Chase Freedom Unlimited® vs United℠ Gateway
Side-by-side comparison
| Chase Freedom Unlimited® | United℠ Gateway | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual fee | No annual fee | No annual fee |
| Welcome offer | $200 cash bonus | Up to 40,000 bonus miles |
| Dining | 3x | 1x |
| Groceries | 1.5x | 1x |
| Gas | 1.5x | 2x |
| Travel | 1.5x | 1x |
| Streaming | 1.5x | 1x |
| Everything else | 1.5x | 1x |
| Est. yearly rewards* | $490 | $320 |
| Points type | Pools with Chase → transferable | Locked to United MileagePlus |
| Network | Visa | Visa |
*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 Unlimited® earns about $490 a year in rewards and the United℠ Gateway about $320, valuing every point at a flat 1 cent. The Chase Freedom Unlimited® has no annual fee, so its rewards are all profit. The United℠ Gateway has no annual fee, so its rewards are all profit. Counting rewards and any credits, the Chase Freedom Unlimited® delivers more total value, about $169 a year more for a typical spender, mostly because it earns more where you spend most, on everything else and dining. The bigger difference is the ceiling: the Chase Freedom Unlimited® earns points you can move to travel partners for outsized value, while the United℠ Gateway stays locked to a single airline or hotel program. Favor the Chase Freedom Unlimited® if you will use travel transfers, the United℠ Gateway if you want simplicity. On the sign-up bonus, the United℠ Gateway currently has the larger welcome offer. A welcome bonus is a one-time event, so weigh it apart from the ongoing rewards.
Pick the Chase Freedom Unlimited® if your spending leans toward dining, groceries, travel. Pick the United℠ Gateway if your spending leans toward gas.