Credit Cards Credit Card Rewards

Chase Freedom Flex^® vs. Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card [2025]: Bonus Cash Back Vs. Travel Points

Choosing between the Chase Freedom Flex and the Sapphire Preferred comes down to what kind of rewards and benefits you're looking for. These cards don't have much in common. One is a no-annual-fee cash back card with rotating categories, while the other is a beginner travel card with an annual fee.

By Ben Walker, CEPF, CFEI®

Edited by Jess Ullrich

Updated Sept. 3, 2025

4.9

Generous welcome offer valued at up to $1,125 when redeemed via Chase Travel℠
High rewards on dining and bookings via Chase Travel
Up to 1.5x more value when redeeming points for travel through Chase Travel
Up to $50 in statement credits each account anniversary year for hotel stays booked through Chase Travel
Receive valuable travel protections like trip delay reimbursement and primary rental car insurance

4.7

$0 annual fee
Flexible rewards redemption
Some travel perks and purchase protection
Can earn a $200 bonus after you spend $500 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening

Our view

The Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card(Rates and fees) is a popular travel rewards card with a cult-like following and many loyal cardholders. Its $95 annual fee is low when you consider how many perks and benefits the card offers, especially compared to other cards at this price point. The Sapphire Preferred earns points on travel and everyday categories like dining and select streaming services, which can be redeemed in many ways, and is known for often providing excellent welcome offers.

The Chase Freedom Flex^®, on the other hand, has a $0 annual fee. It earns cash back (technically, Chase Ultimate Rewards points) at an elevated rate on select bonus categories that change quarterly and require activation. It offers intro APRs, unlike the Sapphire Preferred. See what we mean when we say these cards aren't similar?

If you're curious about how the Chase Sapphire Preferred and the Freedom Flex compare, take a look at our comparison to understand their most important differences.

Chase Freedom Flex vs. Sapphire Preferred

	Chase Sapphire Preferred	Chase Freedom Flex
Annual fee	$95	$0
Redemption methods	Points can be redeemed for statement credits, electronic bank deposits, gift cards, travel, and to make purchases from participating merchants Points are worth up to 1.5x more value when redeemed for eligible travel through the Chase Travel℠ portal Points can be transferred to many travel partner loyalty programs	Cash back can be redeemed for statement credits, electronic bank deposits, gift cards, travel, and to make purchases from participating merchants
Earning rate	5X points on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠; 3X points on dining, select streaming services, and online groceries; 2X points on all other travel purchases, and 1X points on all other purchases	5% cash back on rotating quarterly categories you activate (on up to $1,500 spent) and travel purchased through Chase Travel℠; 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants (including takeout and eligible delivery service); and 1% cash back on all other purchases
Welcome bonus	Earn 75,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening	Earn a $200 Bonus after you spend $500 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening
Intro APR	N/A	0% intro APR on purchases for 15 months (then 18.99% - 28.49% Variable)
Travel perks	Up to $50 in annual statement credits for hotel stays through Chase Travel℠ Up to $10,000 per person and $20,000 per trip in trip cancellation/interruption insurance Car rental collision damage waiver Up to $500 in baggage delay insurance Up to $500 per ticket in trip delay reimbursement Travel and emergency assistance services	Up to $1,500 per person and $6,000 per trip in trip cancellation/interruption insurance Car rental collision damage waiver Travel and emergency assistance services
Other benefits	An annual points bonus equal to 10% of your previous year's total card spend Chase purchase protection Extended warranty protection Complimentary year of DashPass from DoorDash, after the user is auto-enrolled at the current monthly rate (activate by 12/31/27)	Chase purchase protection Extended warranty protection Cell phone protection 6 months of complimentary DoorDash DashPass, after the user is auto-enrolled at the current monthly rate (activate by 12/31/27) Earn 2% back on Lyft rides through September 2027
Payment network	Visa	Mastercard
Foreign transaction fee	None	3%
Recommended credit score	Excellent, Good	Excellent, Good
	Apply now \| Learn more	Learn more

Which card should you choose?

The Chase Sapphire Preferred vs. Chase Freedom Flex competition doesn't have one winner. The best card for you depends on what you need the card for and what you're hoping to gain.

