Does chase freedom unlimited have foreign transaction fee

The Chase Freedom Unlimited® has a 3% foreign transaction fee, as does its cousin card, Chase Freedom Flex℠. This means the fee charged will be 3% of the total transaction amount. Transaction fees are charged in addition to the cost of the purchase that triggers the fee. So, if you had a $100 purchase with a 3% foreign transaction fee, the fee would be $3, and the total charge would be $100 + $3 = $103.

The foreign transaction fee applies to transactions made in currencies other than U.S. dollars. This fee also can occur if your transaction passes through a foreign bank. 

These transactions can happen while you are physically outside of the U.S. and make a local credit card purchase. However, foreign transactions can also occur while you are within the United States. For example, an online purchase made in a foreign currency may be treated as a foreign transaction by the credit card company. 

You can find out if a credit card charges a foreign transaction fee by checking the pricing and terms document in the cardholder agreement. The pricing and terms are typically provided in the same envelope as your physical card. You can also go to the credit card's website to find a link for the pricing and terms. 

Foreign transaction fees will be listed in the "Fees" section, usually under "Transaction Fees." If you don't see a listing for the foreign transaction fee anywhere in the pricing and terms documentation, this typically means the card does not charge a foreign transaction fee.

Although 3% may not sound like a lot, it can certainly add up over the course of a trip abroad or with a few large purchases in other currencies. If you're on a tight $1,000 budget for your vacation, you don't want to waste $30 on unnecessary fees. Thankfully, it's easy to find rewards credit cards without foreign transaction fees. 

Several other Chase credit cards waive foreign transaction fees, including many in its travel credit cards lineup.

Outside the Chase family, several no-annual-fee credit cards offer 0% foreign transaction fees. All Discover credit cards, for instance, charge no foreign transaction fees.

The Ascent's detailed credit card reviewChase Freedom Unlimited®

Read full review

The content on this page is accurate as of the posting date; however, some of our partner offers may have expired. Please review our list of best credit cards, or use our CardMatch™ tool to find cards matched to your needs.

I am a dyed-in-the-wool planner — so much so that I’ve already purchased my cemetery plot.

And when it comes to choosing a credit card, my need to plan is no exception.

I am also a minimalist — for the longest time, I have had only one credit card, the Discover it® Cash Back.

But when I planned a trip to Europe, I knew I’d need another credit card because Discover isn’t nearly as widely accepted there as Visa or Mastercard.

I shopped.

I compared.

And I got the Chase Freedom Unlimited.

First, I earned the bonus

I received the card a couple of months before my trip and immediately knocked out the $500 purchase required for the $200 sign-up bonus by purchasing my plane tickets through Chase Ultimate Rewards (earn $200 after spending $500 in the first three months), which also earned me 5 percent cash back.

Meanwhile, I’ve been using the 5 percent cash back on Lyft rides (an offer that’s good through March 2025), which means I earned 3.5 percent cash back in addition to the standard 1.5 percent cash back.

I use this card for all drugstore purchases as well to get 3 percent cash back. And, of course, I get my usual 1.5 percent back on everything else I buy.

I am using the heck out of the complimentary three months of DashPass and will definitely use the 50 percent discounted DashPass from DoorDash for the next nine months.

Other things I like about the Chase Freedom Unlimited include no limits on cash back. I can redeem my rewards at any time for cash back, gift cards, travel or Amazon.com merchandise; and my rewards never expire as long as my account remains in good standing.

I can also take advantage of the Chase Pay Yourself Back feature to use my points for my purchases in select categories and get paid back with a statement credit.

And for a limited time, I can redeem points at 1.25 cents per point when I donate to eligible charitable organizations, which works for me since I regularly give to the ASPCA.

I don’t mind paying foreign transaction fees

My Chase Freedom Unlimited does charge a foreign transaction fee of 3 percent, but I also planned for that — I will use the card at restaurants to get 3 percent cash back (takeout and eligible delivery services are included), which will essentially “cancel” the foreign transaction fee.

The 0 percent intro APR on purchases for the first 15 months my account is open is another attractive feature of the Chase Freedom Unlimited (17.24 percent to 25.99 percent variable APR thereafter) — although I rarely carry a balance, it’s nice to know I could for a while without accruing interest.

The variable APR for the card is listed as 17.24 percent to 25.99 percent, and due to my 830 credit score, I scored the 17.24 percent — the late payment fee of up to $40 was not an issue since I didn’t get that credit score by making late payments.

The card’s lack of an annual fee was the cherry on top.

I wanted travel and security perks

Another reason I chose the Chase Freedom Unlimited is because it has comprehensive benefits related to travel.

For example, I get the auto rental collision damage waiver, trip cancellation/interruption insurance and travel and emergency benefits, all of which could come in handy on a European road trip.

The comprehensive security perks also appealed to me: zero liability protection, purchase and extended warranty protections and fraud monitoring.

And finally, the card’s free credit score and identity restoration with Credit Journey sealed the deal.

Bottom line

The Chase Freedom Unlimited is a great all-purpose cash back card with a decent sign-up bonus and great APR intro offer.

I can use it to earn Ultimate Rewards points without paying an annual fee, and I am even considering pairing it with the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card to get more value out of those Ultimate Rewards.

The protections and insurances will enable me to travel worry-free and I even have a friend lined up to get the card, which will give me a referral bonus of $100.

I really couldn’t ask for much more from a credit card, except maybe that it didn’t have those pesky foreign transaction fees.

Editorial Disclaimer

The editorial content on this page is based solely on the objective assessment of our writers and is not driven by advertising dollars. It has not been provided or commissioned by the credit card issuers. However, we may receive compensation when you click on links to products from our partners.

Barri Segal is a staff reporter at CreditCards.com with 20-plus years of experience in the publishing and advertising industries, writing and editing for all styles, genres, media and audiences.

Can I use my Chase Freedom Card internationally?

Does Chase waive foreign transaction fees?

Does Chase charge a fee for international transactions?