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The Chase Freedom and the Chase Sapphire southwest airlines tickets ding cards are two of the most popular credit cards on the market today. These are both great cards because they offer unlimited rewards on all your purchases. In addition, both cards come with no annual fee and have a generous sign-up bonus. While both cards offer great programs, they offer two very different types of rewards. Understanding this difference will help you pick the best card for your situation.
The Chase Freedom card offers simple cash back. If you are looking for a simple and easy way to earn an automatic discount on your purchases, the Freedom Card is the way to go. The Chase Sapphire card is better for travelers. Your purchases on this card earn travel rewards and free merchandise, southwest airlines tickets ding which are potentially more valuable than straight cash back. If you are a heavy traveler and want to maximize your rewards, southwest airlines tickets ding you should look into the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card . While it has an annual fee, the Sapphire Preferred has the most generous reward program of the three cards.
southwest airlines tickets ding Every time you make a purchase on the Chase Freedom, you get cash back. You earn unlimited 1% cash back on most purchases. This card also offers bonus cash back throughout the year. Every 3 months, Chase releases a new bonus category, for example gas stations and movie theaters. You earn 5% cash back on your first $1,500 in purchases in the bonus category. Once you hit the bonus limit, you go back to earning 1% cash back until the new quarter begins.
The Chase Freedom card also offers a cash bonus to new cardholders. If you spend $500 on your card during its first 3 months, you receive an extra $100. This is on top of regular cash back rewards. If you are looking to only earn cash back and don't care about travel rewards, you are better off with the Chase Freedom card.
The Chase Freedom card has an introductory APR offer while the Sapphire cards do not. If you plan to carry a balance or have a balance to transfer over, this might be a key factor to pay attention to.
5% Cash Back on up to $1,500 spent at hotels (on hotel rooms purchased directly with the hotel), airlines (on tickets purchased directly with the airline), Best Buy® and Kohl's from 10/1/12 – 12/31/12
The Chase Sapphire card earns points on your purchases, not cash back. You earn 1 point for every $1 spent on regular purchases. You earn 2 points for every $1 spent at restaurants. You can also earn up to 10 points per dollar for purchases through Chase's Ultimate Rewards Mall. You can convert your points into flights, hotel stays, southwest airlines tickets ding free merchandise, southwest airlines tickets ding or gift cards at a large selection of retailers.
You also receive a sign-up bonus with this card. If you spend $500 on your Sapphire card within 3 months, you receive an extra 10,000 bonus points. If you are looking for travel southwest airlines tickets ding rewards or free merchandise, the Sapphire card is superior to the Freedom card. This card exchanges the simplicity of cash back for more flexible rewards.
If you are really looking southwest airlines tickets ding to maximize your rewards, the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card might be the best choice of all. This card uses the same point system and reward program as the regular Sapphire Card. However, this card offers an annual point bonus. At the end of the year, Chase gives you an extra 7% point bonus on top of your earned points for the year.
Lastly, the Preferred Card has no foreign transaction fee so you aren't charged anything extra for using this card outside the US. In exchange for these extra features, the Preferred Card charges an annual fee of $95. This fee is waived the first year but must be paid starting the second year. If you are a serious traveler and want the most rewards possible, the Chase Sapphire Preferred card offers the best program.
Introductory Annual Fee of $0 the first year, then $95 Intro APR for Purchases Intro APR for Balance Transfer Regular APR Annual Fee N/A N/A 15.24% (Variable) $0 introductory for first year, then $95
Disclaimer: This content is not provided or commissioned by Chase. Opinions expressed here are author's alone, southwest airlines tickets ding not those of Chase, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by Chase. This site may be compensated through Chase Affiliate Program. Stay informed with news, deals, reviews, and tips from CreditDonkey. More Articles in Review What do you think about Chase Freedom vs Sapphire: Which is Better? Name (required) Email (required; won't be published) Website (optional) or you can also trackback from your blog. You might also be interested in September 28 2012 Simmons First Visa Platinum Rewards Review The Simmons First Visa Platinum Rewards is a nice combination of low fees plus rewards. It has a low 9.25% variable interest rate. However, you don't need to give up rewards to get this low rate as this card earns travel points on all your ... PenFed Premium Travel Rewards Review southwest airlines tickets ding Chase Ink Plus Business Card Review: Worth $95 Annual Fee? Visa Black Review: Worth the $495 Annual Fee? Citi Hilton HHonors Reserve Card Review southwest airlines tickets ding More Articles in Review Recent Simmons First Visa Platinum Rewards Review Best Credit Card for Paying Bills Shoppers Feel Safer Shopping Online than at Local Stores Popular College: The Best (and Most Expensive) Years Survey: Inside a College Student's Head What Scares You More: Giving Your Teenager the Keys to Your Car or Your Credit Card? Email Alerts Sign up to receive new analysis, deals, reviews, and tips from CreditDonkey.
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