What credit score is needed to be approved for the Chase Sapphire Preferred card?
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BLUEPRINT
Updated 11:02 a.m. UTC Nov. 14, 2023
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The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is one of the best travel credit cards with its earning power and benefits, but getting approved can be a challenge if you don’t have the right credit score. Before applying, you also need to know other rules that dictate whether or not you’ll be approved. Learn about the Chase Sapphire Preferred credit score requirements, how to increase your score and what to do if your application is declined.
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
What credit score do you need to be approved for the Chase Sapphire Preferred?
When applying for the Chase Sapphire Preferred credit card, you’ll need good to excellent credit. A “good” FICO Score ranges from 670 to 739, a “very good” score is 740 to 799 and an exceptional score is 800 or higher. But note that having a score in this range doesn’t guarantee your application will be approved.
It may still be possible to get approved if your credit score is below 670 on the FICO scale. However, your approval odds for a premium rewards card such as this one drop considerably as your score goes down.
Can you be preapproved for the Chase Sapphire Preferred?
Many people apply for a new credit card based on offers they see, reviews they read or on recommendations from friends. However, Chase may occasionally provide preapproval for the Chase Sapphire Preferred and other cards to potential customers. Chase gathers borrower information from credit bureaus to screen for customers that fit specific criteria. The issuer sends preapproved offers to selected customers through the mail with an invitation code to apply on its website or over the phone.
Chase may offer credit card preapprovals to existing customers who are logged in to their online accounts. Preapproved offers are located in the “Just For You” section of your online profile. To accept a preapproved offer for the Chase Sapphire Preferred (or any other Chase card), click through the link and complete the application.
The Chase preapproval web page is not currently active at the time of writing. This means that you cannot enter your information to see which cards you may be preapproved for.
Looking to get preapproved for a credit card? Here are the best credit cards that offer preapproval or pre-qualification.
Is the Chase Sapphire Preferred subject to Chase’s 5/24 rule?
Chase implemented the “5/24 rule” to limit customers from opening too many credit cards in a short period of time. Welcome bonuses can be very lucrative for customers, yet they can also be a money loser for banks. When a customer “churns” credit cards, or stops using a card soon after earning the bonus and eventually closes it, the customer is unprofitable because of the high upfront costs to the bank.
The unwritten 5/24 rule prohibits customers from being approved for a Chase credit card if they’ve opened five or more new credit cards from any bank in the last 24 months. In some cases, being added as an authorized user or opening a line of credit also counts toward this rule. However, this “rule” isn’t listed on the Chase website or in any of its documentation. Instead, it’s a policy that customers have learned through experience and talking with other customers.
All Chase-branded cards and also co-branded cards issued by the bank are considered to be subject to the 5/24 rule, which includes the Chase Sapphire Preferred. Therefore, if you are over 5/24, you won’t be approved for the Sapphire Preferred card.
How to check your credit score before applying
To get approved for the Chase Sapphire Preferred, you need good-to-excellent credit. According to FICO, this means at least a 670 credit score. If you’re unsure of your credit score, it’s smart to check it before applying for a new credit card to avoid a hard inquiry followed by a rejection.
Here’s how to check your credit score from several resources:
- Free credit scores from credit card issuers. Many banks and credit card issuers offer free credit scores to customers. If your issuer offers this, your score can be found in your online account.
- Purchase your credit score. You can purchase your credit reports and credit scores from all three credit bureaus from MyFICO.com.
- Experian credit score. Experian offers consumers free access to their FICO credit reports and credit score each month.
- Equifax credit score. The Equifax Core Credit program provides consumers with their VantageScore credit score once a month.
- Credit monitoring programs. Numerous online services and mobile apps offer access to credit reports and credit scores each month. Some services charge a monthly fee, while others are free.
What happens if you’re not approved?
There’s no guarantee that you’ll be approved for the Chase Sapphire Preferred card, even if you have excellent credit. If you are not approved, here are some options to consider.
- Call the Chase reconsideration line. Applications are often approved instantly online through a computer algorithm. If yours is not, call Chase to discuss your application. You may be able to provide more information or explain questions about your application that enable the bank to manually approve your application.
