How to check your credit score with Chase Sapphire® credit cards
Quick insights
- You can check your credit score by enrolling in Chase Credit Journey®.
- It can be important to monitor your credit score and look for ways to help improve it.
- With a higher credit score, you may have access to cards with more premium rewards and better rates.
Whether you have a Chase Sapphire Reserve® or Chase Sapphire Preferred® credit card, you may be wondering how to check your credit score. In this article, we’ll review how you can check your credit score as a Chase Sapphire cardmember and the importance of understanding your score.
Introduction to checking your credit score with Chase Sapphire credit cards
Checking your credit score can help you make more informed financial decisions. Let’s review how to check your credit score below.
How to check your credit score with Chase Sapphire credit cards
There are a few ways you can check your credit score as a Chase Sapphire cardmember. Let’s break down the steps on how to check your score using Chase Credit Journey below:
Step 1. Enroll in Chase Credit Journey. This is a free online tool anyone can use to check their credit score with no impact. You can join Credit Journey even if you’re not a Chase customer.
Step 2. Once enrolled, you can view your free credit score and credit report, which is provided by Experian™, within the platform. Credit Journey is accessible both on mobile and desktop.
Additionally, you may access a free credit report by requesting it from the credit bureaus. You are entitled to a free credit report from each bureau every year. You can request a free copy of your annual report by going to https://www.annualcreditreport.com/index.action.
Credit score required for Chase Sapphire cards
Whether you’re applying for a Chase Sapphire Reserve or Preferred card, your credit score is one of the many factors typically considered when determining your approval and rates. The higher your score, the better your chances are for approval. Note, however, that credit scores are just one factor—other items such as your debt-to-income ratio and employment history may also be considered.
In general, having a good credit score can be helpful when applying for a line of credit. That’s why improving your score before applying for a new card can help you with the approval process.
Importance of monitoring your credit score
Monitoring your credit score is a healthy financial habit. It can help you make more informed financial decisions and give you an idea of certain financial products for which you may qualify. It can also help you identify inaccuracies or potential fraudulent activity. If there’s been fraud, you can report this to the credit bureau(s). What’s more, if you see a sudden decrease in your score, this could indicate a shift in your financial behavior that you may want to address.
If you want help staying on top of your credit, Credit Journey® offers credit monitoring and identity monitoring alerts. You can sign up for these when you enroll to stay informed about your credit activity and if your personal information was found compromised.
What to look out for when you enroll
When you enroll in Credit Journey, you will be able to view your credit score and credit report. Your credit score provides a bird's eye view of your credit behavior and creditworthiness. Your credit report includes a more detailed description of the following:
- Payment history—your ability to make your payments in a timely manner.
- Credit utilization ratio—the amount of credit you use against your total available credit.
- Length of credit history—the history of lines of credit you have and how long you’ve kept lines of credit opened.
- Credit mix—the diversity of the lines of credit you have (for example, mortgages and credit cards).
- New credit inquiries—these include applications for new lines of credit, such as credit cards.
Paying attention to these factors can allow you to you make adjustments to your credit habits and potentially help improve your score. For example, if you lower your credit utilization ratio to 30% or less, you may be able to raise your score.
How to help improve and maintain your credit score
Whether you’re looking to get a new card and want to raise your score before applying or are just trying to improve your overall financial wellness, there are several ways you can help improve and protect your score. These include, but are not limited to:
- Maintaining a low credit utilization ratio (as mentioned earlier, about 30% or less).
- Consistently paying down debts to help lower your debt-to-income ratio.
- Monitoring your credit score and your credit report.
- Making your credit card payments on time.
When monitoring your credit report, you may want to stay on the lookout for negative marks, inaccuracies and other discrepancies. This is a proactive way to help keep your score safe or maybe detect fraud earlier.
Chase Sapphire benefits
Having a Chase Sapphire Preferred or Reserve card can complement your lifestyle depending on your spending habits and your ability to manage credit wisely. These cards come with various benefits, such as:
- Welcome bonus offers
- Food delivery through a complimentary DashPass membership
- Transferrable points to travel partners
- 3x points on dining, redeemable through the Chase Ultimate Rewards program
It’s always important to read all the terms and conditions that apply to your card benefits. Plus, please note that both Sapphire cards come with an annual fee.
Conclusion
Regardless of which credit card you have, you can check your credit score any time and for free after you enroll in Credit Journey. Checking your credit score regularly is a good way to build healthy financial habits. As you track and hopefully improve your credit score over time, you may find that you have access to more financial opportunities, such as credit cards with better perks and rewards.
No matter what score you have now, monitoring it and working towards improving it are an important part of helping build a credit profile.
