Find Your Best
Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card
vs. Chase Freedom Unlimited®
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Updated: March 19, 2024
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Both the Wells Fargo Active Cash card and Chase Freedom Unlimited® card offer cardholders unlimited cash back on purchases.
However, there are notable differences between the two cards. The Chase Freedom Unlimited® earns up to 5% cash back on purchases, whereas the Wells Fargo Active Cash provides 2% cash back on purchases irrespective of the category.
Comparison Overview: Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card vs. Chase Freedom Unlimited®
- Wells Fargo Active Cash® CardChase Freedom Unlimited®
- Has Annual Fee
- Has Balance Transfer Offer
- Has APR Offer
- Cash Back Rewards
- Travel Rewards
Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card At a Glance
If you spend $1000 or more within the first three months of card membership, you will earn a $200 welcome bonus. And as you spend, you will earn 2% cash back on all purchases.
The card also comes with cell phone protection against theft or damage worth up to $600, if you pay the phone bill using the card.
And the card comes with a valuable 0% intro APR offer on purchases and balance transfers for the first 15 months of card membership.
- Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card
A great no-annual-fee cash back card with a 0% APR offer
- 2% Cash BackRewards Rate
- 20.24%, 25.24% or 29.99% VariableAPR
- $0Annual Fee
- Good–ExcellentRecommended Credit
Pros
- No annual fee
- Welcome bonus
- Unlimited cash rewards on all purchases
- 0% intro APR offer
- Rewards don't expire with an active account
Cons
- Potentially high APR
- No bonus reward categories
- Earn a $200 cash rewards bonus after spending $500 in purchases in the first three months.
- Earn unlimited 2% cash rewards on purchases.
- Enjoy a 0% intro APR on purchases and qualifying balance transfers for 15 months from account opening, followed by a 20.24%, 25.24% or 29.99% variable APR.
- Balance transfers made within 120 days qualify for the intro rate and fee of 3%. Then, a balance transfer fee of up to 5% (minimum $5) applies.
- $0 annual fee.
- No categories to track, and cash rewards don't expire as long as your account remains open.
- Enjoy a premium collection of benefits at a selection of the world's most intriguing and prestigious hotel properties with Visa Signature Concierge.
- Get up to $600 of cell phone protection against damage or theft when you pay your monthly cell phone bill with your eligible Wells Fargo card (subject to a $25 deductible).
Moneygeek.com credit ranges are a variation of FICO® Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application.
Chase Freedom Unlimited® At a Glance
The Chase Freedom Unlimited® card comes with no annual fees and offers unlimited cashback up to 5% depending on the spending category.
The card also comes with a solid welcome offer where you can earn a $200 bonus after you spend $500 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. In addition, you will earn 5% cash back on gas station purchases, up to $6,000 in spending in the first year of card membership.
The card also comes with several helpful benefits, including: travel insurance coverage, purchase protection and extended warranty protection.
- Chase Freedom Unlimited®
An excellent no-annual-fee card that lets you earn unlimited cash back
- 1.5%–6.5% Cash BackRewards Rate
- 20.49%–29.24% VariableAPR
- $0Annual Fee
- ExcellentRecommended Credit
Pros
- No annual fee
- Offers 0% intro APR and welcome bonus
- Potentially high cash back for certain categories
- Cash back doesn’t expire and is redeemable at any amount
Cons
- Recommended score needed: Good to Excellent credit
- Earn a $200 bonus after you spend $500 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
- Regular variable APR ranges from 20.49%–29.24%
- Benefit from a 0% intro APR for 15 months on purchases and balance transfers, then 20.49%–29.24% variable APR after that. Balance transfer fee of 3% applies
- No annual fee
- Earn 3% on dining at restaurants and drugstore purchases
- Earn 5% on travel purchased through Chase Travel
- Earn 1.5% on all other purchases.
- Keep tabs on your credit health, Chase Credit Journey helps you monitor your credit with free access to your latest score, alerts, and more.
- Member FDIC
Comparison Summary
Here is a detailed difference between the Wells Fargo Active Cash and Chase Freedom Unlimited® to help you choose the best credit card for your needs.
