Chase is moving some original Freedom cards to Freedom Unlimited by 20 November 2026
Some holders of the original Chase Freedom card report a notice that their card becomes a Freedom Unlimited by 20 November 2026. The move ends the rotating 5% quarterly categories. Chase has not published a general announcement, and not every original Freedom holder appears to be affected.
In this article
Some holders of the original Chase Freedom card, the one Chase stopped offering to new applicants years ago, report a notice that their card is being switched to the Chase Freedom Unlimited. The notice they quote says the upgrade happens by 20 November 2026 and asks them to keep using the old card until then.
Chase has not published a general announcement. Doctor of Credit, The Points Party and Miles to Memories all report the notices, and The Points Party notes that not every original Freedom holder appears to be included. Treat this as reported, not confirmed, until Chase writes to you.
What you gain and what you lose
The original Freedom earned 5% back on rotating quarterly categories you had to activate. Those categories end with the switch. The Freedom Unlimited earns a flat structure instead, per our catalog:
| Card | Annual fee | Fee waived at | Forex markup | Stated min income | Network | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chase Freedom Unlimited Chase | None | - | 3% | None stated | visa | not yet verified |
If you used the rotating categories every quarter, that is a real loss. If you rarely activated them, the Unlimited's higher base rate on everything else may earn you more.
Two things to check before 20 November
- Whether you were picked. Look for a Chase email or a message in your account. No notice, no change.
- Whether you can choose the Freedom Flex instead. Doctor of Credit reports that Chase is again letting some original Freedom holders product change to the Freedom Flex, which keeps the rotating quarterly categories. Ask Chase before the switch date.
One practical point: the Freedom Unlimited is a Visa card, which matters if you shop at Costco in the US, where warehouses take Visa as the only credit card network.
Don't count on a welcome bonus for a converted card. The Points Party notes that new-cardmember offers apply to new accounts, not product changes.
Which CardPolo cards are affected
The Chase Freedom Unlimited in our US catalog. The original Freedom is not in our catalog because it has not been open to new applicants for years.
Sources
Every claim on this page is backed by a primary or reputable source.
Cards affected
Card figures on CardPolo come from our catalog, each with an issuer source and a verified date where we have checked it. Spot something out of date? Tell us at hello@cardpolo.com.
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