If you're looking for a cash back card, now's the perfect time to apply for the Prime Visa (see rates and fees) or Chase Freedom Unlimited® (see rates and fees).
But you should look beyond the bonus to the long-term value and costs of each card when deciding which one to get. Both cards offer solid cash back rates in everyday spending categories alongside useful perks, but they fill different niches in terms of rewards structure.
CNBC Select covers what you need to know about the Prime Visa vs. Chase Freedom Unlimited so you can choose the right card for you.
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Prime Visa vs. Chase Freedom Unlimited
The Prime Visa is only available to Amazon Prime members ($139 for an annual membership and $14.99 for a monthly membership) but is very rewarding for Amazon purchases.
- High rate of return at Amazon.com, Whole Foods Market and on Chase Travel purchases
- Offers an automatic gift card welcome bonus after card approval
- Option to earn rewards or take advantage of 0% promo APRs
- Includes a wealth of travel insurance protections
- Requires an Amazon Prime membership for approval
- If you choose the promo APR, you won't earn rewards on those purchases
- Rewards can't be pooled with other Chase credit cards
Rewards
- Earn unlimited 5% back at Amazon.com, Amazon Fresh, Whole Foods Market and on Chase Travel purchases with an eligible Prime membership
- Unlimited 2% back at gas stations, restaurants, and on local transit and commuting (including rideshare)
- 10% back or more on a rotating selection of items and categories on Amazon.com with an eligible Prime membership
- Unlimited 1% back on all other purchases
Balance transfer fee
Either $5 or 4% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater
The Chase Freedom Unlimited® is a no-annual-fee card that earns generous cash-back on everyday purchases and a lucrative welcome bonus. Plus, if you pair it with a premium Chase credit card that allows point transfers, you can convert your cash back into flexible travel rewards.
- Users get a high rewards rate and strong welcome bonus
- Purchases and balance transfers receive an intro APR
- No annual fee
- Has a foreign transaction fee
- Few rewarding ongoing benefits
Highlights
Highlights shown here are provided by the issuer and have not been reviewed by CNBC Select's editorial staff.
- Earn a $200 Bonus after you spend $500 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening
- Enjoy 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase TravelSM, our premier rewards program that lets you redeem rewards for cash back, travel, gift cards and more; 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service, and 1.5% on all other purchases.
- No minimum to redeem for cash back. You can use points to redeem for cash through an account statement credit or an electronic deposit into an eligible Chase account located in the United States!
- Enjoy 0% Intro APR for 15 months from account opening on purchases and balance transfers, then a variable APR of 18.24% - 27.74%.
- No annual fee – You won't have to pay an annual fee for all the great features that come with your Freedom Unlimited® card
- Keep tabs on your credit health, Chase Credit Journey helps you monitor your credit with free access to your latest score, alerts, and more.
- Member FDIC
Balance transfer fee
Intro fee of either $5 or 3% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater, in the first 60 days. After that, either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater.
Foreign transaction fee
3% of each transaction in U.S. dollars
Annual fee
The Chase Freedom Unlimited has no annual fee, so there's no cost to open or hold the card.
The Prime Visa itself also charges no annual fee, but you do need an active Prime membership to open and hold the card. A Prime membership costs $14.99 monthly or $139 annually, with discounts for certain groups. If you cancel your Prime membership, your card will be downgraded to the Amazon Visa, which features lower rewards rates in several categories.
If you already have a Prime membership, the Prime Visa comes at no additional cost. But if this card is what pushes you to get or keep Prime when you otherwise wouldn't, you should consider the cost of Prime as part of the card's effective annual fee. Whether that cost is worth it depends on how much you use the card and your other Prime benefits.
Winner: Chase Freedom Unlimited. While both cards technically have no annual fee, the Chase Freedom Unlimited is the only one with no out-of-pocket cost.
Welcome bonus
New Chase Freedom Unlimited cardholders can earn a $200 Bonus after you spend $500 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening.
The Prime Visa is offering a $150 Amazon gift card instantly upon approval. Unlike the Chase Freedom Unlimited, there's no spending requirement to get the Prime Visa's bonus.
While the Prime Visa's instant bonus with no spending requirement is convenient, especially if you want to use it on an upcoming purchase, the Chase Freedom Unlimited's bonus is more flexible in how you can redeem it. The $500 spending threshold shouldn't be too hard for most people to meet.
