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Chase Freedom Flex vs Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus

Both are Chase cards. Here is every spend category, ranked by what each card actually returns.

Best card by category Card terms as of Oct 29

Everything else

  1. Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus 1.3% 1x base rate
  2. Freedom Flex 1.0% 1% base rate

Dining

  1. Freedom Flex 7.0% 7%: 3% plus the rotating bonus this quarter
  2. Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus 1.3% 1x base rate

Groceries

  1. Freedom Flex 5.0% 5%, rotating this quarter
  2. Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus 2.5% 2x

Gas

  1. Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus 2.5% 2x
  2. Freedom Flex 1.0% 1% base rate

Travel · portal

  1. Freedom Flex · Chase Travel 5.0% 5%

Drugstores

  1. Freedom Flex 3.0% 3%
  2. Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus 1.3% 1x base rate

Flights

  1. Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus 2.5% 2x
  2. Freedom Flex 1.0% 1% base rate

Lyft

  1. Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus 2.5% 2x
  2. Freedom Flex 2.0% 2%

What the numbers are doing

Freedom Flex wins dining at 7% because the rotating calendar is on it this quarter, stacked on the card's own 3%. The quarter ends December 31, 2026; after it the card earns 3% there, and no later quarter in the published calendar brings it back.

Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus tops everything else at 1.3% only because this table values its points at 1.25 cents each. Value them at one cent and Freedom Flex wins that category instead.

The table is earn rate only — annual fees are not netted out of it. These cards charge Freedom Flex $0 and Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus $99 a year, so a thin lead in one category may not cover the difference.

pointslipEveryday
Pass content preview
CategoryBest card
Everything elseSouthwest Rapid Rewards Plus1.3%
DiningFreedom Flex7.0%
GroceriesFreedom Flex5.0%
GasSouthwest Rapid Rewards Plus2.5%
Travel · portalFreedom Flex · Chase Travel5.0%
DrugstoresFreedom Flex3.0%
FlightsSouthwest Rapid Rewards Plus2.5%
LyftSouthwest Rapid Rewards Plus2.5%

Content preview. Apple Wallet controls the layout; visible categories vary by device. Categories that rank the same as Everything else are left off; every other category is in pass details.

Every category, every card

Everything else

  1. Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus — 1.3%
  2. Freedom Flex — 1.0%

Dining

  1. Freedom Flex — 7.0%
  2. Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus — 1.3%

Groceries

  1. Freedom Flex — 5.0%
  2. Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus — 2.5%

Gas

  1. Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus — 2.5%
  2. Freedom Flex — 1.0%

Travel · portal

  1. Freedom Flex · Chase Travel — 5.0%

Drugstores

  1. Freedom Flex — 3.0%
  2. Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus — 1.3%

Flights

  1. Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus — 2.5%
  2. Freedom Flex — 1.0%

Lyft

  1. Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus — 2.5%
  2. Freedom Flex — 2.0%
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