Chase Freedom Unlimited

My husband and I both have the Chase Freedom Unlimited — and honestly, it's one of those cards that quietly does a lot of heavy lifting in the background.

Here's what I love about it for beginners: there's no annual fee, the earning structure is simple, and the welcome offer threshold is one of the lowest you'll find anywhere. Spending just $500 in 3 months to earn a $250 bonus is incredibly achievable — that's basically one month of groceries for most families.

But here's the strategy most people miss: the Freedom Unlimited earns Chase Ultimate Rewards® points, which on their own can only be redeemed for cash back. However, if you later open a Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, you can combine your points and suddenly those Freedom Unlimited earnings become transferable to airline and hotel partners. That's a huge upgrade in value for points you've already earned.

For students or anyone opening their first rewards card, this is the one I'd point to first. No annual fee means no risk, the cash back is straightforward, and it lays the perfect foundation for a Chase points strategy down the road.

The 0% intro APR for 15 months on purchases and balance transfers is also worth noting — just make sure to pay off any balance before the much higher variable APR kicks in.

The standard public offer on the Chase Freedom Unlimited is typically $200 cash back after spending $500 in the first 3 months. We have seen limited time offers of $250 cash back on the same spend occasionally.