What Credit Score Do You Need to Get the Chase Sapphire Preferred?

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The Chase Sapphire Preferred® card has become the go-to travel rewards card for many and it’s easy to understand why. As a stepping stone into the travel rewards world, the card offers many perks that appeal to those who want to earn points for travel: a substantial welcome bonus, generous spending category bonuses and travel perks galore.

While tons of people have the Sapphire Preferred in their wallets, Chase has standards around who qualifies for a card. If you have your eye on this card, you might be wondering what credit score you need for approval. We have the answer to that and the details you need to know about the Chase Sapphire Preferred.

Chase Sapphire Preferred®

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• Our Rating 5/5 How our ratings work Read the review
• APR21.49% - 28.49% (Variable)
• Annual Fee$95
• Sign Up Bonus 60,000Chase Ultimate Rewards Points More Info

  Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. Dollar Equivalent: $1,380 (60,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards Points * 0.023 base)

The Chase Sapphire Preferred Card is one of the gold standards for earning travel rewards. It has a generous sign-up bonus and you can earn points on travel and dining expenses. The card does have an annual fee, but you can continue earning points through bonus categories and an anniversary points boost.

• Overview
• Pros & Cons

Overview

The Chase Sapphire Preferred is pretty flexible as it lets you transfer rewards points into miles or points several airlines and hotel programs. You can take advantage of strong transfer partners such as United, Southwest, Singapore Airlines, Virgin Atlantic and Hyatt. Similarly, you can book any reservation you want through the Chase Travel℠ portal. Although the card might not be ideal for the most frequent travelers, it has a built-in upgrade path, so when it’s time to level up your travel rewards game, you won’t have to start from scratch.

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Pros

• Points are easily transferable to airlines and hotel partners
• Accelerated earnings on dining, travel & household purchases
• Excellent travel and purchase protections
• No foreign transaction fees

Cons

• Not ideal for the highest spenders
• $95 annual fee

The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is one of the gold standards for earning travel rewards. This travel credit card helps users earn points quickly with accelerated rewards in everyday spending categories like travel and dining.

Cardholders enjoy perks like a $50 Annual Chase Travel Hotel Credit, 10% anniversary point boost and access to the Chase Travel℠ portal.

New cardmembers can earn 60,000 bonus points after using their credit card to spend $4,000 within three months of account opening. This bonus is worth $750 in travel reservations booked through Chase Travel℠, but potentially more when transferred to airline and hotel partners. Read our full review of the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card.

The card also provides insurance for your purchases and travel bookings in case of a loss. If you can’t travel due to illness or you lose an item you purchased with the card, Chase will reimburse you up to the full value. Not having to pay extra for benefits like these is a huge plus. 

What Score Do You Need for the Chase Sapphire Preferred?

Chase doesn’t publicly disclose credit score requirements for the Sapphire Preferred. However, reports indicate you need “good” credit, which is typically at least 670. Chase primarily pulls credit from Experian, though depending on your state they might pull from other bureaus.

It’s worth noting that Chase considers a variety of other factors when evaluating your application. Your relationship with Chase and the number of cards you’ve opened can effect whether you get approved. 

Rules That Impact Approval for a Sapphire Preferred Card

Chase has several credit card application rules that affect approval for a Sapphire Preferred card. The most well-known is the Chase 5/24 rule. If you’ve opened five or more accounts at any bank in the last 24 months, Chase won’t approve you for a new card. 

Chase also limits the number of times you can receive the welcome bonus on a specific card. If you’ve had a Sapphire Preferred or Chase Sapphire Reserve® in the past 48 months, you won’t be eligible for another one. So if you’ve had the card in the past, you’ll want to wait 48 months between applications. You can find your open date on your credit report, which you can get free through TransUnion.

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What to Do if Your Application Is Rejected

If you’re not approved for a Sapphire Preferred, you’ll get a letter citing the reason. Depending on what it is, you can try to appeal the decision. You can appeal a rejection within 30 days of submitting your application. It’s worth exploring since you don’t want to let a credit inquiry go to waste.

