Chase Freedom Rise® Credit Card Review: A Good Choice for Building Credit

The Chase Freedom Rise® Credit Card is one of the best beginner credit cards for students or anyone with limited or no credit. Along with generous cash back rewards on every purchase, the card offers excellent credit-building features — like automatic account reviews to see if you’re eligible for a credit line increase after just six months. In fact, it’s our pick for the best credit card to build credit and the best credit card for beginners.

That said, the credit requirements for the Chase Freedom Rise® Credit Card are more stringent than many beginner credit cards. But you can boost your approval odds by opening a bank account with Chase.

• Annual fee: $0
• Sign-up bonus: Earn a $25 statement credit when you sign up for automatic payments within the first three months of opening your account and remain enrolled for at least 90 days.
• Rewards: Earn 1.5% cash back on all purchases.
• APR on purchases: 25.99% Variable
• APR on balance transfers: 25.99% Variable
• Balance transfer fee: $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater
• Other benefits: Purchase protection, extended warranty protection, trip cancellation and interruption insurance, 24/7 fraud monitoring, lock/unlock feature
• Credit needed: Good / Excellent

• Chance to build credit for a $0 annual fee

  The Chase Freedom Rise® Credit Card is an ideal first credit card because it costs nothing to own. It has a $0 annual fee and is unsecured, which means it doesn’t require a security deposit. It also has a higher-than-average minimum credit line of $500, so you can use it for a number of expenses without maxing it out.

• Automatic account reviews to potentially upgrade your card

  Chase will automatically evaluate your account each year to see if you can upgrade your Chase Freedom Rise® Credit Card to a Chase Freedom Unlimited^®. To qualify, your account must be open, you must make all of your payments on time (across all financial lenders) for 12 months, and you can’t have any suspended Chase accounts.

• Opportunity to increase your credit limit

  You can increase your credit limit by responsibly using your card and paying it off on time. Chase will evaluate your account for a credit limit increase as soon as six months. A higher credit limit can raise your credit score, since it helps keep your credit utilization ratio low.

• Ability to improve your approval chances with a Chase bank account

  If you have a balance of at least $250 in a Chase checking or savings account, you have a better chance of being approved for the Chase Freedom Rise® Credit Card. If you don’t already have a Chase banking account, you can open one through Chase’s website or by visiting a bank branch.

  While this won’t guarantee approval, it can boost your odds.

  Though the requirements for this card are more rigorous than most beginner credit cards, some cardholders in forums have reported that they were approved for the Chase Freedom Rise® Credit Card without even having a Chase bank account.

• Earn elevated cash back rewards on every purchase

  The Chase Freedom Rise® Credit Card offers one of the best cash back rewards programs you can find with a credit card for building credit: Earn 1.5% cash back on all purchases.

  How much can you earn? That depends on your credit limit and how much you spend, since Chase doesn’t put a limit on the amount of cash back you can earn. Assuming you start with a $500 credit limit, you could earn up to $90 in cash back in a year.

• Receive a statement credit for setting up automatic payments

  You’ll earn a $25 statement credit when you sign up for automatic payments within the first three months of opening your account and remain enrolled for at least 90 days.

  Automatic payments help guarantee that you’ll pay your bill on time each month. This will also put yourself on the path toward establishing good credit, since payment history makes up 35% of your credit score.

  Tip: If you set up automatic payments, make sure you have sufficient funds in your checking or savings account so you don’t overdraft the account.

• Purchase protection and insurance

  The Chase Freedom Rise® Credit Card includes a solid set of purchase and travel protections for a beginner credit card, including:

  • Purchase protection covers new purchases against damage or theft for 120 days, up to $500 per item
  • Extended warranty protection adds an additional year to the U.S. manufacturer’s warranty on eligible items.
  • Trip cancellation/interruption insurance reimburses up to $1,500 per person and $6,000 per trip for prepaid, nonrefundable passenger fares for covered situations.

