Which card earns more rewards, the Chase Freedom Unlimited or U.S. Bank Shield Visa Card?

The Chase Freedom Unlimited has a higher base earn rate (1.5X vs 0X), but both cards have different bonus categories where they excel.

What benefits does the Chase Freedom Unlimited have that the U.S. Bank Shield Visa Card doesn't?

The Chase Freedom Unlimited focuses on earn rates, while the U.S. Bank Shield Visa Card offers cell phone protection.

Should I get the Chase Freedom Unlimited or the U.S. Bank Shield Visa Card?

Both cards have the same $0/yr fee. Choose based on which bonus categories match your spending — check the earn rate comparison above.

Chase Freedom Unlimited vs U.S. Bank Shield Visa Card

Both cards cost $0/yr. The Chase Freedom Unlimited leads on travel; the U.S. Bank Shield Visa Card on flights.

Card data as of November 13, 2026.

Credit card comparison
Overview
	Chase Freedom Unlimited Chase · No annual fee	U.S. Bank Shield Visa Card U.S. Bank · No annual fee
Annual fee	$0	$0
Welcome offerCurrent public offer	$200 cash back	—
Rewards	Cash back	—
Foreign transaction fee	3%	3%
Network	Visa Signature	Visa
Earn ratesPer $1 spent · points and cash back aren’t ranked against each other
Dining	3%	0x
Drugstores	3%	0x
Everything else	1.5%	0x
Statement creditsAs the issuer states them · — means none on record
Dining & delivery	Free DashPass membership for 6 months · $60 one-time	—
Other credits	—	$20 statement credit
Perks & access— means none on record
Other perks	24/7 travel assistance when you're away from home	—
Protections & insuranceLimits where published · — means none on record
Trip insurance	Up to $6,000 trip cancellation and interruption coverage · up to $1,500	—
Rental car	Free rental car coverage when you decline counter insurance	—
Purchase & returns	Up to $500 protection for damaged or stolen purchases 24/7 fraud monitoring Zero Liability on unauthorized charges	Zero Liability on unauthorized charges
Extended warranty	Add an extra year to manufacturer warranties	—
Cell phone	—	Cell phone protection · up to $600
Other protections	24/7 lost/stolen card assistance worldwide	Free credit score access 24/7 lost/stolen card assistance worldwide
Pros & cons
Pros	1.5% cash back on every purchase with no caps or categories 5% on Chase Travel, 3% on dining and drugstores $200 bonus after $500 spend in 3 months 0% intro APR for 15 months on purchases and balance transfers $0 annual fee with Visa Signature benefits	0% intro APR for 21 billing cycles on purchases and balance transfers No annual fee 4% cash back on prepaid travel (air, hotel, car) through U.S. Bank Travel Center $20 annual statement credit for 11 consecutive months of purchases Cell phone protection up to $600 when paying monthly bill with card
Cons	3% foreign transaction fee 1.5% base rate lower than Freedom Flex's 5% rotating categories Points worth only 1 cent without Sapphire card pairing No premium travel insurance or lounge access Lower welcome bonus than Sapphire cards	3% foreign transaction fee makes it poor for international use High variable APR (17.24%-28.24%) after intro period ends No rewards on general purchases outside travel portal Travel rewards require booking through U.S. Bank portal (not direct with airlines/hotels) Good to Excellent credit required
	Card details	Card details

Chase Freedom Unlimited
Chase · No annual fee
U.S. Bank Shield Visa Card
U.S. Bank · No annual fee

Overview

Annual fee: Chase Freedom Unlimited
$0
U.S. Bank Shield Visa Card
$0
Welcome offerCurrent public offer: Chase Freedom Unlimited
$200 cash back
U.S. Bank Shield Visa Card
—
Rewards: Chase Freedom Unlimited
Cash back
U.S. Bank Shield Visa Card
—
Foreign transaction fee: Chase Freedom Unlimited
3%
U.S. Bank Shield Visa Card
3%
Network: Chase Freedom Unlimited
Visa Signature
U.S. Bank Shield Visa Card
Visa

Earn ratesPer $1 spent · points and cash back aren’t ranked against each other

Dining: Chase Freedom Unlimited
3%
U.S. Bank Shield Visa Card
0x
Drugstores: Chase Freedom Unlimited
3%
U.S. Bank Shield Visa Card
0x
Everything else: Chase Freedom Unlimited
1.5%
U.S. Bank Shield Visa Card
0x

Statement creditsAs the issuer states them · — means none on record

Dining & delivery: Chase Freedom Unlimited
Free DashPass membership for 6 months · $60 one-time
U.S. Bank Shield Visa Card
—
Other credits: Chase Freedom Unlimited
—
U.S. Bank Shield Visa Card
$20 statement credit

Perks & access— means none on record

Other perks: Chase Freedom Unlimited
24/7 travel assistance when you're away from home
U.S. Bank Shield Visa Card
—

