Chase Freedom Rise Review: An Unsecured Card for No Credit History
The pitch is simple and unusual: a real, unsecured card from a major bank for people with no credit history. No deposit. No annual fee. A flat 1.5% cash back on everything.
The lever that gets you approved is the Chase relationship. Chase says $250 in a Chase checking account within three days of applying can improve your odds. So this is the card for someone who banks with Chase, or is happy to.
The honest catch: the APR runs roughly 18.24% to 27.74% variable, and there’s a 3% foreign transaction fee. Pay in full and skip it abroad, and neither one hurts you.
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What Makes the Freedom Rise Different
Most first cards for a thin file are secured, meaning you lock up a deposit. The Freedom Rise doesn’t. It’s unsecured from day one, and Chase says it doesn’t require prior credit history to qualify. That combination is rare.
The rewards are better than a typical starter card too. Flat 1.5% back on everything, plus a current intro of 3% on dining for six months up to $6,000 spent, plus 2% total on Lyft through the app until September 2027. And there’s a $25 statement credit for enrolling in autopay early, which is a small nudge toward the habit that actually builds credit.
The trade for skipping the deposit is that approval isn’t guaranteed the way a secured line is. It leans on the Chase relationship and their review.
Chase Freedom Rise vs a Secured Card
Put it next to the Discover it Secured and the choice gets clear.
The Freedom Rise wins if you bank with Chase: no deposit, unsecured, a clean graduation path to Freedom Unlimited. Your cash stays yours.
The secured card wins in one situation the Freedom Rise can’t cover. If you can’t get approved for anything unsecured, a secured card’s deposit guarantees the line. Discover also pays richer rewards, 5% rotating plus a first-year match, for someone who’ll pay in full. So: Freedom Rise for the Chase customer with a clean but thin file, secured card for the person who needs a guaranteed yes or wants the bigger rewards.
The Real Limits
Two honest downsides. The foreign transaction fee is 3%, which quietly makes this the wrong card the moment you leave the country. Use a no-fee card abroad and keep the Freedom Rise for home.
And approval isn’t automatic. If you don’t bank with Chase and your file is bare, you may get declined, and a decline is a hard inquiry you’d rather not waste. Pre-qualifying elsewhere or starting with a secured card can be the surer path. This card is excellent when it fits, and a coin flip when it doesn’t.
The Verdict on the Chase Freedom Rise
It’s one of the best unsecured starter cards out there, on one condition: you’re in the Chase ecosystem. No deposit, no annual fee, real 1.5% cash back, and a built-in graduation to a stronger card is a genuinely good deal for a first card.
The limits are the high-end APR if you carry a balance, the foreign transaction fee, and approval that leans on a bank relationship rather than a deposit. And, like every card, it builds forward and does nothing about a negative already reported.
If your score is being held down by an error, this card won’t touch it. Credit Booster AI reads all three reports, challenges what’s inaccurate, and builds history through rent and bill reporting, for $9.99 a month. Free to download on iOS and Android. Use the card to build, and fix the report on its own track.
Sources
- Chase Freedom Rise, no annual fee, 1.5% cash back, intro dining offer, autopay credit, graduation, and no-credit-history design: chase.com/personal/credit-cards/freedom/rise (verified 2026-07-20)
- Chase Freedom Rise approval nudge ($250 in Chase checking) and starter-card details: Chase Freedom Rise starter card explainer (verified 2026-07-20)
- Chase Freedom Rise APR (18.24% to 27.74% variable) and 3% foreign transaction fee, Pricing and Terms: Chase Freedom Rise card page (verified 2026-07-20)
Related reading: See the best starter credit cards with no history, or how to get your first credit card at 18.
Chase Freedom Rise vs Discover it Secured
Unsecured with a bank relationship, against a rewards secured card with a deposit.
| Feature | Chase Freedom Rise | Discover it Secured |
|---|---|---|
| Security deposit | None (unsecured) | $49, $99, or $200 |
| Annual fee | $0 | $0 |
| Rewards | 1.5% flat cash back | 5% rotating categories + 1%, match year 1 |
| Purchase APR (variable) | 18.24% to 27.74% | 27.24% |
| Reports to all 3 bureaus | Yes | Yes |
| Graduation path | Auto-review to Freedom Unlimited | Upgrade to Discover it Cash Back |
| Best for | No history with a bank relationship | No history, wants rewards and deposit back |
Source: Issuer pages: chase.com and discover.com. Pulled July 20, 2026.
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Get the AppFrequently Asked Questions
Is the Chase Freedom Rise a good first credit card?
Yes, especially if you already bank with Chase or are willing to. It is unsecured, so there is no deposit, it charges no annual fee, and it pays a flat 1.5% cash back on everything. It is built for people with no credit history, and it auto-evaluates you to graduate to a Chase Freedom Unlimited once you qualify. The main hook is that a $250 balance in a Chase checking account can improve your approval odds.
Do you need a Chase bank account for the Freedom Rise?
Not strictly, but it helps a lot. Chase says having at least $250 in a Chase checking account within three days of applying may improve your chances of approval. You do not need prior credit history to qualify, which is the point of the card, so the bank relationship is the lever that makes approval more likely for a thin file.
Does the Chase Freedom Rise require a deposit?
No. Unlike a secured card, the Freedom Rise is unsecured, so there is no security deposit to put down. That is its main advantage over a secured builder card: your cash stays in your pocket. The trade-off is that approval leans on the Chase relationship and their review, rather than a deposit that guarantees the line.
What rewards does the Chase Freedom Rise pay?
A flat 1.5% cash back on every purchase, with no categories to track. There is also a current intro offer of 3% cash back on dining at restaurants for the first six months up to $6,000 in spend, and 2% total on Lyft rides through the app until September 2027. Cash back does not expire while the account is open.
Does the Chase Freedom Rise graduate to a better card?
Yes. Chase automatically evaluates the account each year and can graduate you to a Chase Freedom Unlimited once you qualify, which keeps you inside the Chase ecosystem with a stronger rewards card. As with any graduation, it depends on responsible use, so there is no fixed date.
What are the downsides of the Chase Freedom Rise?
Two. The purchase APR runs about 18.24% to 27.74% variable, so a carried balance is expensive, and there is a 3% foreign transaction fee, which makes it a poor card to use abroad. Approval also leans on a Chase relationship, so if you do not bank with Chase, a secured card may be a surer approval.
