What Credit Score Do You Need To Get The Chase Sapphire Reserve Card? (2024)

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The card carries a high $550 annual fee, but those who routinely use the card in the bonus categories and can make the most of the benefits will get their money’s worth and then some. Here’s some of the main attributes of the card:

• Welcome bonus: 60,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening
• Up to $300 annual travel statement credit toward travel expenses charged to your card
• Earn 5 points per dollar on flights and 10 points per dollar on hotels and car rentals when purchasing travel through Chase Travel℠ immediately after the first $300 is spent on travel purchases annually. Earn 3 points per dollar on other travel and dining and 1 point per dollar spent on all other purchases
• 50% more value when you redeem points for travel through the Chase Travel portal and on eligible Pay Yourself Back purchases
• No foreign transaction fees
• Travel and shopping protections and insurances including trip cancellation and interruption coverage, primary auto rental insurance, lost luggage reimbursem*nt and extended warranties and purchase protections on eligible items

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Chase Sapphire Reserve®

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Is The Chase Sapphire Reserve® Worth It?

4.9

Forbes Advisor created additional star ratings so that you can see the best card for specific needs. This card shines for this use, but overall the star ratings may differ when compared to other cards.

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Up to 10x Reward Rate

Earn 5x total points on flights and 10x total points on hotels and car rentals when you purchase travel throughRead More

Welcome Bonus

60,000 bonus points

Annual Fee

$550

Regular APR

22.49%-29.49% Variable

Credit Score

Excellent(750 - 850)

Editorial Review

This card offers superior points earning rates if you spend frequently on travel and dining out. The $300 travel credit justifies much of the annual fee, and redeeming points for travel through Chase Travel℠ nets you a 50% bonus.

Pros & Cons

• $300 annual travel credit is incredibly flexible
• Generous welcome bonus
• Get 50% more value when you redeem points for travel through Chase Travel℠
• Points transfer to valuable airline and hotel partners

• High annual fee
• Additional fee for each authorized user
• Excellent credit recommended

Card Details

• Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That’s $900 toward travel when you redeem through Chase Travel℠.
• $300 Annual Travel Credit as reimbursem*nt for travel purchases charged to your card each account anniversary year.
• Earn 5x total points on flights and 10x total points on hotels and car rentals when you purchase travel through Chase Travel℠ immediately after the first $300 is spent on travel purchases annually. Earn 3x points on other travel and dining & 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases
• Get 50% more value when you redeem your points for travel through Chase Travel℠. For example, 60,000 points are worth $900 toward travel.
• Get complimentary access to DashPass which unlocks $0 delivery fees and lower service fees for a minimum of one year when you activate by December 31, 2027.
• 1:1 point transfer to leading airline and hotel loyalty programs
• Access to 1,300+ airport lounges worldwide after an easy, one-time enrollment in Priority Pass™ Select and up to $100 application fee credit every four years for Global Entry, NEXUS, or TSA PreCheck®
• Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Lost Luggage Insurance and more.
• Member FDIC

Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $900 toward travel when you redeem through Chase Travel℠.

Credit Score ranges are based on FICO® credit scoring. This is just one scoring method and a credit card issuer may use another method when considering your application. These are provided as guidelines only and approval is not guaranteed.

If you don’t already know where you stand with your credit, you should check your credit score to see if it makes sense for you to apply for the Chase Sapphire Reserve®. There are a few ways you can find out what your credit score is:

1. Use a free scoring website: Go to a website that offers complimentary basic credit score information. With these, you’ll typically receive access to your score, credit report and/or some basic credit monitoring. By law, you are entitled to a free credit report once annually from each of the three major credit bureaus via annualcreditreport.com, but this report will not include a score.
2. Get a free score from your credit card provider: Some issuers offer you the ability to check your credit score for free. This usually includes access to see both your score history and review what led to recent changes.
3. Use a nonprofit credit counselor: A reputable credit counseling service is free and will work with you to find solutions to help pay down your debt. Visit the National Foundation for Credit Counseling to connect with a reputable service provider.

