Chase Freedom Flex vs. Sapphire Preferred: Are they better together? #CashNews.co

The Chase Freedom Flex® and the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card are both among the best credit cards for cash-back and travel rewards. And while both cards earn Ultimate Rewards points, they’re different in almost every other way.

Depending on your financial situation, spending habits, and feature preferences, one card may be a better fit than the other. In some cases, it could even make sense to have both. But to ensure you choose the best credit card for you, here’s what you need to know for a proper comparison.

With its high cash-back potential, travel and purchase protections, and introductory APR, the Chase Freedom Flex card offers outsized value for no annual fee. If you’d like to avoid added costs, the Freedom Flex is a solid choice.

The Sapphire Preferred comes with a modest $95 annual fee, though the card offers enough value for most people to easily offset that cost with its rewards and perks. However, it could be a deal breaker if you don’t want that out-of-pocket expense.

The Freedom Flex offers a generous 0% intro APR for new purchases and balance transfers made in the first 15 months from account opening. This makes the card especially useful for financing a large purchase or paying down existing credit card debt without interest. However, if any balance remains when the introductory period expires, the standard APR will apply.

The Chase Sapphire Preferred doesn’t offer an introductory APR.

Read more: What is a balance transfer and how does it work?

For a limited time, you can get a two-part welcome bonus offer when you open a new Chase Sapphire Preferred Card:

• Earn 60,000 bonus points when you spend at least $4,000 within the first three months

• Get $300 in statement credits toward Chase Travel purchases you make within your first year

Together, this offer is worth up to $1,050 when you redeem your rewards toward future travel through Chase. For cardholders who can comfortably meet the $4,000 spending minimum and travel often, you could easily come out ahead with major savings on future trips.

Read more: New Chase Sapphire Preferred Card bonus worth over $1,000 toward travel

The Chase Freedom Flex, on the other hand, offers a much more modest $200 cash back if you spend $500 on purchases in the first three months after opening the account. The minimum spend requirement is easier to meet for those with smaller budgets and may be a better fit for those who travel infrequently.

The Chase Sapphire Preferred Card offers solid rewards on several common spending categories, such as dining, streaming services, and travel. But to cash in on its highest 5% reward potential, you must book travel through the Chase portal.

However, you do get some big perks when it comes time to trade those points in. The Sapphire Preferred is a travel credit card, and you’ll get the best value if you redeem your points for travel. Your points are worth 25% more when you use them to book travel through Chase. You can also transfer Chase points to several airline and hotel partners, giving you even more flexibility — and potentially more value.

You also have the option to use your Sapphire Preferred rewards like a cash-back credit card without giving you subpar redemption values — trading points in for cash back or gift cards gives you a rate of 1 cent per point.

The Chase Freedom Flex, on the other hand, offers an opportunity to maximize your cash back on a rotating slate of everyday spending categories each quarter. In 2024, for instance, Chase Freedom bonus categories included grocery stores, restaurants, hotels, gas stations, live entertainment, Amazon.com, and many more. However, you’ll only earn the 5% bonus rewards rate on up to $1,500 spent each quarter, which can be limiting during quarters with more common spending categories.

Read more: 2024 Chase Freedom bonus categories

The card also offers great ongoing rewards on other common spending categories. You can redeem your points in several ways, including cash back, shopping on Amazon.com, and gift cards. Although you can redeem your Freedom Flex rewards for travel, you won’t get the same flexibility that you get with the Chase Sapphire Preferred. In fact, you’d need to pair the Freedom Flex with the Sapphire Preferred, the Chase Sapphire Reserve®, or the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card to gain access to transfer partners.

Both cards offer similar travel and purchase protections, though the Sapphire Preferred’s coverage is more comprehensive. For example, the Freedom Flex offers secondary collision insurance on rental cars, while the Sapphire Preferred includes primary coverage.

The Sapphire Preferred does offer some significant perks that the Freedom Flex can’t match. You’ll get a $50 annual statement credit for hotel bookings made through Chase Travel, plus a 10% anniversary bonus for the purchases you’ve made over the previous year. That means if you spent $30,000 on the card last year, you’d get 3,000 bonus points on your cardmember anniversary.

The Freedom Flex is a great option to earn a high rewards rate on everyday spending categories that change throughout the year. It’s also a solid choice if you need to make a large purchase or pay down high-interest debt from another card and you want to save money on interest. If you’re an infrequent traveler or value cash back on your normal budget items, this could be the right card for you.

However, it might not be the best fit if you want access to more travel benefits and flexible redemption options.

With the Sapphire Preferred Card, you’ll get access to an incredibly versatile rewards program, both in terms of earning and redeeming. You can rack up rewards on common spending categories, but you’ll get the most bang for your buck if you travel often. If you want to learn more about maximizing travel rewards, the Sapphire Preferred is an excellent starter card with a modest annual fee.

However, if you’re looking for a 0% APR promotion, you won’t get it with this card. It’s also not a great choice for people who prioritize no-annual-fee cards.

Pairing the Freedom Flex and the Chase Sapphire Preferred is often recommended to get the best of both worlds. That’s because Chase allows cardholders to pool Ultimate Rewards points earned with different cards.

In other words, you can maximize your rewards on the Freedom Flex’s 5% bonus categories, then transfer your points to your Sapphire Preferred, giving you access to the card’s 25% bonus value on travel redemptions and transfer partners.

Why we like it: The Chase Freedom Unlimited® and the Freedom Flex are similar in a lot of ways, but where they differ the most is in their rewards rates. With the Freedom Unlimited, you’ll earn 5% cash back on travel booked through Chase, 3% back on dining and drugstore purchases, and 1.5% back on everything else.

You’ll also get a respectable welcome bonus and an introductory 0% APR promotion, as well as no annual fee.

Read more: Chase Freedom Unlimited vs. Freedom Flex

Why we like it: The Capital One Venture Rewards Card can be a great choice if you want a simpler approach to travel rewards. The card offers a sizable welcome bonus, plus a minimum of 2 miles per dollar on every purchase you make. You can redeem your rewards for travel by booking through Capital One Travel or by paying for travel expenses and requesting a statement credit. Alternatively, you can transfer your miles to 15+ airline and hotel loyalty programs.

Card benefits include an application fee credit toward Global Entry or TSA PreCheck and elite benefits with Hertz car rentals.

Read more: Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card review

Why we like it: If you’re a serious traveler and want more premium perks, the Sapphire Reserve could be the right fit. The card offers a similar welcome bonus in terms of points, but you’ll get 50% more value on travel redemptions with Chase instead of 25%. You’ll also get better rewards on select spending categories.

Card benefits include an annual $300 travel credit, complimentary access to Priority Pass and Chase Sapphire lounges, and other premium travel perks. You’ll also have access to the same list of transfer partners as the Sapphire Preferred. Keep in mind, though, that the card charges a high annual fee, which may be too steep for casual travelers.

Read more: Chase Sapphire Reserve review

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