Winner: Chase Freedom Unlimited
Rewards
The Chase Freedom Unlimited technically earns Ultimate Rewards® points in the form of cash back. Categories include:
- 5% cash back on travel booked through Chase Travel℠
- 3% back at drugstores and on dining at restaurants (including takeout and eligible delivery services)
- 2% back on eligible Lyft purchases (through Sept. 30, 2027)
- 1.5% back on all other purchases
With an active Prime membership, the Prime Visa earns:
- 5% cash back at Amazon.com, Amazon Fresh and Whole Foods Market
- 5% back on travel booked through Chase Travel℠
- 2% back at gas stations, restaurants and local transit and commuting (including rideshare)
- 1% back on all other purchases
- 10% back or more on certain items and categories on Amazon through limited-time offers
The Prime Visa offers excellent rewards at Amazon-affiliated merchants. Its rewards at gas stations, restaurants and local transit and commuting are nothing special, but they make the card viable as an everyday spending card.
The Chase Freedom Unlimited features fewer bonus categories and no 5% category besides Chase Travel. Its main draw is its 1.5% cash back on non-category purchases. This makes the Freedom Unlimited a good jack-of-all-trades option if you want to use one card for everything, but it loses value if you prefer to pair various tiered-rewards cards with a flat 2% cash back card as a catch-all.
The rewards redemption options are largely the same for both cards, including cash, gift cards, Amazon.com purchases and Chase Travel bookings, among other options. But the Chase Freedom Unlimited has a superpower that the Prime Visa doesn't: The Ultimate Rewards® points you earn can be pooled onto other cards, such as the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (see rates and fees), to unlock a greater range of redemption options (including 1:1 transfers to airline and hotel partners). You can't do that with the Prime Visa.
That said, we give the edge to the Prime Visa for rewards, as it offers more 5% categories and more bonus categories overall.
Winner: Prime Visa
Additional perks
The Prime Visa and Chase Freedom Unlimited are both issued by Chase, so they share many perks. Though the exact terms and conditions may differ, both cards offer the following benefits:
- Auto rental coverage
- Extended warranty protection
- Purchase protection
- Roadside assistance
- Travel and emergency assistance
- Additional cash back and savings through Chase Offers
The Prime Visa actually offers several travel insurance benefits that the Chase Freedom Unlimited doesn't, including lost luggage reimbursement, baggage delay insurance and travel accident insurance. The Prime Visa also has no foreign transaction fees, while the Freedom Unlimited charges a 3% foreign transaction fee. While neither card is considered a dedicated travel credit card, the Prime Visa is much better suited for travelers.
On the other hand, the Chase Freedom Unlimited offers trip cancellation and interruption insurance and a complimentary six-month DashPass membership (activate by Dec. 31, 2027) and up to $10 off quarterly non-restaurant DoorDash orders if you have a DashPass membership (through Dec. 31, 2027). After the six-month trial, you're automatically enrolled in DashPass at the current monthly rate unless you cancel.
The Chase Freedom Unlimited also offers a 15-month 0% introductory APR on purchases and balance transfers (18.24% - 27.74% variable APR thereafter), while the Prime Visa doesn't have any intro APR offer. This could make the Chase Freedom Unlimited a better choice if you're looking to consolidate debt or finance a large purchase interest-free. Just make sure you have a plan to pay off the entire balance before the introductory period ends.
Both cards offer a lot of useful perks, but which one is best depends on what you value more. If you want better travel protections and no foreign transaction fees, pick the Prime Visa. If you prefer the complimentary DashPass membership and quarterly DoorDash credits, or are looking for a 0% introductory APR offer, the Freedom Unlimited is the better choice.
Winner: Tie
Bottom line
The Chase Freedom Unlimited and Prime Visa are both strong cash back cards, but they fill different niches. The Freedom Unlimited, with its relatively few bonus categories and 1.5% miscellaneous cash back rate, is best for those looking to split the difference between a traditional tiered rewards card and a flat-rate cash back credit card. It's also a great option if you're looking to earn points in the Ultimate Rewards ecosystem as part of a larger strategy.
Meanwhile, frequent Amazon shoppers who already have a Prime membership will find a lot of value in the Prime Visa. But if you don't care about the other Prime benefits, getting a membership just for this card probably isn't worth it. For $139 a year, there are lots of annual-fee-charging cards you can get that have more perks or better rewards.
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