Is Chase Freedom Unlimited a good beginner card?

The Chase Freedom Unlimited card is fairly hard to get because you need good to excellent credit to qualify for it, which is a credit score of 700 or better. Applicants for Chase Freedom Unlimited will also need an annual income that demonstrates an ability to make at least the card’s minimum payment every month. In addition, Chase considers factors such as your existing debt, monthly housing payment amount, and number of recently opened credit accounts, among others.... read full answer

You can get a better idea of how hard it will be to get a Chase Freedom Unlimited card through Chase’s online pre-qualification tool. You’ll know in a matter of seconds what your odds are of getting Chase Freedom Unlimited and other Chase credit cards, based on the information you enter. Plus, pre-qualification doesn’t affect your credit score, as the process is done using a soft inquiry.

Being pre-qualified is not a guarantee that you’ll get a Chase Freedom Unlimited card, so you will have to submit an application to know for sure. If you do apply for the Chase Freedom Unlimited card, Chase will do a hard inquiry on your credit report. This type of inquiry will knock a few points off your credit score but only temporarily.

You Chase Freedom Unlimited® could be denied because of a low credit score (below 700), not enough annual income, or too many recent credit inquiries. Other grounds for denial could be incomplete or inaccurate information on the application, or a pending bankruptcy on your credit report.

Whatever the reason, Chase will send a letter detailing why you were denied for Chase Freedom Unlimited® within 7 to 10 days of rejecting the application. You can use that information to help determine your next steps.... read full answer

What you should do if your Chase Freedom Unlimited® application was denied:

• Call Chase and ask them to reconsider your application.
• Apply for a credit card that’s easier to get.
• Build your credit as an authorized user on someone else’s account.

On the other hand, if you already have the Chase Freedom Unlimited card but were denied when you tried to make a purchase, there are a few reasons why your card could have been declined. For example, it’s possible that the card hasn’t been activated yet or you’ve exceeded your credit limit.

If this occurs, first have the merchant try the card again to confirm it’s not an issue on their end. If the transaction is still denied, contact Chase customer service at (800) 945-2000. They will be able to determine the specific reason(s) why the transaction didn't go through.

The easiest Chase credit card to get is the Chase Freedom® Student credit card, but it’s only available to students. Applicants can get approved for this card with limited credit. This means the odds of approval are good even for people who are new to credit, making the Chase Freedom® Student credit card much easier to get than other Chase credit cards.... read full answer

All other Chase credit cards require at least good credit for approval, and some require excellent credit. But while Chase cards aren’t that easy to obtain, there are several other credit cards that are easy to get.

Easiest Credit Cards to Get

Having one of these credit cards may increase your chances of landing a Chase credit card in the future, if you use it responsibly. That means paying your bill on time every month and keeping your credit utilization below 30% of your credit limit.