Chase Freedom Rise® vs PayPal Cashback Mastercard
Side-by-side comparison
| Chase Freedom Rise® | PayPal Cashback Mastercard | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual fee | No annual fee | No annual fee |
| Welcome offer | $25 statement credit | No current offer |
| Dining | 1.5x | 1.5x |
| Groceries | 1.5x | 1.5x |
| Gas | 1.5x | 1.5x |
| Travel | 1.5x | 1.5x |
| Streaming | 1.5x | 1.5x |
| Everything else | 1.5x | 1.5x |
| Est. yearly rewards* | $437 | $437 |
| Points type | Pools with Chase → transferable | Cash back only |
| Network | Visa | Mastercard |
*Estimated yearly rewards on typical household spending, every point valued at a flat 1 cent. Verified June 2026. See your own numbers in the calculator.
The verdict
On a typical year of household spending, the Chase Freedom Rise® earns about $437 a year in rewards and the PayPal Cashback Mastercard about $437, valuing every point at a flat 1 cent. The Chase Freedom Rise® has no annual fee, so its rewards are all profit. The PayPal Cashback Mastercard has no annual fee, so its rewards are all profit. These two are about as close as cards get: both pay a flat 1.5x on everything, neither charges an annual fee, and on that spending they finish within a few dollars of each other. The choice is not really about the rewards rate. The bigger difference is the ceiling: the Chase Freedom Rise® earns points you can move to travel partners for outsized value, while the PayPal Cashback Mastercard pays plain cash back. Favor the Chase Freedom Rise® if you will use travel transfers, the PayPal Cashback Mastercard if you want simplicity. One tiebreaker: the Chase Freedom Rise® adds no foreign transaction fees, which the other does not. On the sign-up bonus, the Chase Freedom Rise® currently has the larger welcome offer. A welcome bonus is a one-time event, so weigh it apart from the ongoing rewards.