert Commentary

Julian Kheel

Credit Cards and Travel Rewards Expert

With over 15 years of professional experience studying credit cards and travel loyalty programs, Julian Kheel has served as CNN’s senior editor covering travel and credit cards, as well as the editorial director for The Points Guy, and worked as a consultant for the biggest airlines. He is currently the CEO of Tripsight Inc., an award tools company that recently released Points Path, the first browser extension that automatically adds the prices of flights in miles into Google Flights search results to help travelers decide when to best use their travel rewards.
 
Julian first learned the ins and outs of credit card rewards and travel loyalty programs while flying more than 200,000 miles a year as a TV producer and director for World Wrestling Entertainment. (And yes, of course it’s all real.) He has previously written about travel and credit cards for U.S. News & World Report, Upgraded Points and Going, and created weekly columns for the travel websites Frequent Miler and Travel Codex.
 
In addition to appearing as a TV analyst to discuss travel and loyalty programs on national segments for CNN, Bloomberg News, CNBC’s “Squawk Box,” Yahoo Finance and Cheddar TV, Julian has also been featured on ABC and CBS Radio, and has been quoted in The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, and the Chicago Tribune on travel-related topics as well.

Julian Kheel

Julian Kheel

Credit Cards and Travel Rewards Expert

With over 15 years of professional experience studying credit cards and travel loyalty programs, Julian Kheel has served as CNN’s senior editor covering travel and credit cards, as well as the editorial director for The Points Guy, and worked as a consultant for the biggest airlines. He is currently the CEO of Tripsight Inc., an award tools company that recently released Points Path, the first browser extension that automatically adds the prices of flights in miles into Google Flights search results to help travelers decide when to best use their travel rewards.
 
Julian first learned the ins and outs of credit card rewards and travel loyalty programs while flying more than 200,000 miles a year as a TV producer and director for World Wrestling Entertainment. (And yes, of course it’s all real.) He has previously written about travel and credit cards for U.S. News & World Report, Upgraded Points and Going, and created weekly columns for the travel websites Frequent Miler and Travel Codex.
 
In addition to appearing as a TV analyst to discuss travel and loyalty programs on national segments for CNN, Bloomberg News, CNBC’s “Squawk Box,” Yahoo Finance and Cheddar TV, Julian has also been featured on ABC and CBS Radio, and has been quoted in The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, and the Chicago Tribune on travel-related topics as well.

Credit Cards and Travel Rewards Expert

The secret advantage of the Chase Freedom Unlimited is that it earns rewards that can be moved to other Chase credit cards instead of being redeemed for cash back. That means when you pair it with one of Chase’s cards that can transfer points to the bank’s airline and hotel partners, you’re effectively earning rewards that are even more valuable than advertised.

Pros & Cons

• Generous welcome offer for a no annual fee card
• Unlimited 1.5% minimum earn rate for cash-back rewards
• No minimum redemption amount

• Foreign transaction fee
• Ongoing balance transfer fee is high
• Requires a companion card to transfer points to travel partners

Card Details

• INTRO OFFER: Earn an additional 1.5% cash back on everything you buy (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year) – worth up to $300 cash back!
• Enjoy 6.5% 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; 4.5% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service, and 3% on all other purchases (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year).
• After your first year or $20,000 spent, enjoy 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel, 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service, and unlimited 1.5% cash back on all other purchases.
• No minimum to redeem for cash back. You can choose to receive a statement credit or direct deposit into most U.S. checking and savings accounts. Cash Back rewards do not expire as long as your account is open!
• Enjoy 0% Intro APR for 15 months from account opening on purchases and balance transfers, then a variable APR of 20.49% – 29.24%.
• No annual fee – You won’t have to pay an annual fee for all the great features that come with your Freedom Unlimited® card
• Keep tabs on your credit health, Chase Credit Journey helps you monitor your credit with free access to your latest score, alerts, and more.
• Member FDIC

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.

Credit Score ranges are based on FICO® credit scoring. This is just one scoring method and a credit card issuer may use another method when considering your application. These are provided as guidelines only and approval is not guaranteed.

These credit cards have some overlapping benefits, so let’s take a look at those first.

• Secondary auto rental collision damage waiver. For coverage to take effect, you must decline the rental car company’s collision damage waiver and pay for the rental with your card. Coverage is secondary in your country of residence, meaning the benefit will cover what your personal auto policy won’t.
• Roadside dispatch. Roadside assistance is available to cardholders 24/7. Service includes towing no more than 5 miles, tire changing, jump starts, lockout service and fuel delivery.
• Travel and emergency assistance services. If an emergency happens when you’re away from home, you can get help with message service, medical and legal referral assistance, transportation assistance, translation services, prescription assistance and document delivery.

