Holders of the original Chase Freedom can once again product change into the Chase Freedom Flex. Doctor of Credit reported on September 22, 2026 that the switch is going through again after Chase stopped permitting it last year.
The obstacle was the card network, not the product. The original Freedom is a Visa and the Freedom Flex is a Mastercard, and Chase had suspended product changes that cross from one network to the other. Cardholders now report that phone representatives are completing the change, which issues a new account number because the card switches networks.
Why it matters now
The reopened path lands days after Chase refreshed the Freedom Flex. The refreshed card earns 3% on dining and at drugstores on top of the rotating 5% categories, so during the fourth quarter of 2026, when dining is a rotating category, Flex holders reach 7% on restaurants. The original Freedom earns the rotating 5% but has no standing dining or drugstore rate, and it has not been open to new applicants for years.
What it does not cover
Sapphire cardholders still cannot move directly to the Freedom Flex, because the Sapphire Preferred and Sapphire Reserve are also Visas. The usual route is a product change to the original Freedom first, then a second change to the Flex.
Chase has not published any announcement about the policy, so availability may depend on the representative. Some cardholders also report that the original Freedom now shows no foreign transaction fee, matching the refreshed Flex, but Chase has not updated that card's terms and the reports remain unconfirmed.