Chase Slate Edge Card Review: Build Your Credit With No Annual Fee

Chase Slate Edge Benefits

Available to Fair Credit Customers

Many of the most popular Chase credit cards, such as the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card and the Chase Sapphire Reserve®, require credit scores in the good-to-excellent range. That’s not the case with the Chase Slate Edge, which is specifically marketed toward cardholders with credit scores in the fair range.

Improve Your Credit Score Over Time

If you’re looking to improve your credit score, the Slate Edge could be worth considering. When you make on-time payments, Chase will report them to the credit bureaus, which can improve your credit score over time. This can be especially helpful if you’re looking to build your credit in hopes of qualifying for more premium rewards cards or lower interest rates on a mortgage or other type of loan.

No Annual Fee

The Slate Edge doesn’t charge an annual fee, so there’s no ongoing cost to keep the card open as long as you pay your balance in full each month.

Car Rental Insurance

While the Slate Edge’s benefits list is pretty short, it does include auto rental coverage. If you’re renting a car and you pay with this card, you can decline the rental company’s insurance and get reimbursement coverage through Chase for theft and collision damage on most rental vehicles.

You’ll want to make sure you read all the exclusions and fine print in the card’s benefits guide, but this is a truly valuable perk. Whenever I rent a car, I pay with a Chase credit card and decline the rental company’s insurance. This cuts down on my out-of-pocket costs, and while I’ve thankfully never had to use Chase’s insurance, I have peace of mind knowing that there’s still coverage in case something should go wrong.

Purchase Coverage

The Chase Slate Edge can cover your new purchases if something goes wrong. When you use your card to pay, you’ll receive:

• Purchase protection: Eligible new purchases can be covered for accidental damage or theft within 120 days of purchase (except New York residents, where coverage applies up to 90 days from purchase date), up to $500 per item.
• Extended warranty: This feature can extend the manufacturer’s U.S. warranty by an additional year on eligible warranties of three years or less, bringing the total to up to four years from the date of purchase.

Complimentary DoorDash DashPass Membership

In another instance of Chase offering a “lite” version of benefits it offers on more premium cards, the Slate Edge comes with six months of complimentary DoorDash DashPass membership. The main perk here is that you get $0 delivery fees and lower service fees on eligible orders. You’ll also get up to $10 off on non-restaurant DoorDash orders each quarter through Dec. 31, 2027.

You’ll need to activate this benefit by Dec. 31, 2027, and set a reminder on your calendar for six months from the activation date. If you don’t cancel your DashPass membership by then, you’ll be charged when the free period ends.

I have a beefed-up version of this benefit through the Chase Sapphire Reserve, and it saves me on the delivery orders I inevitably make once or twice a week.

Chase Slate Edge Drawbacks

No Rewards

The Slate Edge doesn’t pretend to be a rewards card; its focus is on building credit without any extra frills. Still, there are other credit cards that earn cash back for users with fair credit scores, so for anyone looking to maximize their spending while improving their credit, this remains a considerable drawback.

No Introductory APR Offer

Originally, the Chase Slate Edge Card came with an introductory APR offer on purchases and balance transfers, allowing cardholders to enjoy a bit of breathing room without worrying about interest charges if they carried a balance for the first several months of card membership.

However, the original Chase Slate Edge has been rebranded as the Chase Slate®. That card still offers a 0% Intro APR on Purchases and Balance Transfers for 21 Months, then 18.24% – 28.24% Variable APR, but it’s marketed to applicants with good to excellent credit scores. The new Chase Slate Edge is more accessible to those with slightly lower credit scores, but there’s no longer an introductory APR benefit.

Foreign Transaction Fees

As with many no-annual-fee cards, the Chase Slate Edge charges a 3% foreign transaction fee. If you travel abroad often or make purchases from international websites, these fees can add up. Consider packing one of the best credit cards with no foreign transaction fees for international travel.

Who Is the Chase Slate Edge Card Best For?

For anyone with a credit score just short of good who’s looking to boost their credit, the Chase Slate Edge could be a smart tool. The key is to use the card responsibly, as it will benefit you most if you pay off your balance in full each month and continue building a positive payment history. This is important no matter which credit card you’re considering, since even if you choose a rewards credit card, the points or miles you earn aren’t valuable enough to justify carrying debt from month to month.

Beyond its credit-building potential, the card’s car rental coverage makes it a strong choice for anyone who wants basic credit card travel insurance. More premium travel credit cards offer additional insurance, like lost or delayed baggage coverage, but getting to save money by declining the rental car company’s extra insurance is better than nothing.

The biggest downsides of the Slate Edge are the lack of rewards, such as points or cash back, and the absence of an introductory APR offer. But if you’re simply looking to use this card to build your credit score over time and make other, more rewarding cards accessible, it could still be worth it.

Is It the Right Card for You?

The Chase Slate Edge Card could be right for you if:

• You have a fair credit score and are looking to improve it
• You haven’t been able to get approved for rewards cards or more premium options
• You don’t want to pay an annual fee

Alternatives to the Chase Slate Edge Credit Card

The Chase Slate Edge Card isn’t the only option for those with fair credit scores. Here are some alternatives you should explore as well before making a final decision:

• Chase Freedom Rise: This alternative from Chase is marketed to students and those new to credit. It has no annual fee and earns 1.5% cash back on all purchases. Like the Slate Edge, it does charge a 3% foreign transaction fee, though.
• Capital One Platinum Credit Card: This Capital One card makes for a pretty clear apples-to-apples comparison with the Slate Edge. It’s marketed to customers with fair credit who are looking to increase their score, and it has no annual fee and doesn’t earn rewards. However, unlike the Slate Edge, this card doesn’t charge foreign transaction fees.
• Capital One QuicksilverOne Cash Rewards Credit Card: If you don’t mind paying an annual fee in exchange for the opportunity to earn rewards, this could be a stronger pick. The QuicksilverOne Card has a $39 annual fee, earns 1.5% cash back on every purchase and is meant specifically for fair-credit users.