Chase doesn’t publish a minimum credit score for the Chase Freedom Unlimited. Current third-party guidance generally places the card in the good-to-excellent credit range, so a credit score around 690 or higher is a reasonable target before you apply.
Your credit score isn’t the only number that matters. Chase is also known for its unofficial 5/24 rule, which can affect applicants who have opened several credit cards during the past two years. Income, debt, payment history, credit utilization, and recent credit activity can also affect the decision.
For this card, it makes sense to check your recent account history before you spend too much time worrying about whether your credit score is 680, 690, or 700.
Check Your Chase 5/24 Status Before Your Credit Score
The first thing to check is how many credit card accounts you’ve opened during the past 24 months.
Chase doesn’t currently publish its 5/24 rule, but years of applicant reports show that Chase generally declines applicants who have opened five or more credit cards across all issuers within the previous 24 months. The Freedom Unlimited is widely reported to fall under this policy.
The rule isn’t as simple as counting hard inquiries. Chase generally looks at newly opened credit card accounts that appear on your personal credit reports.
Most personal credit cards count. Store credit cards can count too. Many business credit cards don’t count if they don’t appear on your personal credit reports.
Authorized user accounts can complicate the calculation because they may appear on your credit reports even though you aren’t the primary cardholder.
Chase hasn’t published a formal 5/24 policy, and exceptions have been reported. Still, if your credit reports show five or more newly opened credit card accounts during the past 24 months, you should treat that as a major approval obstacle.
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What Credit Score Do You Need for Chase Freedom Unlimited?
A credit score around 690 or higher can put you in a stronger position for the Chase Freedom Unlimited. Some current card reviewers recommend 670 or better, while others use 700 as their benchmark.
None of those numbers comes from Chase.
That means a 688 credit score doesn’t automatically result in a denial, and a 720 credit score doesn’t guarantee approval. Chase can review the rest of your financial and credit profile before it makes a decision.
Someone with a 680 credit score, low debt, a long payment history, and few recent applications may present a better overall profile than someone with a 730 credit score, several new accounts, and high revolving balances.
Think of the high 600s as a reasonable starting range rather than a fixed requirement.
What Else Does Chase Review Before Approving You?
Once your recent account activity is in reasonable shape, the rest of your credit profile becomes more important.
Chase can consider several factors before it approves a new account.
- Payment history: Recent late or missed payments can hurt an otherwise strong application. A long record of on-time payments can strengthen your credit profile.
- Credit utilization: High balances relative to your revolving credit limits can hurt your credit score and suggest that you already depend heavily on credit.
- Income: Chase asks for income on the application. Your income helps Chase assess whether another credit line fits your financial situation.
- Existing debt: Large monthly debt obligations can affect how much additional credit Chase is willing to extend.
- Recent applications: Several hard inquiries or newly opened accounts can weaken an application even when you remain below 5/24.
- Credit history: A longer record of responsible account management gives Chase more information about how you handle credit.
- Existing Chase accounts: Your history with Chase may give the bank additional information about your account management. An existing relationship doesn’t guarantee approval.
No single factor determines the result. Chase can approve two applicants with different credit scores because their full credit profiles differ.
Check for Chase Preapproved Offers Before You Apply
You may be able to check for Chase preapproved or prequalified credit card offers before you submit a full application.
These preliminary checks generally use a soft credit inquiry, so checking for offers doesn’t affect your credit score. Chase may show cards that match its initial review of your credit profile.
The Freedom Unlimited won’t necessarily appear among your offers. A preapproved offer also doesn’t guarantee final approval.
If you decide to submit a formal application, Chase can perform a hard inquiry on your credit report. That inquiry can cause a small temporary change to your credit score.
Checking for offers first can give you another piece of information before you commit to the application.
How to Improve Your Freedom Unlimited Approval Chances
If your credit profile needs work, focus on issues that Chase can see when it reviews your application.
