Chase Freedom Flex vs Discover it Cash Back

Getting a 5% cash back bonus on recommended purchases is very attractive, so it’s no surprise that two of the leading credit card issuers have cards with this offer. Both Chase Freedom Flex℠ and Discover it® Cash Back provide 5% cashback on purchases up to $1,500 each quarter from a list of select merchant categories that rotate each quarter. Both cards also have no annual fees, so let’s take a look at these competing offers and see which one might be right for your needs.

Map details

Chase Freedom Flex vs Discover it Cash Back

Bonus for registration

Winner: Discover Cash Back

It’s close, but most cardholders will get a bigger welcome bonus with Discover it cashback.

Chase Freedom Flex cardholders start with a $200 initial bonus after spending $500 within three months of opening an account. Considering the card also provides a 5 percent cashback at gas stations for the first year, the typical consumer can earn an extra $100 in cash.

According to data compiled by the US Department of Transportation, the average driver in the US drives about 13,500 miles a year in a car that gets 25 miles per gallon. Based on an average gas price of $3.80 (according to AAA) at the time of writing, the average driver will spend just over $2,000 and earn about $100 in cash at a 5 percent offer instead of $20 at a standard 1 percent offer. cash back. This equates to a total welcome bonus of an additional $300 in cashback.

As far as Discover it cashback is concerned, Discover’s Cashback Match offer allows you to receive the equivalent of all cashback earned during the first year of your account. If you maximize the card’s bonus tiers by reaching the $1,500 spend limit each quarter and earn 1 percent cash on all your other purchases, then you’ll receive $399 cash back at the end of your first year (based on an average annual spend of $15,900). ). On a $399 Discover it Cash Back match, you win the signup bonus round – just remember that you have to wait a whole year to claim the Cashback Match.

Receiving awards

Winner: Chase Freedom Flex

The two cards have very similar 5% cash back offers in the bonus tiers, but Chase Freedom Flex adds three additional rewards offers. 5% cash back on trips purchased through the Chase Ultimate Rewards portal can be a great way to maximize the rewards you earn from flights, hotels, car rentals and other vacation activities. The 3% cashback earned from restaurants (including takeaway and related delivery services) is another value proposition that actually matches the rewards earned from Chase’s premium travel card. Chase Sapphire Reserve®. The card also gives 3% cashback on all purchases in pharmacies and 1% on all other purchases.

In contrast, Discover it Cash Back does not offer any additional rewards other than a 5% cashback for rotating quarterly categories. Keep in mind that while Freedom Flex only releases its rotating category calendar one quarter at a time, the Discover bonus category calendar is announced immediately. Both cards also require you to enroll in rotating categories every quarter in order to start earning that 5 percent.

Refund

Winner: Chase Freedom Flex

These cards offer similar conditions for redeeming rewards like the standard cashback card options like credit statement, direct deposit and Amazon.com purchases. Both cards do not require a minimum redemption, and the duration of the reward is unlimited.

However, since Freedom Flex earns cash rewards in the form of Ultimate Rewards points (100 points per dollar), you can even use these points for Apple products, travel or exclusive dining. In addition, Chase allows you to transfer your Ultimate Rewards points to other Ultimate Rewards cards such as Chase Sapphire Preferred® Cardwhich allows you to transfer points to partner airlines and hotels.

What card should you get?

The Discover it Cash Back Card is ideal for those who want a relatively simple Cash Back Card and can maximize their Cashback Match program during the first year of their account. However, the Chase Freedom Flex makes more sense for those who will frequently use the card for travel, dining, and drugstore purchases.

• If you want a significant welcome bonus: The Cash Back Match on the Discover it Cash Back map is quite lucrative, although it doesn’t require much effort. All you need to do is use the card regularly for the first year and Discover will refund all your money at the end of this year – there is no spending goal.
• If you want to receive bonuses for daily purchases: The advantage Chase Freedom Flex has over the competition lies in fixed bonus categories at restaurants and pharmacies. Plus, the Ultimate Rewards 5% travel cashback, since it’s not technically a travel rewards card, is a great added bonus.
• If you want to combine your rewards with other Chase cards: Many travel enthusiasts use Chase Freedom Flex to earn Ultimate Rewards points in certain bonus tiers compared to other Chase cards. They can then combine rewards with other Chase cards such as Sapphire Preferred, Sapphire Reserve and Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card spend on your next vacation.
• If you like to maximize rotating categories: For true credit card fans who like to plan their purchases to maximize bonus tiers, rotating or not, the Discover it Cash Back card is the way to go. Main reason: The issuer releases their quarterly calendar right away and Cashback Match is hard to beat. Just remember that you must register every quarter to start earning bonus rewards.

bottom line

Chase Freedom Flex and Discover it Cash Back compete directly with each other as they have very similar 5% cash back offers for up to $1,500 spent each quarter at merchants in select categories. But that’s where their similarities end. With a more generous rewards offer and more flexible reward points, the Chase Freedom Flex card could be the best card for many people, especially frequent travelers. However, if you can really maximize the Discover it Cash Back card rotating calendar and Cash Back Match offer, then this might be the best option for you.

Kelly Dilworth is a personal finance professional and former staff reporter for CreditCards.com. She began her career in journalism at The Atlantic in 2007, then became interested in publishing non-fiction books for several years. She returned to journalism in 2010 and has since written about everything from 20-year-olds with Herculean credit ratings to Federal Reserve monetary policy decisions.

Jason Steele is a professional journalist and credit card expert who has been contributing to online publishing since 2008. He was one of the original contributors to The Points Guy and his work has been appearing there since 2011. leading personal finance and travel. He is often interviewed and quoted by the mainstream media on credit card and travel topics. Jason is passionate about travel credit cards, which he uses to earn rewards that he can use for himself and his family to travel the world. Jason is also the founder and producer of CardCon, an annual conference for credit and credit card journalists.