How To See If You're Prequalified For A Credit Card Bankrate.com Caret RightMain Menu Mortgage Mortgages Financing a home purchase Refinancing your existing loan Finding the right lender Additional Resources Elevate your Bankrate experience Get insider access to our best financial tools and content Caret RightMain Menu Bank Banking Compare Accounts Use calculators Get advice Bank reviews Elevate your Bankrate experience Get insider access to our best financial tools and content Caret RightMain Menu Credit Card Credit cards Compare by category Compare by credit needed Compare by issuer Get advice Looking for the perfect credit card? Narrow your search with CardMatch Caret RightMain Menu Loan Loans Personal Loans Student Loans Auto Loans Loan calculators Elevate your Bankrate experience Get insider access to our best financial tools and content Caret RightMain Menu Invest Investing Best of Brokerages and robo-advisors Learn the basics Additional resources Elevate your Bankrate experience Get insider access to our best financial tools and content Caret RightMain Menu Home Equity Home equity Get the best rates Lender reviews Use calculators Knowledge base Elevate your Bankrate experience Get insider access to our best financial tools and content Caret RightMain Menu Loan Home Improvement Real estate Selling a home Buying a home Finding the right agent Additional resources Elevate your Bankrate experience Get insider access to our best financial tools and content Caret RightMain Menu Insurance Insurance Car insurance Homeowners insurance Other insurance Company reviews Elevate your Bankrate experience Get insider access to our best financial tools and content Caret RightMain Menu Retirement Retirement Retirement plans & accounts Learn the basics Retirement calculators Additional resources Elevate your Bankrate experience Get insider access to our best financial tools and content Applying for a Credit Card Advertiser Disclosure
Advertiser Disclosure
We are an independent, advertising-supported comparison service. Our goal is to help you make smarter financial decisions by providing you with interactive tools and financial calculators, publishing original and objective content, by enabling you to conduct research and compare information for free - so that you can make financial decisions with confidence.
Bankrate has partnerships with issuers including, but not limited to, American Express, Bank of America, Capital One, Chase, Citi and Discover. SHARE: On This Page
Mallika Home Studio / Shutterstock June 17, 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. Nouri Zarrugh is a writer and editor for CreditCards.com and Bankrate, focusing on product news, guides and reviews. His areas of expertise include credit card strategy, rewards programs, point valuation and credit scores, and his stories on building credit have been cited by Mic.com, LifeHacker, People.com and more. Through his thorough card reviews and product comparisons, Nouri strives to demystify personal finance topics and credit card terms and conditions to help readers save money and protect their credit score. 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
Bankrate follows a strict , so you can trust that we’re putting your interests first. Our award-winning editors and reporters create honest and accurate content to help you make the right financial decisions. Key Principles
We value your trust. Our mission is to provide readers with accurate and unbiased information, and we have editorial standards in place to ensure that happens. Our editors and reporters thoroughly fact-check editorial content to ensure the information you’re reading is accurate. We maintain a firewall between our advertisers and our editorial team. Our editorial team does not receive direct compensation from our advertisers. Editorial Independence
Bankrate’s editorial team writes on behalf of YOU – the reader. Our goal is to give you the best advice to help you make smart personal finance decisions. We follow strict guidelines to ensure that our editorial content is not influenced by advertisers. Our editorial team receives no direct compensation from advertisers, and our content is thoroughly fact-checked to ensure accuracy. So, whether you’re reading an article or a review, you can trust that you’re getting credible and dependable information. Bankrate logo How we make money
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. Applying for a new credit card can be intimidating. That’s due in no small part to the fact that almost all credit card applications trigger a hard credit inquiry, which temporarily drops your credit score and stays on your credit report for two years. What’s worse, there’s no guarantee of approval, so you could end up hurting your score with no new card to show for it. Luckily, prequalified credit card offers can help you take a lot of guesswork out of the application process, allowing you to get a sense of where you stand before you apply. Checking for prequalified offers should give you some peace of mind and help you narrow your list as you try to find the best credit card for you, but each issuer handles prequalification a bit differently. Here we explore how prequalified offers work, how to improve your odds of getting a prequalified offer and how different issuers handle prequalification on their cards.
