Mixed incomplete character sums of rational functions with smooth moduli

Let $χ=χ_q$ be a primitive character mod $q$ and fix $Δ>0$. In 1989 Graham and Ringrose gave strong bounds on character sums $\sum_{M<n\leq M+N} χ(n)$ in intervals of length $N=q^Δ$ whenever $q$ is squarefree and is sufficiently smooth. Here we show that the smoothness parameter can be taken to be $N^{1-ε}$. We also discuss various generalizations and applications, obtaining best possible results in several aspects.