- Get a copy of your credit report. By law, the bank must provide written notification of your declined application and state the reasons for its decision. If you’ve been declined for credit, the credit bureau from which the lender pulled your credit report must provide you with a free copy of your report. Request a copy to review it for errors and identify accounts that need your attention.
- Boost your credit score. Take steps to increase your credit score to qualify in the future. Reduce your credit card balances, make all payments on time and minimize new credit inquiries.
- Apply for a different credit card. Although you didn’t get approved for the Chase Sapphire Preferred, you may qualify for other credit cards. The Chase Slate Edge® * The information for the Chase Slate Edge® has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer. offers a lengthy intro APR to help eliminate debt. Getting a new card and using it responsibly can improve your credit score over time. This may help you qualify for other cards in the future. Just be sure to wait a few months before applying for another card as applying for multiple cards in a short period of time can be a red flag to an issuer.
Tips to increase your odds of approval for the Chase Sapphire Preferred
Before applying for the Chase Sapphire Preferred card, you can take steps to increase your approval odds. Follow these steps to have the best chance of getting approved.
Check your Chase 5/24 status
Review your credit reports and count how many new accounts you’ve opened during the last 24 months. If you have five or more new accounts, you won’t be approved for the Chase Sapphire Preferred. In that situation, it is best to wait until you are under 5/24 before applying.
Confirm eligibility
In addition to the 5/24 Rule, Chase has other eligibility requirements for this credit card. You cannot have a Chase Sapphire Preferred or Chase Sapphire Reserve® currently open. Also, to be eligible to earn the Sapphire Preferred’s welcome bonus for new cardholders, you must not have received a welcome bonus from either Sapphire card in the last 48 months.
Boost your income
Although the Chase Sapphire Preferred doesn’t have income requirements, you are more likely to get approved with a higher income. More income provides an additional cushion in your monthly budget to manage debt and pay off charges. Plus, your income often determines the size of your credit limit, so a higher income can provide more spending power.
Reduce your credit card debt
Paying down your credit card debt is one of the quickest ways to boost your credit score. Your utilization ratio is the measure of how much debt you’re carrying versus your credit limit. Generally, your score increases as you reduce your utilization ratio. Ideally, this number should be below 30% on each of your credit cards.
Having a debt repayment strategy can help you meet your goals. Some find that either a debt snowball or debt avalanche plan can help them stay on track.
Pay off small balance accounts
Taking care of small balance accounts reduces your debt-to-income ratio. This is the relationship between your minimum monthly debt payments and your income. Eliminating payments from your monthly expenses frees up extra cash. Having lower expenses makes it easier for bank underwriters to approve credit applications because you have more money each month to repay your debts.
Avoid unnecessary credit inquiries
To help increase your score and approval odds for the Chase Sapphire Preferred, resist applying for other new credit accounts. Each new inquiry can reduce your credit score by up to five points. Additionally, when you apply for too much credit in a short period of time, it looks like you’re in financial trouble.
Open a Chase bank account
Having a bank account builds an ongoing relationship with the bank and illustrates how you manage your money. The bank can see your deposits and payments to get a better understanding of how you manage your cash flow. Chase and other banks often target preapproved offers to existing customers, potentially including the Chase Sapphire Preferred and other credit cards.
Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
It can be challenging to qualify for the Chase Sapphire Preferred card for some applicants. You must have good to excellent credit and meet Chase’s eligibility requirements. If you have good credit or better, are 5/24 rule eligible and don’t have a Chase Sapphire Preferred or Chase Sapphire Reserve currently open, you have strong approval odds.
Chase does not have specific income requirements to get approved for this card. However, all banks compare your income against your debts as part of their application process. With a higher income and lower expenses, you’re more likely to be approved for a larger credit limit.
Yes, the Chase 5/24 rule applies to the Chase Sapphire Preferred. You will not get approved if you’ve opened five or more new credit cards in the last two years.
Additionally, Chase won’t let you earn a welcome bonus with the Sapphire Preferred if you’ve already received a welcome bonus from it or the Chase Sapphire Reserve in the last 48 months.
*The information for the Chase Slate Edge® has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
Blueprint is an independent publisher and comparison service, not an investment advisor. The information provided is for educational purposes only and we encourage you to seek personalized advice from qualified professionals regarding specific financial decisions. Past performance is not indicative of future results.
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