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Your goal might be getting the Chase Sapphire Reserve® as your next credit card. This premium Chase-backed credit card has plenty to like, including a 50% travel redemption bonus, an array of 1:1 transfer partners, and an annual $300 travel credit, to name a few benefits.
New Chase Sapphire Reserve® cardholders can earn 60,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening, so it’s worth applying for if you will use the benefits.
Credit Score Needed for the Chase Sapphire Reserve
The Sapphire Reserve won’t be hard to get if you have a good credit score and income. Applying for the Chase Sapphire Reserve® with a minimum 700+ credit score is recommended. This recommended score is the start of the excellent credit range (740 to 850) and is the highest score possible.
It can take years to reach this level and typically requires responsibly managing starter credit cards and some of the other best travel credit cards that only require good credit (670 to 739).
With that being said, you can get approved with a lower score if the rest of your profile is competitive. For example, you have a high income or low monthly housing costs and don’t have a history of account chargeoffs or personal bankruptcy.
Related: Is The Sapphire Reserve Worth It Now?
Here are several data points from Chase Sapphire Reserve applications to see how likely you are to be approved for the Reserve card. With a good income of 100k+ and a credit score over 700, you have a good chance of approval.
“I applied and was approved for a minimum $10K with a maximum APR. Chase checked with Experian where I already had 3 previous hard requests, the last one being a month ago. The FICO Score is 720.” — Cookiedough on 4/8/2023
“I had applied over the weekend and didn’t receive an instant approval. I called the application status line and got the 2 week message. (After getting approved) from my account, I can see the following:
- $18,600 starting limit (my biggest limit yet)
- 28.74 APR (ouch) Thankfully, I don’t carry balances!
- They only pulled Experian, 806 FICO Score 8 at time of approval“
— Capnsloya on 4/18/2023
“I am running a balance so wasn’t sure if I should apply. Woke up and said Go For It! Instantly approved for $10,800 and they pulled Experian. I don’t know my internal chase credit score (will update this thread when I get it in the mail). My Experian Fico 8 is 692 right now (running a balance on a few cards). Will be paid to zero this month. When I am playing the utilization game, my EX is 736.” — WomanITGeek on 9/17/2022
As you can see, it’s possible to get approved with a score in the low 700s if you have clean credit. But, if you want to play it safe, you may still wait to get above 740 to be more likely to receive an instant decision.
If approved, the minimum credit limit is $10,000 which is the base amount for any Visa Infinite product.
Related: Chase Sapphire Reserve Credit Score Needed for Approval
Chase 5/24 Rule Applies
In addition to having a qualifying credit score, your Chase Sapphire Reserve approval odds largely hinge on the Chase 5/24 rule.
With a few exceptions, your application will be automatically declined when five or more new credit cards appearing on your credit history are younger than 24 months.
You can tally up the number of personal credit cards you have either opened as the primary member or been added as an authorized user. Select business credit cards that report to the personal credit bureaus can also count against you.
If you’re under 5/24, also be sure you haven’t applied for another Chase credit card within the last 30 days. Preferably, it would be best if you waited 90 to 180 days to apply for a second Chase card in the same year to give your credit score time to recover and the ability to show on-time payments.
Related: Here’s How to Check Your Chase Credit Card Application Status
Chase Sapphire Reserve Application Rules
A third reason why the Sapphire Reserve can be hard to get is the card family’s application rules. You may struggle to qualify if you recently closed a Sapphire card or earned a Chase Sapphire signup bonus.
Straight from Chase’s website about qualifying for the Sapphire Reserve signup bonus: “This product is available to you if you do not have any Sapphire card and have not received a new cardmember bonus for any Sapphire card in the past 48 months.”
As a result, your application will get declined if it’s been less than four years since earning a signup bonus for the Sapphire Reserve or Sapphire Preferred.
Additionally, you cannot have two different Sapphire products open at the same time. You must close your current account or request an upgrade (which means forfeiting your signup bonus).
If you’re a returning Sapphire applicant and meet the time requirements, you’re eligible to earn a second Sapphire bonus. It’s the same amount as what’s available to first-time applicants.
Chase Sapphire Reserve Signup Bonus
New Chase Sapphire Reserve® cardholders can earn 60,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That’s $900 toward travel when redeemed through Chase Ultimate Rewards®.
Related: Guide To Chase Sapphire Reserve & Preferred Application Rules
Chase Sapphire Reserve Income Requirements
Chase doesn’t disclose a minimum annual income to get approved for the Sapphire Reserve. As a point of reference, many data points indicate the typical household income is at least $70,000, and it’s not uncommon to be between $100,000 and $200,000 per year.
As the Sapphire Reserve benefits require frequent travel to be worth it, the annual income will be on the high side so cardholders can afford several trips per year.
Chase Sapphire Reserve Preapproval
Before undergoing a hard inquiry by applying, you can try to get preapproved for the Sapphire Reserve. One option is directly through Chase, although their preapproval tool isn’t always active. You can also look for “Just For You” offers if you’re an existing Chase Bank customer.
A second option is using the CardMatch™ tool which doesn’t issue approval decisions but can estimate your approval odds without hurting your credit score. If approval seems likely, you can apply directly through the Chase website.
CardMatch compares credit card bonus offers from similar cards and has targeted offers with select products that are more valuable than the public welcome offer.
Related: What Is Credit Card Pre-Approval And How To Get It
Summary of Is the Chase Sapphire Reserve Hard to Get?
It should be easy to get the Chase Sapphire Reserve® when you have excellent credit, haven’t earned a Sapphire bonus in the last 48 months, and are unaffected by the Chase 5/24 rule, as you don’t have too many new accounts. Otherwise, it’s best to wait, and you may consider another rewards credit card instead that can be a better fit.
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