Chase Freedom Flex vs. Discover It – Which Is the Best 5% Cashback Credit Card?
This article was last updated Sep 16, 2020. Terms and conditions may have changed. For the most accurate information, please consult the issuer website.
If you’re looking for a credit card that earns generous cash back, you probably want to take a look at either the Chase Freedom Flex℠ or Discover it® Cash Back. Both charge no annual fee and offer a high cashback rate on rotating quarterly categories when you activate. But which is the best fit for you? We’ll compare their cashback categories, sign-up bonuses and more to help you decide.
- Chase Freedom Flex℠ vs. Discover it® Cash Back
- Rotating 5% cashback categories
- Sign-up bonuses
- Additional benefits
- APRs and fees
- Which is the better cashback card for you?
Chase Freedom Flex℠ vs. Discover it® Cash Back
Here’s a quick look at how the two cards stack up:
| Chase Freedom Flex℠ | Discover it® Cash Back | |
|---|---|---|
| Sign-up bonus | Earn a $200 Bonus after you spend $500 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening. And earn 5% cash back on grocery store purchases (not including Target® or Walmart® purchases) on up to $12,000 spent in the first year. | For new cardmembers, Unlimited Cashback Match – only from Discover. Discover will automatically match all the cash back you’ve earned at the end of your first year! There’s no minimum spending or maximum rewards. You could turn $150 to $300. |
| Rewards | Earn 5% cash back on eligible purchases in rotating categories, 5% on travel purchased through Chase, 3% on dining and drugstores, and 1% on all other purchases. | Earn 5% cash back on everyday purchases at different places each quarter like Amazon.com, grocery stores, restaurants, gas stations and when you pay using PayPal, up to the quarterly maximum when you activate. Plus, earn unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases – automatically. |
| Annual fee | $0 | $0 |
| Foreign transaction fee | 3% of each transaction in U.S. dollars. | None |
| Purchase APR | 0% Intro APR on Purchases for 15 months. After, an APR of 14.99% - 23.74% variable applies. | Intro APR of 0% for 14 months. After, an APR of 11.99% - 22.99% variable applies. |
| Balance transfer APR | Intro APR N/A. A regular 14.99 - 23.74% variable APR applies. | Intro APR of 0% for 14 months. After, an APR of 11.99% - 22.99% variable applies. |
| Balance transfer fee | Either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater. | 3% intro balance transfer fee, up to 5% fee on future balance transfers (see terms)*. |
Note that the Chase Freedom Flex℠ pulls ahead of the Discover it® Cash Back by offering ongoing categories for earning 5% and 3% cash back, in addition to its quarterly rotating 5% categories.
Rotating 5% cashback categories
With the Chase Freedom Flex℠: Earn 5% cash back on eligible purchases in rotating categories, 5% on travel purchased through Chase, 3% on dining and drugstores, and 1% on all other purchases.
And with the Discover it® Cash Back: Earn 5% cash back on everyday purchases at different places each quarter like Amazon.com, grocery stores, restaurants, gas stations and when you pay using PayPal, up to the quarterly maximum when you activate. Plus, earn unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases – automatically.
If you’re looking to plan your spending throughout the year, you’ll like that the Discover it® Cash Back rotating category rewards calendar is available for the entire year. By contrast, the Chase Freedom Flex℠ categories are published quarterly throughout the year, as was the case with the classic Chase Freedom®. We’ll take a look at categories offered in 2020 and 2019 — though since the Chase Freedom Flex℠ launched in September 2020, note that categories listed for Chase before that period were offered on the Chase Freedom®, which has been closed to new applicants.
The rotating 5% cashback categories for 2021 announced so far are as follows:
| Chase Freedom Flex℠ | Discover it® Cash Back | |
|---|---|---|
| January — March 2021 | TBA | Grocery stores, Walgreens and CVS |
| April — June 2021 | TBA | Gas stations, wholesale clubs and select streaming services |
| July — September 2021 | TBA | Restaurants and PayPal |
| October — December 2021 | TBA | Amazon.com, Walmart.com and Target.com |
Here are the rotating 5% cashback categories for 2020:
| Chase Freedom Flex℠ | Discover it® Cash Back | |
|---|---|---|
| January — March 2020 | Gas stations, internet, cable and phone services, select streaming services | Grocery stores, Walgreens and CVS |
| April — June 2020 | Gym memberships and fitness clubs, grocery stores | Gas stations, Uber and Lyft, wholesale clubs |
| July — September 2020 | Amazon.com and Whole Foods Market | Restaurants and PayPal |
| October — December 2020 | Walmart and PayPal | Amazon.com, Walmart.com and Target |
And for historical reference, here’s what the rotating 5% cashback categories were in 2019:
| Chase Freedom® | Discover it® Cash Back | |
|---|---|---|
| January — March 2019 | Gas stations, tolls, drugstores | Grocery stores |
| April — June 2019 | Grocery stores (not including Walmart and Target), home improvement stores | Gas stations, Uber and Lyft |
| July — September 2019 | Gas stations, select streaming services | Restaurants, PayPal |
| October — December 2019 | Department stores, PayPal, Chase Pay | Amazon.com, Walmart.com, Target |
As you can see from looking at categories over the years, gas stations are a popular one. Chase even offered gas stations as a 5% category twice in 2019.
