We recommend the Chase Freedom Rise® as one of the easiest Chase cards to get approved for, thanks to its more lenient credit requirements. But if you already have good credit, consider applying for better rewards cards like the Chase Freedom Unlimited® and Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card.
Regardless of the card you apply for, keep in mind that Chase considers various factors in addition to your credit score when deciding your creditworthiness. This means that your credit score alone doesn’t guarantee approval.
Let’s explore the easiest Chase credit cards to get approved for so you can find the best option for you.
Key takeaways
- Most Chase credit cards require at least a good credit score to get approved, but the Chase Freedom Rise has less strict credit requirements.
- The Chase Freedom Rise has a $0 annual fee and offers 1.5% cash back on all purchases. You can improve your approval odds for the Freedom Rise if you have a Chase checking or savings account with a balance of at least $250.
- The Chase Freedom Unlimited has a $0 annual fee and provides 6.5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 4.5% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service and 3% cash back on all other purchases (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year). After your first year or $20,000 spent, earn 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service and unlimited 1.5% cash back on all other purchases.
- The Chase Sapphire Preferred has a $95 annual fee and provides multiple travel benefits, including a 25% bonus to travel redemptions made through Chase Travel℠. That means 10,000 points would give you $125 value.
Some of the easiest Chase credit cards to get
- Chase Freedom Rise®
- Chase Freedom Unlimited®
- Ink Business Cash® Credit Card
- Chase Slate Edge℠
- Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
Compare the easiest Chase credit cards to get
Credit card | Main benefits | Recommended credit | Annual fee |
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Fair, Bad | $0 |
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Excellent, Good | $0 |
Ink Business Cash® Credit Card
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Excellent, Good | $0 |
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Excellent, Good | $0 |
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
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Excellent, Good | $95 |
Chase Freedom Rise®
- $0 annual fee
- Less strict credit requirements compared to other Chase products
- Simple rewards rate
- 3% foreign transaction fees
The Chase Freedom Rise makes sense if you want to use a Chase credit card to build your credit history.
Why we like Chase Freedom Rise
As a new cardholder, you can earn a $25 statement credit for enrolling in automatic payments within the first three months of account opening. You can also earn 1.5% cash back on all purchases.
Even better, the Chase Freedom Rise has a $0 annual fee and less strict credit requirements compared to most other Chase cards. And you can improve your chances of getting approved if you have a Chase checking or savings account with a balance of at least $250.
What we don’t like about Chase Freedom Rise
It’s not the best card for international travel since you have to pay 3% foreign transaction fees on applicable purchases outside the U.S.
Learn more in our Chase Freedom Rise credit card review.
Chase Freedom Unlimited®
- $0 annual fee
- Intro APR offers on purchases and balance transfers
- Foreign transaction fees (3% of each transaction in U.S. dollars)
The Chase Freedom Unlimited makes sense if you want to take advantage of multiple intro APR offers and a simple rewards rate combined with useful spending categories.
Why we like Chase Freedom Unlimited
It has a $0 annual fee along with an excellent welcome offer and rewards rate:
- Welcome offer: Earn an extra 1.5% on everything you buy (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year).
- Rewards rate: Earn 6.5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 4.5% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service and 3% cash back on all other purchases (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year). After your first year or $20,000 spent, earn 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service and unlimited 1.5% cash back on all other purchases.
You can also take advantage of intro APR offers on purchases and balance transfers:
- Intro APR on purchases: 0% intro APR for 15 months on purchases (then 19.99% - 28.74% Variable).
- Intro APR on balance transfers: 0% intro APR for 15 months on balance transfers (then 19.99% - 28.74% Variable).
What we don’t like about Chase Freedom Unlimited
There are better cards available if you frequently travel abroad. That’s because you have to pay 3% of each transaction in U.S. dollars on foreign purchases.
Learn more in our Chase Freedom Unlimited review.
During the holiday season, I used my Chase Freedom Unlimited for all the gifts, groceries, and other purchases I made, which earned me at least 1.5% cash back in the form of Ultimate Rewards points. Later on, I used the Chase Trifecta strategy by transferring the points I accumulated to my Chase Sapphire Preferred. Then, I redeemed them for a $200 flight via the Chase travel portal, earning a 25% bonus in the process. This meant that I only used 16,000 points for the flight.
