In this article, we’ll take a look at a selection of credit cards that use Equifax credit report data to help determine your chances of approval, interest rate, credit limit, and other factors.
Browsing the newspaper rack in any given city, a few things are likely to stand out. In particular, although the major headlines are often similar from front page to front page, many will have broadly different stories filling in the margins. This gives the impression that, while they’re all reporting on the same group of folks, each newspaper seems to use its own sources of information to do so.
The same thing can be said about the consumer credit bureaus. In other words, while all three of your credit reports are about you, the sources of information can vary from report to report. This is because these agencies rely on our creditors to report pertinent information to be added to our credit reports, rather than seeking it out. Additionally, your creditors can choose which report to query when running a credit check, further differentiating your reports.
No Issuer Will Pull Only Equifax Data All the Time
Given that your credit reports can show different information, you may end up with one report that is in better shape than the others. For example, hard credit inquiries occur when you apply for new credit. Many creditors will only pull your credit report from one or two bureaus, meaning you could end up with more hard inquiries on those reports than on reports queried less frequently.
One or two hard inquiries on any given report won’t have much impact on your overall score, typically only lowering it by a few points at most. However, a series of hard inquiries can have an exponentially greater impact, dropping your score more significantly — and acting as a giant red flag to potential creditors.
Whatever the source of your credit report disparities, it can be tempting to look for creditors who will pull only your best credit report when checking your credit.
Unfortunately, it’s nearly impossible to accurately predict which credit bureau a particular creditor will use for any given applicant. That’s because it can vary based on anything from the individual credit product to your particular location or even to the time of day.
Furthermore, no creditor exclusively pulls data from a single credit bureau for every application. This applies to Equifax data, as well as Experian and TransUnion. While some reviewers have reported successfully getting a creditor to pull a particular report upon request (or by freezing one or more of their credit reports), this method is hardly guaranteed to work.
Card Issuers that Commonly Use Equifax for Approval
Although no credit card issuer will use Equifax data reliably for every application, many issuers will tend to use the same bureau for similar applications, such as for the same credit card product. Along those lines, the credit cards on our lists below are reported to frequently use Equifax credit reports for approval.
Remember that this is by no means a guarantee that an application for one of these cards will result in an Equifax credit inquiry. Issuers may pull Equifax data — or they may use Experian or TransUnion. Or they could use any combination of the three. Be cognizant when you apply.
Discover | Chase | Citi | HSBC
Discover
Both its own credit card network and issuer, Discover is responsible for launching the first credit card rewards program offering cash back rewards. Today, the issuer’s range of cards includes several cash back options, not to mention a miles card for those who want travel rewards and a secured card for those who have less-than-perfect credit.
- 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, gas stations and when you pay using PayPal, up to the quarterly maximum when you activate. Plus, earn unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases - automatically.
- Redeem cash back in any amount, any time. Rewards never expire.
- NEW Intro APR: Get a 0% intro APR‡ for 15 months on purchases. Then 12.24% to 23.24% Standard Variable Purchase APR applies, based on credit worthiness.
- No annual fee.
- Click "APPLY NOW" to see rewards, FICO® Credit Score terms, Cashback Match™ details & other information.
|
Intro (Purchases)
|
Intro (Transfers)
|
Regular APR
|
Annual Fee
|
Credit Needed
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
0% Intro APR for 15 months
|
0% Intro APR for 15 months
|
12.24% - 23.24% Variable APR
|
$0
|
Excellent/Good/Average
|
- 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, gas stations and when you pay using PayPal, up to the quarterly maximum when you activate. Plus, earn unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases – automatically.
- Redeem cash back any amount, any time. Rewards never expire.
- No annual fee.
- Get your free Credit Scorecard with your FICO® Credit Score, number of recent inquiries and more.
