pointslip milestomorrow.com

Chase Freedom Flex vs United Explorer Card

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. United Explorer Card 1.2% 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. United Explorer Card 2.4% 2x

Groceries

  1. Freedom Flex 5.0% 5%, rotating this quarter
  2. United Explorer Card 1.2% 1x base rate

Travel · portal

  1. Freedom Flex · Chase Travel 5.0% 5%

Drugstores

  1. Freedom Flex 3.0% 3%
  2. United Explorer Card 1.2% 1x base rate

Flights

  1. United Explorer Card 3.6% 3x
  2. Freedom Flex 1.0% 1% base rate

Hotels

  1. United Explorer Card 2.4% 2x
  2. Freedom Flex 1.0% 1% base rate

Lyft

  1. Freedom Flex 2.0% 2%
  2. United Explorer Card 1.2% 1x base rate

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.

United Explorer Card tops everything else at 1.2% only because this table values its points at 1.2 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 United Explorer Card $150 a year, so a thin lead in one category may not cover the difference.

pointslipEveryday
Pass content preview
CategoryBest card
Everything elseUnited Explorer Card1.2%
DiningFreedom Flex7.0%
GroceriesFreedom Flex5.0%
Travel · portalFreedom Flex · Chase Travel5.0%
DrugstoresFreedom Flex3.0%
FlightsUnited Explorer Card3.6%
HotelsUnited Explorer Card2.4%
LyftFreedom Flex2.0%

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. United Explorer Card — 1.2%
  2. Freedom Flex — 1.0%

Dining

  1. Freedom Flex — 7.0%
  2. United Explorer Card — 2.4%

Groceries

  1. Freedom Flex — 5.0%
  2. United Explorer Card — 1.2%

Travel · portal

  1. Freedom Flex · Chase Travel — 5.0%

Drugstores

  1. Freedom Flex — 3.0%
  2. United Explorer Card — 1.2%

Flights

  1. United Explorer Card — 3.6%
  2. Freedom Flex — 1.0%

Hotels

  1. United Explorer Card — 2.4%
  2. Freedom Flex — 1.0%

Lyft

  1. Freedom Flex — 2.0%
  2. United Explorer Card — 1.2%
Add to Apple Wallet

This link hands the pass straight to Wallet, no app and no account — its first three rows; the app unlocks every row.

iPhone app · not yet released

Preview this set of cards. The first three rows are free, whatever cards you hold; every row and every feature is $9.99 once, in the app. See the free combos.

Open this ranking in the generator

A cheat sheet in your Wallet that tells you which card to use. No account, no bank linking, no subscription.