Ink Business Cash® Credit Card
- $0 annual fee
- Common business spending categories
- Intro APR offer on purchases
- Foreign transaction fees (3% of each transaction in U.S. dollars)
The Ink Business Cash is one of our favorite business credit cards because of its valuable spending categories for small business owners.
Why we like Ink Business Cash
It has a $0 annual fee and provides great earning potential with a welcome offer and bonus categories:
- Welcome offer: Earn $350 when you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first three months and an additional $400 when you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first six months after account opening.
- Rewards rate: Earn 5% cash back on the first $25,000 spent in combined purchases at office supply stores and on internet, cable and phone services each account anniversary year; 2% cash back on the first $25,000 spent in combined purchases at gas stations and restaurants each account anniversary year; and 1% cash back on all other purchases.
The rewards rate is one of the highest available for categories that align with many common types of business purchases.
You can also take advantage of an intro APR offer on purchases. You can receive 0% intro APR for 12 months on purchases (then 17.99% - 25.99% Variable).
What we don’t like about Ink Business Cash
You have to pay 3% of each transaction in U.S. dollars on foreign purchases. If you don’t want foreign transaction fees, consider pairing the Ink Business Cash with the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card.
Learn more in our Chase Ink Business Cash review.
Chase Slate Edge℠
- $0 annual fee
- Long intro APR offers on purchases and balance transfers
- No rewards program
- Foreign transaction fees (3% of each transaction in U.S. dollars)
The Chase Slate Edge makes sense if you want to take advantage of excellent intro APR offers on purchases and balance transfers.
Why we like Chase Slate Edge
It has a $0 annual fee and offers two intro APR offers:
- Intro APR on purchases: 0% intro APR for 18 months on purchases (then 19.99% - 28.74% Variable).
- Intro APR on balance transfers: 0% intro APR for 18 months on balance transfers (then 19.99% - 28.74% Variable).
The Slate Edge provides introductory APR periods that are longer than average, giving you the opportunity to avoid interest for more time.
What we don’t like about Chase Slate Edge
You can’t earn rewards with the Chase Slate Edge and you have to pay foreign transaction fees on applicable purchases that you make abroad.
Learn more in our Chase Slate Edge review.
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
- Up to a $50 Statement credits each account anniversary for hotel stays through Chase Travel℠
- 25% more value when redeeming points for travel through Chase Travel℠
- No foreign transaction fees
- $95 annual fee
- No intro APR offers
The Chase Sapphire Preferred is an excellent rewards card packed with travel benefits. It’s widely considered to be one of the best Chase credit cards available.
Why we like Chase Sapphire Preferred
It provides a generous welcome offer and valuable rewards:
- Welcome offer: Earn 60,000 bonus points after $4,000 in purchases in your first 3 months from account opening (that's worth $750 when redeemed through Chase Travel). Plus, get up to $300 in statement credits on Chase Travel purchases within your first year.
- Rewards rate: Earn 5X points on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠; 3X points on dining, select streaming services, and online groceries; 2X points on all other travel purchases, and 1X points on all other purchases.
You can also take advantage of multiple travel benefits:
- Hotel credit: Earn up to $50 in statement credits each account anniversary year for hotel stays purchased through Chase Travel℠.
- Bonus redemption value: Receive 25% more value when you redeem points for travel through Chase Travel℠. Potential travel redemptions include flights, hotel stays, car rentals, experiences, and more.
- Transfer partners: Transfer your points to loads of airline and hotel travel partners, including Southwest Airlines, United, and World of Hyatt.
On top of that, Sapphire Preferred cardmembers don’t have to pay foreign transaction fees on applicable purchases.
What we don’t like about Chase Sapphire Preferred
You have to pay $95 each year as a cardholder. There also aren’t any intro APR offers, a perk typically missing on travel credit cards.
Learn more in our Chase Sapphire Preferred review.