• Shopping benefits

  The Chase Freedom Rise® Credit Card offers additional benefits on some popular services, for cardholders who enroll before the activation deadline. Current benefits include:

  • 5% total cash back on Lyft Rides through March 31, 2025. You’ll receive an extra 3.5% cash back in addition to the regular 1.5% cash back.
  • Complimentary DashPass for six months. You must activate this benefit by Dec. 31, 2027. Plus, get up to $10 off quarterly on non-restaurant DoorDash orders through Dec. 31, 2027.

• No intro APR

  The Chase Freedom Rise® Credit Card doesn’t offer a 0% introductory APR on purchases or balance transfers. Note that this shouldn’t be a deal-breaker, since it’s rare for an entry-level card to offer intro APRs. But you should avoid carrying a balance on this card, since the regular APR is 25.99% Variable.

• Not for bad credit

  The Chase Freedom Rise® Credit Card is a first credit card for someone who’s never used credit, like a student. It isn’t for those who have bad credit from previous financial mishaps. If you are looking for a credit card for bad credit, check out the Discover it^® Secured Credit Card or Secured Chime Credit Builder Visa^® Credit Card.

  Read more about the best credit cards for bad credit.

Chase Freedom Rise® Credit Card vs. Discover it^® Secured Credit Card

If your credit score is too low to be approved for the Chase Freedom Rise® Credit Card, you should consider the Discover it^® Secured Credit Card. Though it requires a minimum $200 security deposit, it doesn’t have an annual fee and lets you earn cash back on every purchase.

Cardholders earn 2% cash back at gas stations and restaurants on up to $1,000 in combined purchases each quarter. 1% unlimited cash back on all other purchases - automatically. Plus, Discover will match all the cash back you’ve earned at the end of your first year.

This card also offers automatic reviews after seven months to transition you to an unsecured Discover credit card. If approved, you’ll get your security deposit refunded.

Chase Freedom Rise® Credit Card vs. Capital One Savor Student Cash Rewards Credit Card

If you’re a student who can qualify for the Capital One Savor Student Cash Rewards Credit Card, you may find it a more rewarding option than the Chase Freedom Rise® Credit Card. That’s because it offers generous cash back on areas where students may spend the most, including dining, groceries and entertainment.

Cardholders earn 3% Cash Back at grocery stores (excluding superstores like Walmart® and Target®), on dining, entertainment and popular streaming services, 5% Cash Back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel (terms apply), 8% Cash Back on Capital One Entertainment purchases, 1% Cash Back on all other purchases. Plus, earn $50 Cash Back when you spend $100 in the first three months.

It’s recommended for students with fair credit, but you can keep the card once you finish school or ask about switching to another Capital One Credit card.

Chase Freedom Rise® Credit Card vs. Petal^® 2 Cash Back, No Fees Visa^® Credit Card

The Petal 2 Credit Card is another excellent unsecured cash back credit card for cardholders with limited or no credit histories. Petal uses alternative credit data — like your bank account history, income and bills paid from your bank account — to create a “Cash Score” to determine your eligibility.

The card offers cash back on every purchase: Earn 1% cash back on eligible purchases right away, and 2% to 10% cash back at select merchants. Plus, earn up to 1.25% cash back on most purchases after six months of timely payments and up to 1.5% cash back on most purchases after 12 months of timely payments. It’s also a very affordable card that boasts no fees: $0 annual fee, no late payment fee and no foreign transaction fee.

If you need a card for building credit, the Chase Freedom Rise® Credit Card is one of the best available. The card doesn’t charge an annual fee or require a security deposit. Plus, it offers accelerated cash back on every purchase and valuable benefits like purchase protection.

There’s also a natural path to upgrade to another Chase credit card that offers even more perks, like the Chase Freedom Unlimited^®.

But keep in mind that if you have damaged credit or you’re not a Chase bank account holder, you’ll likely find it harder to qualify for the Chase Freedom Rise® Credit Card. Instead, you may want to consider a credit-building card that accepts applicants with limited / poor credit, like the Discover it^® Secured Credit Card.