Chase Military Benefits: SCRA & MLA Credit Card Fee Waivers
No retail discount — but covered active-duty members and spouses reportedly pay $0 annual fees on personal Chase cards under the MLA, and pre-service accounts get reported 4% APR relief under the SCRA. Here’s how each track works.
Chase doesn’t offer a “military discount” — no promo code, no percent-off. What it offers is worth far more: under the Military Lending Act, active-duty servicemembers and their spouses who open a personal Chase credit card reportedly pay $0 in annual fees — even on the $795 Sapphire Reserve — automatically, confirmed by a letter Chase mails after approval. And under the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act, Chase is consistently reported to go beyond the law’s 6% cap: 4% APR on eligible pre-service balances plus waived fees, through active duty and up to a year after.
One honest caveat: Chase publishes the process — its SCRA page and the Chase Military Services line, 1-877-469-0110 — but not the numbers. The $0-fee and 4% figures come from Chase’s mailed benefit letters and independent military-finance reporting, and this guide labels them that way. Which track you’re on comes down to one thing: when you opened the account. During covered service → MLA, automatic. Before active duty → SCRA, by request.
This is an independent guide. NavyWeek is not affiliated with JPMorgan Chase; Chase sets its terms and can change them, and eligibility is defined by federal law and Department of Defense records.
Opens chase.com · Eligibility set by federal law + Department of Defense records
Chase Military Discount — Key Facts
- Benefit
- No retail discount or code. $0 annual fee on personal cards (MLA, reported/letter-confirmed) + reported 4% APR & fee relief on pre-service accounts (SCRA; 6% statutory floor)
- Verification
- DoD MLA database, checked by Chase at application (MLA); document review via secure message/mail/phone (SCRA). No ID.me, SheerID, or GovX
- Who qualifies
- Active duty; Guard/Reserve on 30+ day orders; spouses/dependents (MLA). Pre-service accounts of activated members (SCRA)
- Not eligible
- Veterans/retirees not on active duty (card fees return); business cards (no MLA fee waiver)
- Where applied
- Directly on the Chase account — no store, no portal, no code
- MLA vs SCRA
- One per account, decided by the account-open date; MLA automatic, SCRA requested
- Contact
- Chase Military Services 1-877-469-0110 (Mon–Fri 8am–9pm ET); 1-318-340-3308 overseas
- Region
- United States
Source: Chase — SCRA | Military (official: request channels, PO Box, phone numbers, eligibility wording) · Last verified: July 19, 2026
The timing play: open the premium card you actually want while you’re covered
MLA coverage — not a coupon — is what makes Chase’s lineup effectively free, and it only applies to cards opened during covered service.
- Apply for the personal Chase card you actually want while on active duty (or as a DEERS-listed military spouse) — the annual fee is reportedly adjusted to $0 automatically, even on the $795 Sapphire Reserve, and Chase mails a benefits letter confirming it.
- Both spouses apply separately — each covered borrower’s own card is reportedly fee-waived and each account earns its own welcome bonus; don’t settle for authorized-user status.
- File SCRA on older accounts you held before activating — the reported result is 4% APR plus fee relief, on top of the statutory 6% cap with excess interest forgiven.
The $0-fee and 4% figures are Chase practice as reported and letter-confirmed, not published chase.com terms. Coverage ends with covered-borrower status — separated members report fees returning within roughly 1–2 years, so never plan around a grace period.
BEST SAVINGS PATH
The smartest route depends on your situation. Answer the question to find your best path, or scan the full decision table below.
Find your best path
1. Did you open the card before you went on active duty?
It comes down to the account-open date. Opened the card BEFORE active duty → file an SCRA request (statutory 6% cap; Chase reportedly applies 4% plus fee relief). Applying now while active-duty or as a military spouse → the MLA reportedly zeroes the annual fee automatically, letter-confirmed. Veterans and retirees not on active duty get no ongoing card waiver — the benefit they keep is the Premier Plus Checking $25/month fee waiver.
Pre-service accounts get the statutory 6% cap with excess interest forgiven — and Chase is consistently reported to go to 4% APR plus fee relief — but only after you file the request (secure message SCRA dropdown, mail, or 1-877-469-0110) while on active duty or within 180 days of release.
A personal Chase card opened while you’re a covered borrower (active duty, 30+ day Guard/Reserve orders, or a military spouse/dependent) reportedly has its fee adjusted to $0 automatically, confirmed by a mailed benefits letter — nothing to request, no code.
| Path | Stack | Effective price | You save | Best when |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MLA — $0 fee (automatic, per reports) | Card opened while a covered borrower (active duty, Guard/Reserve on 30+ day orders, spouse/dependent); account opened on/after Oct 3, 2017 | $0 annual fee (authorized-user fee also reported waived) | $795/yr (+$195 per authorized user) every year you remain covered | You’re serving now (or a military spouse) and applying for a new card. |
| SCRA — reported 4% + fee relief (request required) | Card opened before active duty; relief requested via secure message, mail, or 1-877-469-0110 | $0 fees during relief period (per reports) + 4% APR on eligible balances (6% statutory floor) | Annual fee + interest above 4% on pre-service balances; reported to run through active duty + up to 1 year after | You held the card before going on active duty and then activated. |
| No relief — veteran / retiree not on active duty | Not applicable | $795 published fee | $0 on cards (checking: Premier Plus’s $25/mo fee still waived for veterans = $300/yr) | N/A — outside covered service, standard card terms apply; weigh the card like any civilian. |
WHO QUALIFIES
Chase has no retail military discount or promo code; it honors two federal laws — the Military Lending Act, under which covered active-duty members and spouses who open personal Chase cards reportedly pay $0 in annual fees automatically (confirmed by a mailed benefits letter), and the SCRA, under which Chase is consistently reported to reduce pre-service accounts to 4% APR with fees waived, by request.
