The Chase Sapphire Reserve (CSR) is a travel-oriented credit card with a whopping $550 annual fee. Despite the hefty annual fee, CSR is quite sought after, especially with its current sign-up bonus of 60,000 points (after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months).
If you’re interested in applying for the Chase Sapphire Reserve, then you’re going to need a FICO score of 740+ (Very Good) to have the best chance of getting approved for it.
People with FICO scores as low as 670 (Good) have been approved for the Chase Sapphire Reserve, but to follow in their footsteps, you’ll need to employ some clever tricks and get a little bit lucky.
What’s the Minimum Credit Score Needed for Chase Sapphire Reserve?
The minimum credit score needed to get approved for Chase Sapphire Reserve is 670, which is the bottom limit for a Good FICO Score.
This doesn’t mean that you don’t have a chance to get approved for CSR if you have a Fair Credit Score (580 to 669). The Chase Sapphire Reserve is a Visa Infinite Card, which has a minimum Credit Limit of $10,000.
So, if you currently have a credit card with a credit limit of $10,000 or above, you can still get approved for CSR even if you have a fair credit score.
What are the Other Requirements for Chase Sapphire Reserve?
Your Credit Score isn’t the only factor that Chase considers when determining your creditworthiness. Here are the other factors that can affect your approval chances:
- Annual Income
- History with Chase
- Credit Limits on Your Current Credit Cards
- Credit Utilization Ratio
According to the US Census Bureau, the top 37% of American households earn more than $100,000. So if you’re earning more than $100,000 a year, then Chase might give you better odds despite not meeting the minimum credit score.
You can also push things in your favor if you’ve been banking with Chase for a long time and you haven’t missed any payments or shown any delinquent behavior.
What are the Perks of Chase Sapphire Reserve?
The Chase Sapphire Reserve is a premium travel credit card so it’s no surprise that most of its perks are travel-related. Here are the main perks of the Chase Sapphire Reserve:
- +50% Point Value for Travel-related Redemptions. This includes but is not limited to spending for airfare, hotel stays, car rentals, and cruises.
- Annual Travel Credit. Up to $300 to reimburse airfare, hotel stays, car rentals and more.
- Airport Lounge Access: Gain a Priority Pass that provides members with access to premium experiences such as airport lounges, spas, and sleeping pods.
- Travel Insurance. Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Trip Delay Reimbursement, Lost Luggage Reimbursement, Trip Cancellation / Interruption Insurance
- TSA PreCheck, Global Entry, NEXUS Credit. Reimbursement of up to $100 every four years.
- Zero Foreign Transaction Fees
- 3x Points on Travel and Dining*
- 5x Points on Flights*
- 10x points on Hotels and Car Rentals*
💡 Note: The perks marked with * require an initial annual travel expense of $300 before activating.
How to Get +50% Value on Travel Points on Other Chase Cards
If you’ve recently been rejected or you’re just not optimistic about your chances of getting approved for the Chase Sapphire Reserve, there’s a clever trick you can employ to reap the rewards when you’re finally ready to apply for CSR.
- Check if you’re pre-approved for any Chase Credit Cards
- Apply for a pre-approved Chase Card that you can get a lot of points from
- Accumulate points by spending wisely
- Increase your Credit Score by making your payments on time (Cushion can help with this)
- Once your Credit Score reaches 670, apply for CSR
- Acquire your well-earned Chase Sapphire Reserve Card
- Redeem your accumulated points while traveling to increase their value by 50%
Using this method, you’re able to enjoy the +50% value on travel-related redemption of points that you accumulated even before getting approved for the Chase Sapphire Reserve!
💡 Note: Chase’s Online Pre-Approval Page is available once more! But you can also check your mail or the Chase Mobile App for your pre-approved cards.
