Amex Blue Cash Everyday vs. Chase Freedom Unlimited [2024]

It’s difficult to argue that cash-back isn’t the most liquid form of credit card rewards you can earn. Additionally, many cash-back credit cards do not charge an annual fee. This combination can be appealing when you’re just starting out and looking for a rewards-earning card.

Keeping this desirable combination in mind, we’ve selected 2 popular credit cards for our comparison today. Both offer nice earning potential for everyday purchases, lack the expense of an annual fee, and have good-value redemption options and benefits you can use.

The Blue Cash Everyday^® Card from American Express and the Chase Freedom Unlimited^® are similar in that both offer the ability to earn rewards via cash-back. When it comes time to redeem those rewards, however, you’ll find differences that could affect which card is more appropriate for your situation.

In our article today, we’ll cover all of the earning and redemption details, plus give you an overview of the benefits you can expect to receive on each card.

If you’re interested in the combination of a cash-back earning card that doesn’t charge an annual fee, you’ll find our comparison useful.

Amex Blue Cash Everyday Card vs. Freedom Unlimited Card — Overview

Washer and Dryer Sears — Need to pay back a large purchase over time? A 0% APR period for purchases can help you do that while not incurring interest charges. Image Credit: Sears

We will cover a lot of information on our featured cards, but before we do, we’ll briefly summarize and compare all the attributes of the cards, side-by-side.

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Feature or Benefit	Blue Cash Everyday^® Card from American Express	Chase Freedom Unlimited^®
Welcome Offer	Earn a $200 statement credit after spending $2,000 in purchases in the first 6 months.	Earn an extra 1.5% on everything you buy (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year) — worth up to $300 cash back.
Earnings	3% cash-back at U.S. supermarkets, up to $6,000 in purchases each year 3% cash-back at U.S. gas stations, up to $6,000 in purchases each year 3% cash-back at U.S. online retailers, up to $6,000 in purchases each year 1% cash-back on all other purchases	5% cash-back on travel purchased through Chase Travel and Lyft purchases (until March 31, 2025) 3% cash-back on dining and drugstore purchases 1.5% cash-back on all other purchases
Redemption Options	Statement credits at 1 cent per point Gift cards, shopping at Amazon, and merchandise	Transfer to premium Chase credit cards for potentially greater value with the option to transfer to hotel/airline partners Statement credits, travel, cash back, gift cards, shopping at Amazon and Apple, experiences,
Travel Benefits and Protections	Secondary car rental insurance, with access to Premium Car Rental Protection	Secondary car rental insurance, travel emergency assistance, roadside dispatch
Shopping Benefits and Protections	Purchase protection Complimentary ShopRunner membership, upon enrollment	Purchase protection, extended warranty
Annual Fee and Authorized User Fee	$0 Authorized User: $0 (rates & fees)	$0 Authorized User: $0

Bottom Line: While the Amex Blue Cash Everyday card may have the earning edge on everyday purchases, the Freedom Unlimited card offers greater redemption flexibility, especially if you have a premium Chase credit card like the Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card or Chase Sapphire Reserve^® to facilitate transferring Ultimate Rewards points and receiving greater potential value.

The Value of a Welcome Offer

Amex Blue Cash Everyday Card

Terms Apply / Rates & Fees

Blue Cash Everyday^® Card from American Express

U.P. Rating

This cash-back card offers a capped 3% at U.S. supermarkets, 3% at U.S. gas stations, and 3% on U.S. online retail purchases!

Learn More(at Amex's secure site)

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Know if you're approved with no credit score impact

If you're approved and accept this Card, your credit score may be impacted.

Blue Cash Everyday^® Card from American Express

This cash-back card offers a capped 3% at U.S. supermarkets, 3% at U.S. gas stations, and 3% on U.S. online retail purchases!

Welcome OfferEarn a $200 statement credit after you spend $2,000 in purchases on your new Card within the first 6 months.
$200

Annual Fee

APR

19.24%-29.99% Variable,0% on purchases for 15 months

Credit Recommended

Good to Excellent (670-850)

When it comes to cash-back credit cards, there are dozens of options to choose from. So what sets the Blue Cash Everyday^® Card from American Express apart from the rest?