- Active-duty members (Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, Space Force) — MLA covers cards opened during service; SCRA covers pre-service accounts.
- National Guard and Reserve on active orders of 30+ days — MLA covered borrowers while activated; Chase’s SCRA page names “a member of the National Guard or reserve… called to active duty.”
- Military spouses and dependents (DEERS-listed) — MLA-covered on their own personal cards; Chase screens the applicant’s SSN against the Department of Defense database.
- Veterans and retirees not on active duty — no ongoing card fee waiver; statutory SCRA claims close 180 days after release. Premier Plus Checking’s $25/month fee waiver does include veterans (with DD-214, VA ID, or similar proof).
- Business cards — excluded from the MLA fee waiver (consumer credit only).
| Audience | Discount |
|---|---|
| Cards opened DURING covered service (MLA — active duty, Guard/Reserve on 30+ day orders, spouses/dependents)Chase checks DoD records at account opening and mails a benefits letter confirming the adjustment — including on the $795 Sapphire Reserve. Not published on chase.com; letter-confirmed and consistently reported. | $0 annual fee (automatic, per reports) |
| Cards opened BEFORE active duty (SCRA)The statutory floor is a 6% cap — with fees counting as interest under the statute — and excess forgiven; Chase is consistently reported to go to 4% and waive/credit fees, through active duty and up to one year after. Request via secure message, mail, or 1-877-469-0110. | Reported 4% APR + fee relief (by request) |
| Veterans / retirees not on active dutyThe honest fine print: card fees return after coverage ends. The benefit veterans do keep, published on chase.com: Premier Plus Checking’s $25 monthly service fee waived ($300/year). | No card fee waiver — standard $795 fee on the Sapphire Reserve |
HOW TO REDEEM
Online at www.chase.com
- MLA — apply for any personal Chase card as normalThere is no military application page and no code. Chase checks your SSN against the Department of Defense MLA database at account opening — spouses are in the same system via DEERS. Unsure of your status? Self-check at mla.dmdc.osd.mil first.
- MLA — the fee is adjusted to $0 automatically (letter-confirmed)If you’re a covered borrower, the annual fee is reportedly adjusted to $0 automatically and Chase mails a benefits letter confirming it. Nothing to request. Questions go to Chase Military Services at 1-877-469-0110.
- SCRA — request relief on a card you held before active dutyLog in at chase.com/securemessages → New Message → choose “Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA)” from the dropdown, and attach electronic copies of your active-duty orders (photos are discouraged as unclear).
- SCRA — or file by mail or phoneMail: Chase, Attn: SCRA Request, PO Box 183240, Columbus, OH 43218-3240. Or call 1-877-469-0110 (Mon–Fri, 8am–9pm ET; 1-318-340-3308 overseas). Reported result: 4% APR on eligible balances plus fees waived or credited, through active duty and up to one year after.
- SCRA — know the statutory floor and deadlineRegardless of Chase’s reported practice, federal law caps pre-service interest at 6% with the excess forgiven. Request relief while on active duty or within 180 days of release.
HOW IT WORKS
The MLA track is the one that matters if you’re applying now. Chase checks applicants against the Department of Defense MLA database at account opening, and for covered borrowers — active duty, Guard/Reserve on 30+ day orders, and their spouses and dependents — the annual fee on personal credit cards is reportedly adjusted to $0, including the $795 Sapphire Reserve and its co-brand lineup (Southwest, United, Marriott, Hyatt, IHG, and more; there is no published card list, but reporting is consistent that the policy is card-agnostic across the personal lineup, with authorized-user fees reportedly waived too). It’s automatic — Chase mails a benefits letter confirming the waiver, and that letter is your proof. It applies to credit-card accounts opened on or after October 3, 2017, when credit cards came under the MLA rule. Business cards are excluded. No ID.me, SheerID, or GovX is involved at any point.
The SCRA track is the mirror image for cards you held before going on active duty. Federal law caps interest on pre-service obligations at 6% with the excess forgiven; multiple military-finance outlets consistently report that Chase voluntarily goes further — 4% APR on eligible balances plus waived or credited fees, including annual fees, during active duty and for up to one year after it ends. Unlike MLA, SCRA relief is requested, not automatic: use the secure-message SCRA dropdown at chase.com/securemessages, mail Chase’s SCRA Request box in Columbus, or call Chase Military Services at 1-877-469-0110. Two conflations to avoid: the SCRA request route is for pre-service accounts only (the MLA waiver on newly opened cards needs no request), and none of the dollar figures appear on chase.com — pages quoting them, including this one, are citing Chase’s letters and editorial reporting.
