The Ultimate Guide to Credit Cards
Tuesday, March 19, 2024

Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card: Credit Score Needed + 3 Approval Factors (March 2024)

Chase Sapphire Preferred Credit Score
Ashley Fricker

Written by: Ashley Fricker

Ashley Fricker
Ashley Fricker

Ashley Fricker has more than a decade of experience as a finance contributor and editor, and has specialized in the credit card industry since 2015. Her credit card commentary is featured on national media outlets that include CNBC, MarketWatch, Investopedia, and Reader's Digest, among many others. She has worked closely with the world’s largest banks and financial institutions, up-and-coming fintech companies, and press and news outlets to curate comprehensive content and media. Ashley holds a bachelor's degree in multimedia journalism from Florida Atlantic University.

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Edited by: Lillian Guevara-Castro

Lillian Guevara-Castro
Lillian Guevara-Castro

Lillian Guevara-Castro brings more than 30 years of editing and journalism experience to the CardRates team. She has written and edited for major news organizations, including The Atlanta Journal-Constitution and the New York Times, and she previously served as an adjunct journalism instructor at the University of Florida. Today, Lillian edits all CardRates content for clarity, accuracy, and reader engagement.

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Advertiser Disclosure

The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is one of the consistently highest-rated travel rewards cards on the market. Between its generous signup offer and market-leading rewards rates – not to mention its sleek metal design – it’s no wonder the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card reigns supreme among those looking to maximize both value and rewards flexibility.

So, what does it take to get the Chase Sapphire Preferred®? Credit score is a major consideration — a good-to-excellent credit score is generally required. Based on hundreds of user reviews, we’ve broken down some of the factors Chase looks at when deciding who’ll be approved for one of its most popular offers. We also look at how to apply for the card and explore some other solid choices should you not be approved for the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card.

3 Approval Factors | Apply | Alternate Offers | Reconsideration Line

Average Credit Score for Approval: 741

An average credit score of 741 sits nicely in the “excellent” credit score range (720+), but don’t be discouraged – users with much lower credit scores say they’ve also been approved. MileCards.com reports that users with scores as low as 668 have been approved, and this Credit Karma reviewer says he was not only approved, but given a very high credit limit, despite his limited credit history:

“Apprehensive, but applied after being prequalified on their website. 703 TU (TransUnion) 693 EF (Equifax) on Credit Karma. I only have eight months of credit card history – Capital One QuicksilverOne Cash Rewards Credit Cardd with a credit line of $1,500. I was instantly approved for a $21K credit line.” — Credit Karma Review

Credit Karma also provides a chart of its members’ credit scores who carry the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card. As you can see, the majority have a score above 750.

Credit Karma Graph

This graph shows the credit scores of Credit Karma members who carry the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card.

For the 6% of cardholders below 600 – and perhaps even the 11% below 650 – it’s likely their scores took a hit sometime after having already been approved for the card. Late payments and high credit utilization can cause a credit score to plummet, as they’re the most heavily weighted factors used to determine one’s credit score.

3 Things Chase May Take into Consideration When Applying

After scouring the web for reviews and learning everything we could about this particular card’s qualifying criteria, here are three commonly reported factors Chase takes into consideration when determining approval:

1. Equifax Credit Report

While you have three main credit reports — one each from the three major reporting bureaus, Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion — most creditors won’t check all three reports, instead pulling just one or two reports. According to many reviewers, Chase seems to favor Equifax credit reports, though the exact report (or reports) the bank checks can vary based on a number of factors, including your state or region.

Why does the specific bureau matter? Because your three reports could each hold information the other two lack, and your credit scores can vary based on the credit report data used. Of course, this isn’t a rule and you can ask each lender exactly which report they look at, but if you have a charge-off or any other such derogatory mark on your Equifax report, it could pose a problem when applying for this particular card.

2. Total Open Credit Cards

This factor has little to do with your creditworthiness, and a lot to do with whether Chase thinks you may be a credit card churner. Basically, many Chase credit cards, including this one, are subject to what’s known as the 5/24 Rule, which means you won’t be approved for a Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card if you’ve opened five or more credit card accounts within the last 24 months.

