Chase Freedom Flex Bonus Rises to $250, Up From $200

The terms, quickly:

• $250 back after $500 spend in the first 3 months
• $0 annual fee
• 0% intro APR for 15 months on purchases and balance transfers (a balance transfer fee applies), then a variable APR, currently 18.49% to 27.99%
• No foreign transaction fees

It is a limited time offer, and Chase has not said how long it will run.

You qualify only if you do not currently have the card and have not earned a new cardmember bonus on it in the past 24 months.

Here is what the headline leaves out. The Freedom Flex earns Chase Ultimate Rewards, and its 5% rotating quarterly categories (on up to $1,500 in combined spend each quarter you activate) plus 5% on travel purchased through Chase Travel are where it earns its keep. If you also hold a Chase card that transfers to travel partners, meaning the Sapphire Preferred, Sapphire Reserve, or Ink Business Preferred, you can combine the Flex rewards with rewards on that card, then transfer the points to Chase travel partners. On its own it is a clean $250. Paired, it is a quiet feeder into award travel.

If the Flex already fits your everyday spending, this adds $50 to its usual bonus without raising the $500 requirement.