Credit card reconsideration can give you a chance to explain the circumstances behind any negative items on your credit report to a human (not an algorithm).
Some decisions in life are easy to make simply based on the facts at hand. But some first impressions are worthy of reconsideration when the whole story comes to light. For instance, you may be keen to end a first date when the person shows up late — until you find out it was to rescue a puppy from a burning building.
In the same way, the initial decision you receive for a credit card application is based on the facts present on your credit report. But those facts may not tell the whole story.
Phone Numbers | Tips for Success | Other Options
How to Contact an Issuer for Reconsideration
For just about any credit card applicant, seeing the “Pending” response is completely deflating (especially if you grew up in a household where “maybe” always meant “no”). Although you can sometimes simply wait it out and get a positive result, some people have had success calling the credit card company and requesting reconsideration.
Note that reconsideration success seems to vary drastically between issuers, and some issuers may only reconsider applications that contained an error of some kind. Additionally, while some issuers have direct reconsideration lines, the numbers can change from time to time. Additionally, some issuers may require going through a menu or a series of representatives — or even snail-mail — to get to someone with the power to change your approval status.
Amex | BOA | Barclays | Capital One | Chase | Citi | Discover | U.S. Bank | Wells Fargo
American Express Reconsideration Line
American Express doesn’t have a specific reconsideration line, so if you’re interested in reconsideration for an American Express credit card, you can call the application status line (for new customers) or the general cardholder line (for existing customers).
- New Customer: 877-399-3083
- Existing Customers: 866-314-0237
You can also check your Amex application status online.
Bank of America Reconsideration Line
To contact a credit analyst for reconsideration for a Bank of America credit card, you can contact the general account/reconsideration line. Note that Bank of America’s reconsideration line phone number reportedly changes on a regular basis, so you may have better luck through the general account line.
- Reconsideration Line: 866-224-8555
- General Account Line: 866-458-8805
To check the status of your Bank of America credit card application, you can call the application status line.
- Personal Credit Card Customers: 877-721-9405
- Business Credit Card Customers: 800-481-8277
You can also check your Bank of America application status online.
Barclays Reconsideration Line
To talk to a Barclays personal credit analyst for reconsideration of a Barclays credit card application, you can use the reconsideration line. You may also have success through the general card services line. For specific credit line questions, try the dedicated number.
- Reconsideration: 866-408-4064
- General Card Services: 888-232-0780
- Credit Line Questions: 866-408-4064
The general card services line is also where you can check the status of your application, or you can head online to check your application status.
Capital One Reconsideration Line
Capital One doesn’t have a dedicated phone line for Capital One credit card reconsideration requests, but you may have luck contacting one of the other customer service lines. Note that Capital One will likely refuse to look into your application until you have received an official email response.
- Application Services: 800-625-7866
- General Customer Service: 800-951-6951
To check your Capital One application status, you can call the dedicated line (application status is option three as of this article, but may change in the future).
- Application Status: 800-933-5182
Unfortunately, you cannot currently check your Capital One credit card application status online.
Chase Reconsideration Line
To contact a representative for reconsideration of a Chase credit card application, you can use the reconsideration line.
- Reconsideration (Personal): 888-270-2127
- Reconsideration (Business): 800-453-9719
To check the status of your Chase credit card application, you can call the general customer service number or dedicated application status line.
- Customer Service: 800-432-3117
- Application Status: 800-436-7927
If you already have a Chase online account, you can check the status of a pending application by logging into your account. Otherwise, you cannot check the status of Chase credit card application online.
Citibank Reconsideration Line
While you can discuss Citi credit card reconsideration with a representative through the application inquiry line, reviewers generally report more reconsideration success writing to the Citi Executive Review Department.
- Application Inquiries: 800-763-9795
- Executive Review Address: CitiBank Executive Review Department, P.O. Box 6000, Sioux Falls, SD, 57117
You can check your Citi credit card application status by calling the dedicated application status phone number.
- Application Status: 800-695-5171
You can also check your application status online through the dedicated application status page.
Discover Reconsideration Line
While your Discover credit card application decision is unlikely to be reversed through reconsideration, you can still make the attempt by calling the application services line or the general Discover customer service line.
- Application Services: 888-676-3695
- Customer Service: 1-800-DISCOVER
The general customer service line is also where you can check your Discover application status, or you can head online to check your status.
