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There is one no-annual-fee card that has been generating a lot of buzz over the last few months—the Chase Freedom Flex℠. You get up to 5% back on purchases, and you earn some of the most valuable credit card reward points. If you want to get the Chase Freedom Flex Card, it’s important to know what your approval odds are. Let’s take a look at what you should know before trying for one of the best Chase credit cards.
The information for the Chase Freedom Flex℠ has been collected independently by Johnny Jet. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
Should You Get The Chase Freedom Flex Card?
Before we break down how hard it is to get the Chase Freedom Flex, let’s take a quick look at the benefits and bonuses that come with this card.
For one, there are several ways to earn rewards. Cardholders earn 5% cash back on rotating quarterly bonus categories (once activated), up to $1,500 spent per quarter. Plus, you can earn 5%, 3%, or 1% back anytime on select bonus categories:
- 5% cash back on up to $1,500 in combined purchases in bonus categories each quarter you activate (then 1% back)
- 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards®
- 3% cash back on dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery services
- 3% cash back on drugstore purchases
- 1% on all other purchases
New Chase Freedom Flex℠ cardholders can earn a $200 bonus after you spend $500 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
Unlike The Chase Freedom Unlimited®, the Chase Freedom Flex is a Mastercard (the Unlimited is a Visa product). You can learn more about both cards in our comparison of the Chase Freedom Flex vs Freedom Unlimited.
Credit Score Needed for Chase Freedom Flex
Now, there are a few things you should know before trying for the Chase Freedom Flex or any of the other Chase cards. Your approval odds for the Chase Freedom Flex almost entirely depend on two factors. The most important factor is your credit score. If needed, here’s where you can check your credit score for free without affecting your credit.
Having a minimum 670 credit score gives you the best approval odds. Many banks and consumers consider a 670 to 739 credit score as good credit. A 740 credit score or above means you have excellent credit and qualify for essentially any card that doesn’t require a special invite. A higher score also makes it more likely you will get a higher initial credit limit.
Being a current Chase customer can also boost your approval odds if you have a fair credit score.
Related: Are Free Credit Score Sites Reliable Or a Waste of Time?
How Many New Credit Cards Do You Have?
The second most important factor for your Chase Freedom Flex approval odds is how many new credit cards you have. Too many new credit cards mean Chase can reject your Chase Freedom Flex application even if you have near-perfect credit.
Each bank has different credit card application guidelines. For example, Wells Fargo only lets you qualify for a new signup bonus once every 15 months, even if you apply for two completely different cards. Capital One only lets you have up to 5 open accounts at one time.
Chase has one of the most restrictive policies meant to discourage churning. It’s known as the “5/24 rule“. If you added at least 5 new credit cards to your wallet in the last 24 months (even as an authorized user), you will most likely need to wait to get the Chase Freedom Flex. Once you only have four or fewer cards opened in the last 24 months, you can apply.
Related Article: Is the Citi Premier Worth It?
Wait 30 Days Between Applications
If you recently applied for a card, you may also wait 30 days before trying for the Chase Freedom Flex℠ to show the first on-time payment for your newest card. If your credit score is right around 670 or a few points less, you might wait up to 6 months after your last credit card application to apply for the Freedom Flex Card.
Although you are still below the 5/24 mark, you want the highest credit score and cleanest credit report possible to optimize your approval odds.
Waiting between three and six months is usually enough time for your credit score to rebound from the temporary dip that comes from every credit card application. And, you can show Chase that you are paying your balance in full each month.
Pooling Chase Ultimate Rewards
Many consider the Chase Freedom Flex a cash back credit card. Your points are actually worth 1 cent each for cash, travel, and gift cards. However, you can transfer them to the Chase Ultimate Rewards travel partners or get a travel redemption bonus. These two perks are exclusive to the Ultimate Rewards cards that have an annual fee.
What you may not know is that your points can be worth more if you have a Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, Chase Sapphire Reserve®, or Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card. These three cards also earn Ultimate Rewards® points. And Chase lets you pool your points between any card you own that earns Ultimate Rewards.
Related: The Best Credit Cards for Online Shopping
Travel Redemption Bonus
Your points are worth 1.25 cents each when booking travel on Chase Travel℠ with the Chase Sapphire Preferred or Chase Ink Business Preferred.
Even better, each point is worth 1.5 cents each with the premium Chase Sapphire Reserve.
All three cards are some of the best travel credit cards.
1:1 Point Transfers
Your points can be worth even more than the travel redemption bonus by transferring your points to Chase transfer partners and booking award travel directly from your loyalty account.
Some of the best partners include United Airlines, Southwest, Emirates, and British Airways.
Are You Ready to Get the Chase Freedom Flex?
There are many reasons to get The Chase Freedom Flex℠. For some people, this is their only credit card and they redeem the points for cash rewards. Others only use this card for the 5% bonus categories but use their other Chase card to earn points on other purchases. As long as you have a 670 credit score and not too many new credit cards, this card may be yours.
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