Select’s editorial team works independently to review financial products and write articles that we think our readers will find useful. We earn commission from affiliate partners on many offers, but not all offers on Select are from affiliate partners.
The Chase Freedom® is currently not available to new cardholders. Please see our list of best cashback cards for alternative options.
Chase has joined a handful of other credit card issuers, like American Express, Capital One, Chase, Citi and Discover, in offering assistance to those financially burdened by the coronavirus pandemic.
If you have a Chase credit card, such as the Chase Freedom® or Chase Sapphire Preferred® card, and think you’ll have trouble paying your bills in the coming months, call the customer support number on the back of your card (or on your monthly statement) to find out what assistance you are eligible for.
“When customers call us with financial difficulties related to the coronavirus, our customer service specialists help them with things like waiving fees, extending payment due dates for cards, car loans and mortgages, or increased lines of credit for consumers and small businesses,” a Chase spokesperson told CNBC Select.
On Chase’s website, there’s a dedicated coronavirus resource page with a message from Chase Consumer Banking CEO Thasunda Brown Duckett saying, “If you need help due to COVID-19, please contact us. contact.”
She also encourages Chase customers to use the Chase Mobile® app and chase.com for all other banking needs as people stay home and branches close.
Regarding travel plans, Chase says it will work with customers “to help find solutions to change or cancel a trip, whether you paid with your credit card, debit card or with rewards. “, although the new coronavirus travel management page recommends that you start requesting refunds from the travel companies you first booked with.
For anyone who has booked future travel with their Chase Card through the Chase Ultimate Rewards® (CUR) portal, you can request cancellation online and may receive a refund or travel credit. When you log in, you’ll see instructions to help you determine whether or not your travel dates are eligible for a refund. This eligibility is based on whether the airline or property you booked with has issued a flexible change policy. If so, you can submit a refund request using Chase’s online cancellation form.
Keep in mind that credit card travel insurance alone will not always reimburse a canceled or changed trip. For example, the Chase Sapphire Reserve® benefits guide states that “your reluctance to travel due to an epidemic or pandemic” is not covered by trip cancellation and interruption.
However, there are exceptions: If you and/or your travel partner actually have the coronavirus, if your doctor advises against traveling under certain health conditions, or if your destination is an infected area with an imposed travel ban.
Information about the Chase Freedom® was independently collected by CNBC and was not reviewed or provided by the card issuer prior to publication.
Editorial note: Any opinions, analyses, criticisms or recommendations expressed in this article are those of Select’s editorial staff only and have not been reviewed, endorsed or otherwise endorsed by any third party.