What s the difference between prequalification and preapproval
The may be hard to decipher as they are often used interchangeably. However, there are some slight differences between the two that are worth noting. Prequalification usually refers to a less formal screening that looks at your basic credit history and other personal information. You can check for prequalified offers on many issuers’ websites, or you may receive in the mail that have been put together by issuers in partnership with credit bureaus. Preapproval typically results from a formal prescreening on the issuer’s side and could signal the highest approval odds an issuer can offer without pulling your credit. Neither offer will affect your credit score nor do they guarantee approval. 3 ways to see if you prequalify for a credit card
Prescreened offers via the mail. Prescreened offers show up in your mailbox because lenders are working to identify consumers who qualify for certain credit products. If you choose to apply for a credit card offer after receiving a prescreened offer in the mail, you’re likely to get approved, however, it is not guaranteed. Be sure to make sure the offer is legitimate. If you don’t recognize the issuer, do some online research before applying. Check to see if you are prequalified online. A few third-party sources, including Bankrate’s , offer online tools for consumers to check to see if they prequalify for any offers from the site’s partners. Once again, there is no guarantee you will be approved once you formally apply. Go directly to the issuer. If you already have an idea of what issuer you would like to bank with, go directly to the source. Many of the mainstream credit card issuers offer prequalification tools on their sites. However, we will get more into the specifics here shortly. Prequalified credit card offers by issuer
Each issuer approaches prequalification in its own way, with some giving applicants an easy way to check for prequalified offers across cards and others only featuring this option on select cards or via prescreened offers they put together themselves. Prequalification tools typically ask for basic information such as your name, Social Security number, income and employment status to determine your eligibility. Here’s a look at how some of the major issuers handle prequalification. Issuer Prequalification available? What you need to prequalify Chase Yes, but only on select cards Full name, address, last 4 digits of your Social Security number American Express Yes Full name, address, last 4 digits of your Social Security number, total annual income (optional) Capital One Yes, but only on select cards Full name, address, date of birth, email address, primary phone number, full Social Security number, employment status, total annual income, monthly rent or mortgage payment and types of bank accounts owned Bank of America Yes, but only on select cards Full name, date of birth, address, last 4 digits of your Social Security number Wells Fargo No (requires a hard inquiry) N/A Discover Yes Full name, address, date of birth, highest level of education, total annual income, monthly housing payment, whether you rent or own, types of bank accounts owned and full Social Security number Credit One Bank Yes Full name, address, email address, phone number, full Social Security number, date of birth and total monthly income Best credit cards that offer preapproval without a hard credit pull
Chase Freedom Unlimited
The credit card is one of only a few cards from Chase that’s currently eligible for preapproval. However, with ample opportunity to earn cash back, it may be one of the best preapproval options available. This no-annual-fee card comes with some pretty generous perks, including a complimentary DashPass subscription, purchase protection and extended warranty coverage, trip cancellation insurance and more. Cardholders earn 5 percent cash back on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards and Lyft purchases (through March 2025), 3 percent back on dining and drugstore purchases, and 1.5 percent cash back on all other purchases. New cardholders can also earn an additional 1.5 percent cash back on top of all purchases’ original cash back rate (up to $20,000) for the first year (offer through Bankrate) Keep in mind that Chase has a , which sets a limit on how many credit cards one consumer can have. If you’ve opened five credit cards in the past 24 months, you most likely won’t be eligible to open a new Chase credit card. This includes any kind of credit card, no matter the issuer. Blue Cash Everyday Card from American Express
The is available for prequalification only by navigating through the prequalification page on the American Express . Keep in mind Amex is particular about eligibility requirements, so it is best to start this process if you have at least a . The Blue Cash Everyday Card is a solid cash back card that offers 3 percent cash back at U.S. supermarkets, U.S. gas stations and U.S. online retail purchases (on the first $6,000 spent per year on each category, then 1 percent), and 1 percent on all other purchases. It has a $0 annual fee and new cardholders can earn a great welcome offer. Earn up to $250, earn 20% back (up to $150 in statement credits) on purchases with PayPal merchants. Plus, earn $100 as a statement credit after you spend $2,000. Complete both in the first 6 months of card membership. New cardmembers also don’t have to worry about interest for 15 months with its introductory 0 percent interest period on purchases. The ongoing APR is 16.99 percent to 27.99 percent variable after the introductory period ends. Discover it Cash Back
The credit card is another no-annual-fee card that makes earning cash back on your everyday purchases easy. Not only does this card offer 5 percent cash back after activation on rotating categories each quarter (up to $1,500 in purchases, then 1 percent), but with its Cashback Match program, Discover automatically matches the total amount of cash back you accumulate your first year with this card. Keep in mind, that Discover lets you check for prequalified offers on its with no impact to your credit score. If for any reason you aren’t approved, Discover will give you a reason and allow you to check again in eight days.