Below are some benefits specific to each of these cards.

Chase Freedom Unlimited

• Trip cancellation and interruption. The benefit may reimburse you prepaid, nonrefundable expenses if your trip is canceled due to unforeseen circumstances, such as extreme weather or death in the family. You’re covered for $1,500 per person or $6,000 per trip.
• DoorDash. Get three months of DoorDash DashPass membership for free and another nine months at 50% discount (normally $9.99 per month). Activate by Dec. 31, 2024.
• Instacart+. Get three months of Instacart+ membership for free. Get $10 in statement credits toward Instacart orders every quarter. Enroll by July 31, 2024.

Well Fargo Active Cash Card

• Cellphone protection. If your phone is damaged or stolen, you can get up to $600 toward repair costs or a replacement (with a $1,200 maximum per year).
• Visa Signature Luxury Hotel Collection. Book more than 900 luxury hotels all over the world and receive benefits during your stay, such as automatic room upgrade, complimentary breakfast for two, $25 food or beverage credit, to name a few.
• Concierge service. Whenever you need assistance making dinner reservations, booking event tickets or planning a trip, you may contact a concierge available 24/7.

Chase Freedom Unlimited

The Chase Freedom Unlimited® earns cash back that can be redeemed in multiple ways. Each point is worth 0.8 to 1 cent, depending on the redemption method.

• Cash back. Redeem points at a rate of 1 cent each for statement credit or a direct deposit into a checking or savings account. (Cash-back redemptions don’t have a minimum.)
• Travel. Book various travel components through Chase Travel℠ at a rate of 1 cent per point.
• Gift cards. Redeem your points for gift cards through Chase. The value of rewards varies.
• Shop at Amazon. You can use points to pay for merchandise at Amazon at a rate of 0.8 cent per point, which is on the low end of their value.
• PayPal. You can Pay with Rewards for PayPal purchases using Ultimate Rewards points at a rate of 0.008 cent per point.

The redemption options and rates above apply if you don’t hold one of the premium Chase cards, such as the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, the Chase Sapphire Reserve® or the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card, that have transfer capabilities.

The Chase Ultimate Rewards® earned with the cards above can be combined with the rewards earned with the Chase Freedom Unlimited card and used in ways that can increase their value.

For example, points redeemed for travel through the Chase Travel℠ portal are worth more if you hold the following cards:

• Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card: 1.25 cents per point
• Chase Sapphire Reserve®: 1.5 cents per point
• Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card: 1.25 cents

Having both the Chase Freedom Unlimited® and one of the premium cards above means that you can earn 1.5 points per dollar in categories where you’d normally earn 1 point per dollar plus redeem them for higher value.

Well Fargo Active Cash Card

The Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card earns Wells Fargo Rewards points that are worth 1 cent each with most redemption methods (excluding purchase redemptions made directly with merchants).

You can redeem Wells Fargo Rewards in the following ways.

• Statement credits. Redeem points as cash back to your Wells Fargo checking or savings account. Automatic redemptions have a minimum of $25, but manual redemptions can be as low as 1 cent worth of cash back.
• Redeem for purchases. This is similar to cash back, except you can reimburse yourself for purchases made on your credit card using rewards. Transactions must be a minimum of $1, and you must have enough points to cover the entire transaction.
• Pay with rewards. You can redeem your points with select retailers, but keep in mind that the points are worth less than 1 cent each, which reduces their baseline value.
• Cash redemptions via ATM. If you have a Wells Fargo debit or ATM card, you can use rewards to withdraw cash through a Wells Fargo ATM in increments of $20.
• Travel. Book flights, hotel stays and car rentals through Wells Fargo Rewards at a rate of 1 cent per point.
• Gift cards. Purchase gift cards using rewards through Well Fargo Rewards at a rate of 1 cent per point.
• PayPal. Through PayPal Pay with Rewards, you can redeem Wells Fargo Rewards points at a rate of 1 cent per point.

Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card

Apply Now

On Wells Fargo's Website

Click Here To Apply Now

Rates & Fees 

4.0

Forbes Advisor created additional star ratings so that you can see the best card for specific needs. This card shines for this use, but overall the star ratings may differ when compared to other cards.

Apply Now

On Wells Fargo's Website

Unlimited 2% Rewards Rate

Earn unlimited 2% cash rewards on purchases

Welcome Bonus

$200 Cash Rewards

Annual Fee

$0

Regular APR

20.24%, 25.24%, or 29.99% Variable APR

Credit Score

Excellent, Good (700 - 749)

Editor's Take

The Wells Fargo Active Cash offers an unlimited 2% cash rewards rate on purchases and charges no annual fee. This puts it in competition with the best flat-rate cash back cards on the market.