Start with your recent credit card activity and current balances. Then check the rest of your credit reports for problems.
- Count your recent credit cards: Review the past 24 months before you apply. If you’re at or above 5/24, waiting for an older account to fall outside the 24-month window may make more sense than submitting another application.
- Pay down revolving balances: Lower credit card balances can reduce your credit utilization and may help your credit score after the new balances reach the credit bureaus.
- Keep every account current: Pay at least the required amount by every due date. A new late payment can weaken an otherwise improving credit profile.
- Pause unnecessary applications: Avoid opening other credit cards before your Chase application if you’re already close to 5/24.
- Review all three credit reports: Check your credit reports from Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion for incorrect balances, unfamiliar accounts, inaccurate late payments, and other errors.
- Dispute inaccurate information: Contact each credit bureau that displays information you believe is incorrect or incomplete.
You don’t need to carry credit card debt or pay interest to improve your chances. Paying statement balances in full can help you avoid interest while you build a positive payment history.
What You Get if You’re Approved
The Chase Freedom Unlimited has no annual fee and combines a higher base earning rate with several bonus categories.
Current rewards include:
- 5% cash back: Earn 5% on travel purchased through Chase Travel.
- 3% cash back: Earn 3% on dining at restaurants. Eligible takeout and delivery purchases also qualify.
- 3% cash back: Earn 3% at drugstores.
- 1.5% cash back: Earn unlimited 1.5% on other eligible purchases.
- $0 annual fee: There’s no annual fee to keep the card open.
Chase currently also offers a $200 new cardmember bonus after you spend $500 on purchases during the first three months after account opening.
Rewards don’t expire while your account remains open, and Chase doesn’t require a minimum amount before you redeem cash back.
How the 0% Intro APR Works
The Freedom Unlimited currently offers a 0% introductory APR for 15 months from account opening on purchases and balance transfers.
After the introductory period ends, the card switches to its regular variable APR. A balance transfer fee also applies.
The 0% period can help with a planned purchase or qualifying balance transfer, but it doesn’t make the debt disappear. Divide the balance by the number of months left in the promotional period if your goal is to pay it off before interest begins.
Your credit limit matters here too. A large purchase can push your credit utilization higher even when the purchase itself isn’t accruing interest during the introductory period.
Freedom Unlimited Rewards Can Become More Flexible With Another Chase Card
The Freedom Unlimited is marketed as a cash back card, but Chase tracks the rewards as Ultimate Rewards points.
On its own, the Freedom Unlimited doesn’t let you transfer those points directly to Chase airline and hotel partners.
That changes if you also have an eligible Chase card with transfer access, such as the Chase Sapphire Preferred, Chase Sapphire Reserve, or Ink Business Preferred.
Chase generally lets you combine points between eligible accounts that you own. You can move Freedom Unlimited points to an eligible account and then use that card’s transfer options.
This can make the Freedom Unlimited more useful for someone who already uses Chase travel rewards. The card can earn 1.5 points per dollar on purchases that don’t fall into a higher bonus category, while an eligible premium Chase card can provide access to transfer partners.
You don’t need another Chase card to get value from the Freedom Unlimited. You can still redeem its rewards for cash back without one.
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Is the Chase Freedom Unlimited Hard to Get?
The Freedom Unlimited isn’t designed as a starter card for someone with poor credit. A credit score in the high 600s or better gives you a more realistic starting point, and a longer credit history can help.
The bigger issue for some applicants is recent credit card activity.
Someone with an excellent credit score who has opened several cards recently may have a harder time than someone with a lower credit score and a quieter credit report. That’s why your 5/24 count deserves attention before you focus on small differences in your credit score.
If you’re below 5/24, have good credit, keep your revolving balances low, and have a clean payment history, your overall profile is more likely to fit what Chase looks for in a Freedom Unlimited applicant.
There’s still no credit score that guarantees approval. Check your recent accounts, review your credit reports, and look for preapproved offers before you submit the full application.
