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Chase Freedom Flex vs Iberia Visa Signature: Which Is Better In 2025?
July 1, 2025
Editor's Picks
The Chase Freedom Flex® is a versatile no-annual-fee card ideal for maximizing cash back on rotating quarterly categories, travel booked through Chase, dining, and drugstore purchases.
The Iberia Visa Signature® Card is best for travelers who frequently fly with Iberia and its partners or book hotels directly, allowing them to earn valuable Avios for future flights.
Chase Freedom Flex® Breakdown
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Why We Like It
Here’s a closer look at why the Chase Freedom Flex® stands out in a crowded field of cash back cards.
- With no annual fee, this card offers a low-risk way to earn significant rewards.
- It combines valuable fixed-rate rewards on dining and travel with rotating 5% cash back categories, offering multiple ways to maximize earnings.
- Cardholders who max out the $1,500 spending cap on the 5% rotating categories each quarter can earn $300 in cash back annually from those purchases alone (publisher-formulated estimate).
Pros
- The card’s rewards program is highly versatile, featuring rotating bonus categories alongside fixed-rate rewards on common spending like dining and drugstore purchases.
- Rewards can be redeemed in several ways, including cash back, or pooled with other premium Chase cards to unlock even greater value through travel partners.
- Includes valuable built-in benefits like cell phone protection and purchase protection, adding a layer of security to your spending.
Cons
- Maximizing rewards requires actively tracking and activating rotating bonus categories each quarter.
- The card includes a foreign transaction fee, making it less than ideal for use abroad.
- Strict approval requirements, including a good-to-excellent credit score and Chase’s application rules, can make the card difficult to obtain.
Iberia Visa Signature® Breakdown
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Why We Like It
Here’s a closer look at why we think the Iberia Visa Signature® is a strong contender.
- Cardholders receive a 10% discount on Iberia flights purchased through the airline's dedicated portal for Chase cardmembers.
- You can earn bonus Avios on travel purchases, including flights with Iberia and its partners, as well as on hotel stays booked directly.
- The value from the card's welcome offer can potentially cover the annual fee for several years (publisher-formulated estimate).
Pros
- Cardholders who meet an annual spending requirement receive a valuable discount voucher for two tickets on the same flight.
- Avios can be transferred to several other airline partners, including British Airways and Aer Lingus, which unlocks a wide range of redemption options.
- The card has no foreign transaction fees and provides travel protections like lost baggage protection and car rental insurance.
Cons
- It lacks common travel benefits like free checked bags or priority boarding, which are standard on many competing airline cards.
- The annual discount voucher is restrictive and cannot be used by solo travelers.
- The airline's website can be difficult to navigate, and Avios may expire after a period of inactivity.
Iberia Visa Signature® vs Chase Freedom Flex®
Categories
Deciding which is better, Chase Freedom Flex® or Iberia Visa Signature®, comes down to your primary spending habits and reward goals. One card focuses on maximizing cash back on everyday spending, while the other is built for earning travel rewards with a specific airline alliance.
- Chase Freedom Flex® This card is best for those who want to earn high rates of cash back on a variety of rotating categories throughout the year. It also offers bonus rewards on dining, drugstore purchases, and travel booked through the issuer's portal.
- Iberia Visa Signature® Card This card is ideal for travelers who frequently fly with Iberia or its partner airlines, offering the highest rewards on those specific airline purchases. It also provides bonus rewards for hotel accommodations booked directly with the hotel.
Redemption
Chase Freedom Flex®: Rewards are earned as points that can be redeemed for cash back, travel through the issuer's portal, or gift cards. This provides a high degree of flexibility for those who value straightforward rewards.
Iberia Visa Signature® Card: This card earns points that are transferred to an airline-specific loyalty program. These points are best used for booking award flights with that airline and its partners.
Travel Perks
- Chase Freedom Flex®: This card includes several travel protections, such as trip cancellation/interruption insurance and an auto rental collision damage waiver. While it does not offer airline-specific perks like lounge access, cardholders can book travel through the Chase Ultimate Rewards® portal. However, it does charge a foreign transaction fee on international purchases.
