What are the minimum Chase credit card requirements?

There are a handful of universal Chase credit card requirements: 1) an SSN; 2) a U.S. mailing address; 3) enough money for monthly bill payments; 4) good or excellent credit; 5) fewer than five credit cards opened in the last two years (widely rumored but not confirmed); and 6) no bankruptcy on your credit report (widely rumored but not confirmed).

Most of those requirements are pretty standard, although some credit card companies offer cards to people with lower scores. But merely meeting those baseline criteria doesn’t guarantee approval. Each individual Chase credit card has requirements on top of that, which are tailored to identifying the right type of cardholder for that particular offer. For instance, you need at least $10 million in assets to qualify for the J.P. Morgan Reserve Card.

But let’s focus on what you can control: your credit standing and ability to pay. You can easily check how you’re doing in both categories and take steps to improve before applying for a Chase credit card, if necessary. Below, you can find info on the most popular Chase cards’ credit requirements and minimum spending limits. This should help you estimate your approval odds. Seeing which Chase credit cards you’re pre-approved for isn’t a bad idea either.

Here are the Chase credit cards that require excellent credit:

• Chase Freedom: $0 annual fee, $500 minimum limit
• Chase Freedom Unlimited: $0 annual fee, $500 minimum limit
• Chase Sapphire Preferred: $95 annual fee ($0 first year), $5,000 minimum limit
• Chase Sapphire Reserve: $450 annual fee ($0 first year), $10,000 minimum limit
• J.P. Morgan Reserve: $450 annual fee, no disclosed minimum credit limit
• Ink Business Preferred: $95 annual fee, $5,000 minimum limit
• Ink Business Cash: $0 annual fee, $3,000 minimum limit
  
• 3 co-branded airline rewards cards with $5,000 minimum limits

These Chase credit cards require good credit or better:

• Chase Slate: $0 annual fee, $500 minimum limit
• Amazon Rewards Visa Signature: $0 annual fee, $500 minimum limit
• Disney Visa: $0 annual fee, $5,000 minimum limit
• IHG Rewards Club Select: $49 annual fee ($0 first year), $2,000 minimum limit
• AARP Credit Card: $0 annual fee, $5,000 minimum limit
  
• Ritz-Carlton Rewards: $450 annual fee, $10,000 minimum limit
  
• 6 other co-branded cards with $5,000 minimum limits

Now you know some of the tests you’ll need to pass to get a card from Chase. But this just scratches the surface of what Chase looks at for approval. They’ll also examine your debts, credit utilization, and a whole host of other factors.

If you have limited or damaged credit, your chances of getting a Chase card are almost none. Instead, I’d recommend Capital One QuicksilverOne for limited credit rewards, Capital One Journey if you’re a college student, and Discover it Secured if you have bad credit.  

You need at least good credit to get most Chase credit cards.