The Chase Freedom Flex no longer charges a foreign transaction fee. Chase announced the change on September 21, 2026, and it applies starting that day to purchases made abroad or from international online merchants. At the same time, Chase raised the card's welcome offer to $250 cash back after you spend $500 on purchases in the first 3 months, up from $200, which the product page now shows struck through. The annual fee stays at $0.

That changes what this card is. Until this week, the Freedom Flex was a card I'd tell you to leave at home when you traveled, because Chase's old pricing terms charged 3% of every foreign transaction. Now it can come with you.

What changed on the Chase Freedom Flex?

Chase dropped the foreign transaction fee, raised the welcome offer to $250, added Points Boost on select Chase Travel hotels and refreshed the card art. Here's each change, from Chase's release and product page:

  • No foreign transaction fees. The product page now reads "Now enjoy all this with no foreign transaction fee." The earlier terms document, which Chase still hosts, reads "3% of the amount of each transaction in U.S. dollars."
  • A $250 welcome offer. The product page shows $200 struck through and $250 in its place, labeled "limited-time offer." You earn it after $500 in purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
  • Points Boost on select hotels. Chase Freedom cardmembers can now get Points Boost offers when they redeem on select hotels booked through Chase Travel, with points worth up to 10% more on those bookings. Chase's fine print puts that at up to $1.10 per 100 points, versus the standard $1.
  • New card art and an earlier look at categories. The card has a deeper blue design for new and existing cardmembers, and you can now see 5% categories one quarter ahead in the Chase Mobile app.

The fee change covers existing cardmembers too. Chase's release says "starting today, Freedom Flex cardmembers can make purchases abroad or from international online merchants without paying foreign transaction fees."

Earning rates, categories and APR

The earning structure is the same as before. Chase's product page lists:

5% cash back on up to $1,500 in combined purchases in rotating categories each quarter you activate, 5% on travel purchased through Chase Travel, 3% on dining (including takeout and eligible delivery), 3% at drugstores, and 1% on everything else.

The quarterly calendar matters here. October through December 2026 covers grocery stores (excluding Walmart and Target), dining, and American Red Cross, with activation open since September 15, 2026. Chase's release says January through March 2027 brings grocery stores back alongside top streaming services, the first time grocery has run in two consecutive quarters. The $1,500 cap still applies each quarter.

There's also a 0% intro APR for 15 months from account opening on purchases and balance transfers, then a variable 18.24% to 27.74%.

Who the Freedom Flex fits now

Here's the math I'd run. Say you spend $2,000 on a week in Lisbon. Under the old 3% fee, that trip would have cost you $60 in fees on this card before you earned anything back. Now that $60 stays in your pocket.

The welcome offer is easy to reach. Say you put a $250 phone bill and $250 of groceries on the card in your first month. That's the $500, and Chase says to allow 6 to 8 weeks for the $250 to post.

The Freedom Flex fits three kinds of people best:

  1. Someone who wants one no-fee card for home and abroad. You no longer need a second card just to avoid the fee on a trip.
  2. A Sapphire cardholder building a Chase wallet. Our full Freedom Flex review walks through how the Flex pairs with a Sapphire card.
  3. Anyone who'd use the Q4 and Q1 grocery categories. Two quarters of 5% at grocery stores, up to the $1,500 cap each quarter, is a real stretch of value for a $0 card.

If you rarely leave the country, today's news doesn't change much for you. The pitch is the same as before: rotating 5%, 3% on dining and drugstores, and a bigger welcome offer.

Can you get the $250 bonus if you've had the card before?

Only if you don't hold the card now and haven't received a Freedom Flex new cardmember bonus in the last 24 months. Chase's offer details say the card isn't available to current Freedom Flex cardmembers, or to past cardmembers who received a new cardmember bonus for this card in the last 24 months. If your last Freedom Flex bonus came more than 24 months ago and you no longer hold the card, that rule doesn't block you. If you still hold one, you can't get the $250, but you already have the fee-free foreign spending.

What to do next

If you already carry the Freedom Flex, activate your October to December categories and add it to your travel wallet. If you've been waiting for a reason to apply, Chase labels the $250 a limited-time offer, so check that the Chase Freedom Flex application page still shows $250 before you apply.

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Sources

  1. Chase Media Center: Chase Builds on Freedom Flex's Everyday Rewards with More Travel Value, Sept 21, 2026 (read 2026-09-23)
  2. Chase Freedom Flex product page and offer details (read 2026-09-23)
  3. Chase Freedom Flex pricing and terms, current (read 2026-09-23)
  4. Chase Freedom Flex pricing and terms, previous version with 3% fee (read 2026-09-23)

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