Chase Sapphire Preferred Card - Ideal Credit Score? [2022]

The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is easily one of the most popular travel rewards cards on the market, and it’s a fantastic starter card for those new to the world of points and miles. If you’re considering opening the Chase Sapphire Preferred card as your newest (or first) travel card, you may be wondering whether you’re likely to be accepted.

There are many factors an issuer like Chase takes into consideration when determining eligibility for applicants. Here’s a break down of each of those factors to help you determine whether you’re likely to be approved for the Chase Sapphire Preferred card.

Table of contents

How to Check Your Credit Score
What Makes Up Your Credit Score
What Credit Score is Needed for the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card?
Other Approval Considerations
Tips to Boost Your Credit Score
Final Thoughts

Table of Contents

How to Check Your Credit Score
What Makes Up Your Credit Score
What Credit Score is Needed for the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card?
Other Approval Considerations
Tips to Boost Your Credit Score
Final Thoughts

How to Check Your Credit Score

Before you dive into what credit score is needed for the Chase Sapphire Preferred card, you need to know what your credit score is in the first place. But how should you go about finding out what it is?

If you already have a credit card open, then you’re probably in luck. Most credit card issuers you have an account with will offer a free credit score calculator.

But if that service isn’t available to you, you can also easily open an account on a site like Credit Karma. Credit Karma is free to use and can help you keep track of your score, it’s contributing factors, and any fraudulent activity. You can also check your credit score for free with each of the credit bureaus.

What Makes Up Your Credit Score

Now that you know what your credit score is, it’s important to have some knowledge of the 5 factors that comprise your score:

Payment history
Credit utilization
Length of credit history
New credit
Credit mix

Credit scores can often be misleading if you don’t have all of the information. This is because a “great score” in the 700s will not matter much for approvals if you have little to no credit history.

Payment History

Your payment history is responsible for 35% of your overall score, making it the most important of all 5 factors. To receive a high credit score, you need to show a history of on-time payments month after month. If you have a history of late payments (especially those that have occurred recently), you’re unlikely to get approved for a card like the Chase Sapphire Preferred card.

Hot Tip: Want to avoid missing a credit card payment? Most issuers allow you to set up auto-pay! This ensures you’ll never miss a payment and your account will remain in good standing.

Credit Utilization

Making up 30% of your overall credit score, credit utilization is the percentage of available credit that you have currently borrowed. For example, if you have a credit card with a $2,000 limit and make $600 in charges, when the statement posts your credit utilization will be 30%.

The lower you can keep your credit utilization, the better. If you’re constantly maxing out your credit cards each month (even if you’re paying off the balance in full), it will adversely impact your credit.

Hot Tip: One way to help keep your utilization low is to pay off all (or most) of your balance before your credit card’s billing statement posts. This is especially helpful if you’re just starting to build your credit and the card you’re using has a low credit limit.

Length of Credit History

Your length of credit history, or your average age of accounts, means how long each account has been open and how long it’s been since the account’s most recent action. This factor makes up 15% of your total credit score.

New Credit

If your credit history is relatively new, it is important not to open up too many new accounts in a short timeframe. New accounts will lower your average account age, which will have a larger effect on your score if you don’t have a lot of other credit information.

The impact is not as significant as other categories, though — this factor makes up just 10% of your overall score.

Credit Mix

Your credit mix makes up the final 10% of your credit score. While this category is generally the most confusing to people, data indicate that borrowers with a good mix of revolving credit and installment loans generally represent less risk for lenders.

In other words, if you have multiple forms of credit extended to you — say in the form of credit cards, car notes, student loans, or housing loans — you appear less risky to credit lenders.

Bottom Line: As you can see, just 3 factors make up 80% of your overall credit score. While it is true that opening a new credit card can negatively impact your overall age of accounts, the other factors can improve with a new account if you use it responsibly. Staying on top of the factors and knowing the various weights of each can help you identify areas where your score can improve.

Check Your Credit Score woman laptop credit card shopping online — It is important to regularly check and stay on top of your credit score! Image Credit: Bruce Mars via Pexels

What Credit Score is Needed for the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card?

In our opinion, if you’re considering applying for the Chase Sapphire Preferred card, you should consider waiting until your score is at least a 670 (or higher).

Keep in mind, though, that there is no real “minimum requirement” — and there’s certainly no score that will guarantee your approval either. Applicants have been approved for the Chase Sapphire Preferred card with scores in the 600s and denied with scores in the 800s.

That 3-digit number is just 1 factor Chase considers before approving you for a new card. So what else matters when banks are determining whether or not to approve you?

Other Approval Considerations

Aside from your credit score, there are several other factors that can weigh heavily on whether a bank will approve you for a new credit card.

Income

The stated income you list on your application plays a large role in your Chase Sapphire Preferred card approval odds, because the minimum credit limit for new cardholders is $5,000.

