Chase Freedom Rise® Review
Overview
The Chase Freedom Rise is a starter card aimed at people building their credit history, with a flat 1.5% back and no annual fee. It is not a rewards powerhouse, and it is not meant to be, its job is to get you into the Chase family and help you establish credit.
As a first card it does that job fine, and because it is free, there is no downside to using it while you build toward better Chase cards.
Think twice if: you already have established credit, since you would qualify for stronger Chase cards that earn far more.
Our 3.0 out of 5 rating
Each score weighs the rewards rate, value after the annual fee, welcome offer, points flexibility, and perks, with every point valued at a flat 1 cent. This is our editorial assessment to help you compare cards, not a guarantee of approval or of the value you will get.
Rewards: how it earns
You earn a flat 1.5% on everything with no annual fee. That is a fine, simple rate for a starter card, though it is below what a seasoned cardholder can get elsewhere. The real value is the foothold it gives you with Chase, which can lead to better cards down the road.
| Category | Rate | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Dining and restaurants | 1.5x | Base rate |
| Groceries | 1.5x | Base rate |
| Gas | 1.5x | Base rate |
| Travel | 1.5x | Base rate |
| Streaming | 1.5x | Base rate |
| Everything else | 1.5x | Everything else |
Every point and mile above is valued at a flat 1 cent, the same honest standard we use for every card. Run your own spending through the calculator to see what this card would actually return for you.
Pros and cons
- No annual fee
- Simple flat 1.5% for a starter card
- A path into the Chase ecosystem
- 1.5% is below what established cardholders can earn
- Only a small welcome incentive
- Meant to be outgrown, not kept long-term
The welcome bonus
The welcome is modest: a small statement credit for setting up autopay in the first few months. It is a nice nudge toward good habits rather than a big bonus.
Is it worth the annual fee?
There is no annual fee, so there is nothing to justify. As a free way to build credit and get into the Chase ecosystem, it costs you nothing to use.
First-year value vs ongoing value
| Welcome bonus | $25 statement credit |
| To earn it | Set up autopay in first 3 months |
| Est. first-year value* | $462 |
| Est. ongoing value / yr* | $437 |
The welcome bonus makes year one the high point: roughly $462 in value once you count the bonus, this card’s rewards, and its credits, minus the no fee. After that, the honest figure is about $437 a year, so judge whether it earns its keep on the ongoing number, not the first-year headline.
*First-year value counts the welcome bonus, estimated rewards, and annual credits, minus the annual fee; ongoing value is a typical year after. Every point at a flat 1 cent, on average spending.
Benefits and protections
Beyond the rewards, the perks and protections worth knowing about include:
- Earns Ultimate Rewards®, pool points with Sapphire or Ink cards to unlock transfers
- $25 statement credit for setting up autopay within first 3 months
- Credit limit increase considered after 12 months of responsible use
- Purchase protection
- No foreign transaction fees
- Designed for people with limited or no credit history
Statement credits
This card does not come with recurring statement credits. Its value is in the rewards rate and welcome offer.
Ecosystem and transfer partners
The Chase Freedom Rise® earns Ultimate Rewards, one of the more valuable currencies in rewards because of where the points can go. On its own it earns flexible points, but paired with a premium Chase card you can pool them together and unlock 1 to 1 transfers to 8 airline and hotel partners: United Airlines, World of Hyatt, Southwest Airlines, British Airways, Air France/KLM, Singapore Airlines, Air Canada, and Virgin Atlantic. As an earner, its job is to rack up points cheaply that you move to a hub card before transferring. The sweet spots are usually premium-cabin flights and high-end hotel nights, where a single point can be worth well more than the 1 cent we value it at here.
Airline partners: United Airlines, Southwest Airlines, British Airways, Air France/KLM, Singapore Airlines, Air Canada, Virgin Atlantic.
Stop guessing at point values. Look up the real mileage price and live seat availability for a specific flight.
Search award flights on seats.aero →Hotel partners: World of Hyatt.
Look up the live points price and availability for a specific hotel stay before you book.
Search award stays on rooms.aero →Who should get it, and who should skip it
If you are just starting out with credit, the Freedom Rise is a reasonable first card, it is free, it earns a simple 1.5%, and it can open the door to Chase's stronger cards once your history grows.
If your credit is already established, skip it, you can qualify for a Freedom Unlimited or Flex that earns much more for the same zero fee. This is a stepping-stone card, nothing more.
How it compares
If the Chase Freedom Rise® is not quite the right fit, these related cards are worth weighing against it:
Frequently asked questions
Best-card guides featuring this card
Offer details verified against issuer sources as of July 2026. Editorial opinions are our own. Cardocrat values all points at a flat 1 cent and never inflates redemptions.
