Which card earns more rewards, the The AARP® Essential Rewards Mastercard® or Chase Freedom Flex?

The Chase Freedom Flex has a higher base earn rate (1X vs 0X), but both cards have different bonus categories where they excel.

Should I get the The AARP® Essential Rewards Mastercard® or the Chase Freedom Flex?

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

Which card earns more rewards, the The AARP® Essential Rewards Mastercard® or Chase Freedom Flex?

The Chase Freedom Flex has a higher base earn rate (1X vs 0X), but both cards have different bonus categories where they excel.

Should I get the The AARP® Essential Rewards Mastercard® or the Chase Freedom Flex?

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

Which card earns more rewards, the The AARP® Essential Rewards Mastercard® or Chase Freedom Flex?

The Chase Freedom Flex has a higher base earn rate (1X vs 0X), but both cards have different bonus categories where they excel.

Should I get the The AARP® Essential Rewards Mastercard® or the Chase Freedom Flex?

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

The AARP® Essential Rewards Mastercard® vs Chase Freedom Flex

Both cards cost $0/yr. The The AARP® Essential Rewards Mastercard® is better for drugstores, while the Chase Freedom Flex wins on rotating quarterly. Here's how they compare.

The AARP® Essential Rewards Mastercard®

Barclays

Chase Freedom Flex

Chase

Fees & Welcome Offer

Annual Fee

Welcome Bonus

—

200 Cash

Earn Rates

Category	The AARP® Essential Rewards Mastercard®	Chase Freedom Flex
Rotating Quarterly	1X	5X
Drugstores	3X	3X
Gas Stations	3X	1X
Healthcare	2X	1X
Everything Else	1X	1X

Benefits & Features

Network

MASTERCARD

Key Benefits

None

✓Travel insurance

✓Purchase protection

Pros & Cons

Pros

—

+5% on rotating categories up to $1,500/quarter when activated
+3% on dining and drugstores with no annual cap
+5X on Chase Travel portal purchases
+$0 annual fee with Mastercard World Elite benefits
+Transfer points 1:1 to travel partners with Sapphire card

Cons

—

−Must activate quarterly categories or miss 5% bonus
−$1,500 quarterly cap on 5% categories ($300 max bonus/quarter)
−3% foreign transaction fee
−Points worth only 1 cent without Sapphire card pairing
−Welcome bonus lower than Sapphire cards

Category-by-Category Winner

The The AARP® Essential Rewards Mastercard® wins in 2 of 3 categories. The Chase Freedom Flex leads in 1.

Gas Stations

The AARP® Essential Rewards Mastercard® earns 3X vs 1X

Healthcare

The AARP® Essential Rewards Mastercard® earns 2X vs 1X

Rotating Quarterly

Chase Freedom Flex earns 5X vs 1X

What You Give Up

Choosing one card means missing out on these benefits from the other.

Choosing The AARP® Essential Rewards Mastercard® means losing:

-Purchase protection
-Travel insurance

Frequently Asked Questions

Which card earns more rewards, the The AARP® Essential Rewards Mastercard® or Chase Freedom Flex?: The Chase Freedom Flex has a higher base earn rate (1X vs 0X), but both cards have different bonus categories where they excel.
Should I get the The AARP® Essential Rewards Mastercard® or the Chase Freedom Flex?: Both cards have the same $0/yr fee. Choose based on which bonus categories match your spending — check the earn rate comparison above.

Explore More

The AARP® Essential Rewards Mastercard® — Full Review All Barclays Cards

Chase Freedom Flex — Full Review All Chase Cards

Browse all comparisons →Browse all card categories →

Official issuer pages: Barclays cards · Chase cards

Editorial disclosure: The analysis on this page is based on publicly available card data and is updated regularly. CardRewards.ai is an independent comparison service. Card issuers do not influence our rankings or editorial content. Last updated: June 2026.

The AARP® Essential Rewards Mastercard® vs Chase Freedom Flex

Both cards cost $0/yr. The The AARP® Essential Rewards Mastercard® is better for drugstores, while the Chase Freedom Flex wins on rotating quarterly. Here's how they compare.

