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Did you get denied for a Chase credit card that you had your eye on?

Don’t worry, you might be able to change that.

Getting that rejection letter isn’t the end of the road. Some Chase credit cards are pretty hard to get and have a fairly high rejection rate but getting rejected once doesn’t mean you can’t get that card. You can actually call the Chase reconsideration line and ask for your application to be reviewed again. With a bit of persuasion, you have a good shot at changing their mind.

If you’ve never done this before, don’t just call the reconsideration line without preparing what you’re going to say. Here’s who to call and what to say when you get denied after submitting a credit card application.

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Find Out Why You Were Denied

A credit card application can be denied for any number of reasons. Your credit score or income could be too low or your credit history too new. The reason could also be your age of accounts, with too many new accounts reflecting poorly on your creditworthiness. Excessive hard inquiries alone can lead to rejection, even if you haven’t actually opened many new accounts.

Negative marks on your credit such as delinquencies, collections accounts, and bankruptcies can also cause a lender to turn you away. A history of late or missed payments also makes your application less likely to be approved.

And if you have opened too many new credit accounts in the past six or twelve months, that’s another valid reason to be denied. For example, Chase may reject a new credit card application if you have opened two or more cards with them in the past year.

Like a lot of banks, Chase mostly follows the 5/24 rule. If you’ve opened five or more new credit card accounts in the past 24 months, you are not likely to be approved for another.

Generally, Chase will tell you why they’ve turned down your application. If they don’t, you can try to call and ask or otherwise review your credit report to try to find out for yourself.

You’ll need a good idea of why your application was rejected before going onto the next step.

Who to Call?

The first step is to find out if you should call Chase, because you might not need to. The process for initially reviewing Chase credit card applications is automated, so you may not get auto-approved even if you qualify and eventually get approval.

If you don’t get approved right away, that doesn’t necessarily mean you need to call to make your case. There are a few different scenarios where you may apply and not hear back right away.

In the event that your application isn’t auto approved, you may receive a letter from Chase stating that it was neither approved nor denied. This message will also state that Chase will get back to you with a final decision within 30 days and ask you not to resubmit your application until you have received a follow-up message.

You can call the number 1-800-432-3117 to find out the status of your application while you wait, but this is an automated line that will just tell you how much time you have left to wait. If it tells you two weeks, this is a good sign that you’re in the process of being approved. If it tells you between seven and 10 days, this is a good sign that you’re in the process of being denied (but these are not hard and fast rules).

If you do receive official notice that your application has been denied, it will be accompanied with a reason why. This is the point where you can think about calling for reconsideration.

Chase has a designated phone line you can call with questions about your personal credit card application and that phone number is 1-888-270-2127. Call this number between 8 am and 10 pm Monday through Friday or between 8 am and 8 pm Saturday and Sunday to reach a live representative.

There is a separate line for business credit cards and that number is 1-800-453-9719. This number is open from 1 pm through 10 pm Monday through Friday only.

When you call these numbers, an agent will manually review your application and reconsider as if you had just applied. They may tell you that you don’t qualify now but you will soon or that you don’t qualify and what you can work on to improve your application.

How to Prepare

You’re almost ready to call for reconsideration. Before you reach out, there are a few things you can do to make your application more solid and give yourself a better chance of success with a reconsideration agent.

Spend Responsibly

The first is to use your other credit cards wisely. If you are carrying high balances on all of your existing cards and close to the top of your limit, this may not look good when you ask for reconsideration because it shows that you already have a lot of debt, and they might assume you’re struggling to repay it.

Start paying off your cards and make sure you are making at least your minimum payments on time. This can decrease your credit utilization to make your debt-to-income ratio more favorable. And be sure to pay all of your other bills on time as well.

Lower Your Credit Limits

Maybe you feel that your combined credit limit is as high as it can reasonably be given your age and income. You may be at the top of what you qualify for, and that could be part of the reason your latest application was denied even if you don’t ever borrow at the top of your limit. If this is the case, you can call your other credit issuers and request to have your other limits lowered. Many are more than willing to grant this request.

Doing this with credit cards you don’t use often can be a good strategy in some cases. It is not recommended to close cards you’re not using because this can give you shorter overall credit history. Just be aware that lowering your limit can negatively impact your credit score by increasing your credit utilization ratio, which you generally want to keep down.