Sign-up bonuses
With the Chase Freedom Flex℠, earn a $200 bonus after you spend $500 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening. and earn 5% cash back on grocery store purchases (not including target® or walmart® purchases) on up to $12,000 spent in the first year.
For the Discover it® Cash Back, if you’re a new cardmember: Unlimited Cashback Match – only from Discover. Discover will automatically match all the cash back you’ve earned at the end of your first year! There’s no minimum spending or maximum rewards. You could turn $150 to $300.
Both of these are solid sign-up bonuses. If you’re looking for one you can earn quickly with a low spend amount, you may like the sign-up bonus offered by the Chase Freedom Flex℠. But if you’re aiming to maximize your sign-up bonus cash back, the Discover it® Cash Back offers the potential to earn more (especially if you’re putting the bulk of your spending on this card throughout the year).
Additional benefits
Chase Freedom Flex℠
If you have the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card or the Chase Sapphire Reserve®, here’s some great news — you can transfer rewards earned on the Chase Freedom Flex℠ to your Sapphire card, then redeem them for travel through the Chase Ultimate Rewards portal for additional value.
However, make sure you’re aware of the Chase 5/24 rule before applying. This is an unwritten rule that, boiled down, says you may not be approved for any Chase credit card if you’ve been approved for five or more credit cards from any issuer in the past 24 months.
The Chase Freedom Flex℠ also comes with the following benefits:
- Purchase protection
- Extended warranty protection
- Free VantageScore
- Auto rental collision damage waiver
- Trip cancellation/interruption insurance
- Travel and emergency assistance services
- Zero liability protection
- Mastercard World Elite benefits including cellphone protection and discounts at merchants such as Boxed, ShopRunner and Fandango
Discover it® Cash Back
The Discover it® Cash Back comes with the following benefits:
- Use the website or mobile app to freeze your card and to prevent new purchases, cash advances and balance transfers if the card is lost or stolen
- Free FICO credit score
- Customer service is 100% U.S.-based
- No late fee for the first missed payment
- $0 fraud liability
APRs and fees
Both cards offer generous rewards. But how do they stack up when it comes to annual percentage rates (APRs) and fees? Here’s the breakdown:
APRs
The Chase Freedom Flex℠ offers 0% Intro APR on Purchases for 15 months. After, a 14.99% - 23.74% variable APR applies.
The Discover it offers intro 0% for 14 months on purchases. After, a 11.99% - 22.99% variable applies. There’s also intro 0% for 14 months on balance transfers. Then, a 11.99% - 22.99% variable applies.
Fees
With a $0 annual fee for the Chase Freedom Flex℠ and a $0 annual fee for the Discover it® Cash Back, both cards are head-to-head.
When it comes to foreign transaction fees, the Chase Freedom Flex℠ charges 3% of each transaction in U.S. dollars, while the Discover it® Cash Back charges none. However, it’s worth noting that Discover isn’t as widely accepted in some countries as Visa and Mastercard credit cards.
As for balance transfer fees, the Chase Freedom Flex℠ charges Either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater.. The Discover it® Cash Back’s balance transfer fee is a 3% intro balance transfer fee, up to 5% fee on future balance transfers (see terms)*.
Which is the better cashback card for you?
Both of these cards offer excellent value, but your decision will likely be influenced by which credit card has the quarterly categories more compatible with your spending patterns.
However, the fact that the Chase Freedom Flex℠ offers ongoing categories that can earn 5% and 3% cash back, sets it apart from the Discover it® Cash Back. And if you already have the Chase Sapphire Preferred or Chase Sapphire Reserve®, we think you’ll appreciate the ability to earn Ultimate Rewards points on the Chase Freedom Flex℠ and transfer them to your Sapphire card.
Whichever 5% cashback card you choose, it’s worth pairing with a flat-rate rewards card so you can earn a higher rate than 1% on purchases that don’t fall into a higher earning category. One good option for earning flat-rate cashback is the Citi® Double Cash Card . You can earn 2% on every purchase with unlimited 1% cash back when you buy, plus an additional 1% as you pay for those purchases.
Another good card is the Chase Freedom Unlimited®. You can earn Earn 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase, 3% on dining and drugstores, and 1.5% on all other purchases..
For more recommendations, take a look at our list of best flat-rate cashback and rewards cards to see which one might be the best fit for your wallet!