U.S. Bank Reconsideration Line
To contact a customer service agent for reconsideration of a U.S. Bank credit card application, you can call the general card services line.
- Card Services: 800-685-7680
To check the status of your U.S. Bank credit card application, you can contact the automated credit card underwriting services line.
- Credit Card Underwriting Services: 800-947-1444
You can also check your application status online through the U.S. Bank online banking platform.
Wells Fargo Reconsideration Line
To contact a representative to discuss reconsideration of a Wells Fargo credit card application, you can use the reconsideration line.
- Reconsideration: 866-412-5956
If you simply wish to check your Wells Fargo application status, you can use the dedicated application status line.
- Application Status: 1-800-967-9521
You can also head online to check your Wells Fargo application status through the online portal.
Tips for a Successful Reconsideration Experience
Depending on the issuer, your reconsideration call may be an uphill battle before you even get on the phone. Even for issuers who are generally responsive to reconsideration, what you say on your call — and how you say it — may make all the difference.
First and foremost, if you internalize nothing else beyond this point, remember this: Be Polite. The minute you lose your temper, start using foul language, raise your voice, or otherwise act uncivilized, the representative on the phone will not only likely lose any interest in helping you, but may also be well within their rights to hang up on you.
Once you’ve made a little small talk with the representative, it’s time to get to the nitty-gritty and request reconsideration of your application. If you received a letter or email explaining your denial, this is the time to address the specific issues at hand. If you’re unsure of why your application wasn’t approved, the representative should be able to tell you.
Pulling your credit reports before calling for reconsideration can also help you determine which accounts were responsible for your application being denied, as well as giving you the facts for a potential explanation. Some items that look bad to a decision algorithm can be easily explained to a human representative.
For instance, a series of recent hard inquiries on your credit report is a common reason for rejection, particularly if they are obviously the result of credit card churning. But if those inquiries were the result of rate shopping for new mortgage or auto loan, many creditors will often overlook them and your application may be approved by the reconsideration representative.
Your credit score is made up of five main components, any of which can be the reason you are denied a credit card.
Of course, you’ll need to ensure your explanation for any questionable items or accounts is reasonable — and factual. A lie will be caught quickly if the company asks you to provide supporting documentation.
You should also have a legitimate reason for why you wish to obtain a new card, especially if you already have a large number of cards and/or have recently opened several credit cards.
Few issuers will reconsider an applicant who admits they are only after a signup bonus, as credit card churners typically make poor long-term customers.
Instead, be able to explain which specific features of the card you wish to gain, particularly the features that differ from your current cards. This could be things like greater rewards for purchases you make frequently or to take advantage of a lower APR for a balance transfer.
Another common tip for reconsideration success is to leverage any existing relationship you have with the company. If you’ve had a checking or savings account with the bank for many years, it may be more inclined to reconsider your credit application.
Additionally, some issuers will happily give you another credit card — just not more credit. In these cases, if you agree to close another card and/or transfer available credit from another card with the same issuer, you may earn approval. For example, if you have a Chase Freedom card and want to obtain a Chase Sapphire Preferred card, you may be able to transfer some of your credit limit from the Freedom to the Sapphire Preferred.
Finally, if your best persuasive speaking skills fail to sway your current representative, you can always try to speak with a more understanding person. This may mean escalating the call to a manager, or it may mean hanging up and calling back (many customer service call centers have large numbers of representatives, making it easy to obtain a new rep if you call in again).
If Reconsideration Doesn’t Work, Try Another Card
In the end, even your best efforts may not result in your application being approved; some credit card relationships are simply not meant to be. Thankfully, there are plenty more proverbial fish in the credit card sea.
If you’re nursing the sting of credit card rejection and worried about being hurt a second time, your best bet will likely be to choose a new card based on your credit — and the card’s typical approval range — rather than solely on its perks or rewards. Applying for credit cards you’re more likely to qualify for in the first place will minimize your odds of being rejected due to concerns about your credit risk.
Good Credit | Fair Credit | Bad Credit | No/Limited Credit
Best Credit Cards for “Good” Credit
When your FICO credit score is 670 or better, you’re generally considered to have “Good” credit. In general, the reasons good-credit applicants get denied for a new credit card are because of too many recent accounts (such as in the case of churners), or because of a limited credit profile (typically a credit history less than year long).