“I have three cards from Chase: Freedom, Amazon, Southwest, with a total credit of $37,500. I pay off the balances every month, and my CK score is 790+. With some upcoming dental work and insurance expenses totaling about $5,000, I applied for the Chase Sapphire card to take advantage of the signup bonus. Received a letter from Chase turning me down because I have too many cards (10) opened during the last 2 years.” – Credit Karma Review

So, even if you’re otherwise perfectly qualified for this card — or any other solely Chase-branded credit card — you’ll be automatically rejected if you’ve opened too many credit cards in the recent past, regardless of issuer. In some cases, having a business card or simply being an authorized user on a credit card account can count toward the five-card limit.

3. Credit Utilization

Your credit utilization is the balance you carry on your credit cards. This number should never exceed 30% of your available credit. For example, a credit card with a $1,000 limit should not keep a balance of over $300. People have reported being denied for having a high balance on other cards, but then being approved after paying the debt down.

“My scores got knocked back because a high utilization was reported one month. I got my only card, my Capital One QuicksilverOne Cash Rewards Credit Card ($6,500 CL) to a zero balance and waited for a few days for the zero balance to post to the bureaus. Saw a major bump in scores (35+ points in each) when the utilization ding cleared. Applied with 799 Transunion, 759 Equifax Credit Karma scores. Instantly approved as soon as I hit the apply button with a $12,000 limit. I’ll never carry a balance there, but it’s nice to know that I can now purchase a pair of international business class tickets in one transaction.” — Credit Karma Review

Along with always making your payments on time, keeping your credit utilization low is one of the best things you can do to maintain a good credit score.

Ready to Apply?

Now that you have an idea of what Chase may look for when reviewing a Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card applicant, you can apply below by clicking the green button. The only way to truly know if you’ll be approved is to apply!

AIR MILES RATING

0.0

OVERALL RATING

  • Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $750 when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards®.
  • Enjoy benefits such as 5x on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards®, 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries, 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases, and $50 annual Ultimate Rewards Hotel Credit, plus more.
  • Get 25% more value when you redeem for airfare, hotels, car rentals and cruises through Chase Ultimate Rewards®. For example, 60,000 points are worth $750 toward travel.
  • Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Lost Luggage Insurance and more.
  • 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, 2024.
  • Member FDIC
Intro (Purchases)
Intro (Transfers)
Regular APR
Annual Fee
Credit Needed
N/A
N/A
21.49%-28.49% Variable
$95
Good/Excellent

+See more offers from Chase

What if I Didn’t Get Approved?

While it may be true that the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is one of the more difficult cards to be approved for, that doesn’t mean there aren’t other great offers available to you. While this card is popular for its travel and cash-back rewards, we’ve evaluated three comparable offers for you to consider.

AIR MILES RATING

★★★★★
4.8

OVERALL RATING

  • Enjoy a one-time bonus of 75,000 miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel
  • Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, every day
  • Earn 5X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, where you'll get Capital One's best prices on thousands of trip options
  • Miles won't expire for the life of the account and there's no limit to how many you can earn
  • Receive up to a $100 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®
  • Use your miles to get reimbursed for any travel purchase—or redeem by booking a trip through Capital One Travel
Intro (Purchases)
Intro (Transfers)
Regular APR
Annual Fee
Credit Needed
N/A
N/A
19.99% - 29.99% (Variable)
$95
Excellent, Good
Discover it® Miles Review

