Chase Freedom Unlimited vs IHG One Rewards Credit Card
Both are Chase cards. Here is every spend category, ranked by what each card actually returns.
Everything else
- Freedom Unlimited 1.5% 1.5% base rate
- IHG One Rewards Credit Card 1.2% 2x base rate
Dining
- Freedom Unlimited 3.0% 3%
- IHG One Rewards Credit Card 1.8% 3x
Groceries
- IHG One Rewards Credit Card 1.8% 3x
- Freedom Unlimited 1.5% 1.5% base rate
Gas
- IHG One Rewards Credit Card 1.8% 3x
- Freedom Unlimited 1.5% 1.5% base rate
Travel · portal
- Freedom Unlimited · Chase Travel 5.0% 5%
Drugstores
- Freedom Unlimited 3.0% 3%
- IHG One Rewards Credit Card 1.2% 2x base rate
Streaming
- IHG One Rewards Credit Card 1.8% 3x
- Freedom Unlimited 1.5% 1.5% base rate
Phone & internet
- IHG One Rewards Credit Card 1.8% 3x
- Freedom Unlimited 1.5% 1.5% base rate
Utilities
- IHG One Rewards Credit Card 1.8% 3x
- Freedom Unlimited 1.5% 1.5% base rate
Lyft
- Freedom Unlimited 2.0% 2%
- IHG One Rewards Credit Card 1.2% 2x base rate
What the numbers are doing
Abroad the answer flips: Freedom Unlimited charges a 3% foreign transaction fee, so once that comes off the rate IHG One Rewards Credit Card is the better card for everyday spend.
Where they differ: Freedom Unlimited takes everything else, dining, drugstores and lyft; IHG One Rewards Credit Card takes groceries, gas, streaming and phone & internet, plus 1 more.
| Category | Best card |
|---|---|
| Everything else | Freedom Unlimited1.5% |
| Dining | Freedom Unlimited3.0% |
| Groceries | IHG One Rewards Credit Card1.8% |
| Gas | IHG One Rewards Credit Card1.8% |
| Travel · portal | Freedom Unlimited · Chase Travel5.0% |
| Drugstores | Freedom Unlimited3.0% |
| Streaming | IHG One Rewards Credit Card1.8% |
| Phone & internet | IHG One Rewards Credit Card1.8% |
| Utilities | IHG One Rewards Credit Card1.8% |
| Lyft | Freedom Unlimited2.0% |
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
- Freedom Unlimited — 1.5%
- IHG One Rewards Credit Card — 1.2%
Dining
- Freedom Unlimited — 3.0%
- IHG One Rewards Credit Card — 1.8%
Groceries
- IHG One Rewards Credit Card — 1.8%
- Freedom Unlimited — 1.5%
Gas
- IHG One Rewards Credit Card — 1.8%
- Freedom Unlimited — 1.5%
Travel · portal
- Freedom Unlimited · Chase Travel — 5.0%
Drugstores
- Freedom Unlimited — 3.0%
- IHG One Rewards Credit Card — 1.2%
Streaming
- IHG One Rewards Credit Card — 1.8%
- Freedom Unlimited — 1.5%
Phone & internet
- IHG One Rewards Credit Card — 1.8%
- Freedom Unlimited — 1.5%
Utilities
- IHG One Rewards Credit Card — 1.8%
- Freedom Unlimited — 1.5%
Lyft
- Freedom Unlimited — 2.0%
- IHG One Rewards Credit Card — 1.2%
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