Comparison Between the Chase Freedom Unlimited Card and the Chase Sapphire Reserve Card in Detail
Article: Combining the Chase Freedom Unlimited and Chase Sapphire Reserve for Maximum Benefits
The Chase Freedom Unlimited and Chase Sapphire Reserve cards offer a powerful combination for consumers seeking to maximise their rewards and travel benefits.
The Chase Freedom Unlimited card, with a $0 annual fee, offers secondary auto rental coverage, trip cancellation, trip interruption, travel emergency assistance, and Purchase protection and extended warranty. It also earns 5% back on travel purchased through Chase, 3% on dining and drugstores, and 1.5% on all other purchases.
On the other hand, the Chase Sapphire Reserve card, with an annual fee of $795, offers primary auto rental coverage, car rental program benefits, trip cancellation and trip interruption insurance, trip delay, travel emergency assistance, baggage delay insurance, evacuation and limited emergency medical and dental coverage, Global Entry, TSA PreCheck, or NEXUS fee reimbursement, and no foreign transaction fees. It earns 10 points per dollar on travel booked through Chase, 4 points per dollar on flights and hotels booked directly, 3 points per dollar on dining, and 1 point per dollar on other purchases.
By pairing these two cards, users can take advantage of the Freedom Unlimited’s straightforward cash back earning on everyday spend while leveraging the Sapphire Reserve’s powerful travel benefits and ability to boost point value. You earn rewards on Freedom Unlimited and then transfer those points to the Sapphire Reserve account, enabling your points to be redeemed for travel at a higher rate or transferred to valuable airline and hotel partners.
The Sapphire Reserve offers additional benefits such as a $300 annual travel credit and luxury benefits, while Freedom Unlimited helps you earn points in many everyday categories without an annual fee. It's important to note that both cards require you to pay for the entire rental with your card and decline the rental agency's CDW/LDW coverage to be eligible for rental car coverage.
The combination of these cards is part of the well-known Chase Trifecta strategy (Freedom Unlimited, Sapphire Reserve, and a business card), maximising spending categories while leveraging point flexibility and redemption value. However, it's important to be aware of Chase's unwritten rule that affects whether you can be approved for any of the issuer's credit cards, known as the 5/24 rule.
Both cards offer various redemption options, with points from the Freedom Unlimited able to be redeemed for travel via Chase Travel, transferred to premium Chase cards, or used for statement credits, Pay Yourself Back, Gift cards, shopping at select retailers. Points from the Sapphire Reserve can be redeemed for travel via Chase Travel, transferred to hotel and airline partners, or used for statement credits, Pay Yourself Back, Gift cards, shopping at select retailers.
With the Chase Sapphire Reserve, cardholders can enjoy additional benefits such as up to $300 annual travel credit, up to $500 annually for The Edit stays, and up to $300 for StubHub and viagogo purchases annually. Cardholders who spend $75,000 or more annually can also enjoy additional benefits such as Southwest Airlines A-List Status, a $500 Southwest Airlines credit, $250 credit to the Shops at Chase, and IHG One Rewards Diamond Elite status.
By combining the Chase Freedom Unlimited and Chase Sapphire Reserve, users can enjoy the benefits of earning at least 1.5% on every purchase with the Freedom Unlimited card and redeem the points for travel with increased value on the Chase Sapphire Reserve card. This combination provides a flexible and rewarding approach to credit card usage for frequent travellers and everyday spenders alike.