Because each issuer has its own rules and limitations regarding things like utilization rates, number of inquiries, and credit history length, applicants with good credit can usually find another card option simply by changing issuers. Our favorite cards for good credit include cards with rewards, awesome intro-APR deals, and some without annual fees.
- INTRO OFFER: Unlimited Cashback Match – only from Discover. Discover will automatically match all the cash back you’ve earned at the end of your first year! There’s no minimum spending or maximum rewards. You could turn $150 cash back into $300.
- Earn 5% cash back on everyday purchases at different places each quarter like Amazon.com, grocery stores, restaurants, and gas stations, up to the quarterly maximum when you activate. Plus, earn unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases - automatically.
- Discover could help you reduce exposure of your personal information online by helping you remove it from select people-search sites that could sell your data. It’s free, activate with the mobile app.
- Every $1 you earn in cash back is $1 you can redeem.
- Get a 0% intro APR for 15 months on purchases. Then 17.24% to 28.24% Standard Variable Purchase APR applies, based on credit worthiness.
- No annual fee.
|
Intro (Purchases)
|
Intro (Transfers)
|
Regular APR
|
Annual Fee
|
Credit Needed
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
0% Intro APR for 15 months
|
0% Intro APR for 15 months
|
17.24% - 28.24% Variable APR
|
$0
|
Excellent/Good
|
- $0 annual fee and no foreign transaction fees
- Earn a bonus of 20,000 miles once you spend $500 on purchases within 3 months from account opening, equal to $200 in travel
- Earn unlimited 1.25X miles on every purchase, every day
- Miles won't expire for the life of the account and there's no limit to how many you can earn
- Earn 5X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, where you'll get Capital One's best prices on thousands of trip options
- Use your miles to get reimbursed for any travel purchase—or redeem by booking a trip through Capital One Travel
|
Intro (Purchases)
|
Intro (Transfers)
|
Regular APR
|
Annual Fee
|
Credit Needed
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
0% for 15 months
|
0% for 15 months
|
19.99% - 29.99% (Variable)
|
$0
|
Excellent, Good
|
- Earn a one-time $200 cash bonus after you spend $500 on purchases within 3 months from account opening
- Earn unlimited 1.5% cash back on every purchase, every day
- $0 annual fee and no foreign transaction fees
- Enjoy up to 6 months of complimentary Uber One membership statement credits through 11/14/2024
- Earn unlimited 5% cash back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, where you'll get Capital One's best prices on thousands of trip options. Terms apply
- No rotating categories or sign-ups needed to earn cash rewards; plus, cash back won't expire for the life of the account and there's no limit to how much you can earn
|
Intro (Purchases)
|
Intro (Transfers)
|
Regular APR
|
Annual Fee
|
Credit Needed
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
0% for 15 months
|
0% for 15 months
|
19.99% - 29.99% (Variable)
|
$0
|
Excellent, Good
|
+See More Cards for Good Credit
Best Credit Cards for “Fair” Credit
Whether you’re building credit for the first time or rebuilding after hitting some bumps, a FICO score between 580 and 669 means you have “Fair” credit. Typical denial reasons for fair-credit applicants will often be based on a limited credit history or whatever negative items caused your credit score to fall into the fair range.
To limit denials — and, thus, reconsideration calls — you should first check for pre-qualification offers with your desired issuer. Pre-qualification uses a soft credit inquiry (which won’t hurt your credit score) to estimate your approval chances. Not being pre-approved may mean you should select a different issuer. You can compare fair-credit options starting with our expert-rated picks below.
- No annual or hidden fees. See if you're approved in seconds
- Be automatically considered for a higher credit line in as little as 6 months
- Help build your credit through responsible use of a card like this
- Enjoy peace of mind with $0 Fraud Liability so that you won't be responsible for unauthorized charges
- Monitor your credit score with CreditWise from Capital One. It's free for everyone
- Get access to your account 24 hours a day, 7 days a week with online banking from your desktop or smartphone, with Capital One's mobile app
|
Intro (Purchases)
|
Intro (Transfers)
|
Regular APR
|
Annual Fee
|
Credit Needed
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
N/A
|
N/A
|
30.74% (Variable)
|
$0
|
Average, Fair, Limited
|
- INTRO OFFER: Unlimited Cashback Match – only from Discover. Discover will automatically match all the cash back you’ve earned at the end of your first year! So you could turn $50 cash back into $100. Or turn $100 into $200. There’s no minimum spending or maximum rewards. Just a dollar-for-dollar match.