- Click "APPLY NOW" to see rewards, FICO® Credit Score terms, Cashback Match™ details & other information.
|
Intro (Purchases)
|
Intro (Transfers)
|
Regular APR
|
Annual Fee
|
Credit Needed
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
0% Intro APR for 6 months
|
0% Intro APR for 18 months
|
12.24% - 23.24% Variable APR
|
$0
|
Excellent/Good/Average
|
- UNLIMITED BONUS: Only Discover gives you an unlimited match of all the Miles you’ve earned at the end of your first year. For example, if you earn 35,000 Miles, you get 70,000 Miles. There’s no signing up, no minimum spending or maximum rewards. Just a Miles-for-Miles match.
- Automatically earn unlimited 1.5x Miles on every dollar of every purchase - with no annual fee.
- Redeem Miles to pay any part of your monthly bill, including your minimum payment.
- Turn Miles into cash in any amount, any time. Or redeem as a statement credit for travel purchases like airfare, hotels, rideshares, gas stations, restaurants and more with no blackout dates. However you redeem, Miles keep the same value. And Miles never expire.
- New Intro APR: 0% intro APR† for 15 months on purchases. Then 12.24% to 23.24% Standard Variable Purchase APR will apply.
- Discover is accepted nationwide by 99% of the places that take credit cards.
|
Intro (Purchases)
|
Intro (Transfers)
|
Regular APR
|
Annual Fee
|
Credit Needed
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
0% Intro APR for 15 months
|
0% Intro APR for 15 months
|
12.24% - 23.24% Variable APR
|
$0
|
Excellent/Good
|
+See More Discover Credit Cards
Although Discover’s best APRs and highest limits go to the most qualified applicants, the issuer has fairly flexible credit requirements for a prime credit card issuer. Discover even offers the Discover it® Secured Credit Card, which provides cash back rewards, a rarity in the secured card market.
Chase
Not only is Chase one of the largest credit card issuers in the world, with more than 93 million cardholders, but the issuer is also rated highly for its customer service. Chase’s huge collection of credit cards includes options for just about anyone, offering cash back rewards and lucrative points programs, as well as a variety of co-branded options for a customized credit experience.
- Earn a $200 Bonus after you spend $500 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening.
- 5% cash back on up to $1,500 in combined purchases in bonus categories each quarter you activate. Enjoy new 5% categories each quarter!
- 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards®, our premier rewards program that lets you redeem rewards for cash back, travel, gift cards and more
- 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service, and unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases.
- No minimum to redeem for cash back. You can choose to receive a statement credit or direct deposit into most U.S. checking and savings accounts. Cash Back rewards do not expire as long as your account is open!
- 0% Intro APR for 15 months from account opening on purchases and balance transfers, then a variable APR of 15.24% - 23.99%.
|
Intro (Purchases)
|
Intro (Transfers)
|
Regular APR
|
Annual Fee
|
Credit Needed
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
0% Intro APR on Purchases 15 months
|
0% Intro APR on Balance Transfers 15 months
|
15.24% - 23.99% Variable
|
$0
|
Good/Excellent
|
- INTRO OFFER: Earn an additional 1.5% cash back on everything you buy (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year) - worth up to $300 cash back!
- Enjoy 6.5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards®, our premier rewards program that lets you redeem rewards for cash back, travel, gift cards and more; 4.5% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service, and 3% on all other purchases (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year).
- After your first year or $20,000 spent, enjoy 5% cash back on Chase travel purchased through Ultimate Rewards®, 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service, and unlimited 1.5% cash back on all other purchases.
- No minimum to redeem for cash back. You can choose to receive a statement credit or direct deposit into most U.S. checking and savings accounts. Cash Back rewards do not expire as long as your account is open!
- Enjoy 0% Intro APR for 15 months from account opening on purchases and balance transfers, then a variable APR of 15.24% - 23.99%.