This card is excellent at earning cash-back on your everyday purchases at U.S. supermarkets, U.S. gas stations, and on U.S. online retail purchases. So if you regularly spend money on everyday purchases, this could be the perfect card to add to your wallet.

Pros

3% back on purchases at U.S. supermarkets on up to $6,000 in purchases each year, then 1% back after.
3% back on purchases at U.S. gas stations on up to $6,000 in purchases each year, then 1% back after.
3% back on purchases on online retail purchases on up to $6,000 in purchases each year, then 1% back after.

Cons

Rewards are not flexible and can only be redeemed for cash-back. Cash back is received in the form of Reward Dollars that can be redeemed as a statement credit.

Read Full Review

Earn a $200 statement credit after you spend $2,000 in purchases on your new Card within the first 6 months.
No Annual Fee.
Balance Transfer is back! Enjoy 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 15 months from the date of account opening. After that, 19.24% to 29.99% variable APR.
3% Cash Back at U.S. supermarkets on up to $6,000 per year in purchases, then 1%.
3% Cash Back on U.S. online retail purchases, on up to $6,000 per year, then 1%.
3% Cash Back at U.S. gas stations, on up to $6,000 per year, then 1%.
Cash Back is received in the form of Reward Dollars that can be redeemed as a statement credit or at Amazon.com checkout.
Thinking about getting the Disney Bundle which can include Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+? Your decision made easy with $7/month back in the form of a statement credit after you spend $9.99 or more each month on an eligible subscription (subject to auto renewal) with your Blue Cash Everyday^® Card. Enrollment required.
Enjoy up to $15 back per month when you purchase a Home Chef meal kit subscription (subject to auto renewal) with your enrolled Blue Cash Everyday^® Card.
Terms Apply.

Financial Snapshot

APR: 19.24%-29.99% Variable,0% on purchases for 15 months
Foreign Transaction Fees: 2.7% of each transaction after conversion to US dollars.

Freedom Unlimited Card

UP TO $300 BACK

Chase Freedom Unlimited^®

U.P. Rating

This all-purpose cash-back card offers great bonus categories, including bonus points for every purchase you make!

Learn More(at Chase's secure site)

Chase Freedom Unlimited^®

This all-purpose cash-back card offers great bonus categories, including bonus points for every purchase you make!

Welcome OfferINTRO OFFER: Earn an additional 1.5% cash back on everything you buy (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year) - worth up to $300 cash back!
Up to $300 cash back

Annual Fee

APR

0% Intro APR for 15 months on purchases and balance transfers, then a variable APR of 20.49% - 29.24%.

Credit Recommended

Good to Excellent (670-850)

The Chase Freedom Unlimited^® is easily one of the best cash-back credit cards on the market. There aren’t many no-annual-fee credit cards that offer multiple great bonus categories like 5% back on travel purchased through Chase, 3% back on dining and drugstore purchases, and 1.5% back on all other purchases.

When paired with other Chase cards in the Ultimate Rewards family, you can transfer that cash back into points if you wish – making it one of the most lucrative cards in your wallet.

Pros

0% Intro APR for 15 months from account opening on purchases and balance transfers, then a variable APR of 20.49% - 29.24%.
5% back on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠
3% back on dining and drugstore purchases

Cons

3% foreign transaction fee

Read Full Review

INTRO OFFER: Earn an additional 1.5% cash back on everything you buy (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year) - worth up to $300 cash back!
Enjoy 6.5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, our premier rewards program that lets you redeem rewards for cash back, travel, gift cards and more; 4.5% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service, and 3% on all other purchases (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year).
After your first year or $20,000 spent, enjoy 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service, and unlimited 1.5% cash back on all other purchases.
No minimum to redeem for cash back. You can choose to receive a statement credit or direct deposit into most U.S. checking and savings accounts. Cash Back rewards do not expire as long as your account is open!
Enjoy 0% Intro APR for 15 months from account opening on purchases and balance transfers, then a variable APR of 20.49% - 29.24%.
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

Financial Snapshot

APR: 0% Intro APR for 15 months on purchases and balance transfers, then a variable APR of 20.49% - 29.24%.
Foreign Transaction Fees: 3% of each transaction in U.S. dollars

Rewards Center

Chase Ultimate Rewards

Earning Rewards

The Amex Blue Cash Everyday card offers elevated earning on select bonus categories while the Freedom Unlimited card has a flat-rate earning structure (with a few exceptions) where every purchase earns a flat rate of cash-back. Here’s how the cards compare:

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Card	Earnings
Amex Blue Cash Everyday Card	3% cash-back at U.S. supermarkets, up to $6,000 in purchases each year 3% cash-back at U.S. gas stations, up to $6,000 in purchases each year 3% cash-back on U.S. online retail purchases, up to $6,000 in purchases each year 1% cash-back on all other purchases
Freedom Unlimited Card	5% cash-back on travel purchased through Chase Travel 5% cash-back on qualifying Lyft purchases (until March 2025) 3% cash-back on dining and drugstore purchases 1.5% cash-back on all other purchases

Let’s look at some spending examples to see which might be the better card regarding earnings.

Spending Scenario #1 — High Spending at U.S. Supermarkets

Spending Breakdown:

$12,000 at U.S. supermarkets
$2,000 at U.S. gas stations
$2,400 dining out

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Amex Blue Cash Everyday Card	Freedom Unlimited Card
U.S. Supermarkets — 3% on $6,000 and 1% on the remaining $6,000 U.S. Gas Stations — 3% on $2,000 Dining Out — 1% on $2,400	U.S. Supermarkets — 1.5% on $12,000 U.S. Gas Stations — 1.5% on $2,000 Dining Out — 3% on $2,400
$324 Total Earnings	$282 Total Earnings

Spending Scenario #2 — Moderate Spending at U.S. Supermarkets and Lyft Travel

Spending Breakdown:

$7,200 at U.S. supermarkets
$1,800 on Lyft rides
$3,000 for dining out
$1,200 on U.S. online retail purchases

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Amex Blue Cash Everyday Card	Freedom Unlimited Card
U.S. Supermarkets — 3% x $6,000 and 1% on the remaining $1,200 Lyft — 1% x $1,800 Dining Out — 1% x $3,000 Eligible U.S. Online Retailers — 3% x $1,200	U.S. Supermarkets — 1.5% x $7,200 Lyft — 5% x $1,800 Dining Out — 3% x $3,000 Eligible U.S. Online Retailers — 1.5% x $1,200
$276 Total Earnings	$306 Total Earnings

The Amex Blue Cash Everyday card offers elevated bonus earnings on purchases such as those at U.S. supermarkets, U.S. gas stations, and U.S. online retailers. If you spend heavily in these categories, the Amex Blue Cash Everyday card could offer better earnings.

The Freedom Unlimited card earns bonus cash-back on travel through Chase Travel, dining and drugstore purchases, Lyft purchases, and a flat rate on every other purchase. The actual mix of your spending will determine the total earnings for each card.

Redeeming Rewards

Family at Magic Kingdom Walt Disney World with Mickey Balloons — Accumulate your Amex Reward Dollars or Chase Ultimate Rewards points to fund an annual family vacation. Image Credit: Disney

While reward-earning rates are important, the value of the rewards at redemption time is equally, if not more, important.

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Card	Redemption Options
Amex Blue Cash Everyday Card	Statement credits at 1 cent per point (minimum redemption is $25) Gift cards, shopping at Amazon, and merchandise
Freedom Unlimited Card	Statement credits, travel, and cash at 1 cent per point Transfer to premium Chase credit cards for potentially greater value with the option to transfer to hotel and airline partners Gift cards, shopping at Amazon and Apple, experiences

The Amex Blue Cash Everyday card has higher earning potential on everyday spending, however, the ability to transfer Ultimate Rewards points earned on the Freedom Unlimited card to Chase premium cards results in Ultimate Rewards points having more potential value.

Transferring Ultimate Rewards points to cards such as the Chase Sapphire Preferred card and the Chase Sapphire Reserve card offers redemption values of up to 1.5 cents per point for travel and the additional option to transfer to Chase airline and hotel partners for even greater potential value.

Additionally, Ultimate Rewards points are also more flexible in that you can redeem them for cash at 1 cent per point.

Bottom Line: If your priority is to use your points for statement credits, both featured cards offer the same 1-cent value per point. However, if you have a premium Chase Ultimate Rewards-earning card, you’ll receive far better value by transferring your points to one of those cards and redeeming them for travel. You can receive up to 1.5 cents per point for travel via the Chase travel portal or even greater potential value through travel transfer partners.