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Chase Freedom Unlimited, a long-time favorite of cashback cardholders, maintains its popularity with solid cashback bonus categories and a host of additional benefits. If you are interested in getting it, you need to qualify first. Chase, like most other banks, considers your credit score as one of the factors in evaluating your application.
If you don’t belong to a club with an 800+ credit score, you may be asking yourself, “What credit score do I need for the Chase Freedom Unlimited card?” Don’t be afraid. While you’ll need good credit to qualify, it’s not as exclusive as some of the other options in the Chase reward card line.
What credit score do I need to get Chase Freedom Unlimited?
To qualify for the Chase Freedom Unlimited card, you will need good credit or higher. This equates to a credit score of at least 670.
This is much more achievable than some of the other Chase credit cards. For example, the Chase Sapphire Reserve card—her most fashionable luxury card—requires a credit score of at least 740.
How can I improve my score to receive this card?
If your credit score is not yet high enough to qualify for the Chase Freedom Unlimited card, there are a few steps you can take to improve your credit score:
- Check your credit report. There are often mistakes in credit reports, and they are not always in your favor. You can request one free copy of your credit report per year from each of the three credit bureaus at Annualcreditreport.com. If you find any errors, you may correct them before submitting your application.
- Get a secure credit card. Think of a secured credit card as a starting point. They are available to almost anyone if you make a refundable deposit. In turn, they will help you improve your credit score so you can apply for other top cards like Chase Freedom Unlimited later.
- Pay off other credit card debt. The amount of your credit card debt (especially in relation to your credit limit) has a big impact on your credit score. If you have credit card debt now, you may see an increase right away if you can pay off some of it.
- Ask for a higher credit limit on your other credit cards. If you have other credit cards with balances on them, call those banks and ask for a higher credit limit. This gives the impression that you are using a smaller percentage of your available credit, which can positively impact your score. But remember, don’t run out of new credit limit or you’ll end up in the same place as before.
In most cases, creating a credit score is a longer process. You should always do the following:
- Track changes in your credit score. Sign up for a free credit score monitoring service to see how your credit score is growing in real time. These services often break down your credit score for you so you know which specific factors to focus on, which is very helpful.
- Make all payments on time. This has the biggest impact on your credit score. Even one late payment can significantly lower your bill. To be on the safe side, you can set all your bills to autopay so you never forget to make a payment.
- Keep your old free credit cards open. As long as you don’t have to pay an annual fee, keep your old credit cards open even if you don’t use them all the time. This increases the average age of your account and maintains a longer credit history, which can help improve your credit score. Remember to use your old cards from time to time to prevent them from closing.
What can I do if Chase rejects my application?
If you haven’t been approved for Chase Freedom Unlimited, don’t panic. It is not a reflection of who you are as a person, and it may even be a mistake.
By law, if Chase or another issuer rejects your loan application, they have 60 days to tell you why. You have the right to request a reason. If an issuer rejects your application because of your credit score, then a few things open up for you. Chase will have to tell you what your credit score is and where it came from. You then have the right to receive a copy of your credit report to ensure it is accurate. If this is not the case, you can correct your credit file and ask Chase to review your card application.
Finally, if Chase turned you down because of your creditworthiness, and that’s for sure, you still have options. If you follow the steps above to improve your credit score, you will be able to reapply as soon as you feel you are more likely to qualify with a good or excellent credit history.
bottom line
Your credit score. the need for Chase Freedom Unlimited is not as high as some of the other Chase cards, but you will likely need a credit score of 670 or higher. If you get rejected, you can always work on building up your credit in the meantime and reapply for Chase Freedom Unlimited later.
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