- Iberia Visa Signature® Card: As a dedicated travel card, it comes with no foreign transaction fees. Cardholders receive a discount on Iberia flights purchased through the airline's website and can earn a discount voucher for a future flight after meeting an annual spending threshold. It also includes travel protections like lost luggage reimbursement and baggage delay insurance.
Compare Top Rated Credit Cards with Kudos
For those looking to make a data-driven decision, Kudos is a financial technology platform that helps users compare thousands of credit cards to find the best fit for their spending habits.
- Test drive credit cards: Before you apply, you can simulate potential earnings from different cards using your actual spending data. This feature provides personalized calculations, including annual rewards projections and category-by-category earnings, without a hard credit pull.
- Approval odds analysis: Get a detailed analysis based on your credit report to better understand your chances of being approved for a new card.
- Kudos Boost rewards: Earn extra rewards on top of your credit card rewards when you shop at participating stores.
- Welcome offer guarantee: If you find a better welcome offer for a card you got through Kudos within three months, Kudos will match it.
- Automatic card selection: At checkout, the Kudos browser extension can autofill the best card from your wallet to ensure you're maximizing rewards on every purchase.
Who Should Choose the Chase Freedom Flex®?
The Chase Freedom Flex® is an excellent choice for savvy spenders who enjoy maximizing rewards by keeping track of rotating bonus categories. It particularly benefits those who frequently spend on dining and at drugstores, as it offers elevated cash back in these areas year-round. As detailed in a comprehensive card review, it's also a powerful tool for those building a "Chase trifecta" to combine points, all without an annual fee.
Who Should Choose the Iberia Visa Signature®?
The Iberia Visa Signature® Card is primarily designed for U.S.-based travelers who frequently fly with Iberia, British Airways, Aer Lingus, or other Oneworld alliance partners. It's particularly valuable for those looking to accumulate Avios, with the added flexibility of transferring them between partner airline loyalty programs for maximum value. Ultimately, this card suits individuals who can take full advantage of its redemption options, like booking off-peak business class flights to Spain, justifying its $95 annual fee according to this card review.
Alternatives to Consider
If our Chase Freedom Flex® vs. Iberia Visa Signature® comparison has you thinking neither card is the right fit, don't worry. There are plenty of other excellent rewards cards on the market worth considering.
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Tips for Application Success
Before You Apply
- Check your credit score – Most rewards cards require good to excellent credit for approval.
- Plan your spending – Make sure you can meet the welcome offer spending requirement without overspending.
- Know the rules – Be aware of issuer-specific application rules that could affect your eligibility.
Application Strategy
- Review issuer-specific rules – Some banks, like Chase, have strict limits on how many new accounts you can open.
- Time your application – Applying before a large purchase can help you meet the spending requirement organically.
- Be patient with offers – The best welcome offers aren't always available, so it can pay to wait or check different sources.
Our Methodology
We evaluate nearly 3,000 credit cards across the U.S. market — far more than the ~150 cards commonly featured on sites that focus only on products tied to affiliate commissions. Our goal is to provide a comprehensive, unbiased view of the credit card landscape so you can make confident, data-driven decisions.
Our editorial team combines deep industry experience with rigorous verification standards. While our experts surface the most relevant recommendations in our guides, you can also explore the full dataset yourself through our card explorer tool, which includes thousands of cards — more than 95% of which do not provide us with commissions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I transfer points from the Chase Freedom Flex℠ to Iberia?
Yes, but indirectly. To transfer the Chase Ultimate Rewards® points earned with your Freedom Flex℠ card to airline partners like Iberia Plus, you must also hold a premium Chase card such as the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card or Chase Sapphire Reserve®.
Which card is better for international travel?
The Iberia Visa Signature® Card is the superior choice for international travel as it does not charge foreign transaction fees. The Chase Freedom Flex℠, on the other hand, typically charges a fee on all purchases made outside the United States.
Is the Iberia Visa Signature® Card subject to the Chase 5/24 rule?
Yes, as a co-branded Chase credit card, the Iberia Visa Signature® Card is subject to Chase's unstated 5/24 rule. This means your application will likely be denied if you have opened five or more personal credit cards across all banks in the last 24 months.
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Editorial Disclosure: Opinions expressed here are those of Kudos alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included within the post.
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