at Discover Card'ssecure website

AIR MILES RATING

★★★★★
4.9

OVERALL RATING

  • UNLIMITED BONUS: Unlimited Mile-for-Mile match for all new cardmembers - only from Discover. Discover gives you an unlimited match of all the Miles you’ve earned at the end of your first year. For example, if you earn 35,000 Miles, you get 70,000 Miles. There’s no signing up, no minimum spending or maximum rewards. Just a Miles-for-Miles match.
  • Automatically earn unlimited 1.5x Miles on every dollar of every purchase
  • No annual fee
  • Turn Miles into cash. Or redeem as a statement credit for your travel purchases like airfare, hotels, rideshares, gas stations, restaurants and more.
  • 0% intro APR for 15 months on purchases. Then 17.24% - 28.24% Standard Variable Purchase APR will apply.
  • Discover could help you reduce exposure of your personal information online by helping you remove it from select people-search sites that could sell your data. It’s free, activate with the mobile app.
  • Discover is accepted nationwide by 99% of the places that take credit cards.
  • Terms and conditions apply.
Intro (Purchases)
Intro (Transfers)
Regular APR
Annual Fee
Credit Needed
0% Intro APR for 15 months
0% Intro APR for 15 months
17.24% - 28.24% Variable APR
$0
Excellent/Good
Discover it® Cash Back Review

at Discover Card'ssecure website

CASH BACK RATING

★★★★★
4.9

OVERALL RATING

  • INTRO OFFER: Unlimited Cashback Match for all new cardmembers – only from Discover. Discover will automatically match all the cash back you’ve earned at the end of your first year! There’s no minimum spending or maximum rewards. You could turn $150 cash back into $300.
  • Earn 5% cash back on everyday purchases at different places you shop each quarter like grocery stores, restaurants, gas stations, and more, up to the quarterly maximum when you activate. Plus, earn unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases—automatically.
  • Redeem your rewards for cash at any time.
  • Discover could help you reduce exposure of your personal information online by helping you remove it from select people-search sites that could sell your data. It’s free, activate with the mobile app.
  • Get a 0% intro APR for 15 months on purchases. Then 17.24% to 28.24% Standard Variable Purchase APR applies, based on credit worthiness.
  • No annual fee.
  • Terms and conditions apply.
Intro (Purchases)
Intro (Transfers)
Regular APR
Annual Fee
Credit Needed
0% Intro APR for 15 months
0% Intro APR for 15 months
17.24% - 28.24% Variable APR
$0
Excellent/Good

What’s especially nice about these cards is that there’s no annual fee, something Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card cardholders don’t have the luxury of. Additionally, ValuePenguin says that if you don’t spend at least $10,000 annually on the card, it’s likely not worth it, making the above offers even more attractive.

If All Else Fails, Call the Reconsideration Line

Chase offers applicants a reconsideration hotline in the event an application is denied, and many have reported success by calling:

888-245-0625

Representatives are available to assist you at this number between the hours of 7 a.m. — 10 p.m. EST Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. – 10 p.m. EST Saturday, and 9 a.m. – 9 p.m. Sunday.

Note: The reconsideration number is not the same for business accounts, in which case you’ll need to call: 800-453-9719

“I applied for the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card card about 7 days ago and got a rejection letter today. It said, “Too many requests for credit or opened accounts with us.” I’ve had 5 hard pulls since Jan. 1st & only have one Chase card currently. So I called the Chase reconsideration line a few minutes ago. The rep asked me the amount of my mortgage payment, put me on hold for 2 minutes, and approved me. My FICO is about 750 & I’ve had a long history with Chase so I expected them to approve me.” – Flyertalk.com Review

When calling to have an application reconsidered, have your financial information in order (income, debts, credit score, etc.), do so in a timely manner (within one month of applying), and be polite! The person on the other end of the phone didn’t personally deny your application, so don’t take your frustrations out on them – a little kindness can go a long way in these situations, and you may soon have the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card in your credit card repertoire.

Advertiser Disclosure

CardRates.com is a free online resource that offers valuable content and comparison services to users. To keep this resource 100% free, we receive compensation for referrals for many of the offers listed on the site. Along with key review factors, this compensation may impact how and where products appear across CardRates.com (including, for example, the order in which they appear). CardRates.com does not include the entire universe of available offers. Editorial opinions expressed on the site are strictly our own and are not provided, endorsed, or approved by advertisers.