What it means
A chat request is an invitation from someone you have not previously messaged. Accepting it opens an ongoing conversation; declining or ignoring prevents that exchange from becoming a normal chat. Reddit lets adults choose who may send requests, including everyone, older accounts, nobody or specific people, while some moderators and admins can still message. Potential spam can be placed in an Additional requests section.
A real-world example
A stranger sends a request offering a job that requires a processing fee. The recipient does not accept it. They inspect the message, report it if it violates rules, then narrow incoming requests instead of hoping the same sender will not return.
What to do
Review chat permissions in Reddit privacy settings or Chat permissions in the mobile app. Choose the audience you actually need. Report a scam message before ignoring it, since Reddit says Ignore can make it disappear from the request screen. Block a sender when you want to stop further contact.
The distinction that matters
Request filtering reduces unsolicited approaches but does not validate an accepted conversation or a message from an allowed sender. A 30-day-old account can still scam, and a moderator exception is not a guarantee of authenticity. Inspect links and payment requests separately.
Reddit Chat Report chat message