- Earn 5% cash back on everyday purchases at different places each quarter like Amazon.com, grocery stores, restaurants, and gas stations, up to the quarterly maximum when you activate. Plus, earn unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases – automatically.
- No credit score required to apply.
- Discover could help you reduce exposure of your personal information online by helping you remove it from select people-search sites that could sell your data. It’s free, activate with the mobile app.
- No annual fee and build your credit with responsible use.
- 0% intro APR on purchases for 6 months, then the standard variable purchase APR of 18.24% - 27.24% applies.
|
Intro (Purchases)
|
Intro (Transfers)
|
Regular APR
|
Annual Fee
|
Credit Needed
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
0% Intro APR for 6 months
|
10.99% Intro APR for 6 months
|
18.24% - 27.24% Variable APR
|
$0
|
Fair/New to Credit
|
- Earn unlimited 1.5% cash back on every purchase, every day
- No rotating categories or limits to how much you can earn, and cash back doesn't expire for the life of the account. It's that simple
- Be automatically considered for a higher credit line in as little as 6 months
- Enjoy peace of mind with $0 Fraud Liability so that you won't be responsible for unauthorized charges
- Help strengthen your credit for the future with responsible card use
- Enjoy up to 6 months of complimentary Uber One membership statement credits through 11/14/2024
|
Intro (Purchases)
|
Intro (Transfers)
|
Regular APR
|
Annual Fee
|
Credit Needed
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
N/A
|
N/A
|
30.74% (Variable)
|
$39
|
Average, Fair, Limited
|
+See More Cards for Fair Credit
Best Credit Cards for “Bad” Credit
When your credit score falls below 580, you are considered to have “Bad” credit. And that bad credit is very likely why your application for a new credit card was denied in the first place, which means your chances of a successful reconsideration are small if you’ve applied for a card outside your credit range.
With bad credit, the best way to obtain a “yes” on your application is to apply to an issuer who specifically accepts poor-credit applicants. This may mean applying for a subprime unsecured credit card or opening a secured credit card. You can begin exploring your options with some of our top poor-credit cards.
- Don’t let a low FICO score stop you from applying – we approve applications others may not.
- You don’t need good credit to apply.
- Just complete the short application and receive a response in 60 seconds.
- When you need assistance our award-winning US-based Customer Service agents are there to help.
- FICO scores are used to represent the creditworthiness of a person and may be one indicator to the credit type you are eligible for. However, credit score alone does not guarantee or imply approval for any PREMIER Bankcard® product.
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Intro (Purchases)
|
Intro (Transfers)
|
Regular APR
|
Annual Fee
|
Credit Needed
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
N/A
|
N/A
|
See Provider Website
|
See Provider Website
|
Fair/Poor
|
- You don’t need good credit to apply.
- We help people with bad credit, every day.
- Just complete the short application and receive a response in 60 seconds.
- You can build or rebuild your credit: apply for a PREMIER Bankcard credit card, keep your balance low, and pay all your monthly bills on time.
- Don’t let a low FICO score stop you from applying – we approve applications others may not.
- FICO scores are used to represent the creditworthiness of a person and may be one indicator to the credit type you are eligible for. However, credit score alone does not guarantee or imply approval for any PREMIER Bankcard® product.
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Intro (Purchases)
|
Intro (Transfers)
|
Regular APR
|
Annual Fee
|
Credit Needed
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
N/A
|
N/A
|
See Provider Website
|
See Provider Website
|
Fair/Poor
|
- See if you qualify instantly without harming your credit score.
- Be automatically considered for a higher credit line in as few as 7 months.
- Free, online credit score access for cardholders.
- Instant decision on your application.
- No interest on purchases when you pay in full and on time each month.
- No security deposit required – get started today!
- Enjoy coverage from Visa®.
- Access your account anytime, anywhere with our mobile app.
- If you are charged interest, the charge will be no less than $0.50.
|
Intro (Purchases)
|
Intro (Transfers)
|
Regular APR
|
Annual Fee
|
Credit Needed
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
N/A
|
N/A
|
26.99 - 29.99% Variable
|
$0-59
|
Fair
|
+See More Cards for Bad Credit
Best Credit Cards for “No/Limited” Credit
Regardless of how nice your credit score looks, if you have less than a year (or, for some issuers, two years) of credit history, you will appear to be a risky applicant to many credit card companies. In some ways, a limited credit history is the easiest denial reason to explain during reconsideration, especially if what payment history you do have is all positive. After all, everyone starts somewhere.
