The Chase Freedom Flex is an excellent fee-free card that can rack up rewards quickly, earning 3x on dining and drugstores, plus 5x on quarterly rotating categories. Even though it is advertised as a cash-back card, it actually earns valuable Chase Ultimate Rewards points, making it very powerful when paired with the right partner cards.
This week, Chase sent an email to cardholders announcing a couple of changes to the Freedom Flex. Starting September 20th, the nearly 3% transaction fee that’s assessed on foreign purchases will be removed, making the card a viable option for overseas spending. Unfortunately, there’s bad news as well. At the same time the card loses its foreign transaction fee, it will also lose its cell phone protection.
Quick Thoughts
It’s interesting that both of these changes are being made on the same date, almost like Chase is dropping cell phone insurance to avoid foreign transaction fees.
If you’re a cardholder, how you feel about it probably depends on how much you’re overseas. Removing transaction charges when traveling abroad immediately makes this card an appealing option to keep in your wallet during trips, something it isn’t now. There are still undoubtedly better options (like the Alaska Summit card’s 3X everywhere earnings on non-USD transactions), but a no-annual-fee card that earns 3X at restaurants and drugstores will be a welcome companion for many folks, without even considering the quarterly 5X category.
On the other hand, if you don’t travel abroad much, the cell phone insurance offered by this card was decent, especially given the lack of an annual fee. There are plenty of other cards that include cell phone insurance, including several fee-free options, but if the Freedom Flex was already working for you, it’s a hassle. That said, the insurance the Freedom Flex provides now doesn’t cover issues that don’t affect the phone’s ability to make calls (like a minor screen crack), so taking this as an opportunity to check out the options may not be a bad thing for your future sanity.
Want to learn more about miles and points? Subscribe to email updates or check out our podcast on your favorite podcast platform.
PenFed cards provide cellphone protection.
Does the similar FREEDOM card still have foreign transaction fees?
Yes
Thanks for the info
Most cell phone companies (verizon prev, now t mobile) charge at least a 2.5% fee to pay our cell phone bill by credit cards so the cell phone protection lost its usefulness years ago.
That said, about 5 years ago it saved me $500 so I will pour a cold one out for this protection in its honor.
“Most cell phone companies (verizon prev, now t mobile) charge at least a 2.5% fee to pay our cell phone bill by credit cards…”
Say what?
I don’t remember seeing overseas transactions triggering additional points/cashback category during my travels. Perhaps it’s because my foreign travel is usually in Europe or Asia, and not in the Americas?
Just went on a trip and left 2 freedoms at home and took other “backup” cards that saw considerable spend for restaurants; once I hit $1500@5% on discover it, it was the other cards that got all the F&B spend, freedom sat at home.
Considering nearly all these “cell phone” insurance programs say that it’s secondary if you have renters or homeowners (which any homeowner does and probably a good number of renters) has always made me consider them non-benefits–I’ve not heard of anyone actually having a claim denied because of homeowners but the last thing I want to do is give an insurance company an easy out, the ****ers.
All in all, probably an improvement for the product.
if you’re still on you trip you should be able to add your freedom cards to apple pay (assuming you have the card #’s)