The veteran-honest answer most pages skip: once you’re no longer a covered borrower, the card fee waiver goes away — separated members report Chase re-checking MLA status and reinstating fees, typically within roughly one to two years of leaving service, so never plan around a grace period. The benefit veterans do keep, and the one chase.com itself publishes, is banking: the $25 monthly service fee on Chase Premier Plus Checking ($300 a year) is waived for current servicemembers and veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces with qualifying proof (DD-214, VA ID, and similar), plus no Chase ATM fees worldwide and no fees on money orders or cashier’s checks. Other issuers — American Express, USAA, Navy Federal, Citi — also honor MLA and SCRA; Amex publishes its policy openly, while Chase’s is letter-confirmed. See the companion issuer guides to compare.
Exclusions & fine print
- No coupon, code, or retail percent-off exists — any page offering a “Chase military discount code” is wrong.
- One relief per account, decided by the account-open date: opened before active duty → SCRA (request it); opened during covered service → MLA (automatic). They never stack.
- Business and corporate cards get no MLA fee waiver (the law covers consumer credit only). A pre-service business account may still be claimable under statutory SCRA — call 1-877-469-0110.
- Veterans and retirees outside active duty pay standard card pricing; the 180-day SCRA window covers only the past active-duty period.
- The 4%, fee-waiver, and up-to-one-year figures are Chase practice as reported by military-finance outlets and Chase’s mailed letters — not published chase.com terms. Chase can change them without notice; confirm at 1-877-469-0110.
- The waiver covers fees, not spending — there is no percent-off at merchants and nothing to stack with portals, promos, or shopping codes. Card rewards, bonuses, and travel credits are unaffected.
SOURCES
- Chase — SCRA | Military (official: request channels, PO Box, phone numbers, eligibility wording) — Chase
- Chase — Banking for Military (official military hub) — Chase
- Chase — Personal Banking for Military (Premier Plus Checking fee waiver for servicemembers and veterans; proof-of-service list) — Chase
- Chase Pricing & Terms — Military Lending Act notice (36% MAPR language; oral-disclosure line) — Chase
- Chase — Sapphire Reserve card page ($795 annual fee; $195 per authorized user) — Chase
- 50 U.S.C. § 3937 — SCRA 6% cap, forgiveness of excess interest, 180-day notice window — U.S. House Office of the Law Revision Counsel
- 32 CFR Part 232 — MLA covered-borrower and dependent definitions — eCFR
- Federal Register (Dec 14, 2017) — MLA credit-card compliance date of October 3, 2017 — Federal Register
- MLA covered-borrower status check (Department of Defense) — U.S. Department of Defense
- Chase Military Credit Cards (editorial: $0-fee practice, MLA benefits letter, spouse and authorized-user reports) — Military Money Manual
- Companies Who Support the SCRA (editorial: Chase’s reported 4% APR, fee waivers, up-to-one-year extension) — Veteran.com
- Chase Military Credit Card Perks (editorial: 4% figure, automatic MLA review, spouse/dependent coverage) — FinanceBuzz
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Does Chase offer a military discount?
Does Chase waive annual fees for military?
Which Chase cards does the military fee waiver cover?
Do military spouses qualify?
Do veterans or retirees qualify?
What is Chase’s SCRA benefit?
MLA vs. SCRA — which applies to me?
Does Chase use ID.me, SheerID, or GovX?
How do I contact Chase Military Services?
What’s actually the best move for a servicemember?
MORE MILITARY DISCOUNTS
Editorial policy
- Source priority. We cite Chase’s own military pages first — its SCRA page (request channels, PO Box, phone numbers, eligibility wording) and its military banking pages (the Premier Plus Checking waiver that does include veterans) — and report plainly that there is no retail military discount or coupon code. A candor note unique to Chase: chase.com publishes the process, not the numbers. The $0 annual-fee and 4% APR figures come from Chase’s mailed MLA benefits letters and consistent independent military-finance reporting, and are labeled as reported practice throughout. The statutory facts — the 6% SCRA cap, forgiveness of excess interest, the 180-day window, and MLA covered-borrower definitions — are quoted from federal law, all confirmed on the “Last verified” date above.
- Independence. NavyWeek.org is not affiliated with the U.S. Navy, the Department of Defense, NAVCO, or any federal agency. We do not accept payment to recommend specific recruiters, schools, vendors, or services.
- Review cadence. Because Chase can change these terms at any time, the offer is re-verified against the official page on a recurring basis and whenever a reader reports a change.
- Reviewer. The page is reviewed for accuracy by the reviewer named in the byline. The "Last reviewed" date at the top of the page reflects the most recent review pass.
- Corrections. Factual errors are corrected as soon as we can verify the issue against an official source. See the "Report an outdated fact" link below.
- Not advice. This page is informational only. For decisions about service, benefits, pay, or assignment, rely on official .mil sources and your chain of command, detailer, recruiter, or accredited representative.