How to boost your chances of scoring a prequalified credit card offer
Issuers typically consider factors like credit score and history, income and debt obligations when screening customers for prequalified offers, with many offering an array of products for different types of customers and stages of . And while each issuer—indeed, each individual card—has its own approval requirements, there are a few basic steps you can take to improve your odds of getting a prequalified offer. Pay on time
One of the first and most important steps you can take to improve your credit profile and your approval odds is to keep up with payments on your existing accounts. Payment history makes up a whopping 35 percent of your , so if you have any payments outstanding or have recently been late paying your credit cards, retail accounts, installment loans or other bills, be sure to pay on time, every time going forward. While you can try out prequalification tools with no impact to your credit score, repairing credit damaged by late payments takes time, so you may want to hold off on actually applying for new cards while you work to establish a positive track record. You can’t easily undo the negative impact of previous late payments, but several months of on-time payments can go a long way toward improving your score and showcasing your creditworthiness. Keep card balances low
Another key step is to pay down as much of your existing card balances as you can—and to pay them off completely if possible. That’s because — the amount of money you’ve borrowed relative to your total available credit — is one of the biggest credit scoring factors, accounting for 30 percent of your FICO credit score. Additionally, high credit utilization that’s negatively affecting your score can be resolved within just a few weeks, while the credit impact of missteps like late payments or bankruptcy can take years to fade. While you should aim for as low a credit utilization ratio as possible, a good rule of thumb is to try for a ratio of 30 percent or less. In other words, if you have a total credit limit of $10,000, aim to keep your card balances below $3,000. To quickly determine your current ratio, check out . Check your credit report
If you aren’t getting a prequalified offer on the card of your dreams, it’s worth requesting a free copy of your credit report at and reviewing it to get a better sense of where you stand. Not only will this allow you to see any that may be holding you back and better focus your credit repair efforts, but you may also come across credit reporting errors that need to be disputed. Credit reporting errors are all too common, and you may even find you’ve been a victim of identity fraud. Improve your credit with more accessible products
If your credit score is in rough shape or you have a limited credit history, many of the prequalified offers you’ll receive will carry harsh terms and high fees. These so-called “fee-harvester” cards often do more harm than good. Instead of going with whatever issuer will have you, it’s wise to take your time to build or rebuild your credit with a safer option, like a no-annual-fee or a . These options are typically easy to qualify for, relatively low cost and, in the case of secured cards, sometimes offer you a chance to after you’ve demonstrated responsible use. Update your income
While income is not included in your credit report, it can still be a factor when it comes to getting prequalified card offers. Card applications almost always ask for your income when you apply, but you can also update your income with card issuers voluntarily once you become a customer. If your income has increased since you first became a customer of your current card issuer, updating it may get you more prequalified offers for higher-tier cards.
FAQ s
Can I prequalify for Chase credit cards
Yes. Chase offers prequalification on only a select few of its cards. You can check for a prequalified offer on the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card, Chase Freedom Unlimited and Chase Sapphire Reserve using the issuer’s online tool, but you’ll have to hold out for a targeted offer on most other cards.
Can I prequalify for American Express credit cards
Yes. American Express also offers a on its website, with a robust list of cards eligible, including the Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express and The Platinum Card from American Express. Not only will the Amex tool let you know whether you’re prequalified for a given card based on your credit profile, but you may also find you’re eligible for a personalized offer, such as a higher welcome offer or lower APR.You can also find special “Just for You” offers on individual card landing pages, so if you prequalify for a card, it’s worth checking out that card in a private browsing window to ensure you’re applying for the highest possible offer.Last year American Express launched a number of through Bankrate’s CardMatch tool. In addition to improving your approval odds, there’s another reason to check for Amex cards. For instance, there are reports of some CardMatch users getting offers for 125,000 or 150,000 welcome offer points instead of the current offering of 100,000 points for the American Express Platinum card.
Can I prequalify for Capital One credit cards
Yes. Like Amex and Chase, Capital One offers a on its website that lets you see cards you may qualify for with no impact to your credit score. However, the Capital One prequalification tool currently only lets you check your eligibility for a handful of its cards — all of which are geared toward credit-builders or those with a .If you have your eye on a higher-tier Capital One card, you’ll have to accept a hard inquiry and submit a formal application.
Can I prequalify for Bank of America credit cards
Yes. Bank of America also offers a prequalification tool on its , and if you already have a credit card or banking relationship with the issuer, you can get customized card offers by simply signing into your account.Once you submit your information, you’ll get a list of cards you’re prequalified for, with a top recommendation based on your credit profile and preferred card type. Bank of America offers a wide range of cards for prequalification, including the Bank of America Customized Cash Rewards credit card, Bank of America Travel Rewards credit card and BankAmericard credit card (secured and unsecured versions alike).Bank of America Customized Cash Rewards credit card last updated on June 9, 2022.
Can I prequalify for Wells Fargo credit cards
No. Wells Fargo is one of the few issuers that doesn’t offer prequalification with only a soft inquiry. If you’re in the market for a Wells Fargo card and want to protect your score, you’ll need to do your research about each card’s credit requirements and take your chances with a formal application, or hold out for a targeted offer or card invitation via mail or email.
Can I prequalify for Discover credit cards
Yes. Discover also lets you check for prequalified offers on its with no impact to your credit score. You typically have one week to claim any Discover prequalified offers you receive. If you aren’t prequalified for any of Discover’s cards, the issuer will give you a reason and allow you to check again in eight days.
Can I prequalify for Credit One Bank credit cards
Yes. Credit One Bank specializes in cards for people with poor credit, but some of its cards require a higher score. The issuer features a soft pull prequalification tool on its and also lets you check for via Bankrate’s CardMatch tool.After submitting your information, Credit One directs you to a page that gives you the option of getting a preapproval decision immediately or via mail. SHARE: Nouri Zarrugh is a writer and editor for CreditCards.com and Bankrate, focusing on product news, guides and reviews. His areas of expertise include credit card strategy, rewards programs, point valuation and credit scores, and his stories on building credit have been cited by Mic.com, LifeHacker, People.com and more. Through his thorough card reviews and product comparisons, Nouri strives to demystify personal finance topics and credit card terms and conditions to help readers save money and protect their credit score. 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