Here’s a look at common reasons you might be rejected for a Sapphire Preferred and what you can do about it: 

• Limited credit history: If you don't have a lot of credit history, try asking for a card with a lower credit score requirement, such as the Chase Freedom Unlimited® or Chase Freedom Flex℠. These cards earn cash back instead of points but come with decent welcome bonuses and can help you establish a relationship with Chase. After a year of steady card use and on-time payments, you might qualify for the Sapphire Preferred.
• Credit limit concerns: Chase has a base limit of $5,000 for the Sapphire Preferred. If Chase is unwilling to issue you a card with a limit of at least $5,000, you probably won’t get approved. 
• Credit maximum: Chase might reject you because you’ve reached the maximum amount of credit it's willing to extend across multiple cards. If that’s the case, you can ask them to move credit from an existing card over to the new account or if they’ll approve you for a downgraded version of the card you applied for.
• Negative reports in your credit history: If you're rejected for erroneous adverse marks on your credit history, get them removed and then ask Chase to reconsider. If you’re disputing a negative item that you’re not responsible for, contact the credit bureau to get it removed. And if you forgot to pay a small balance for several months, reach out to the merchant and ask them to retract the negative inquiry in exchange for a payment.
• Other reasons: Sometimes Chase might give a vague reason why your application has been rejected. These rejections might come down to a lack of relationship with Chase. You can improve your chances of future approvals by opening a Chase bank account and keeping some money in it. 
• Get a similar card from another bank: You can apply for a similar card with another bank if all else fails. It's always worth shopping around anyway so you can find the best fit.

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Chase Sapphire Preferred® Apply Now	1x- 5xPoints More Info The card offers 5x points per dollar on Chase Travel℠, 3x points on dining (including eligible takeout and delivery services), as well as 3x points on select streaming services and online grocery purchases (excluding Target, Walmart and wholesale clubs). This card earns 2x points on all other travel spending and 1x point per dollar everywhere else. Chase broadly defines travel to include not just airfare, hotels and rental cars, but expenses like parking, tolls and public transit too.	$95	60,000Chase Ultimate Rewards Points More Info Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. Dollar Equivalent: $1,380 (60,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards Points * 0.023 base)	Apply Now
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Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card Apply Now Rates & Fees	2%Cashback More Info Earn unlimited 2% cash rewards on purchases.	$0	$200Cash Bonus More Info Earn a $200 cash rewards bonus after spending $500 in purchases in the first 3 months.	Apply Now Rates & Fees
Citi Custom Cash® Card Apply Now Rates & Fees	1% - 5%Cashback More Info Earn 5% cash back on purchases in your top eligible spend category each billing cycle, up to the first $500 spent, 1% cash back thereafter. Also, earn unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases. Special Travel Offer: Earn an additional 4% cash back on hotels, car rentals, and attractions booked on Citi Travel℠ portal through 6/30/2025.	$0	$200Cash Bonus More Info Earn $200 in cash back after you spend $1500 on purchases in the first 6 months of account opening. This bonus offer will be fulfilled as 20,000 ThankYou® points, which can be redeemed for $200 cash back.	Apply Now Rates & Fees

Is the Chase Sapphire Preferred Worth It?

If you meet the credit score criteria for the Sapphire Preferred, this is one of the best cards you can get for $95 per year. Whether you want a card for long-term use or just the welcome bonus, getting a Sapphire Preferred is worth it for many people. The card’s benefits are competitive and its rewards program is straightforward enough for a novice to understand. 

If you don’t have an immediate use for it, consider holding out for a higher bonus. In the past, we’ve seen offers of 80,000 points and more. With Chase restricting the number of times you can qualify within 48 months, you should decide whether waiting for a higher offer is worth it (and how long you should hold out for one).

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