Chase Military Benefits: SCRA 4% Cap and Fee Waivers

Chase runs a clearly documented military servicing desk, and it pays out two different ways. On eligible pre-service balances it has reportedly applied 4% instead of the statutory 6%, and held that rate for about a year past active duty. On top of that it waives fees on all Chase cards and, through the Military Lending Act, sets personal card annual fees to $0 for active-duty members and their spouses.

On a $12,000 pre-service balance, 4% instead of 6% saves an extra $240 a year. The fee waivers can be worth far more if you carry a Sapphire card.

What you get

Feature	Statutory SCRA	Chase program
Rate cap on pre-service debt	6% APR	4% APR (reported, voluntary)
After active duty	Mortgages only by statute	Reportedly held about a year
Card fees	Not addressed by statute	Waived on all Chase cards
Annual fee, active duty and spouses	Not addressed	Adjusted to $0 (MLA)
Action required	Written notice plus orders	Request plus orders

The rate cap, retroactivity, and forgiveness above 6% come from § 3937. The 4% rate, the post-service extension, and the fee waivers are Chase policy on top of the law.

How to apply

Chase publishes its filing channels, which is more than most issuers do. Use any one of them.

✅ File your SCRA request with Chase

1. Gather orders covering your active-duty period and a list of your pre-service Chase accounts.
2. Pick a channel: call 1-877-469-0110 (overseas 1-318-340-3308), upload via chase.com secure messages and select the SCRA option, or mail to Chase, Attn: SCRA Request, PO Box 183240, Columbus, OH 43218-3240.
3. Attach clear copies. Chase prefers mailed or uploaded documents over phone photos. The letter generator produces a § 3937 request to include.
4. Watch the next statements for the reduced rate, lower payment, and the retroactive adjustment to your duty start date.
5. Spouses: ask separately about the $0 annual fee adjustment on personal cards under the MLA.

Things people trip on

Pre-service for the rate, covered-borrower for the fees. The 4% rate cap is for accounts you held before active duty. The $0 annual fee runs through the MLA and reaches spouses and during-service cards. They are two different benefits with two different rules.

Voluntary numbers move. The 4% and the one-year extension are reported policy, not statute. Confirm current terms when you file. Your 6% statutory floor never moves.

Keep the confirmation. If the reduced rate does not appear within two cycles, follow up in writing and reference your original submission date. The retroactive adjustment is owed either way.

See how Chase ranks against the other big issuers on the bank leaderboard.

📜 The law behind this: 50 U.S.C. § 3937

Maximum rate of interest on debts incurred before military service — read the statute.