Due to this, Chase is not likely to extend that amount of credit to an applicant with relatively low income. We recommend that your annual income be at least $30,000 or higher before applying for the Chase Sapphire Preferred card.

Length of Credit

One issue that can be quite confusing if you’re new to credit is getting denied for a new credit card despite having a relatively high score. If this has happened to you, the cause might be your length of credit history.

To simplify, credit issuers deem people who are new to credit as riskier than those who have been responsibly using credit for many years. We recommend that you have at least 2 years or more of good credit history before applying for the Chase Sapphire Preferred card.

Recent Accounts

If you’re familiar with the world of credit card points and miles (if not, explore the Beginner’s Guide to Points and Miles), you may have heard about the Chase 5/24 rule at some point. If you haven’t yet, here it is:

Chase will not approve applications for certain credit cards if the applicant has already opened 5 (or more) credit card accounts in the last 24 months.

The Chase Sapphire Preferred card is one of those cards affected by this rule. So if you’ve opened at least 5 new credit card accounts in the last 24 months, it is extremely unlikely you would be approved for the Chase Sapphire Preferred card.

Bottom Line: Your overall credit score is just 1 part of the equation. In order to get approved for the Chase Sapphire Preferred card, you also need a solid income, good credit history, and fewer than 5 new accounts in the last 24 months.

Woman Using Credit Card Online shopping outside — Improving your credit score isn’t as difficult as you may think! Image Credit: Artem via Pexels

Tips to Boost Your Credit Score

So if your credit score isn’t high enough to get approved for the Chase Sapphire Preferred card, what are some things you can do to improve it?

Well for starters, don’t lose hope! Your credit, like most things, can be improved with the right strategy and enough time.

Get a Starter Credit Card

If you have a low credit score or have never had a credit card at all, you’ll likely struggle to get approved for most credit cards.

In this case, opening a secured credit card or a card with a low limit is usually the best option. If you successfully manage the card by making on-time payments, your score will begin to improve relatively quickly.

Hot Tip: Looking to repair or build your credit? The Platinum Credit Card from Capital One® is a great option that offers no annual fee, fraud coverage, and access to a higher credit limit after making your first 5 monthly payments on time. Interested in some other options? Explore the best secured credit cards for those with low or no credit.

Get Added as an Authorized User

Being added as an authorized user on someone else’s credit card can make a big difference to your score. It can help lower your credit utilization, improve your payment history, and increase the average age of your accounts.

Be mindful, though — you only want to ask someone to add you as an authorized user if they are responsible with their credit. If you’re an authorized user on the account of someone who regularly carries a high balance and misses payments, this can negatively impact your score (even though you aren’t the main account holder).

Get Errors Removed

If there are any inaccuracies or potential cases of fraud on your credit report, they can greatly impact your score. This is why you should regularly monitor your credit report (using a free resource) to ensure everything is as it should be.

If you see anything that seems suspicious or inaccurate, you should definitely attempt to dispute the credit error. Depending on the severity of the error, you could see a major change in your credit score.

Final Thoughts

If you’re in the market for a great points and miles credit card, especially one that earns Ultimate Rewards points, you should definitely consider the Chase Sapphire Preferred card to see if it’s worth it for you.

You stand a solid chance of approval if your credit score, income, and credit history are all in check, and you’ve opened fewer than 5 Chase new accounts in the last 24 months. If not, stay on track with on-time payments and keep your balances low until you’re ready to apply!

Did you recently apply for the Chase Sapphire Preferred card? Share your application experiences with us in the comments below!

Featured Image Credit: Upgraded Points

Frequently asked questions

What does your credit score need to be for the Chase Sapphire Preferred card?

While there is no set score needed, we recommend you have a credit score of at least 670, a clean 2 years of credit history, and an income of at least $30,000 per year.

How long does it take to get approved for the Chase Sapphire Preferred card?

You will either be instantly approved after submitting the application or receive a message that a decision will be made in 30 days, 2 weeks, or 7-10 days.

What credit bureau will Chase pull from?

Of the 3 credit bureaus (Experian, Equifax, and Transunion), predicting which 1 Chase will pull from is not possible — they could select any of the 3. Many previous applicants have reported that their Experian report was pulled, but your experience may be different.

Do I qualify for the Chase Sapphire Preferred card?

It depends! Most Chase Sapphire Preferred cardholders have a credit score of 720 or better. But your score alone does not fully decide whether or not you will be approved. If you have a strong credit score with a few years of credit history and a decent annual income, you stand a good chance of being approved.

How long does it take to get Chase Sapphire Preferred card?

After you’re approved, your card will be mailed to you in 7-10 business days.

Is the Chase Sapphire Preferred card metal?

Yes, the Chase Sapphire Preferred card is metal with a blue tint.

What is the credit limit for the Chase Sapphire Preferred card?

The minimum credit limit for approved applicants is $5,000. Others have reported a credit limit of $10,000, with about 10% of cardholders reporting that their credit limit is $20,000 or more.

