Chase Hardship Program: How to Enroll and What’s Covered

Posted by Daniel Wingard J.D. on Aug 03, 2026

Man using a laptop beside title text reading 'Chase Hardship Assistance: How to Ask About Available Options.

Many credit card issuers, including Chase, may offer accommodation options for cardholders experiencing financial hardship. The specific terms Chase offers vary by account and are determined by Chase, and terms and availability may not be easy to identify publicly. Chase does not appear to publish standardized hardship terms for all cardholders. When contacting Chase, you may ask whether financial hardship or payment assistance accommodations are available for your account.

This guide provides general information about hardship accommodations Chase may offer, questions to ask Chase, how to reach them, what to expect, and factors to consider when evaluating debt-relief options. It is general information, not legal, tax, or financial advice.

Key Takeaways

Chase does not appear to advertise a standardized public hardship product, but accommodations may be available for cardholders experiencing documented financial difficulty. Ask whether hardship or financial-assistance options are available for your account when you call.
Possible accommodations may vary and are determined by Chase. They may include a temporarily reduced interest rate, waived fees, or a lower minimum payment for a defined period. Terms are not guaranteed and vary by account. Ask Chase directly what terms are available for your account.
A Chase hardship accommodation generally does not reduce your balance. You still owe the amount owed, and when the accommodation period ends, your account may return to standard terms. Ask Chase to confirm the terms in writing.
If your Chase balance is part of a larger unsecured debt situation that a temporary accommodation may not resolve, there are several options to consider, including creditor arrangements, nonprofit credit counseling, a debt management plan, legal or bankruptcy advice, budgeting changes, or debt settlement.

What Chase Hardship Assistance Is

Many credit card issuers, including Chase, have internal processes for working with cardholders who contact them during a period of financial difficulty. These processes may go by various internal names and may not be standardized products with published terms. In general, the cardholder contacts the issuer, explains a hardship situation, and the issuer reviews whether to offer modified terms for a defined period.

Chase accommodations are not a government benefit, not a forgiveness program, and not a public program with defined terms you can find in advance. Chase determines whether to offer accommodations based on its own policies and account-specific review.

How you ask can matter. General customer service calls for billing or payment questions may be routed differently from calls requesting hardship assistance. When you call, you may ask whether Chase has a hardship, payment-assistance, or financial-assistance option available for your account.

What Chase Hardship Assistance May Offer

Any accommodation terms depend on your account history, your stated hardship, and Chase’s current policies, which can change over time. Possible accommodations may vary and are determined by Chase. Based on what some cardholders have reported and general industry practice, they may include:

A temporarily reduced interest rate for the accommodation period.
Waived late fees or over-limit fees during the accommodation.
A reduced minimum payment requirement.
A defined accommodation length. If Chase offers an accommodation, the representative should confirm the duration and end date in writing. Length may vary by account and Chase policy.

These terms are not guaranteed. What Chase offers one account may differ from what it offers another. Consumers should ask Chase directly whether any modified rate, payment, fee, or duration terms are available for their account. Chase does not appear to publish a schedule of terms.

How to Contact Chase About Financial Hardship

Call the number on the back of your Chase credit card, or call Chase credit card customer service at 1-800-432-3117. Confirm the number is current when you call.
When the automated system asks what your call is about, you can say something like: I would like to ask about hardship or financial-assistance options.
When connected, ask whether hardship or financial-assistance accommodations are available for your account. If the first representative cannot assist, ask whether there is a department that handles payment-assistance or hardship requests.
Be prepared to explain the general nature and expected duration of your hardship, and ask what information Chase requires. Provide information you are comfortable sharing and ask how it will be used.
Ask for written confirmation of any offered terms before agreeing, including the interest rate, the modified minimum payment, the duration, any fees or restrictions, and the conditions that could end the accommodation early.

What to Expect During the Call

Chase may or may not offer a hardship accommodation, and any offer is not guaranteed. The representative reviews your account based on the information you provide and Chase’s current policies.

If an accommodation is offered, ask Chase to confirm any modified rate, payment amount, duration, fees, restrictions, and termination conditions in writing. Ask what happens if a payment is late or missed, because some accommodations may end if a required modified payment is missed.

If your account is already seriously delinquent, Chase may have transferred it to a collections department, which may handle accounts differently than standard credit card customer service. Contacting Chase earlier may allow you to ask about available accommodations before additional delinquency-related consequences occur, but availability and terms vary.

What a Chase accommodation may or may not do

What a Chase accommodation may do	What it generally does not do
May temporarily reduce your interest rate	Reduce your principal balance
May waive late or over-limit fees during the accommodation period	Guarantee approval for any specific terms
May lower your required minimum payment temporarily	Usually does not eliminate interest unless Chase specifically confirms that term
May help some cardholders make modified payments during a temporary hardship, depending on account terms and whether required payments are made on time	Resolve a longer-term debt situation where full repayment is not realistic
May help some cardholders avoid additional missed-payment reporting if required payments are made on time (reporting depends on Chase’s practices)	Generally does not remove accurate existing delinquencies from your credit report

What May Happen to Your Account During an Accommodation

During an accommodation period, Chase applies whatever modified terms it has agreed to. Your account status and spending access may vary based on Chase policy and your account terms. Chase may restrict or suspend new-purchase access while an accommodation is active. Ask Chase how your account access will be affected.

