Chase Credit Card Pre-Approval: How to Prequalify
Updated
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Chase credit cards are often highly recommended yet they're not always the easiest to get. That's why many folks like to check for Chase pre-approval or prequalification offers before applying.
Chase sometimes has a convenient prequalification tool on its website, but the tool is not always available. Fortunately, that's not your only option. Read on to learn how to prequalify for a Chase credit card.
Use the Chase pre-approval tool
When Chase's pre-approval tool is available, it's a fast and easy way to check for these offers. Here's how to use it:
Unfortunately, Chase sometimes takes this page down. If so, you'll see a message on the page saying that the pre-approval program is currently unavailable. In that case, you'll need to try another option.
Get an offer from Chase in the mail
Chase pre-approval offers are regularly sent out by mail. While there's not much you can do to trigger a mail offer -- outside of ensuring your mailing address is up to date -- they can be worth pursuing if you receive one.
Check for offers in your Chase account
If you have an existing relationship with Chase, such as a Chase credit card or bank account, you can check for pre-approval offers online or at a Chase branch location.
Here's how to check for your Chase pre-approval offers online:
Visit a Chase branch in person
Perhaps the most reliable way to get Chase pre-approval offers is by going to a bank branch in person. Not only can tellers find pre-approval offers in your account, these offers may actually be better than what you'd get elsewhere. Some of the best welcome bonuses on Chase cards hit the branches before they're available online.
Chase sometimes offers an online tool to check for prequalified offers for its core consumer cards. It's an application that requires some basic personal information. Here's how simple it is to use.
Image courtesy of Chase, taken by author.
Adding your income to this form is optional, but it may prevent being pre-approved then later denied a card due to insufficient income.
Image courtesy of Chase, taken by author.
Filling out the application and hitting "Find my offers" are the only steps. Chase will show you any prequalified offers -- or a message saying you don't have any offers at this time.
Image courtesy of Chase, taken by author.
Yes, you can get a Chase Freedom Flex® (see rates and fees) pre-approval through any of the above methods. The Chase Freedom Flex® -- and its sibling, the Chase Freedom Unlimited® (see rates and fees) -- both offer great cash back rates and welcome bonuses. You can compare them and learn more about qualification requirements in the table below:
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| Chase Freedom Flex® | Chase Freedom Unlimited® |
|
Rating image, 5.00 out of 5 stars.
5.00/5
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.
5 stars equals Best.
4 stars equals Excellent.
3 stars equals Good.
2 stars equals Fair.
1 star equals Poor.
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
= Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair = Poor
Rating image, 5.00 out of 5 stars.
5.00/5
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.
5 stars equals Best.
4 stars equals Excellent.
3 stars equals Good.
2 stars equals Fair.
1 star equals Poor.
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
= Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair = Poor |
Rating image, 5.00 out of 5 stars.
5.00/5
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.
5 stars equals Best.
4 stars equals Excellent.
3 stars equals Good.
2 stars equals Fair.
1 star equals Poor.
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
= Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair = Poor
Rating image, 5.00 out of 5 stars.
5.00/5
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.
5 stars equals Best.
4 stars equals Excellent.
3 stars equals Good.
2 stars equals Fair.
1 star equals Poor.
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
= Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair = Poor |
|
Credit Rating Requirement:
Falling within this credit range does not guarantee approval by the issuer. An application must be submitted to the issuer for a potential approval decision. There are different types of credit scores and creditors use a variety of credit scores to make lending decisions.
Recommended Credit Score required for this offer is: Good/Excellent (670-850)
Good/Excellent (670-850) |
Credit Rating Requirement:
Falling within this credit range does not guarantee approval by the issuer. An application must be submitted to the issuer for a potential approval decision. There are different types of credit scores and creditors use a variety of credit scores to make lending decisions.
Recommended Credit Score required for this offer is: Good/Excellent (670-850)
Good/Excellent (670-850) |
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Welcome Offer: Earn a $200 Bonus after you spend $500 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening! $200 bonus |
Welcome Offer: Limited Time Intro Offer: Earn a $250 Bonus after you spend $500 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening Earn $250 cash back |
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Rewards Program: 5% cash back on up to $1,500 in combined purchases in bonus categories each quarter you activate. Enjoy new 5% categories each quarter! Plus, earn 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3% on dining and drugstores, and 1% on all other purchases. 5% cash back offer |
Rewards Program: Enjoy 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, our premier rewards program that lets you redeem rewards for cash back, travel, gift cards and more; 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service, and 1.5% on all other purchases 1.5% - 5% cash back |
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Intro APR: 0% Intro APR on Purchases Purchases: 0% Intro APR on Purchases, 15 months Balance Transfers: 0% Intro APR on Balance Transfers, 15 months |
Intro APR: 0% Intro APR on Purchases and Balance Transfers for 15 months Purchases: 0% Intro APR on Purchases, 15 months Balance Transfers: 0% Intro APR on Balance Transfers, 15 months |
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Regular APR: 18.99% - 28.49% Variable |
Regular APR: 18.99% - 28.49% Variable |
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Annual Fee: $0 |
Annual Fee: $0 |
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Highlights:
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Highlights:
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Pre-approval or prequalification only means you're likely (but not guaranteed) to qualify. So, a positive Chase Freedom pre-approval result doesn't guarantee approval. It's a good first step, but you will still need to apply for the card and get approved by Chase.
If you aren't pre-approved for a Chase Freedom card, you can still apply. But consider improving your credit score and checking again in the future. When it's available, you can fill out the Chase credit card prequalification application as often as you want.
