Chase Freedom Limitless vs. Chase Sapphire Most popular [2024]

Procuring round for a brand new bank card will be overwhelming. However should you’re on the lookout for a rewards card that matches your wants, the Chase Freedom Limitless^® and Chase Sapphire Most popular^® Card are each value contemplating—right here’s how they stack up.

	Chase Freedom Limitless	Chase Sapphire Most popular
FinanceBuzz star rankings	4.7 FinanceBuzz writers and editors rating playing cards primarily based on a variety of goal options in addition to our professional editorial evaluation. Our companions don’t affect how we fee merchandise.	4.9 FinanceBuzz writers and editors rating playing cards primarily based on a variety of goal options in addition to our professional editorial evaluation. Our companions don’t affect how we fee merchandise.
FinanceBuzz worth calculation1	Yr one earnings: $953 Yr two earnings: $653	Yr one earnings: $1,486 Yr two earnings: $789
Annual price	$0	$95
Welcome bonus	Earn an additional 1.5% on every part you purchase (on as much as $20,000 spent within the first yr)	Earn 60,000 bonus factors after you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening
Incomes fee	6.5% money again on journey bought by means of Chase Journey℠, 4.5% money again on drugstore purchases and eating at eating places, together with takeout and eligible supply service and three% money again on all different purchases (on as much as $20,000 spent within the first yr). After your first yr or $20,000 spent, earn 5% money again on journey bought by means of Chase Journey℠, 3% money again on drugstore purchases and eating at eating places, together with takeout and eligible supply service and limitless 1.5% money again on all different purchases	5X factors on journey bought by means of Chase Journey℠; 3X factors on eating, choose streaming companies, and on-line groceries; 2X factors on all different journey purchases, and 1X factors on all different purchases
Intro APR	0% for 15 months on purchases (then 20.49% – 29.24% Variable) 0% for 15 months on stability transfers (then 20.49% – 29.24% Variable)	None
Journey protection	Secondary auto rental collision injury waiver Journey Cancellation and Interruption Insurance coverage (as much as $1,500 per individual and $6,000 per journey)	Major auto rental collision waiver Journey cancellation and interruption insurance coverage (as much as $10,000 per individual and $20,000 per journey) Baggage delay insurance coverage Journey delay reimbursement
Different advantages	5% whole money again on Lyft rides by means of March 31, 2025 3 months of complimentary DoorDash DashPass, adopted by 50% off the following 9 months (activate by 1/31/25)	As much as $50 in annual assertion credit for resort stays by means of Chase Journey℠ 1:1 airline and resort switch companions An annual factors bonus equal to 10% of whole card spend from the earlier yr 5x whole factors on Lyft rides and Peloton purchases over $150 by means of March 31, 2025 Complimentary DoorDash DashPass membership (minimal of 1 yr, activate by 12/31/27)
Overseas transaction charges	3% of every transaction in U.S. {dollars}	None
Credit score wanted	Glorious, Good	Glorious, Good
	Be taught extra	Be taught extra

When to go along with the Chase Freedom Limitless

The Chase Freedom Limitless is likely to be the higher selection if:

• You’re on the lookout for a $0-annual-fee possibility
  
• You wish to earn money again
  
• You wish to benefit from an introductory APR interval

$0 annual price

Should you’re on the lookout for a card with a $0 annual price, the Chase Freedom Limitless is the higher selection between the 2 playing cards. With out an annual price, you’ll be able to earn money again with out worrying whether or not the rewards will justify paying to carry the cardboard.

The Chase Sapphire Most popular costs an annual price of $95. Whereas the annual price could possibly be greater than value it for some vacationers, it’s nonetheless value contemplating.

Intro APR interval

Should you’re planning on making a giant buy and need a while to pay it off with out incurring curiosity costs, or if you wish to consolidate debt from excessive curiosity bank cards, the Freedom Limitless is a implausible selection. New cardholders obtain 0% intro APR on purchases for 15 months from account opening, (then 20.49% – 29.24% Variable). Additionally they obtain a 0% intro APR for 15 months on stability transfers (then 20.49% – 29.24% Variable) Be aware {that a} stability switch price ($5 or 3% of the quantity of every switch, whichever is bigger within the first 60 days) will apply.

