FPL chips explained: wildcard, free hit, bench boost, triple captain

FPL managers get eight chips across the 2026/27 season: a Wildcard, Free Hit, Triple Captain and Bench Boost, in two sets of four, one set for each half of the season. The first set must be used before the Gameweek 19 deadline on Saturday 2 January 2027 at 13:30 GMT, and unused chips in that set cannot be carried over. You can play only one chip per Gameweek, so the strategy is not when to use a chip but which one to sacrifice when the fixture list gets awkward.

The four chips and what each does

Chip	What it does	When it matters most
Wildcard	All transfers become free for the Gameweek, including ones already made	Reshaping your squad around fixture swings, injuries or a plan that did not survive contact
Free Hit	Unlimited free transfers for one Gameweek; your squad reverts after the deadline	Blank or double Gameweeks, where one week is wildly different from the next
Triple Captain	Your captain's points are tripled instead of doubled for the Gameweek	A captain with a plum fixture, normally against a side that leaks goals
Bench Boost	The points of your four bench players are added to your Gameweek total	A double Gameweek where all 15 players have two fixtures

The Wildcard is the only chip that changes your squad permanently. The Free Hit is the opposite: you get a one-week team built for a single round of fixtures, and once the deadline passes, your squad reverts exactly to what it was. The Triple Captain does what it says, multiplying your captain's score by three rather than the usual two. Bench Boost is the only chip that touches your substitutes, adding their points to your total for that Gameweek instead of leaving them stranded.

Two sets per season: the 2026/27 structure

The big structural change, confirmed by the Premier League, is that chips come in two sets of four rather than one set for the whole campaign. You get a Wildcard, Free Hit, Triple Captain and Bench Boost for the first half of the season, and a fresh set of all four for the second half.

The first set expires at the Gameweek 19 deadline, 13:30 GMT on Saturday 2 January 2027. Unused first-half chips do not roll over, so holding a Bench Boost into late December is holding a ticket that is about to be voided. A second set of all four becomes available from Gameweek 20, which is why the second half of the season tends to see a cluster of chips played in the same few Gameweeks.

One hard rule: you cannot play more than one chip in a single Gameweek. That means you cannot stack Triple Captain with Bench Boost on the same double Gameweek, and it is the reason so many managers plan chip usage in January the way they plan transfers in August.

When each chip actually earns its keep

The Free Hit is the most misplayed chip in FPL. It is built for blank and double Gameweeks, the rounds where fixtures are rearranged and one week looks nothing like the rest of the season. Blowing it on a normal Gameweek to chase a single fixture means it is gone when the blank and double Gameweeks actually arrive.

The Triple Captain is a variance play. Your captain scores double as standard; the chip only adds a third copy of his points, so it is worth the most when the captain has two fixtures in one Gameweek or a fixture against a defence that gives up chances. A single plumb home fixture can justify it, but a double Gameweek is the textbook trigger.

The Wildcard is about resetting your structure. If your team is built around three premium players who all hit a blank at once, or a run of fixtures turns four of your squad into dead weight, the chip lets you fix the whole thing in one move instead of bleeding 4-point hits for a month.

The Bench Boost is a squad-depth play. It pays when all 15 of your players have fixtures, which is why double Gameweeks are its natural home, and it is the only chip where the fourth-choice defender on your bench can outscore your captain.

Common chip mistakes

The most expensive error is treating chips as rewards for good play rather than tools for bad fixture runs. A Wildcard played early because you are bored of your team is a Wildcard you will wish you had in March.

The second mistake is letting first-half chips expire. The 2 January deadline is the hard stop, and managers who hold their first-half Bench Boost and Triple Captain into January lose them outright. Use them or lose them is not a threat here, it is the rule.

The third is stacking. One chip per Gameweek, maximum. The Free Hit does not combine with the Wildcard, and the Triple Captain does not combine with the Bench Boost. Planning your chip weeks is planning around that constraint.

Chips and the rules around them

Chips sit on top of the ordinary FPL rules, so they interact with everything else in the game. The captain doubles your score as standard, which the Triple Captain then triples. Transfers beyond your free allowance cost 4 points, which is exactly what the Wildcard and Free Hit let you dodge. Defensive contribution points, unchanged for 2026/27, pay 2 points for 10 CBIT (defenders) or 12 CBIRT (midfielders and forwards), capped at 2 per match, so chip weeks on defensive-heavy squads have a floor the attacking chips cannot reach.

For the points behind all of it, read our guide to FPL scoring. If you are deciding whether a price rise is worth chasing before a chip week, our FPL price changes guide covers how squad value moves, and our bonus points guide explains the 3-2-1 that lands after every match. You can track fixture difficulty and live scores on our FPL hub.

FAQ

How many chips do you get in FPL? Eight in total: a Wildcard, Free Hit, Triple Captain and Bench Boost, in two sets of four. You get one set for the first half of the season and a fresh set for the second half.

When does the first set of FPL chips expire? The first set must be used before the Gameweek 19 deadline, 13:30 GMT on Saturday 2 January 2027. Unused first-half chips cannot be carried over.

Can you use two chips in the same Gameweek? No. You can play a maximum of one chip per Gameweek, so you cannot combine the Triple Captain with the Bench Boost on the same double Gameweek.

What is the difference between a Wildcard and a Free Hit? The Wildcard changes your squad permanently with all transfers free. The Free Hit gives you unlimited transfers for one Gameweek only, and your squad reverts to what it was after that deadline.

Key takeaways

• You get eight chips in 2026/27: Wildcard, Free Hit, Triple Captain and Bench Boost, in two sets of four, one set per half of the season.
• The first set expires at the Gameweek 19 deadline, 13:30 GMT on Saturday 2 January 2027, and cannot be carried over.
• One chip per Gameweek maximum, so chip weeks are planned around double and blank Gameweeks, not played on a whim.
• The Wildcard is the only chip that changes your squad permanently; the Free Hit reverts after one Gameweek.
• Letting a first-half chip expire is the most common self-inflicted wound in the game, and the 2 January deadline is the hard stop.