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About Jarrod West

Jarrod has been writing about the ins and outs of credit cards and loyalty programs, along with airlines and hotels, for over 6 years. He is regularly called upon to share his expertise on the latest news within the space, and has been featured in publications such as Matador Network, The New York Times, RetailMeNot, and Yahoo! Finance. Jarrod has over 20 credit cards in his wallet and has tested out dozens more in order to vet the very best card options for readers. As he is constantly sampling new cards, Jarrod also earns (and redeems) over 1 million points and miles each year. This allows him to book luxury travel experiences the world over, and save tens of thousands of dollars in the process.

Disclaimer: Any comments listed below are not from the bank advertiser, nor have they been reviewed or approved by them. No responsibility will be taken by the bank advertiser for these comments.

11 comments

Dawn Swift November 4, 2019
Do you do pre-approval? I do not want to apply and have it show on my credit score to only be denied. I am wanting to switch to using your card for my business travel for which I have to pay out of pocket myself and then get reimbursed.
Reply
- Erin Miller November 6, 2019
  Hi Dawn, please be advised we are not Chase Bank. We are Upgraded Points, a website that publishes articles on points/miles accumulation/spend techniques as well as other travel-related information.
  That being said, it’s possible you could receive a pre-qualified offer which would only result in a soft pull on your credit. To learn more, see the Chase section of our piece: “How to Find the Best Pre-Qualified and Pre-Approved Credit Card Offers Online“
  Reply
Robert Tabatabai November 10, 2019
I have a total of 3 trade-lines all three are revolving accounts. 2 Capital One for a total of $1000 of credit line and a MC from HSBC for $5000. My oldest account is 2 yrs old and the newest is 15 months old. I have 1 30-day late 11 months ago. My Trans-Union score is 684, Eq.fax is 672 and Exp is 620. I have a solid full time job earring $60k/month & my part time Mortgage broker earning about $40k-$45k/yr. I have two checking accounts and a savings for a total of over $8000 in both accounts.
Credit Karma says I have a pretty good odds to get approved with Chase Sapphire but I am not so sure and think I should wait. What do you recommend?
Reply
- Jarrod West November 11, 2019
  Hi Robert,
  As indicated in the article, we would recommend that you wait until your credit score is at least a 700 or higher before applying for the Chase Sapphire Preferred card.
  Reply
Robert Tabatabai November 12, 2019
Thank you Jarrod
Reply
Nicole February 29, 2020
Ive been eyeing this card for a while but was denied by chase for a cobrand card (marriott) last summer due to an incorrectly reported collection account. My score is over 700 and my income is 48k a year. My credit history is about 8 years old, I did get two cards new cards last year (a balance transfer offer and a mattress finance) but im well under 5/24. I since had the error removed from my report and the card is showing as a prequalified on my chase banking page but doesnt show when i check the prequalified offers on the webpage or card match tool. I really want this card because it has primary rental coverage but im afraid to apply now..
Reply
- Wayne May 14, 2020
  Hey Nicole, I was just reading through this and I am not sure that you have gotten any new information. But, with the “incorrectly reported collection account,” you could have called the (Reco Line) or Reconsideration Line for Chase Bank to plead your case. These applications are set on algorithms and will approve or deny you on set equations throughout it. So, calling this line, you would be speaking to an actual human being and not a robot and could plead your case and they have the power to press a little button to move forward with your application regardless of the decision. Hope this helps many who read this article!
  Personal – 888-270-2127
  Business – 800-453-9719, both open 1pm-10pm M-F (Coronavirus may affect these hours)
  Reply
Sean January 26, 2021
So I applied for the Chase Sapphire Preferred today and was surprised to not get instant approval, especially after receiving the pre-approved letter. Super clean credit, 762 score when they pulled it today but dinged to 759 after. 89k income, 3 yrs on job. Only 1 other credit card. Good debt-income ratio etc. Anyone experience this? Received “we’ll let you know our decision as soon as possible.”
Reply
- Jarrod West January 27, 2021
  Hi Sean,
  Many credit issuers have been tightening their belts with new credit approvals lately, but given your credit score and history, I would guess that it is likely you will be approved. Fingers crossed!
  Reply
Mark September 27, 2021
Well, good info from your site. I received a pre-selected letter for the Chase Sapphire card but worry about a collection on my report. That collection has been there for 6 years and is in dispute. My scores are good and my FICO is in the 710 range. I have a good income of $100k plus. Either that card or Delta Platinum I am thinking because I do travel a lot. What are your suggestions?
Reply
- Jarrod West October 3, 2021
  Hi Mark,
  I think you stand a very good chance of being approved for the Chase Sapphire Preferred card. If you were to be denied for the collection, you could always call the reconsideration line and explain your situation.
  Reply

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Chase Sapphire Preferred Card — What Credit Score Do I Need?

How to Check Your Credit Score