That being said, you can improve your chances of being approved upon application by simply choosing a credit card designed to help new cardholders establish credit. This may mean a student card (most don’t actually require you to be a student to apply), a secured card, or an unsecured starter card from a major issuer. Take a look at our list of cards for no/limited credit to get started.
- No annual or hidden fees. See if you're approved in seconds
- Be automatically considered for a higher credit line in as little as 6 months
- Help build your credit through responsible use of a card like this
- Enjoy peace of mind with $0 Fraud Liability so that you won't be responsible for unauthorized charges
- Monitor your credit score with CreditWise from Capital One. It's free for everyone
- Get access to your account 24 hours a day, 7 days a week with online banking from your desktop or smartphone, with Capital One's mobile app
|
Intro (Purchases)
|
Intro (Transfers)
|
Regular APR
|
Annual Fee
|
Credit Needed
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
N/A
|
N/A
|
30.74% (Variable)
|
$0
|
Average, Fair, Limited
|
- Earn unlimited 1.5% cash back on every purchase, every day
- Early Spend Bonus: Earn $50 when you spend $100 in the first three months
- Earn 10% cash back on purchases made through Uber & Uber Eats, plus complimentary Uber One membership statement credits through 11/14/2024
- Enjoy peace of mind with $0 Fraud Liability so that you won't be responsible for unauthorized charges
- Enjoy no annual fee, foreign transaction fees, or hidden fees
- Lock your card in the Capital One Mobile app if it's misplaced, lost or stolen
|
Intro (Purchases)
|
Intro (Transfers)
|
Regular APR
|
Annual Fee
|
Credit Needed
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
N/A
|
N/A
|
19.99% - 29.99% (Variable)
|
$0
|
Average, Fair, Limited
|
- INTRO OFFER: Unlimited Cashback Match – only from Discover. Discover will automatically match all the cash back you’ve earned at the end of your first year! So you could turn $50 cash back into $100. Or turn $100 into $200. There’s no minimum spending or maximum rewards. Just a dollar-for-dollar match.
- Earn 5% cash back on everyday purchases at different places each quarter like Amazon.com, grocery stores, restaurants, and gas stations, up to the quarterly maximum when you activate. Plus, earn unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases – automatically.
- No credit score required to apply.
- Discover could help you reduce exposure of your personal information online by helping you remove it from select people-search sites that could sell your data. It’s free, activate with the mobile app.
- No annual fee and build your credit with responsible use.
- 0% intro APR on purchases for 6 months, then the standard variable purchase APR of 18.24% - 27.24% applies.
|
Intro (Purchases)
|
Intro (Transfers)
|
Regular APR
|
Annual Fee
|
Credit Needed
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
0% Intro APR for 6 months
|
10.99% Intro APR for 6 months
|
18.24% - 27.24% Variable APR
|
$0
|
Fair/New to Credit
|
+See More Cards for No/Limited Credit
Rejection Isn’t Always the End
Whether it’s an application for a new credit card or being stood up for a blind date — rejection sucks. But while nobody likes to feel as though they weren’t up to snuff, sometimes all it takes is a little more information to make someone reconsider their first impression.
So, the next time you apply for a credit card and see the dreaded “Pending” screen (or, worse, get rejected outright), remember that it doesn’t mean all is lost. A phone call, a friendly tone, and a reasonable explanation may be all you need to enjoy a successful reconsideration and put that new piece of plastic in your pocket. After all, life is full of twists and turns and many of them are out of our control. And the reasons for those twists and/or turns are not always evident on a piece of paper or electronic form.
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Editorial Note: Our site content is not provided or commissioned by any credit card issuer(s). Opinions expressed on CardRates.com are the author's alone, not those of any credit card issuer, and have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by credit card issuers. Every reasonable effort has been made to maintain accurate information; however, all credit card offer details, including information about rewards, signup bonuses, introductory offers, and other terms and conditions, is presented without warranty. Clicking on any offer on CardRates.com will direct you to the issuer's website, where you can review the current terms and conditions of the offer.
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