Protections & insuranceLimits where published · — means none on record

Trip insurance: Chase Freedom Unlimited
Up to $6,000 trip cancellation and interruption coverage · up to $1,500
U.S. Bank Shield Visa Card
—
Rental car: Chase Freedom Unlimited
Free rental car coverage when you decline counter insurance
U.S. Bank Shield Visa Card
—
Purchase & returns: Chase Freedom Unlimited
Up to $500 protection for damaged or stolen purchases
24/7 fraud monitoring
Zero Liability on unauthorized charges
U.S. Bank Shield Visa Card
Zero Liability on unauthorized charges
Extended warranty: Chase Freedom Unlimited
Add an extra year to manufacturer warranties
U.S. Bank Shield Visa Card
—
Cell phone: Chase Freedom Unlimited
—
U.S. Bank Shield Visa Card
Cell phone protection · up to $600
Other protections: Chase Freedom Unlimited
24/7 lost/stolen card assistance worldwide
U.S. Bank Shield Visa Card
Free credit score access
24/7 lost/stolen card assistance worldwide

Pros & cons

Pros: Chase Freedom Unlimited
1.5% cash back on every purchase with no caps or categories
5% on Chase Travel, 3% on dining and drugstores
$200 bonus after $500 spend in 3 months
0% intro APR for 15 months on purchases and balance transfers
$0 annual fee with Visa Signature benefits
U.S. Bank Shield Visa Card
0% intro APR for 21 billing cycles on purchases and balance transfers
No annual fee
4% cash back on prepaid travel (air, hotel, car) through U.S. Bank Travel Center
$20 annual statement credit for 11 consecutive months of purchases
Cell phone protection up to $600 when paying monthly bill with card
Cons: Chase Freedom Unlimited
3% foreign transaction fee
1.5% base rate lower than Freedom Flex's 5% rotating categories
Points worth only 1 cent without Sapphire card pairing
No premium travel insurance or lounge access
Lower welcome bonus than Sapphire cards
U.S. Bank Shield Visa Card
3% foreign transaction fee makes it poor for international use
High variable APR (17.24%-28.24%) after intro period ends
No rewards on general purchases outside travel portal
Travel rewards require booking through U.S. Bank portal (not direct with airlines/hotels)
Good to Excellent credit required

Card details

Add a 3rd or 4th card to this comparison →

Category-by-Category Winner

The Chase Freedom Unlimited wins in 7 of 7 categories. The U.S. Bank Shield Visa Card leads in 0.

Travel

Chase Freedom Unlimited earns 5X vs 1X

5X via issuer travel portal

Hotels

Chase Freedom Unlimited earns 5X vs 4X

5X via Chase Travel portal - the Chase Travel travel rate restated per bookable subcategory, as Capital One and Citi portal rates are recorded

Flights

Chase Freedom Unlimited earns 5X vs 4X

5X via Chase Travel portal - the Chase Travel travel rate restated per bookable subcategory, as Capital One and Citi portal rates are recorded

Car Rentals

Chase Freedom Unlimited earns 5X vs 4X

5X via Chase Travel portal - the Chase Travel travel rate restated per bookable subcategory, as Capital One and Citi portal rates are recorded

Dining

Chase Freedom Unlimited earns 3X vs 1X

Drugstores

Chase Freedom Unlimited earns 3X vs 1X

Everyday purchases

Chase Freedom Unlimited earns 1.5X on all other spending vs 1X

Year One vs Ongoing Value

Modeled net value (bonus categories at unconditional rates, caps applied). Spend mix: dining 15%, groceries 15%, gas 10%, travel 10%, everything else 50%. Statement credits use the same recurring usable estimates as each card's detail page; first-year-only credits count in year one only. Welcome offers valued at each card's program rate shown on this page.

Both scenarios favor the Chase Freedom Unlimited on net value (rewards, usable credits, fees, and welcome offer).

Scenario	Chase Freedom Unlimited	U.S. Bank Shield Visa Card	Ongoing winner	Year-one winner
Light spender: $1,000/month	Rewards: $373 Credits (our usable estimate): $0 − Annual fee ($0) Ongoing: $373 Year one: $603	Rewards: $120 Credits (our usable estimate): $12 − Annual fee ($0) Ongoing: $132 Year one: $132	Chase Freedom Unlimited	Chase Freedom Unlimited
Heavy spender: $4,000/month	Rewards: $1,490 Credits (our usable estimate): $0 − Annual fee ($0) Ongoing: $1,490 Year one: $1,720	Rewards: $480 Credits (our usable estimate): $12 − Annual fee ($0) Ongoing: $492 Year one: $492	Chase Freedom Unlimited	Chase Freedom Unlimited

Which Card Is Right for You?

Get the Chase Freedom Unlimited if you:

+Spend $300+/month on restaurants and dining out
+Prefer a high flat rate across all spending

The Bottom Line

Both scenarios favor the Chase Freedom Unlimited on net value (rewards, usable credits, fees, and welcome offer).

Frequently Asked Questions

Which card earns more rewards, the Chase Freedom Unlimited or U.S. Bank Shield Visa Card?: The Chase Freedom Unlimited has a higher base earn rate (1.5X vs 0X), but both cards have different bonus categories where they excel.
What benefits does the Chase Freedom Unlimited have that the U.S. Bank Shield Visa Card doesn't?: The Chase Freedom Unlimited focuses on earn rates, while the U.S. Bank Shield Visa Card offers cell phone protection.
Should I get the Chase Freedom Unlimited or the U.S. Bank Shield Visa Card?: Both cards have the same $0/yr fee. Choose based on which bonus categories match your spending — check the earn rate comparison above.

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Official issuer pages: Chase cards · U.S. Bank cards

Editorial disclosure: CardRewards.ai is an independent comparison service. Card data comes from issuers' published terms; catalog last published November 13, 2026, and each card page shows when its terms were last checked. Card issuers do not influence our rankings or content.