How to choose a Chase credit card
Consider these factors to compare Chase credit cards and find the best option for you.
1. Eligibility requirements
Chase cards generally require a good or excellent credit score to be approved. That’s at least a 670 on the FICO scoring model. Note that the Chase Freedom Rise has less strict requirements, so you could qualify with a fair or bad credit score. That makes it a good card to get started with if you’re a credit card beginner or new to the Chase bank ecosystem.
Keep in mind
Most credit card issuers — including Discover, Citi, Capital One, and American Express — use multiple factors to determine your creditworthiness. That could include your credit score, credit report history, and information about your income on your credit card application.2. Stress-free usage
If you want a card that’s easy to use, consider no-annual-fee Chase cards. Since there’s no annual cost to worry about, you only have to concentrate on paying off your balance each month.
Remember that cards with annual fees tend to have more benefits. But for a card to be worth holding onto, you would need to get enough value from a card’s benefits to offset the annual cost.
3. Earning potential
Most Chase rewards credit cards earn Chase Ultimate Rewards points. These are flexible rewards that can be redeemed for a variety of options, including travel and cash back.
But each Chase credit card earns rewards in slightly different ways. Depending on your spending habits, you might prefer a card with a simple rewards rate or a card with spending categories.
A simple rewards rate might look like at least 1.5% back on all eligible purchases. Spending categories could include 3% back on dining and gas purchases. Simple rates are easier to handle, but bonus categories could help you maximize your earning potential.
4. Redemption options
You can redeem Chase Ultimate Rewards points for travel through the Chase travel portal, cash back, gift cards, and purchases at Amazon.com. Certain Chase cards, including the Chase Sapphire Preferred, also provide an option to transfer points to travel partners.
For cards like the Chase Slate Edge, which has no rewards program, you don’t have any redemption options.
5. Perks and benefits
Chase credit cards typically come packed with benefits. That could include purchase protection, extended warranty coverage, and different types of travel insurance.
Chase travel cards tend to have additional travel-related benefits. Depending on the card, you might have airport lounge access, annual travel credit, or a bonus to Chase Ultimate Rewards travel redemptions.
FAQ
What credit score is needed for a Chase credit card?
These are the general credit recommendations for popular Chase credit cards:
- Chase Freedom Rise®: Fair, Bad
- Chase Freedom Unlimited®: Excellent, Good
- Chase Freedom Flex®: Excellent, Good
- Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card: Excellent, Good
- Chase Sapphire Reserve®: Excellent
- Chase Slate Edge℠: Excellent, Good
- Ink Business Cash® Credit Card: Excellent, Good
- Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card: Excellent, Good
- Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card: Excellent, Good
- Ink Business Premier® Credit Card: Excellent, Good
A fair score is at least 580 on the FICO scoring model, while a good score is at least 670.
How long does it take to get a credit card from Chase?
Chase provides instant decisions for many applicants and a physical card can arrive in the mail within seven to 10 business days if you’re approved. Keep in mind that in some cases, your application may require further review before you receive a decision.
Can I use a Chase credit card anywhere?
Chase credit cards can be used just about anywhere credit cards are accepted. That’s because Chase uses the Visa and Mastercard credit card networks, which are accepted in over 200 countries and territories around the world. Keep in mind that some cards might charge foreign transaction fees for purchases made in other countries.
Easiest Chase credit card to get: bottom line
The Chase Freedom Rise is one of the easiest Chase credit cards to qualify for because of its less strict credit requirements. But if you already have a good credit score, you could qualify for many different Chase credit cards, including the Chase Freedom Unlimited and Chase Sapphire Preferred.
For more of our top recommendations, compare credit cards to find the right credit card offer for you.
Methodology
To identify the easiest Chase credit card to get, we evaluated a range of options based on several factors. These included recommended credit scores, annual fees, and additional benefits such as rewards rates and welcome offers.
Then, we compiled a list of the easiest Chase credit cards to get. It’s important to note that our list is not ranked in any specific order and is not meant to be a complete list of all available options. Instead, our recommendations are intended to serve as a starting point for individuals researching Chase credit cards that align with their specific preferences and needs.