Love your Freedom Unlimited? Here are 5 cards you may want to consider

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The Chase Freedom Unlimited (see rates and fees) is a great beginner credit card. It earns at least 1.5% cash back on all purchases, meaning it can still provide value to your wallet even after you've opened numerous other cards.

Thanks to its flexibility, it can work well in tandem with many credit cards, even those not issued by Chase. Here are some of my favorite choices for cards to pair with the Freedom Unlimited.

Unlock the Freedom Unlimited's full potential

On its own, the Freedom Unlimited is a strong card, but if you want to truly maximize it, you'll need to partner it with one of Chase's higher-tier options:

The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (see rates and fees)
The Chase Sapphire Reserve® (see rates and fees)
The Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card (see rates and fees)
The Chase Sapphire Reserve for Business℠ (see rates and fees)

By combining the rewards you earn on the Freedom Unlimited with those you earn on one of the cards I just mentioned, you'll be able to transfer them to Chase's 13 partners for maximum value.

The Sapphire Preferred and Sapphire Reserve are likely the best choices for most people, since they offer compelling benefits that justify their annual fees without the need for a separate side hustle or business.

Here's a quick breakdown of what these cards offer.

Chase Sapphire Preferred

The Sapphire Preferred easily makes up for its $95 annual fee with its simple list of benefits, provided you can use them organically.

This is the card I use to power up my own Freedom Unlimited. I spend on my Sapphire Preferred to earn bonus rewards on dining, select travel and online groceries (excluding Walmart and Target), while my Freedom Unlimited is handy for general purchases that aren't covered by bonus categories.

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I also take advantage of my Sapphire Preferred's complimentary DoorDash DashPass membership (activate by Dec. 31, 2027) to make up for more than my card's annual fee. A DashPass membership costs $9.99 per month, or $96 for the annual plan, meaning I come out in the green each year.

Then, when I'm ready to redeem my points for travel, I combine all of the rewards I've earned and send them off.

To learn more, check out our full review of the Sapphire Preferred.

Apply here: Chase Sapphire Preferred

Chase Sapphire Reserve

If you feel ready for a premium travel card, the Sapphire Reserve may make more sense for you than the Sapphire Preferred.

If your current spending habits are a good match for the Sapphire Reserve's benefits, I recommend pairing it with the Freedom Unlimited. Use your Sapphire Reserve for purchases that earn within its bonus categories or trigger a statement credit, and your Freedom Unlimited for other purchases.

While it boasts a hefty $795 annual fee, it features an appealing array of benefits to help cardholders justify that, including:

Access to Chase's Sapphire lounges
Priority Pass lounge membership
Up to $500 each year in statement credits for luxury hotel bookings made with The Edit
Highly flexible $300 travel credit
Up to $300 in statement credits each year for dining purchases made via Sapphire Exclusive Tables on OpenTable
Up to $300 in statement credits for StubHub and Viagogo purchases (through Dec. 31, 2027; activation required)

To learn more, check out our full review of the Sapphire Reserve.

Apply here: Chase Sapphire Reserve

Complement the Freedom Unlimited with the Freedom Flex

The very first duo I took advantage of in my wallet was the Freedom Unlimited and the Chase Freedom Flex® (see rates and fees).

If you don't feel ready to pay an annual fee in order to give your Freedom Unlimited a boost, this is a great option. The Freedom Flex's claim to fame is its rotating quarterly categories. Cardholders can earn 5% cash back on these categories each quarter they activate (on up to $1,500 in combined spending, then 1% back).

Chase often features popular spending categories on the Freedom Flex, including at gas stations and gyms and with PayPal. This benefit expands your ability to earn significant rewards beyond the Freedom Unlimited's categories for dining and drugstores.

Just keep in mind that you'll still need the Sapphire Preferred, Sapphire Reserve or another eligible Chase Ultimate Rewards points-earning card to transfer your rewards to travel partners.

To learn more, check out our full review of the Freedom Flex.

Apply here: Chase Freedom Flex

Open your wallet to other issuers

The Freedom Unlimited is a great gateway into Chase, but I always recommend diversifying your wallet with cards from other issuers as well. Thankfully, the Freedom Unlimited is easy to pair with most cards from other banks. Here are two of my favorite recommendations.

American Express Gold

My first foray after opening Chase cards was into American Express with the American Express® Gold Card. While the Freedom Unlimited earns 3% cash back on dining, the Amex Gold offers a stronger 4 points per dollar spent rate (on up to $50,000 of dining purchases worldwide each calendar year, then 1 point per dollar spent).

The Freedom Unlimited doesn't offer a bonus category for groceries, so the Amex Gold can lend a helping hand. The Amex Gold earns 4 points per dollar spent on U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 of spending each calendar year, then 1 point per dollar spent).

Keep in mind that the Amex Gold carries a $325 annual fee (see rates and fees), but it offers statement credits to more than make up for that. One of the best of these offers up to $50 biannually for purchases made at Resy-affiliated U.S. restaurants. (Enrollment is required.)

To learn more, check out our full review of the Amex Gold.

Apply here: American Express Gold Card

Capital One Venture Rewards

While the other cards I've recommended lean on the Freedom Unlimited's 1.5% cash back rate to supplement their bonus categories, the script is flipped with this pairing.

The Venture Rewards earns at least 2 miles per dollar spent on purchases, which is better than what the Freedom Unlimited offers. Since the Venture Rewards lacks bonus categories for dining and drugstores, the Freedom Unlimited can supplement with its 3% cash back rates in both categories.

The Venture Rewards has a $95 annual fee, the same as the Chase Sapphire Preferred. Deciding between the Sapphire Preferred and the Venture Rewards comes down to which issuer's transfer partners you favor.

Remember: Without the Sapphire Preferred (or another eligible Chase card), you won't be able to transfer your Freedom Unlimited's rewards to Chase's travel partners.

To learn more, check out our full review of the Venture Rewards.

Learn more: Capital One Venture Rewards

Bottom line

I regularly use my own Freedom Unlimited with my Sapphire Preferred and Amex Gold to get the most points from my spending. This way, I'm able to move more quickly toward my personal travel goals.

The Freedom Unlimited is at its best when paired with the right card. Whether you decide to open one or multiple of the cards mentioned in this guide, you'll be well on your way to getting the most out of your Freedom Unlimited.

For rates and fees of the Amex Gold, please click here.

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