About 7 million American adults had no credit record at all as of 2020, roughly 2.7% of the adult population, according to a June 2025 update from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Millions more have a file too thin to generate a score. For anyone in either group, the first credit card is less about rewards and more about getting a yes from a lender that will still be useful in five years.
The Chase Freedom Rise is designed for exactly that moment. It is an unsecured card for people new to credit, it pays real cash back, and it has a built-in path toward Chase’s mainstream rewards cards.
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Key takeaways
- No annual fee and 1.5% cash back on every purchase, with no minimum to redeem.
- A $25 statement credit for enrolling in autopay within the first three months and staying enrolled for 90 days.
- Credit line review in as soon as six months, and an annual review for an upgrade to the Chase Freedom Unlimited.
- Having at least $250 in a Chase checking or savings account improves your odds of approval, though it isn’t required.
What you get, as of 2026
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Annual fee | $0 |
| Rewards | 1.5% cash back on all purchases |
| Early bonus | $25 statement credit for autopay enrollment |
| Purchase APR | 18.49% to 27.99% variable |
| Foreign transaction fee | 3% of each transaction, per the card’s pricing terms |
| Network | Visa |
| Credit line review | As soon as 6 months after opening |
Rates and offers come from Chase’s official product page and can change. Balance transfers don’t earn rewards, and this isn’t a card built for transferring debt.
Why a starter card that pays 1.5% matters
Most cards available to people without credit history fall into two camps: secured cards that require a deposit, and unsecured cards that pay no rewards and sometimes charge fees. The Freedom Rise skips both trade-offs. You don’t put money down, and every purchase earns the same 1.5% that many established cardholders get from flat-rate cards.
The rewards are paid as Chase Ultimate Rewards points, so you can redeem for a statement credit, a direct deposit or travel through Chase. Cash back doesn’t expire while the account is open, and there’s no minimum redemption. You can also spend points at Amazon checkout, though Chase values them at $0.008 each there, so a statement credit is the better deal.
The approval angle
Chase says it considers applicants who are new to credit and students, and it points out that a relationship helps. Having at least $250 in a Chase checking or savings account improves your chances, though it’s neither required nor a guarantee. If you were declined elsewhere with a thin file, opening a Chase account first and then applying is a reasonable approach.
The extras are better than they need to be
For a starter card, the benefit list is surprisingly complete:
- Purchase protection for 120 days against damage or theft, up to $500 per item.
- Extended warranty that adds a year to eligible U.S. manufacturer warranties of three years or less.
- Trip cancellation and interruption insurance up to $1,500 per person and $6,000 per trip.
- Partner offers, including a complimentary DashPass period and extra cash back on Lyft for a limited time.
- A referral bonus of $25 per approved friend, up to $250 a year.
None of these will decide whether you apply, but they show the card isn’t a stripped-down product.
The drawbacks
The APR is high. Like most cards for new borrowers, the variable rate runs into the high 20s for many applicants. Carrying a balance would wipe out the cash back many times over. Pay in full each month.
A foreign transaction fee. At 3% per transaction, the Rise is a poor card to take abroad, including for a semester overseas.
No bonus categories. A student who spends mostly on food delivery or groceries won’t get anything extra. That’s the trade-off for simplicity.
Starting limits can be modest. Chase doesn’t publish a range, and new-to-credit approvals often start low. That makes utilization easy to push up, which can weigh on your score.
How it compares
The Capital One Platinum is another no-fee, unsecured option for people building credit, and Capital One lets you check for preapproval without a hard pull. But it earns no rewards at all. The Freedom Rise wins on value; the Platinum may be easier to qualify for if your file has problems, not just a short history.
The Capital One QuicksilverOne matches the 1.5% rate but charges a $39 annual fee. If you can get the Rise, you keep that $39.
A secured card is the fallback if you are turned down. You’ll put down a deposit, but it reports to the bureaus just the same.
Frequently asked questions
Does the Freedom Rise report to all three credit bureaus?
Chase, like other major issuers, reports card accounts to the credit bureaus, which is what builds your history. On-time payments and low balances are the two habits that matter most; myFICO’s breakdown of score factors shows why payment history carries the most weight.
How does the upgrade to Freedom Unlimited work?
Chase says it reviews Freedom Rise accounts each year for an upgrade. Making on-time payments is part of that review. An upgrade is a product change, not a new account, so your history and account age carry over.
Can I get the autopay credit if I set up autopay later?
The $25 credit requires enrolling within the first three months and staying enrolled for at least 90 days. Set it up when you activate the card and you won’t have to think about it.
Is the Freedom Rise only for students?
No. Chase markets it to anyone new to credit, including recent immigrants and adults who have always paid cash. Students are one target audience, not the only one.
Building from here
Treat the first year as a setup period. Put one or two recurring bills on the card, turn on autopay for the full statement balance, and keep the balance well below your limit when the statement closes. After six months, watch for the credit line review. After a year of clean history, the upgrade review to Freedom Unlimited may come up, and by then you may also qualify for cards with bonus categories or longer intro APRs.
Because there’s no annual fee, there’s also no reason to close the Rise later. Keeping it open preserves the age of your oldest account. Review the current terms on the official Chase Freedom Rise page, since rates and offers can change.