Related: Chase Trifecta

Most lenders, including credit card issuers, use a FICO Score, which analyzes the information on your credit report. Using this information it predicts the risk of you paying a bill 90 days late or more within the next 24 months.

FICO scoring models usually issue scores on a scale of 300 to 850. If your score falls on the higher end of that range, you have a good credit score. The higher the score, the less risky you appear to potential lenders. The lower the score the bigger chance there is of you defaulting on your loan and the less likely you are to get approved for a premium credit card, like the Chase Sapphire Reserve®.

The factors that determine your FICO score will fall into one of these five categories:

• Payment History: 35%
• Amounts Owed: 30%
• Length of Credit History: 15%
• New Credit: 10%
• Credit Mix: 10%

What Is a Good Credit Score for Chase?

Chase, like most banks, hasn’t officially stated what its threshold is between good credit and just fair credit. Generally, most lenders consider a FICO score of 670 and higher to be a good score, but know that other factors, including the amount of debt you’re currently carrying, will factor into a lender’s decision whether or not to approve you for a particular card.

What Is An Excellent Credit Score for Chase?

Just like with a good credit score, most banks won’t tell you an exact threshold where credit is considered to be excellent instead of just good. In general, lenders are likely to consider a FICO score between 740 and 799 to be very good and anything from 800 to 850 to be excellent.

If you’re actively trying to increase your chances of being approved for a premium rewards card, here are some steps you can take:

• Pay off any outstanding debts: If you have any late or delinquent accounts that will affect your credit standing and decrease the odds of you getting approved for a new card.
• Aim to decrease your credit utilization: Ideally, you’d use 30% or less of your available credit across all credit cards and on each individual account.
• Be patient: If your score isn’t currently in the good or better range, know that it takes time to build up a solid credit history. It may pay to wait a few months until your score improves before applying.

Chase has an unofficial rule when it comes to credit card applications, known as the 5/24 rule. The 5/24 rule means that if you have been approved five or more personal credit cards in the last 24 months, you will automatically be denied for any Chase credit card products. It’s thought that Chase has this in place to prevent consumers from applying to credit cards solely for the welcome bonus and closing the account before the annual fee comes due, (a process known as churning).

If you’ve applied for and received more than five personal credit cards in the last 24 months, you will likely not be approved for the Chase Sapphire Reserve® card.

There are a number of possible reasons your application for the Sapphire Reserve, or any card, may be denied. Too much debt compared to available credit could be one reason: If an issuer sees you nearly maxed out on your other cards, it could signal an issue making payments. And if you’ve applied for too many cards within a short period of time, that’s generally considered a red flag.

By law, an issuer must supply you with the reason(s) you were turned down in an adverse action letter. This information can be sent to you in an email, over the phone or in writing, although most issuers will send it in a letter. Applicants can use this information to petition for reconsideration. Reconsideration occurs when you contact the issuer and ask them to reconsider your application. There’s no harm in doing so and it may result in your application being approved.

Here are a few ways you can work to improve your credit score:

• Pay your bills on time, every time: On-time payment history is the biggest contributing factor in determining your score, accounting for 35% of your total FICO Score.
• Make sure your credit reports are correct: Reviewing your credit report gives you a chance to catch and take steps to correct any mistakes that may be adversely affecting your credit score.
• Reduce your credit utilization. Also known as your debt-to-credit ratio, credit utilization is the ratio of your overall outstanding balances to your overall credit card limit and accounts for 30% of your score. If you’re using up too much of your existing available credit, lenders may find it too risky to give you yet another line of credit.
• Don’t apply for too many new lines of credit. Applying for a number of cards in a short period of time may signal to lenders that either you’re in financial trouble or you’re looking to churn their cards.

A premium card like the Chase Sapphire Reserve® is generally aimed at borrowers with established credit and a very good credit score. Although there’s no official score required to apply, it’s unlikely that someone who is new to credit, has a so-so credit score or has applied for more than five cards in the past 24 months would be approved.

If you don’t think you’ll qualify for the card with your current credit standing, work on improving your credit profile and try again down the line. Choosing the right card to help you with that goal is a good first step.