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Does Chase Pay Over Time Affect Your Credit Score?
July 1, 2025
The content on this page is accurate as of the posting date; however, some of the offers mentioned may have expired.
Quick Answers
- Chase says there's no application or credit check to use Chase Pay Over Time®, so setting up a plan doesn't add a hard inquiry.
- Plan balances stay on your credit card, so they still count toward your credit utilization until you pay them down.
- Chase adds each monthly plan payment to your minimum payment due. Paying on time supports your payment history, and paying late can hurt it.
What Is Chase Pay Over Time?
Chase Pay Over Time lets eligible cardmembers break up purchases into equal monthly payments. It works two ways:
- After purchase (formerly My Chase Plan®): Select "Pay Over Time" next to an eligible purchase of $100 or more in your account. Instead of interest, you pay a fixed monthly fee, with plan durations from 3 to 24 months.
- At checkout on Amazon.com: Select cardmembers can choose a plan on orders of $50 or more, with a fixed APR that's the same as or lower than the card's standard variable purchase APR.
The feature is available on most Chase consumer credit cards and select business cards, but access isn't guaranteed. Chase bases eligibility on factors like creditworthiness, credit limit and account behavior. You still earn your card's usual rewards on the original purchase.
How Chase Pay Over Time Can Affect Your Credit Score
- No hard inquiry: Because there's no application or credit check, creating a plan doesn't add an inquiry to your credit report.
- Utilization: The planned purchase stays part of your card balance. A large plan relative to your credit limit can keep your utilization high.
- Payment history: Chase automatically adds your monthly plan payment to your minimum payment due. Missing that payment means missing your card payment.
- Gradual paydown: Each payment lowers the plan balance, so its effect on utilization shrinks over the life of the plan.
How Much Will Chase Pay Over Time Affect Your Credit Score?
Using the feature won't change your score by itself. What matters is the balance you carry and whether you pay on time, the same as any other card purchase.
A plan won't reduce your reported balance compared with leaving the purchase on your card. It just spreads the payoff into predictable amounts.
How to Use Chase Pay Over Time Without Hurting Your Credit
Pay at Least the Minimum on Time
Set up automatic payments so the minimum payment, which includes your plan payment, is never late.
Use the Interest Saving Balance Option
After you create a plan, Chase offers an "Interest saving balance" payment amount. It covers your plan payment plus recent purchases, so you avoid interest on new purchases without paying off the plan earlier than intended.
Keep Utilization in Check
Try to keep your total card balance, including plans, well below your limit. These tips for lowering utilization can help.
Pay It Off Early If You Can
Chase says you can pay off a plan early with no penalty, and you won't incur future fees for that plan once it's paid off.
Ways to Improve Your Credit Score
Steady habits matter most. Our guide to increasing your credit score covers these in more detail.
- Check your credit reports. Review reports from all three bureaus and dispute errors.
- Automate payments. Payment history is one of the biggest factors in most scoring models.
- Lower utilization. Pay down balances or keep new charges small relative to your limit.
- Limit hard inquiries. Space out new applications. Here's how hard and soft inquiries differ.
How Kudos Helps
Kudos shows which card earns the most at checkout, and Kudos Premium tracks the benefits on each of your cards and auto-activates eligible Chase Offers and other card-linked offers. Get started with Kudos.
The Bottom Line
Chase Pay Over Time doesn't require a credit check, so creating a plan won't add an inquiry. Its effect on your credit comes from your balance and your payment history, just like the rest of your card activity.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Chase do a hard credit check for Pay Over Time?
No. Chase says no application or credit check is needed to use Chase Pay Over Time.
Does Chase Pay Over Time charge interest?
Plans set up after a purchase charge a fixed monthly fee instead of interest. Plans created at checkout on Amazon.com use a fixed APR that's the same as or lower than your standard variable purchase APR.
How many Pay Over Time plans can I have?
Chase says most customers can have up to 10 active or pending plans, though some may have a lower maximum.
Can I cancel a Chase Pay Over Time plan?
You can't change or cancel a plan once it's created, but you can pay it off early without a penalty.
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