Credit reporting depends on account status, Chase’s reporting practices, and whether required modified payments are made on time. Ask Chase how the accommodation may be reported. If a required payment is missed, the accommodation may end, and your account may revert to standard terms.

Missing a required modified payment may affect the accommodation. Ask Chase what happens if a payment is late or missed. Consider reminders or autopay if it is affordable and appropriate for your cash-flow situation.

When the Accommodation Ends

When an accommodation period ends, your account may return to its standard terms, which can include the original interest rate, the standard minimum payment calculation, and any change to credit-line access. If your financial situation has improved, review the new payment amount, rate, account status, and credit-line access before the accommodation ends so there are no surprises.

If your financial situation has not improved, a temporary accommodation may have provided short-term relief without addressing an underlying issue. At that point, consider reviewing multiple options, such as contacting the creditor, nonprofit credit counseling, a debt management plan, budgeting changes, legal or bankruptcy advice, or debt settlement.

When a Hardship Accommodation May Not Be Enough

Hardship accommodations are often temporary and may not address every long-term debt situation. If your financial difficulty continues after an accommodation, consider reviewing multiple options, such as contacting your creditor, nonprofit credit counseling, a debt management plan, legal or bankruptcy advice, budgeting changes, or debt settlement. Century does not provide legal, tax, bankruptcy, accounting, or credit-repair advice; for those questions, consult a licensed professional.

Debt settlement may be one option for some consumers with significant eligible unsecured debt and financial hardship, but it involves serious risks and is not guaranteed. Eligibility depends on debt type and amount, state availability, creditor and account status, budget, and program review. Creditors are not required to settle. Program participation may adversely affect your creditworthiness and may involve collection activity, lawsuits, increased balances from interest or fees, and potential tax consequences. Debt settlement is available in some states, and fees vary by state.

A Century representative can provide general information about Century’s debt settlement program and discuss whether it may be available based on the information you provide. See how the debt resolution process works.

Debt settlement is not right for everyone. Results vary. Not all consumers or debts qualify, and creditors are not required to negotiate or agree to a settlement. Using debt resolution services may adversely affect your creditworthiness and may result in collection activity, lawsuits, increased account balances from interest or fees, and potential tax consequences. Program availability, fees, timelines, and outcomes vary by state, creditor, account status, and individual circumstances. Century does not provide legal, tax, bankruptcy, accounting, or credit-repair advice.

Century Support Services has served more than 330,000 clients since 2003, based on internal program records. This historical figure does not predict individual results. If you would like to understand your options, a Century representative can provide general information based on what you share.

Learn About Debt Settlement Considerations

Call 855-417-6648 | Learn about Century’s debt settlement program and risks

The initial consultation is available at no cost, and there is no obligation to enroll. Program fees are charged per settled account only after a settlement is reached, you approve the settlement, and at least one payment is made toward that settlement, in accordance with program terms and applicable law. Fees vary by state. Results vary, and individual timelines vary. Not all debts or consumers qualify, and not all clients complete the program. The use of debt resolution services will adversely affect your creditworthiness.

FAQ

How do I ask Chase about hardship or financial assistance?
Call Chase credit card customer service at 1-800-432-3117 or the number on the back of your card, and confirm the number is current. Ask whether hardship or financial-assistance accommodations are available for your account. Be prepared to explain the general nature and expected duration of your hardship, and ask what information Chase requires and how it will be used. Ask for written confirmation of any offered terms before agreeing.

How could a Chase hardship accommodation affect credit reporting?
Credit reporting depends on your account status, Chase’s reporting practices, and whether required modified payments are made on time. If your account was already delinquent before you contacted Chase, that information may already be on your report. Ask Chase how any accommodation may be reported. Payment history, account status, credit-limit changes, or restrictions may affect your credit.

How long could a Chase accommodation last?
Chase does not appear to publicly disclose a standard duration for its hardship accommodations. If Chase offers an accommodation, the representative should confirm the duration and end date. Ask explicitly about the end date and what happens to your account when the period expires. Length may vary by account and Chase policy.

Can I use my Chase card during an accommodation?
Chase may restrict or suspend new-purchase access during an accommodation. Ask Chase how the accommodation affects card usage and credit-line access. Practices vary by issuer and account.

What happens if I miss a payment during a Chase accommodation?
Missing a required modified payment may affect the accommodation, and some accommodations may end if a payment is missed. Before agreeing to any accommodation, ask the representative what could terminate it early and when standard terms would resume. Consider reminders or autopay if it is affordable and appropriate for your cash-flow situation.

What if my Chase balance is too large for a hardship accommodation to help?
If a temporary accommodation may not provide a meaningful path to resolution, there are several options to consider, including contacting your creditor, nonprofit credit counseling, a debt management plan, legal or bankruptcy advice, budgeting changes, or debt settlement. Debt settlement may be one option to learn about when repayment remains difficult after hardship accommodations, but it is not right for everyone. It seeks to negotiate eligible balances, and results depend on creditor participation, eligibility, available funds, and individual circumstances. A Century representative can provide general information about Century’s debt settlement program and the factors that may affect availability.

Resources

This article is for general educational purposes only and is not legal, tax, or financial advice. Chase’s policies, terms, and phone numbers may change; confirm current details with Chase. Century Support Services is not affiliated with Chase.