When to go along with the Chase Sapphire Most popular

The Chase Sapphire Most popular is likely to be the higher possibility if:

• You wish to maximize redemption worth by means of switch companions
  
• You journey internationally regularly
  
• You need essentially the most complete journey safety doable
  
• You may make the most of the annual resort credit score

Entry to switch companions

Whereas each of those playing cards earn Chase Final Rewards factors on qualifying purchases, solely the Chase Sapphire Most popular permits you to switch these factors to resort and airline switch companions. Present Chase journey companions embrace the next airline loyalty applications:

Airways:

• AerClub, loyalty program of Aer Lingus
  
• British Airways Government Membership
  
• Emirates Skywards®
  
• Air France KLM Flying Blue
  
• Iberia Plus
  
• JetBlue TrueBlue
  
• Singapore Airways KrisFlyer
  
• Southwest Airways Speedy Rewards®
  
• United MileagePlus®
  
• Virgin Atlantic Flying Membership
  
• Air Canada Aeroplan

Resorts:

• IHG® Rewards Membership
  
• Marriott Bonvoy™
  
• World of Hyatt®

Even should you don’t wish to switch your factors to companions and would quite ebook journey by means of Chase Journey, your factors are value extra: 1.25 cents over the Freedom Limitless’s one cent.

No overseas transaction charges

With the Chase Sapphire Most popular, you don’t have to fret about overseas transaction charges. This card is designed for journey, so that you don’t need to pay any extra price on purchases you make overseas. However, with the Freedom Limitless, you pay a 3% of every transaction in U.S. {dollars} overseas transaction price. Should you plan to journey abroad, you might be higher off utilizing the Sapphire Most popular. As a full-time digital nomad, I like utilizing my Sapphire Most popular whereas overseas and understand how pissed off I might be if I used to be incurring overseas transaction charges on every buy.

Further advantages

There are a number of further advantages that give the Sapphire Most popular an edge over the Freedom Limitless. First, cardholders of the Sapphire Most popular get an annual $50 assertion credit score on resorts booked by means of Chase Journey. It’s not a lot, however each little bit helps, and it’s an effective way to try to offset the annual price. I at all times use my resort credit score, and it’s good to avoid wasting a bit of bit of cash when taking a weekend journey.

Moreover, the Sapphire Most popular offers cardholders an anniversary level bonus equal to 10% of their whole earnings within the earlier yr. Should you spend $25,000 in purchases in your card, you’ll get 2,500 bonus factors. There’s no restrict to how a lot you’ll be able to earn, so should you’re a heavy spender, you’ll admire the bonus in your account anniversary.

The Sapphire Most popular additionally comes with a major auto rental collision injury waiver (in comparison with the Freedom Limitless’s secondary waiver) and will increase the worth of the journey cancellation and interruption insurance coverage provided by the Freedom Limitless from $1,500 per individual to $10,000 per individual. The Sapphire Most popular additionally provides baggage delay insurance coverage and journey delay reimbursement, which the Freedom Limitless doesn’t supply.

These further advantages are comparatively minor and received’t affect an rare traveler a lot, however they could be a dealbreaker for seasoned vacationers.

A more in-depth take a look at the welcome bonuses

Each the Chase Sapphire Most popular and the Chase Freedom Limitless include profitable welcome presents. With the Chase Sapphire Most popular card, you earn 60,000 bonus factors after you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening. That’s a worth of $750 once you redeem for journey by means of the Chase Journey℠ portal.

With the Chase Freedom Limitless, cardholders can earn an additional 1.5% on every part you purchase (on as much as $20,000 spent within the first yr). Should you don’t assume you’ll meet the spending threshold for the Sapphire Most popular, it’d make sense to decide on the Freedom Limitless, as it’s a lot simpler to achieve.

Why not get each playing cards?

The Freedom Limitless has a strong incomes potential. The twist — your cashback earnings are awarded as Final Rewards factors. A greenback in money again earnings is the same as 100 factors. Though the Freedom Limitless doesn’t have entry to the airline and resort switch companions that the Sapphire Most popular presents, you’ll be able to mix rewards throughout accounts, which means you’ll be able to mix your money again earnings from the Freedom Limitless with the factors you earn from the Sapphire Most popular.

This unlocks entry to switch companions and higher worth redemptions.

It additionally means which you could strategize which card you’re utilizing for which purchases — as a substitute of incomes simply 1X factors on all different purchases with the Sapphire Most popular, you need to use the Freedom Limitless to earn 1.5% on all different purchases. These playing cards sync up very properly for many customers so long as they know how one can attain the playing cards’ full potential.

Aside, these two playing cards are strong choices however are seemingly tailor-made to completely different sorts of customers — for the Freedom Limitless, somebody who needs easy money again, and for the Sapphire Most popular, journey fanatics working towards their subsequent nice journey.

Nonetheless, when used collectively, you see how these two playing cards shine and play on the opposite’s weaknesses. If doable, take into account maximizing your incomes potential and advantages by making use of for each playing cards.

FAQ

Backside line

For frequent vacationers, the Chase Sapphire Most popular presents journey advantages and further worth to your factors, which makes the annual price worthwhile for a lot of, together with myself. Should you don’t journey usually, the Chase Freedom Limitless could possibly be a greater possibility — you’ll earn a wholesome rewards fee with out paying for advantages you received’t use. Should you can, use the playing cards in tandem to unlock their full potential.