Chase will begin waiving foreign transaction fees on the no-annual-fee Chase Freedom Flex effective Monday – a first in the card's history and a rarity for no-annual-fee cards.
The bank announced that major change Monday coupled with a handful of other improvements that make it worth the attention of both longtime cardholders and would-be applicants alike. Namely, the bank unveiled a fresh new design for the card, began giving cardholders an earlier look at the next quarter's bonus categories, gave travelers a boost when redeeming points for hotels through the Chase Travel℠ portal, and rolled out an elevated welcome bonus.
The Freedom Flex card has been a go-to no-annual-fee option in Chase's lineup for years to earn 5% cashback on select categories that rotate quarterly … and it's the perfect companion to either the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card or the top-tier Chase Sapphire Reserve®, as you can earn 5x points instead. With these changes, the pitch is even harder to argue with.
Here's what's changing.
All information about the Chase Freedom Flex was collected independently by Thrifty Traveler and has not been reviewed by the issuer.
No More Foreign Transaction Fees
There's no more reason to leave your Freedom Flex card at home when traveling abroad.
Foreign transaction fees will now be waived on all purchases. Notably, that fee waiver doesn't extend across the Freedom lineup: The *freedom unlimited* – the Freedom Flex's sibling that earns a flat 1.5% back on all purchases – will still charge the standard foreign transaction fee.
It's a solid, practical upgrade. Freedom Flex is now genuinely useful for international purchases.
A Modest Boost on Hotel Redemptions
Chase also snuck in a small but useful upgrade to how far your points stretch: rotating Points Boost offers on select hotel bookings made through Chase Travel℠, making your points worth up to 10% more.
It's not a dramatic change, and it only applies to select bookings. But it's the first time Freedom Flex has offered anything beyond flat redemption value.
A Stronger Welcome Offer
There's also a limited-time welcome offer worth flagging: new Freedom Flex cardmembers can earn $250 after spending just $500 in the first three months.
That's a $50 increase over the standard welcome offer bonus for the same spending requirement. And if you hold a Freedom Flex alongside a Chase Sapphire or Ink Preferred Card, that $250 can instantly become 25,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points.
Read More: How to Transfer Cash Back & Points Between Your Chase Cards
Learn More about the Chase Freedom Flex (this is not an affiliate link)
Preview Next Quarter's Categories Early
You can now preview next quarter's 5% bonus categories in the Chase Mobile app before they go live.
Q1 2027's categories are streaming services and groceries (Walmart and Target don't count) – and for the first time, groceries are running two quarters in a row, Q4 2026 into Q1 2027.
New Card Design
Chase rounded out the announcement with a refreshed card design, too: a deeper blue background and an updated “stardust” graphic, available to both new and existing cardholders.
What Stays the Same
Everything else about the card is untouched.
Here's a look at Freedom Flex's full earning structure:
- 5% cash back on rotating spending categories (up to $1,500 in combined purchases per quarter)
- 5% cash back on Chase Travel℠ purchases
- 3% cash back on dining
- 3% cash back on drugstore purchases
- 1% cash back on everything else
- No annual fee
Learn More about the Chase Freedom Flex (full disclosure, this is not an affiliate link)
Bottom Line
Chase made a handful of updates to its no-annual-fee Chase Freedom Flex Card, headlined by the removal of foreign transaction fees. All of these benefits are now live for both new and existing cardholders alike.
