Chase Will Convert Your Old Freedom Visa Into a Freedom Flex Again. Here Is Whether to Do It.
Chase has started approving product changes from the original Chase Freedom card, a Visa, to the Chase Freedom Flex, a Mastercard. Chase blocked that specific switch last year and reopened it in the week of September 22, 2026. A product change keeps your account and your credit history, so no new application and no hard inquiry are involved.
For most people holding the legacy Freedom, this is worth doing. There is one group who should wait, and one group who should not do it at all.
The short version
The Chase Freedom Flex adds 3% cash back on dining and 3% on drugstores. The original Freedom pays 1% on both.
In Q4 2026 the 5% rotating category includes dining, so a Freedom Flex earns 7% there. The original Freedom earns 5%.
Chase removed the Freedom Flex 3% foreign transaction fee on September 21, 2026.
Chase also cut cell phone protection from the Freedom Flex, effective September 19, 2026.
A product change earns no welcome offer. New applicants get $250 after $500 of spend for a limited time.
Why did Chase block this switch in the first place?
Card issuers treat the payment network as part of the product. The Chase Freedom Flex runs on Mastercard and is the only Chase Ultimate Rewards card that does. The original Chase Freedom, which Chase lists internally as Freedom with Ultimate Rewards, runs on Visa and closed to new applications years ago. Chase stopped allowing conversions across networks last year, which stranded legacy Freedom holders on the weaker product. Reports of successful Visa to Mastercard changes started again in late September 2026.
Nothing was announced. Treat this as a live window rather than a permanent policy, because the last one closed without notice too.
What do you gain by converting to the Freedom Flex?
The Chase Freedom Flex earns 3% cash back on dining and 3% on drugstore purchases year-round, plus the same 5% rotating quarterly categories the original Freedom has always had. The original Chase Freedom earns 1% on dining and drugstores. Both cards carry no annual fee. The dining category is the one that decides this for most households, since restaurant spending is steady in a way drugstore spending is not.
Q4 2026 sharpens the gap. The Q4 rotating categories are dining, grocery stores and American Red Cross donations, on up to $1,500 of combined purchases. A Freedom Flex stacks its standing dining bonus on top, landing at 7% on restaurants for the quarter. The original Freedom stops at 5%. On the full $1,500 cap that difference is $30, which is small in isolation and free to claim.
What did the September refresh change?
Chase refreshed the Freedom Flex on September 21, 2026. The foreign transaction fee went from 3% to zero. Chase's announcement put it plainly: "Starting today, Freedom Flex cardmembers can make purchases abroad or from international online merchants without paying foreign transaction fees." Chase also added Points Boost, which makes Ultimate Rewards worth up to 10% more on select hotels booked through Chase Travel, taking a point from 1 cent to as much as 1.1 cents on those bookings. Our explainer on Points Boost covers where the extra 10% is worth chasing.
One benefit left. Cell phone protection came off the Freedom Flex on September 19, 2026. If you have been relying on that coverage for a family's phones, price a replacement before you convert, because the original Freedom does not carry it either. We covered the full refresh in our piece on the dropped foreign transaction fee.
Who should skip the conversion?
Costco shoppers should think twice. Costco warehouses in the United States accept Visa only, so a Chase Freedom Visa works there and a Chase Freedom Flex Mastercard does not. Converting a card you use for Costco runs means finding another Visa first.
Anyone eligible for the welcome offer should also pause. A product change pays nothing. A new Freedom Flex application currently pays $250 after $500 of spend in three months. If you are under Chase's 5/24 limit and want a new account anyway, applying is worth more than converting, and you keep the old Freedom afterwards. Our best travel credit cards guide covers where a no-fee card like this belongs in a wider setup.
Sapphire holders face an extra step. Chase still will not convert a Sapphire Preferred or Sapphire Reserve straight to a Freedom Flex, because both Sapphire cards are Visas. The route is Sapphire to original Freedom first, then a second conversion from Freedom to Freedom Flex.
What this means for you
Call Chase or use secure message, ask for a product change from Freedom to Freedom Flex, and confirm no hard pull and no new account number before you agree. Do it this quarter so the 7% dining rate applies from October 1. Hold off if you shop at Costco on that card, or if you would rather apply fresh and take the $250.
FAQ
Does a Chase product change trigger a hard credit inquiry?
A Chase product change keeps the existing account open and does not create a new one, so no hard inquiry is involved and your account age carries over. Confirm this with the representative before you accept.
Do I get a welcome offer for converting to the Freedom Flex?
No. A product change to the Chase Freedom Flex earns no welcome offer. The current $250 offer after $500 of spend applies to new applications only.
Will my Ultimate Rewards points survive the change?
Yes. Both the original Chase Freedom and the Chase Freedom Flex earn Ultimate Rewards, so the balance stays put through a conversion between them.
Does the Freedom Flex count against Chase 5/24?
A product change does not open a new account, so it adds nothing to your 5/24 count. A fresh Chase Freedom Flex application does.
Is the Chase Freedom Flex better than the original Freedom?
The Chase Freedom Flex beats the original Chase Freedom on paper, with 3% dining, 3% drugstores and no foreign transaction fee against 1% and 1%. The original Freedom wins on one point, which is Visa acceptance at Costco.
Sources
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