Chase Freedom Unlimited® vs CitiBusiness® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select®
Side-by-side comparison
| Chase Freedom Unlimited® | CitiBusiness® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual fee | No annual fee | $99 |
| Welcome offer | $200 cash bonus | 80,000 miles |
| Advertising | 1.5% | 1% |
| Shipping | 1.5% | 1% |
| Office supplies | 1.5% | 1% |
| Phone & internet | 1.5% | 2% |
| Travel | 1.5% | 2% |
| Everything else | 1.5% | 1% |
| Est. yearly rewards* | $711 | $558 |
| Points type | Pools with Chase → transferable | Locked to American Airlines AAdvantage |
| 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 business spending, the Chase Freedom Unlimited® earns about $711 a year in rewards and the CitiBusiness® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® about $558, valuing every point at a flat 1 cent. The Chase Freedom Unlimited® has no annual fee, so its rewards are all profit. The CitiBusiness® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® charges $99, which you clear through its rewards and perks. Counting rewards, fees, and any credits, the Chase Freedom Unlimited® delivers more total value, about $252 a year more for a typical spender, mostly because it earns more where you spend most, on everything else and advertising. The bigger difference is the ceiling: the Chase Freedom Unlimited® earns points you can move to travel partners for outsized value, while the CitiBusiness® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® stays locked to a single airline or hotel program. Favor the Chase Freedom Unlimited® if you will use travel transfers, the CitiBusiness® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® if you want simplicity. On the sign-up bonus, the CitiBusiness® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® 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 advertising, shipping, office supplies. Pick the CitiBusiness® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® if your spending leans toward phone & internet, travel.