When you should choose the Sapphire Preferred

The Sapphire Preferred is best for individuals who want to earn rewards in common categories and then redeem them for travel. When you use your rewards to book travel through the Chase Travel portal, they could be worth up to 1.5x more value.

Of course, to make the Sapphire Preferred worth it, you have to track your progress toward offsetting the annual fee throughout the year. To offset the $95 annual fee on spending alone, you'd need to earn around 6,334 points each year. This number of points could be worth $95.01 (6,334 x 0.015 = 95.01) toward eligible Chase travel redemptions.

When you should choose the Freedom Flex

The Freedom Flex earns cash back from a variety of sources, which is helpful for racking up rewards from everyday spending. It could be the better card if you mostly want to redeem your cash back for statement credits, especially if you'd take advantage of the intro APR on purchases. The Freedom Flex could be a better choice than other cash back cards with rotating categories, like the Discover it^® Cash Back, because it offers the rare perk of a DoorDash promotional credit and even limited travel protections.

And then you have similar redemption options between the two cards, except the Freedom Flex doesn't give you more value for travel redemptions, and you can't transfer points to airline or hotel partners.

When you should choose both

Because these cards are more different than they are similar, you could easily make a case for having both (and many of us here at FinanceBuzz have). Chase allows you to combine points between some of its cards, so you can earn on your Freedom Flex and then move your points onto your Sapphire Preferred. This would give your points more value because they could be worth more toward travel redemptions on the Sapphire Preferred.

You'd also have more earning potential with both cards. To maximize your earnings, simply use whichever card earns the highest rate on your purchases. For instance, the Freedom Flex would be better for restaurant and drugstore purchases, whereas the Sapphire Preferred is better for travel purchases that aren't through Chase. Then, combine your points onto the Sapphire Preferred and get a higher rate for travel redemptions. Having both cards could also make it easier to offset the Sapphire Preferred's annual fee.

What both cards excel at

Both the Chase Sapphire Preferred and Chase Freedom Flex were designed with different cardholders in mind: the Sapphire Preferred is primarily meant to be a travel credit card, whereas the Freedom Flex is a cashback credit card that earns big rewards on common purchases. However, you will see some overlap between the two cards:

Redemption options: Although the Sapphire Preferred is a travel rewards card and the Freedom Flex is a cashback card, they both earn Chase Ultimate Rewards points. The best way to use Chase points is typically on travel through the Chase travel portal, but you can also use them for statement credits, bank deposits, gift cards, and to make purchases with certain retailers.
Travel coverages: The Sapphire Preferred has a more extensive list of travel coverages and protections than the Freedom Flex, which is to be expected for a travel card. They both, however, offer trip cancellation/interruption insurance and auto rental collision damage waivers.
Purchase coverages: Both cards also offer extra protection on your purchases. With either card, you can extend an eligible warranty for a year and also receive up to $500 for theft or damage on new purchases for a set period of time.

4 important differences between the Chase Sapphire Preferred and the Chase Freedom Flex

To really compare the Chase Sapphire Preferred and the Chase Freedom Flex, we need to dig into the differences between each card. Both Chase credit cards have a few similarities, but they're ultimately different categories of cards. Knowing how they're different will help you decide if one card might be a better match for you than the other.

1. Welcome bonus

A hallmark of many of the best rewards credit cards is a generous welcome bonus. With the Chase Sapphire Preferred, you can earn 75,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. With the Chase Freedom Flex, you can earn $200 cash back after spending $500 in the first 3 months.

Overall, the 75,000 bonus points are worth much more than $200, though you do have to spend a bit more to earn the bigger bonus. If you also factor in the Chase Sapphire Preferred's potentially increased rate on travel redemptions booked through the Chase portal, you're looking at a sizable amount of value to put toward your next trip.

If you can meet the spending requirement, the Sapphire Preferred's welcome bonus easily beats out the welcome bonus from the Freedom Flex.

2. Earning potential

This is a tough comparison because the earning potential on each card depends on what you're using it for. For example, the Chase Sapphire Preferred earns 5X points on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠; 3X points on dining, select streaming services, and online groceries; 2X points on all other travel purchases, and 1X points on all other purchases. So if you frequently spend on travel, dining, online groceries, and streaming services, you can earn plenty of bonus points with the Sapphire Preferred.

