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Bankrate has partnerships with issuers including, but not limited to, American Express, Bank of America, Capital One, Chase, Citi and Discover. SHARE: Sellwell/Getty Images April 22, 2022 Checkmark Bankrate logo How is this page expert verified? At Bankrate, we take the accuracy of our content seriously. "Expert verified" means that our Financial Review Board thoroughly evaluated the article for accuracy and clarity. The Review Board comprises a panel of financial experts whose objective is to ensure that our content is always objective and balanced. Their reviews hold us accountable for publishing high-quality and trustworthy content. Ted Rossman is a senior industry analyst at Bankrate.com. He focuses on the credit card industry and helps consumers maximize rewards, get out of debt and improve their credit scores. Mariah Ackary is a personal finance editor who joined the Bankrate team in 2019, excited by the opportunity to help people make good financial decisions. Send your questions to Bankrate logo The Bankrate promise
At Bankrate we strive to help you make smarter financial decisions. While we adhere to strict editorial integrity, this post may contain references to products from our partners. Here's an explanation for how we make money. The content on this page is accurate as of the posting date; however, some of the offers mentioned may have expired. Terms apply to the offers listed on this page. Any opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any card issuer. Bankrate logo The Bankrate promise
At Bankrate, we have a mission to demystify the credit cards industry — regardless or where you are in your journey — and make it one you can navigate with confidence. Our team is full of a diverse range of experts from credit card pros to data analysts and, most importantly, people who shop for credit cards just like you. With this combination of expertise and perspectives, we keep close tabs on the credit card industry year-round to: Meet you wherever you are in your credit card journey to guide your information search and help you understand your options. Consistently provide up-to-date, reliable market information so you're well-equipped to make confident decisions. Reduce industry jargon so you get the clearest form of information possible, so you can make the right decision for you. At Bankrate, we focus on the points consumers care about most: rewards, welcome offers and bonuses, APR, and overall customer experience. Any issuers discussed on our site are vetted based on the value they provide to consumers at each of these levels. At each step of the way, we fact-check ourselves to prioritize accuracy so we can continue to be here for your every next. Bankrate logo Editorial integrity
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You have money questions. Bankrate has answers. Our experts have been helping you master your money for over four decades. We continually strive to provide consumers with the expert advice and tools needed to succeed throughout life’s financial journey. Bankrate follows a strict , so you can trust that our content is honest and accurate. Our award-winning editors and reporters create honest and accurate content to help you make the right financial decisions. The content created by our editorial staff is objective, factual, and not influenced by our advertisers. We’re transparent about how we are able to bring quality content, competitive rates, and useful tools to you by explaining how we make money. Bankrate.com is an independent, advertising-supported publisher and comparison service. We are compensated in exchange for placement of sponsored products and, services, or by you clicking on certain links posted on our site. Therefore, this compensation may impact how, where and in what order products appear within listing categories. Other factors, such as our own proprietary website rules and whether a product is offered in your area or at your self-selected credit score range can also impact how and where products appear on this site. While we strive to provide a wide range offers, Bankrate does not include information about every financial or credit product or service. One of our readers, Adam, recently emailed to ask for some advice. He was declined for the and wants to know if he’s a good candidate for the . He’s interested in a and, more specifically, earning Delta SkyMiles. The SkyMiles Platinum card gives 3 miles per dollar spent on Delta flights, Delta Vacations purchases and direct hotel bookings. It also awards 2 miles per dollar at U.S. supermarkets and restaurants and 1 mile per dollar on everything else. The annual fee is $250. Additional benefits include free checked bags, priority boarding, a domestic main cabin round-trip companion ticket each year, a Global Entry/TSA PreCheck fee waiver and more. The card is advertised for those with good to excellent credit (which roughly translates to between 670 and 850). When Adam applied, his credit score was 673, so he was a borderline candidate. Credit card issuers look at other factors, too, of course. These include income (Adam listed his at $17,000) and financial assets ($55,000 in Adam’s case). His denial letter listed insufficient income/assets as the primary reason he was turned down. What not to do
Regrettably, he applied a second time and was rejected again. The second time, his credit score was 666. The associated with the first application was probably why his score was a bit lower. I wouldn’t have recommended the second application in quick succession. It would have been better to apply for a different card with better approval odds, hold off for a bit while attempting to raise his credit score or perhaps to call the American Express reconsideration line. Better actions you can take
This last tip, which offers a way to plead your case to an actual human, works best if you have some new information that’s relevant to your application. One example is income you didn’t include on your initial application. Many people don’t realize that, besides regular wages, they can also include tips, bonuses, investment income, government benefits, child support payments, their spouse’s income and more. Sometimes, it’s also possible to get approved via the reconsideration line if you agree to reconfigure your existing credit lines, such as repurposing some of an existing credit limit (if you have a different card from the same company) onto a new card. Adam seems to want to apply for a different card. Unfortunately, since he was turned down twice for the SkyMiles Platinum Amex, I don’t think his odds of getting the Amex Green Card are particularly high. That, too, is marketed to those with good to excellent credit. With a fair credit score and income/assets that were too low for American Express’ liking on the Delta card, I wouldn’t expect better results with the Green Card. He also asked me about the . This card isn’t as fancy as the Platinum version—the rewards aren’t as generous, there aren’t as many extra perks and the annual fee is lower—but, still, the same credit score recommendation applies. Use technology to your advantage
I think Adam should use Bankrate’s to better understand what he’s likely to be approved for (potentially even prequalified). Using the tool is free and does not affect your credit score. One card that I think he should pay attention to is the . It doesn’t directly transfer to Delta (as the Amex Green Card does), but cardholders earn a solid 2 miles on almost every purchase (5 miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel). Each mile is worth 1 cent toward travel, so Adam could essentially use this for a 2 percent rebate on every purchase and put those funds toward a Delta flight (or another form of travel). The Capital One Venture plays in that same good to excellent credit space. Adam isn’t a shoo-in to be approved, although Capital One is generally viewed as catering to a wider range of applicants than American Express. I’m curious what CardMatch tells him about his chances to obtain this card. If it’s a no-go, it’s probably a good time to take a step back and focus on improving his credit score before his next application. In addition to responsibly using the credit cards he already has, he could look into an alternative credit scoring system like (especially if his next credit card application will involve an Experian credit check). And even if CardMatch gives Adam the green light to apply for the Venture card, I’d suggest waiting a few months to provide a little distance from those two recent hard inquiries. The bottom line
While being turned down for a credit card isn’t fun, Adam has plenty of company. About 1 in 5 credit card applicants are rejected, according to the latest from Feb. 2022. But as they say, when one door closes, another opens. The best responses to a credit denial are to be thoughtful about what you’re likely to qualify for and improve your finances so you’re a better candidate next time. Many people can significantly improve their credit score within six months (sometimes even less). Stay focused on the big picture. That denial could soon become a distant memory. Have a question about credit cards? Email me at and I’d be happy to help. SHARE: Ted Rossman is a senior industry analyst at Bankrate.com. He focuses on the credit card industry and helps consumers maximize rewards, get out of debt and improve their credit scores. Mariah Ackary is a personal finance editor who joined the Bankrate team in 2019, excited by the opportunity to help people make good financial decisions. Send your questions to Related Articles