Chase Free Cash Rewards Visa Credit Card - Pros and Cons

The Chase Free Cash RewardsSM Visa® Card, issued by Chase, is designed for those with very good credit who would like a card that offers a cash back reward program.

Through the reward program, cardholders earn one point for each dollar spent on all purchases. Cardholders are also awarded 1,000 bonus points with their first purchase. Each time the cardholder accrues 2,500 points, they will receive either a $25 gift check or a $25 gift certificate from their choice of various merchants and retailers. The amount of points you can earn is limited to 60,000 points per year.

For those who qualify, the card has a reasonable interest rate for purchases and balance transfers in comparison with other reward cards. There is also a 0% introductory rate on purchases and balance transfers for the first twelve billing cycles and no annual fee.

Those who plan to occasionally carry a large revolving balance may find doing so costly due to the "Two Cycles Average Daily Balance" method used by this credit card to determine finance charges, which ends up costing more to maintain an occasional balance as compared to the "Average Daily Balance" method used by many credit card issuers.

Credit Card Pros and Cons

Pros:

Long term 0% introductory rate on purchases and balance transfers
No annual fee
Bonus points
Reasonable interest rate for purchases and balance transfers
0% introductory rate on purchases and balance transfers
cardholders have access to common platinum benefits provided by Chase
Various Internet account related services.
Emergency card replacement.
Lost and stolen card reporting.
Travel accident insurance.
Auto rental insurance (Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver).
Various travel and emergency assistance services.
Extended warranty for purchases.
Purchase protection.
No liability for unauthorized transactions.
Year-end financial statement (upon request).

Those who qualify for the lowest rate offered and will take advantage of the reward program will benefit most from what the Chase Free Cash RewardsSM Visa® Card has to offer.

Cons:

Uses "Two Cycles Average Daily Balance" method when determining finance charges

Card Details:

Introductory Rate: 0.00%
Time Period: 12 Months
Applied Towards: Purchases, Balance Transfers
APR (Purchases): 14.24% Variable *
The APR for purchases is based on the Prime Rate.
APR (Cash Advances): 24.24% Variable *
The APR for cash advances is based on the Prime Rate.
Finance Configuration: Two Cycles Average Daily Balance (including new purchases)
Annual Fee: $0
Additional Cardholders: $0
Grace Period: 20 Days (Min.)
Minimum Credit Limit: n/a
Maximum Credit Limit: n/a
Late Payment Fee: $15 if balance is less than $250; $39 if balance is $250 or more
Over-The-Limit Fee: $35
Cash Advance Fee: 3%, $10 minimum
Balance Transfer Fee: 3%, $5 minimum, $75 maximum *To view the most current rates, please see the most recent: Terms and Conditions

Card Reward Program Details:

Points per Dollar: 1 Point
Additional Points: None
Point Details: When 2,500 points have been accrued, the cardholder may choose either a $25 check or a $25 gift certificate to participating merchants.
Expiration: None
Yearly Limit: 60,000 Points
Bonus Points: First Purchase: 1,000 Points

Notes:

The APR for purchases and balance transfers varies according to the applicant's credit history and will be 5.99%, 9.99% or 14.99% + Prime Rate. See website for complete terms and conditions of card usage and application disclosure.