With the Chase Freedom Flex, you earn 5% cash back on rotating quarterly categories you activate (on up to $1,500 spent) and travel purchased through Chase Travel℠; 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants (including takeout and eligible delivery service); and 1% cash back on all other purchases. With rotating bonus categories available on the Freedom Flex, you potentially have additional opportunities to earn bonus rewards. Plus, many of these bonus categories encompass areas in which people typically have common expenses.

You can't plan for the rotating categories, but in the past, these categories have included purchases from grocery stores, Amazon.com, Walmart, gas stations, streaming services like Hulu and Apple Music, and more.

If you're primarily focused on earning rewards from travel purchases, the Sapphire Preferred is a safe bet, though it also offers bonus points in other categories. However, the Freedom Flex provides a wide range of ways to earn bonus rewards and could be the better option depending on your typical spending habits.

3. Fees

The fees associated with a credit card can heavily affect your decision to get one. The Chase Sapphire Preferred has a $95 annual fee, whereas the Chase Freedom Flex has a $0 annual fee. By cost alone, the Freedom Flex is the winner here. However, $95 isn't much to pay and can easily be offset if you can leverage the Sapphire Preferred's multiple benefits, including its annual $50 hotel credit.

Keep in mind, the Sapphire Preferred also has no foreign transaction fees, but the Freedom Flex has a foreign transaction fee of 3%. So for making purchases abroad, the Sapphire Preferred makes a lot more sense.

4. Intro APR

An introductory APR period on a new credit card can be a great way to avoid interest on balance transfers or purchases for a set amount of time. The Chase Sapphire Preferred doesn't have an intro APR offer, but you can find one on the Chase Freedom Flex.

With the Freedom Flex, you get 0% intro APR on purchases for 15 months (then 18.99% - 28.49% Variable). This automatic offer for new cardmembers can help you better manage your finances because your purchases won't accrue any interest for a while. So if you need to make some bigger purchases and want time to pay them off, the Freedom Flex provides a great opportunity to do so.

FAQs

Which are better, the Chase Sapphire or Freedom cards?

The better Chase family of cards depends on your financial goals and spending habits. If you mainly want to earn rewards and redeem them for travel via the Chase portal or transfer them to partners like Marriott Bonvoy or British Airways, it makes more sense to go with a Chase Sapphire Preferred or Chase Sapphire Reserve^® over a Chase Freedom Unlimited^® or Chase Freedom Flex card. If you mainly want a card to earn cashback rewards from everyday spending, the Chase Freedom Unlimited and Chase Freedom Flex are the better options.

Of course, you can also go with multiple Chase cards. This would give you the widest range of earning potential and redemption options. Use whichever card earns the best rewards rate on each purchase and then combine your points for free through your Chase online account. Then redeem your points however you'd like. If it's for travel redemptions, the Chase Sapphire cards get higher redemption rates on travel.

Can you have the Chase Sapphire Preferred and the Chase Freedom Flex?

Yes, you can have both the Chase Sapphire Preferred and the Chase Freedom Flex. This is an excellent pairing of two cards because they complement each other well. Earn on everyday purchases with the Freedom Flex and on travel with the Sapphire Preferred. Then, combine your rewards through your Chase online account onto the Sapphire Preferred, and they could be worth more toward travel redemptions.

Is the Chase Sapphire Preferred still worth it?

The Chase Sapphire Preferred card is well worth it. Its earning potential and valuable benefits can easily offset the $95 annual fee, but you can also earn 75,000 bonus points after spending $5,000 in the first 3 months. The welcome bonus alone can essentially cover your annual fee for multiple years.

Bottom line

Although there's no obvious winner between the Chase Sapphire Preferred and Chase Freedom Flex, it's clear both cards offer amazing value when you consider their benefits and rewards, though the Sapphire Preferred primarily focuses on travel and the Freedom Flex is designed for everyday spending.

Overall, the best option for you may be to go with both cards. This will give you the highest earning potential and more lucrative options for points redemptions. Learn about the Chase 5/24 rule before applying for Chase credit cards so you can avoid a few simple mistakes.

Seriously Powerful Cashback Card

Chase Freedom Flex^®

4.7