The AARP® Essential Rewards Mastercard®

Barclays

Chase Freedom Flex

Chase

Fees & Welcome Offer

Annual Fee

Welcome Bonus

—

200 Cash

Earn Rates

Category	The AARP® Essential Rewards Mastercard®	Chase Freedom Flex
Rotating Quarterly	1X	5X
Drugstores	3X	3X
Gas Stations	3X	1X
Healthcare	2X	1X
Everything Else	1X	1X

Benefits & Features

Network

MASTERCARD

Key Benefits

None

✓Travel insurance

✓Purchase protection

Pros & Cons

Pros

—

+5% on rotating categories up to $1,500/quarter when activated
+3% on dining and drugstores with no annual cap
+5X on Chase Travel portal purchases
+$0 annual fee with Mastercard World Elite benefits
+Transfer points 1:1 to travel partners with Sapphire card

Cons

—

−Must activate quarterly categories or miss 5% bonus
−$1,500 quarterly cap on 5% categories ($300 max bonus/quarter)
−3% foreign transaction fee
−Points worth only 1 cent without Sapphire card pairing
−Welcome bonus lower than Sapphire cards

Category-by-Category Winner

The The AARP® Essential Rewards Mastercard® wins in 2 of 3 categories. The Chase Freedom Flex leads in 1.

Gas Stations

The AARP® Essential Rewards Mastercard® earns 3X vs 1X

Healthcare

The AARP® Essential Rewards Mastercard® earns 2X vs 1X

Rotating Quarterly

Chase Freedom Flex earns 5X vs 1X

What You Give Up

Choosing one card means missing out on these benefits from the other.

Choosing The AARP® Essential Rewards Mastercard® means losing:

-Purchase protection
-Travel insurance

Frequently Asked Questions

Which card earns more rewards, the The AARP® Essential Rewards Mastercard® or Chase Freedom Flex?: The Chase Freedom Flex has a higher base earn rate (1X vs 0X), but both cards have different bonus categories where they excel.
Should I get the The AARP® Essential Rewards Mastercard® or the Chase Freedom Flex?: Both cards have the same $0/yr fee. Choose based on which bonus categories match your spending — check the earn rate comparison above.

Explore More

The AARP® Essential Rewards Mastercard® — Full Review All Barclays Cards

Chase Freedom Flex — Full Review All Chase Cards

Browse all comparisons →Browse all card categories →

Official issuer pages: Barclays cards · Chase cards

The AARP® Essential Rewards Mastercard® vs Chase Freedom Flex

Both cards cost $0/yr. The The AARP® Essential Rewards Mastercard® is better for drugstores, while the Chase Freedom Flex wins on rotating quarterly. Here's how they compare.

The AARP® Essential Rewards Mastercard®

Barclays

Chase Freedom Flex

Chase

Fees & Welcome Offer

Annual Fee

Welcome Bonus

—

200 Cash

Earn Rates

Category	The AARP® Essential Rewards Mastercard®	Chase Freedom Flex
Rotating Quarterly	1X	5X
Drugstores	3X	3X
Gas Stations	3X	1X
Healthcare	2X	1X
Everything Else	1X	1X

Benefits & Features

Network

MASTERCARD

Key Benefits

None

✓Travel insurance

✓Purchase protection

Pros & Cons

Pros

—

+5% on rotating categories up to $1,500/quarter when activated
+3% on dining and drugstores with no annual cap
+5X on Chase Travel portal purchases
+$0 annual fee with Mastercard World Elite benefits
+Transfer points 1:1 to travel partners with Sapphire card

Cons

—

−Must activate quarterly categories or miss 5% bonus
−$1,500 quarterly cap on 5% categories ($300 max bonus/quarter)
−3% foreign transaction fee
−Points worth only 1 cent without Sapphire card pairing
−Welcome bonus lower than Sapphire cards

Category-by-Category Winner

The The AARP® Essential Rewards Mastercard® wins in 2 of 3 categories. The Chase Freedom Flex leads in 1.

Gas Stations

The AARP® Essential Rewards Mastercard® earns 3X vs 1X

Healthcare

The AARP® Essential Rewards Mastercard® earns 2X vs 1X

Rotating Quarterly

Chase Freedom Flex earns 5X vs 1X

What You Give Up

Choosing one card means missing out on these benefits from the other.

Choosing The AARP® Essential Rewards Mastercard® means losing:

-Purchase protection
-Travel insurance

Frequently Asked Questions

Which card earns more rewards, the The AARP® Essential Rewards Mastercard® or Chase Freedom Flex?: The Chase Freedom Flex has a higher base earn rate (1X vs 0X), but both cards have different bonus categories where they excel.
Should I get the The AARP® Essential Rewards Mastercard® or the Chase Freedom Flex?: Both cards have the same $0/yr fee. Choose based on which bonus categories match your spending — check the earn rate comparison above.

Explore More

The AARP® Essential Rewards Mastercard® — Full Review All Barclays Cards

Chase Freedom Flex — Full Review All Chase Cards

Browse all comparisons →Browse all card categories →

Official issuer pages: Barclays cards · Chase cards