Looking for a $0-annual fee credit card with rewarding bonus spending categories? Look no further than the Chase Freedom Flex℠, a solid Chase travel card for beginners that offers up to 5% in bonus reward categories that change every three months.

But before you apply, consider those rotating categories, how to get the most out of your rewards and the all-important Chase 5/24 rule — which limits the number of personal credit cards you can open within a two-year period. Here are a few things you should know before getting the Chase Freedom Flex℠ credit card.

About the Chase Freedom Flex℠

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This card has a tempting bonus offer for new cardmembers: Earn a $200 Bonus after you spend $500 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening.

Plus, you can earn 5% cash back on up to $1,500 in bonus categories each quarter that you activate those categories, 5% on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards®, 3% on dining and delivery services, 3% on drugstore purchases, and 1% on everything else.

Combine all that with a $0 annual fee and flexible rewards that don’t expire as long as your account is open. It's a solid card for newbies, which introduces them to Chase Ultimate Rewards®.

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What to know before getting the Chase Freedom Flex℠

Not everyone can make the most of this card’s unique benefits. Here are four things you should know before you apply.

1. How to activate bonus categories every quarter

Chase Freedom Flex℠ features a set earning rate in most spending categories. But there are also bonus spending categories that pay up to 5% cash back — if you activate them in time. These categories change every quarter.

The trick is remembering to manually activate bonus categories before the activation deadline and understanding what bonus categories are open at any given time. Fortunately, Chase publishes a cash-back calendar for this card so you can plan some of your spendings to earn more in each quarter.

For example, the 2021 bonus calendar was:

January–March: Wholesale clubs; internet, cable, and phone services; and select streaming services.

April–June: Gas stations and home improvement stores.

July–August: Select streaming services and grocery stores (not including Walmart and Target).

October–December: Purchases made using PayPal at Walmart.

Again, you have to manually activate each bonus category before the deadline to earn the 5% cash back. There are several ways to do so:

Visit www.chase.com/ultimaterewards or chase.com/freedomflex and follow the steps.

Get notified by email and activate with one click. Ensure the email address associated with your online account is up to date.

Use the Chase Mobile app.

Call the number on the back of your card.

Visit any Chase bank and have a personal banker activate for you.

If you're a Chase checking customer, use an ATM and activate it while making a cash withdrawal.

Some might consider this an annoying extra step, but it's worth it to earn more cash back.