Lawyers for Terry, who has repeatedly denied wrongdoing, are expected to enter a plea on his behalf before a district judge at London's Westminster Magistrates' Court at 10:00 GMT.
If Terry pleads not guilty, the case is expected to be adjourned until a later date. It is not clear if he will appear in person at what will be a high-profile hearing.
In December, Britain's Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) ordered Terry to be prosecuted for a "racially aggravated public order offence" over comments allegedly made to Ferdinand in an on-field exchange during Chelsea's 1-0 defeat.
Allegations of racial abuse have cast a shadow over the Premier League this season. Liverpool's Luis Suarez was banned for eight matches for racially abusing Manchester United's Patrice Evra during a match in October in a case dealt with by the football authorities.
Terry missed Chelsea's match against Swansea on the eve of the court case with a knee injury and coach Andres Villas-Boas said on Monday he would consider giving Terry time away from his football commitments to clear his name if it was needed.
Until recently, Terry was expected to form England's central defensive partnership with Manchester United's Rio Ferdinand, the older brother of QPR defender Anton.
"I will fight tooth and nail to prove my innocence," Terry said in December after CPS announced plans to prosecute him.