With that said, if doing so means you get approved for this new Chase card, your limit will go back up (maybe not quite to what it was before, but up) and your credit utilization ratio should decrease again, so the negative impacts should be temporary or minimal.

Look for Errors in Your Report

Another thing you can do to potentially help your chances is to study your credit report yourself. If you spot any inaccuracies or errors, report them right away to the three major credit bureaus.

These could be negatively impacting your credit score, and getting errors resolved can help with your application. This is a good habit to get into anyway. A credit dispute usually takes about a month to be resolved, so hold off on calling Chase until this is handled.

Improve Your Credit

If your credit is really poor or you have very little history, you might want to work on that for a while before you call the Chase reconsideration line. You can ask somebody to add you as an authorized user to an existing credit card or open a secured credit card to build credit and improve your score, but this can take time.

Call for Reconsideration

You can call for reconsideration after taking the above steps to clean up your application and/or credit. Generally, you should call within 30 days of submitting your initial application to have it reconsidered.

Having your application reconsidered does not require another hard credit pull, but reapplying does. It also does not cost you anything to call.

What to Say

What to say when you call the Chase reconsideration phone line depends on why you were denied. Certain reasons may make you more or less likely to be successful when asking for reconsideration.

Bankruptcies and charge-offs, for example, are taken seriously and may disqualify you regardless of negotiation. But if the issue is that your income is too low or your credit history is too limited, you may be able to talk your way into approval.

Sometimes, having your application reconsidered means negotiating the terms. You may have to compromise on a few things. Here are a few example scenarios where you might be approved after asking for reconsideration:

1. They may approve you for a lower credit limit than you hoped for.
2. They may approve you for this new card if you agree to move some or all of your credit from another Chase credit card (or cards) to this new account.
3. They may approve you if you agree to cosign for the new credit card with another creditworthy individual who will be responsible for paying the bill if you are not able.

Alternatively, the representative may analyze your application and find that it’s not been completed properly. If this is the case, they’ll just ask you to fill out any responses left blank and can probably tell you after this if you will be approved.

Remember that these are humans handling reconsideration cases. Be prepared for back and forth and to explain yourself as many times as needed, potentially to multiple people if another representative or manager gets involved. This process can take a while, depending on how complicated your case is. Being kind and patient will go a long way and could mean the difference between approval and denial after reconsideration.

You should be prepared with details about:

1. when you applied and
2. when you were denied.

This will help the person assisting you to find your account. By the end of the phone call, you should know if your application has been approved or denied. If denied, the agent may give you suggestions for building a stronger application, if you ask nicely.

What to Do If You Are Denied After Reconsideration

If you apply for reconsideration and are denied again, wait at least six months before reapplying. You don’t want to add another hard inquiry to your account too soon and risk rejection for no reason.

But while you wait, you can certainly call back and try for reconsideration again. The second representative you speak to could be more willing to approve your application, or they could tell you that the answer is the same.

There is no limit to how many times you can call, but keep in mind that your past responses will be recorded, and your reconsideration case will eventually be closed. Start working on your credit as early as possible in this process.

Or you may just decide that it’s not worth calling again for reconsideration. If Chase rejects you for this card with a resounding “no,” it’s time to think about your other options. Maybe you don’t need a new credit card just yet or you feel confident you can get one with another bank.

And if you ever have to request reconsideration again, you’ll be better prepared for it.

Final Thoughts

Going through the process of applying for a new credit card just to get rejected is disappointing, to say the least, but it doesn’t mean that you’ve been denied for good. If you have the time and it’s worth it to you to get this card, you can always call Chase to request reconsideration.

This will entail a live representative going over your application and discussing it with you. This is your chance to persuade them why you qualify for the card. Before calling, get ready to make your case and be prepared to defend your spending and borrowing habits, if needed. It may be worth calling for reconsideration if you feel that you were wrongly denied.

✈️ Looking for a new travel credit card this year? See today’s top offers below:

• Best Travel Rewards Credit Cards
• Best Airlines Credit Cards
• Best Hotel Credit Cards
• Best Business Credit Cards
• Best Cash Back Credit Cards
• Best Overall in 2022