Is Chase Freedom Flex good for online shopping?

The Chase Freedom Flex foreign transaction fee is 3% of each transaction in U.S. dollars. This means that every Chase Freedom Flex purchase made with a foreign merchant will have this extra surcharge added to the total cost. The foreign transaction fee applies to both in-person and online purchases. Because of this fee, Chase Freedom Flex isn’t an ideal card to use abroad.… read full answer

Other Chase Freedom Flex Fees to Keep in Mind

In addition to the 3% of each transaction in U.S. dollars foreign transaction fee, Chase Freedom Flex has a few other fees that are worth mentioning. The balance transfer fee is either $5 or 3% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater in the first 60 days (5%, min $5 after). The cash advance fee is: Either $10 or 5% of the amount of each transaction, whichever is greater. On the bright side, the card has a $0 annual fee.

If you’re looking for a good Chase card to use while traveling abroad, you might consider Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, the Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card or the Chase Sapphire Reserve®. Ultimately, you can check our editors’ latest picks for the best no foreign transaction fee credit cards on the market to weigh your options.

You can activate your Chase Freedom Flex credit card either by logging in to the Chase’s verification page, or by calling customer service at (800) 432-3117.

Apart from activating your Chase Freedom Flex for use, this card requires you to activate new bonus rewards categories, every three months, in order to earn 5% cash back on those purchases. If you don’t, you’ll only earn 1% cash back. To sign up for the latest categories, go to the Chase Freedom Flex … read full answeractivate 5% cash back page. Enter your last name, the last 4 digits of the card, and your zip code. Click the green “Activate your 5%” button and you’ll be all set.

Here’s how to activate Chase Freedom Flex:

1. Create a Chase.com account. You’ll need to provide your SSN or tax ID number, your account or application number, and the email you used for your application.
2. Go to the Chase Freedom Flex activate card page.
3. Log in to your Chase.com account.
4. Verify that you received your card when Chase prompts you.

After you activate Chase Freedom Flex, you can use it right away. The steps to activate Chase Freedom Flex are the same as activating any other Chase credit card.

Ultimately, Chase says they require quarterly Chase Freedom Flex bonus categories activation to make sure cardholders always know what the latest 5% categories are. But that’s probably only part of it. Either way, activation only takes a minute.

The Chase Freedom Flex credit limit is $500 or more. Everyone who gets approved for Chase Freedom Flex is guaranteed a credit limit of at least $500, and especially creditworthy cardholders could get limits a lot higher than that. There are reports of some customers getting a Chase Freedom Flex credit limit of over $18,000. The higher an applicant’s credit score and income are, the higher their starting credit limit is likely to be.… read full answer

Here’s what you need to know about the Chase Freedom Flex credit limit:

The Chase Freedom Flex credit limit that you start off with isn’t necessarily your limit forever. Chase will routinely evaluate your account to decide whether you deserve a credit limit increase. They will do a harmless soft pull of your credit, and if you meet their standards, they will offer you an increase. Always paying on time and keeping your credit utilization low are key.

You can also ask for a Chase Freedom Flex credit limit increase online or by calling the number on the back of your card. If you ask for an increase, Chase may ask permission to do a hard pull of your credit, which will temporarily lower your credit score. It’s best to only ask for an increase if you’ve paid on time for the last 6 consecutive months and your credit has improved.