Pros & Cons

• Unlimited 2% cash rewards on purchases
• $0 annual fee
• Cellphone protection benefit

• There’s a balance transfer fee
• There’s a foreign transaction fee
• No travel transfer partners

Card Details

• Select “Apply Now” to take advantage of this specific offer and learn more about product features, terms and conditions.
• Earn a $200 cash rewards bonus after spending $500 in purchases in the first 3 months.
• Earn unlimited 2% cash rewards on purchases.
• 0% intro APR for 15 months from account opening on purchases and qualifying balance transfers. 20.24%, 25.24%, or 29.99% Variable APR thereafter; balance transfers made within 120 days qualify for the intro rate and fee of 3% then a BT fee of up to 5%, min: $5.
• $0 annual fee.
• No categories to track or remember and cash rewards don’t expire as long as your account remains open.
• Find tickets to top sports and entertainment events, book travel, make dinner reservations and more with your complimentary 24/7 Visa Signature® Concierge.
• Up to $600 of cell phone protection against damage or theft. Subject to a $25 deductible.

Earn a $200 cash rewards bonus after spending $500 in purchases in the first 3 months

Credit Score ranges are based on FICO® credit scoring. This is just one scoring method and a credit card issuer may use another method when considering your application. These are provided as guidelines only and approval is not guaranteed.

Chase Freedom Unlimited

If you hold the Chase Freedom Unlimited® card but no other Chase cards, it’s not possible to transfer rewards to travel partners, and the rewards you earn are limited to cash back.

However, those who have the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, the Chase Sapphire Reserve® or the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card in addition to the Chase Freedom Unlimited have the option to combine their Chase Ultimate Rewards® earnings to enable transfers to the following airline and hotel loyalty programs:

• Aer Lingus AerClub
• Air Canada Aeroplan
• Air France-KLM Flying Blue
• British Airways Executive Club
• Emirates Skywards
• Iberia Plus
• IHG One Rewards
• JetBlue TrueBlue
• Marriott Bonvoy
• Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer
• Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards
• United MileagePlus
• Virgin Atlantic Flying Club
• World of Hyatt

Utilizing partner programs is one of the best ways to increase the value of your rewards exponentially. As long as you hold one of the cards that have the transfer ability and boost your knowledge of the various rewards programs, you can easily elevate the initial valuation of 1 cent per point.

Well Fargo Active Cash Card

Wells Fargo Rewards doesn’t have any transfer partners, meaning your rewards are limited to the redemption options listed above.

Chase Freedom Unlimited

The Chase Freedom Unlimited® offers a 0% introductory APR for 15 months from account opening on purchases and balance transfers, then a variable APR of 20.49% - 29.24% applies. An intro transfer fee of either $5 or 3% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater, applies in the first 60 days of account opening. After that, a fee of either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer applies.

The Chase Freedom Unlimited charges a foreign transaction fee of 3% of each transaction in U.S. dollars.

Well Fargo Active Cash Card

The card offers a 0% intro APR for 15 months from account opening on purchases and qualifying balance transfers, then a 20.24%, 25.24%, or 29.99% variable APR applies. Balance transfers made within 120 days qualify for the intro rate and fee of 3% then a fee of up to 5%, with a minimum of $5 applies.

The Wells Fargo Active Cash Card also charges a 3% foreign transaction fee.

You Frequently Travel Abroad

Both the Chase Freedom Unlimited and the Well Fargo Active Cash cards charge foreign transaction fees of 3%, which means you’ll pay an extra $3 for every $100 you spend overseas. Because the cards earn 1.5% to 3% cash back on most purchases, the value of these rewards will be eaten up by the foreign transaction fees. If you often travel internationally, consider a different $0 annual fee card that charges no foreign transaction fees, like the Wells Fargo Autograph℠ Card or the Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card (rates & fees).

You Want an All-in-One Card For Transferring Rewards

We’ve already mentioned that neither card is a good option for making charges abroad. Additionally, neither card has transfer partners, at least not on their own. Globetrotters will get more use out of true travel rewards cards such as the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card or the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card (rates & fees) that don’t charge foreign transaction fees, come with a host of trip protection benefits and whose points can be transferred to travel partners.

Because of its slightly higher base earning rate, the Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card is a better option for consumers looking for a simple rewards structure. Additionally, having access to cell phone protection with a $0 annual fee card is nice.

However, if your focus is on travel redemptions, the Chase Freedom Unlimited® card is going to benefit you more. Even though you need another card to open up access to travel partners, the Chase Freedom Unlimited® pairs extremely well with premium Chase cards as it offers the opportunity to earn a minimum of 1.5 Ultimate Rewards points on all purchases.

For Capital One products listed on this page, some of the above benefits are provided by Visa® or Mastercard® and may vary by product. See the respective Guide to Benefits for details, as terms and exclusions apply.