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In a recent Spending Smart newspaper column about rewards credit cards, I mentioned in passing that the Chase Freedom Visa Signature card was a decent rewards card. I got several reader e-mails about that brief mention; some critical of the card, some supportive.

In the column, I said a good card for big spenders is the American Express Blue Cash.

For smaller spenders, there’s no clear winner, but the Chase Freedom card was worth considering. The Chase Freedom Visa Signature card gives 3 percent back on the three categories where you spend the most money each month and 1 percent on everything else. It’s also a good back-up card to the Amex card, which isn’t accepted everywhere.

Here are three main points from those reader e-mails:

1. Some potentially big purchases don’t fall into Chase’s categories. This is true. For example, travel and regular-restaurant charges don’t qualify for the additional 2 percent because they don’t fall into Chase’s 15 categories. (Fast food is a category.) But categories do include such common retailers as supermarkets (minus warehouse clubs), gas stations, department stores, phone companies, cable-TV companies and utilities.
2. There’s a cap on bonus rewards. Also true. The most bonus money you can earn each month is $12, which represents $600 in spending. You earn 1 percent on everything else.
3. You can get a free $50. This is true. If you’re patient enough to wait until you accumulate $200 in rewards before cashing out, Chase gives you a bonus $50.

In the end, these details don’t change my opinion about the card. It might not be the absolute best one for you, but it’s a good one. If you charge a lot, like more than $2,000 a month, the Amex card might give you a bigger annual payout.

Of course, I am bound to mention the general danger of getting into credit card debt. And that if you carry a balance and pay interest, forget about rewards cards. Get the lowest-rate card you can find. For card comparisons, see one of the many Web sites, such as CardRatings.com.