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The Chase Sapphire Reserve® is the premium travel credit card offered by the popular credit card issuer. This card comes with a hefty $550 annual fee, but it more than makes up for it if you take advantage of its large sign-up bonus, rewards and other travel perks.
Given the impressive rewards available with the Chase Sapphire Reserve, it’s no surprise that it’s not available to just anyone. Chase requires a certain credit score along with other qualifications to be approved. Keep reading to learn what credit score you’ll need to get the Chase Sapphire Reserve card and how to boost your score to qualify.
What credit score do I need to get the Chase Sapphire Reserve card?
To qualify for the Chase Sapphire Reserve, you’ll need an excellent credit score. An excellent FICO score is considered anything 740 or higher.
But for this card, your credit score isn’t the only factor that Chase will consider. Chase has a well-known 5/24 rule that prevents someone from being approved for one of its cards if they have opened five or more credit cards within the past 24 months. Under the 5/24 rule, it doesn’t matter which issuer the card is from – any five credit cards will disqualify you.
In addition to your credit score and the 5/24 rule, Chase, like many issuers, generally considers your income and credit report data.
How can I improve my score to get this card?
The Chase Sapphire Reserve is one of the most popular luxury credit cards on the market. It offers some incredible rewards and travel perks that can more than make up for its large annual fee.
The bad news is it’s only available to borrowers with excellent credit. However, if you’ve been in the good credit range — meaning a score between 670 and 739 — you can take a few steps to boost your score up into the excellent range.
If you have a good credit score, it likely means you’re already doing a lot of things right for your credit. Below are a few additional strategies to help you boost your score a little higher.
Request a credit limit increase
Credit utilization is an important factor in determining your credit score. It makes up 30% of your FICO score, and it’s best to keep your utilization ratio below 30%.
One of the most effective ways to reduce your credit utilization is to increase the amount of credit available to you. With most credit card companies, you can request a credit limit increase in your online account or by calling the issuer.
Time your monthly payments
One of the best things you can do for your score is pay your full credit card balance each month. But if you’ve been making your payment on the due date each month, consider doing that a bit earlier.
Each month, credit card issuers report your card activity to the three credit bureaus. If your activity is reported before you’ve made your payment, then your credit report will show a balance, even if you don’t typically carry one past your due date. By paying your card off before your activity is reported to the credit bureaus, your credit report will show a lower balance and, therefore, lower credit utilization.
Become an authorized user
Becoming an authorized user on someone else’s credit score can provide a huge boost to your credit score. First, adding another credit card to your credit report increases the amount of credit available to you. And assuming there isn’t a large balance being carried on that card, you’ll see your credit utilization go down.
Another benefit of becoming an authorized user is that you’ll get credit for the payment history of that card. Assuming the primary cardholder has made all of their payments on time, those payments will benefit your credit score as well.
Monitor your credit regularly
Staying on top of your credit situation is critical when it comes to boosting your credit score. Monitoring your credit will alert you right away if anything appears on your credit report that shouldn’t be there. Many credit monitoring services also give you insight into your credit and show you what factors on your credit report may be holding your score down.
What if I have bad credit?
If you currently have bad credit or fair credit, then applying for the Chase Sapphire Reserve may not be the best choice for a while. Work on improving your credit with responsible credit use, and over time you’ll see your score climb up. While not a flashy travel card, the Capital One QuicksilverOne Cash Rewards Credit Card is a rewards card that you can typically qualify for with fair credit. You can use this or a similar card to build your credit history and score.
What can I do if Chase declines my application?
Even with a credit score above 740, you may still be denied the Chase Sapphire Reserve card. Luckily, Chase – like most major card issuers – has a reconsideration line, meaning you can call 1-888-270-2127 and ask the representative to take another look at your application.
But in some cases, it may simply be that your credit score isn’t high enough or you don’t meet one of Chase’s other requirements, such as the 5/24 rule. In that case, spend a bit more time improving your credit score to increase your chances of being approved the next time around.
Bottom line
As is the case with many premium credit cards, Chase requires an excellent credit score to qualify for the Chase Sapphire Reserve card. Given all the benefits the card comes with, it’s probably worth the effort. But if your credit score hasn’t reached 740 or higher yet, then you may need to take some additional steps to boost your score to ensure your application is approved.
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Source: creditcards.com