Card Detail | Comparison Summary |
|---|---|
Travel Coverage | The Chase Freedom Unlimited offers trip cancellation/interruption insurance, rental car insurance and travel and emergency assistance services. The Wells Fargo Active Cash card doesn’t offer any travel coverage. Winner: Chase Freedom Unlimited |
Welcome Bonus | Both cards offer a $200 welcome offer bonus. The Chase Freedom Unlimited requires you to spend $500 in the first three months while the Wells Fargo Active Cash requires $1,000 in spending in the first three months. Lastly, the Chase Freedom Unlimited offers 5% cash back on gas station purchases, up to $6,000 in purchases in the first year. Winner: Chase Freedom Unlimited |
Rewards | The Wells Fargo Active Cash card offers a flat 2% cashback on purchases. The Chase Freedom offers 5% cashback on travel purchases, 3% cashback on dining-related purchases, 3% cash back on drugstore purchases, and 1.5% cashback on all other purchases. Winner: Chase Freedom Unlimited |
Purchase Protection | The Chase Freedom Unlimited provides purchase protection up to $500 per claim and $50000 per account. The Wells Fargo Active Cash card only provides cell phone protection, up to $600. Winner: Chase Freedom Unlimited |
Which Card Should You Get?
Before comparing the Wells Fargo Active Cash and Chase Freedom Unlimited®, it’s best to evaluate your own financial situation first. Once you understand your needs, it will help you choose the right card.
Who Should Consider the Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card?
The Wells Fargo Active Cash credit card is a solid option for consumers looking for unlimited cash back from their credit purchases.
Small business owners could benefit from making their regular office purchases using the card and earning 2% cash back.
Travelers can also enjoy additional benefits at select luxury hotels using this card.
Who Should Consider the Chase Freedom Unlimited®?
The Chase Freedom Unlimited® is a great credit card option for consumers that travel often, and would rather earn cash back than travel rewards.
If you regularly spend on travel including air fares, hotels or rental cars, you could benefit from the 5% spending category when you book through the Chase travel portal.
This card is a great fit for someone who wants a few extra spending categories to earn additional cash back, but is also content with earning a base 1.5% cash back.
≫ More: Read Our Full Review
EXPERT OPINION
The Chase Freedom Unlimited® is definitely the winner in this comparison. At the minimum, you will earn 1.5% cash back, which is slightly lower than the 2% cash back on the Wells Fargo Active Cash. For the small sacrifice in cash back, you can earn a significant amount of benefits including travel insurance coverage, purchase protection and more.
Other Helpful Decision-Making FAQs
It can sometimes be difficult to pick between two credit cards. However, MoneyGeek has answered some of the most commonly asked questions to help you understand the differences between the Wells Fargo Active Cash and the Chase Freedom Unlimited®.
The Wells Fargo Active Cash offers a larger base cash back of 2%. However, the spending categories of the Chase Freedom Unlimited® are higher than that. In addition, the Chase Freedom Unlimited offers valuable benefits that trump the Wells Fargo Active Cash.
Yes you can.
Neither card earns points.
No, as these two cards are provided by two different credit card companies, you cannot switch between the two.
Both cards require good to excellent credit scores.
Both cards provide a $200 welcome bonus. The Wells Fargo Active Cash card requires a $1,000 minimum spend in the first three months of card membership. The Chase Freedom Unlimited requires a $500 minimum spend in the first three months of card membership. In addition, the Freedom Unlimited® earns 5% cash back on gas station purchases up to the first $6,000 in the first year of card membership.
Still Not Sure About These Cards? Consider These Options
The Wells Fargo Active Cash card and Chase Freedom Unlimited® card are two solid cash back credit cards. However, if neither of these cards fit your needs, you can also check other credit cards which offer cashback.
Learn more about credit cards in general
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About Doug Milnes, CFA
sources
- Wells Fargo. "Wells Fargo Active Cash." Accessed March 9, 2022.
- Chase . "Chase Freedom® Unlimited Card." Accessed March 9, 2022.
*Rates, fees or bonuses may vary or include specific stipulations. The content on this page is accurate as of the posting/last updated date; however, some of the offers mentioned may have expired. We recommend visiting the card issuer’s website for the most up-to-date information available.
Editorial Disclosure: Opinions, reviews, analyses and recommendations are the author’s alone and have not been reviewed, endorsed or approved by any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other entity. Learn more about our editorial policies and expert editorial team.
Advertiser Disclosure: MoneyGeek has partnered with CardRatings.com and CreditCards.com for our coverage of credit card products. MoneyGeek, CardRatings and CreditCards.com may receive a commission from card issuers. To ensure thorough comparisons and reviews, MoneyGeek features products from both paid partners and unaffiliated card issuers that are not paid partners.
Editorial Disclosure: Opinions, reviews, analyses and recommendations are the author’s alone and have not been reviewed, endorsed or approved by any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other entity. Learn more about our editorial policies and expert editorial team.
Advertiser Disclosure: MoneyGeek has partnered with CardRatings.com and CreditCards.com for our coverage of credit card products. MoneyGeek, CardRatings and CreditCards.com may receive a commission from card issuers. To ensure thorough comparisons and reviews, MoneyGeek features products from both paid partners and unaffiliated card issuers that are not paid partners.