TIP
In some cases, you may get pre-approved for a Chase credit card without any action on your part. Some consumers may receive a prequalified offer in the mail. You can also get a pre-approved offer if you already have a Chase bank or credit account. Check the "Just for You" section in your online account to see pre-approval offers.
Yes, you can prequalify for both Chase Sapphire cards. These are Chase's premier travel rewards cards and are among the hardest Chase cards to get. Checking for prequalifications can be a smart move if you want one of these cards.
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| Chase Sapphire Reserve® | Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card |
|
Rating image, 4.50 out of 5 stars.
4.50/5
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.
5 stars equals Best.
4 stars equals Excellent.
3 stars equals Good.
2 stars equals Fair.
1 star equals Poor.
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
= Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair = Poor
Rating image, 4.50 out of 5 stars.
4.50/5
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.
5 stars equals Best.
4 stars equals Excellent.
3 stars equals Good.
2 stars equals Fair.
1 star equals Poor.
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
= Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair = Poor |
Rating image, 5.00 out of 5 stars.
5.00/5
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.
5 stars equals Best.
4 stars equals Excellent.
3 stars equals Good.
2 stars equals Fair.
1 star equals Poor.
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
= Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair = Poor
Rating image, 5.00 out of 5 stars.
5.00/5
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.
5 stars equals Best.
4 stars equals Excellent.
3 stars equals Good.
2 stars equals Fair.
1 star equals Poor.
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
= Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair = Poor |
|
Credit Rating Requirement:
Falling within this credit range does not guarantee approval by the issuer. An application must be submitted to the issuer for a potential approval decision. There are different types of credit scores and creditors use a variety of credit scores to make lending decisions.
Recommended Credit Score required for this offer is: Good/Excellent (670-850)
Good/Excellent (670-850) |
Credit Rating Requirement:
Falling within this credit range does not guarantee approval by the issuer. An application must be submitted to the issuer for a potential approval decision. There are different types of credit scores and creditors use a variety of credit scores to make lending decisions.
Recommended Credit Score required for this offer is: Good/Excellent (670-850)
Good/Excellent (670-850) |
|
Welcome Offer: Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. 60,000 bonus points |
Welcome Offer: Earn 100,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. 100,000 bonus points |
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Rewards Program: 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. 5x points on flights and 10x points on hotels and car rentals through Chase Travel℠. |
Rewards Program: Enjoy benefits such as 5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries, 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases, $50 Annual Chase Travel Hotel Credit, plus more. 5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3x on dining and 2x on all other travel purchases |
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Intro APR: Purchases: N/A Balance Transfers: N/A |
Intro APR: N/A Purchases: N/A Balance Transfers: N/A |
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Regular APR: 20.24% - 28.74% Variable |
Regular APR: 19.99% - 28.24% Variable |
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Annual Fee: $550 |
Annual Fee: $95 |
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Highlights:
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Highlights:
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The Chase Sapphire prequalification process is the same as it is for any Chase card. You can find pre-approval offers through any of the methods mentioned above.
The luxury Chase Sapphire Reserve® (see rates and fees) is primarily for cardholders with excellent credit and a strong credit history.
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (see rates and fees) also requires excellent credit, but it is reportedly easier to get than its more-expensive sibling.
There are a few factors that Chase weighs, including:
Learn more about the select few Chase credit cards that landed a spot on our shortlist. Some of these cards pack in big bonuses, rich rewards, and long 0% intro APR offers.
There's no effect on your credit during the Chase pre-approval or prequalification process. However, filling out a full Chase credit card application will result in a hard credit check when Chase pulls your credit report. Hard credit checks cause a small drop in your credit score. For most consumers, one hard credit check takes fewer than five points off their FICO® Score (the most widely used type of credit score).
TIP
Getting a pre-approval or prequalification offer for a Chase credit card only means you could be approved if you apply -- not that you will be approved.
"Pre-approval" and "prequalified" can be confusing terms. While they're often used interchangeably, they actually have different meanings. Here's how they're used by Chase.
A Chase pre-approval for a credit card means you've passed the first stage of the approval process. This means Chase has looked at some basic information, decided you may be a good candidate for a card, and sent you an invitation to apply for it. If you received the offer through any of the following methods, it's most likely a Chase pre-approval:
A Chase prequalification occurs when you reach out to Chase. When you submit your information to Chase to check card offers, you'll receive prequalification offers. The confusing part is that Chase's prequalification tool uses the term "pre-approved," even though the offers you receive fit the definition of prequalification offers.
Here are some other questions we've answered:
You can prequalify for Chase credit cards through Chase's online tool or by asking a teller at a Chase branch. The online Chase prequalification tool is the most convenient option, but it's not always available. You can also get pre-approved for a Chase card through a mail offer or by checking the "Just for You" section of your Chase account.
Yes, you can be pre-approved for a Chase Sapphire card by mail or through your online account. This includes the Chase Sapphire Reserve® and the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card. However, you can't fill out a Chase credit card prequalification application for only the Chase Sapphire cards.
To get pre-approved for a Chase Freedom, wait for a mailed offer or check the "Just for You" section of your Chase account. You can also use the Chase prequalification tool to look for offers with all Chase credit cards at the same time. However, it's not always available, as Chase occasionally removes the tool from its site.
There's no impact to your credit during the Chase pre-approval or prequalification process. Chase only performs a soft credit check for this process, which doesn't affect your credit score.
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