- No annual fee - You won't have to pay an annual fee for all the great features that come with your Freedom Unlimited® card
|
Intro (Purchases)
|
Intro (Transfers)
|
Regular APR
|
Annual Fee
|
Credit Needed
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
0% Intro APR on Purchases 15 months
|
0% Intro APR on Balance Transfers 15 months
|
15.24% - 23.99% Variable
|
$0
|
Good/Excellent
|
- Start off strong with 0% Intro APR for 18 months from account opening on purchases and balance transfers. A variable APR of 15.24% - 23.99% on balance transfers and purchases after the introductory period ends.
- Lower your interest rate by 2% each year. Automatically be considered for an APR reduction when you pay on time, and spend at least $1000 on your card by your next account anniversary.
- Raise your credit limit. Get an automatic, one-time review for a higher credit limit when you pay on time, and spend $500 in your first six months.
- All for no annual fee - You won't have to pay an annual fee for all the great features that come with your Slate Edge℠ card
- Keep tabs on your credit health - Chase Credit Journey helps you monitor your credit with free access to your latest score, real-time alerts, and more
|
Intro (Purchases)
|
Intro (Transfers)
|
Regular APR
|
Annual Fee
|
Credit Needed
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
0% Intro APR on Purchases 18 months
|
0% Intro APR on Balance Transfers 18 months
|
15.24% - 23.99% Variable
|
$0
|
Good/Excellent
|
Although Chase has a variety of credit card products, most of its offerings are designed for consumers with good to excellent credit scores. Additionally, Chase fairly stringently enforces its 5/24 Rule, which automatically declines any applicant who has opened more than five new credit accounts within the last 24 months, regardless of your credit score or income. This rule applies to all Chase cards, as well as many of the co-branded credit cards.
Citibank
Citibank has a long history dating back to the City Bank of New York in 1812. Today’s Citi is a major credit card issuer, with more than 54 million cardholders around the world. Citi’s offerings include several credit cards from which to choose, including its much-lauded flat-rate cash back card and intro APR options.
- Earn 2% on every purchase with unlimited 1% cash back when you buy, plus an additional 1% as you pay for those purchases.
- To earn cash back, pay at least the minimum due on time.
- Balance Transfer Only Offer: 0% intro APR on Balance Transfers for 18 months. After that, the variable APR will be 14.74% - 24.74%, based on your creditworthiness.
- Balance Transfers do not earn cash back. Intro APR does not apply to purchases.
- If you transfer a balance, interest will be charged on your purchases unless you pay your entire balance (including balance transfers) by the due date each month.
- There is an intro balance transfer fee of 3% of each transfer (minimum $5) completed within the first 4 months of account opening. After that, your fee will be 5% of each transfer (minimum $5).
- The standard variable APR for Citi Flex Plan is 14.74% - 24.74%, based on your creditworthiness. Citi Flex Plan offers are made available at Citi's discretion.
|
Intro (Purchases)
|
Intro (Transfers)
|
Regular APR
|
Annual Fee
|
Credit Needed
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
N/A
|
0% Intro APR Period 18 months on Balance Transfers
|
14.74% - 24.74% (Variable)
|
$0
|
Excellent, Good
|
Additional Disclosure: Citi is a CardRates advertiser.
- Earn 60,000 bonus ThankYou® Points after you spend $4,000 in purchases within the first 3 months of account opening
- Earn 3 Points per $1 spent at Restaurants and Supermarkets
- Earn 3 Points per $1 spent at Gas Stations, Air Travel and Hotels
- Earn 1 Point per $1 spent on all other purchases
- Annual Hotel Savings Benefit
- 60,000 Points are redeemable for $600 in gift cards when redeemed at thankyou.com
- No expiration and no limit to the amount of points you can earn with this card
- No Foreign Transaction Fees on purchases
|
Intro (Purchases)
|
Intro (Transfers)
|
Regular APR
|
Annual Fee
|
Credit Needed
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
N/A
|
N/A
|
16.74% - 24.74% (Variable)
|
$95
|
Excellent, Good
|
Additional Disclosure: Citi is a CardRates advertiser.
- Discover one of Citi's best cash back rewards cards designed exclusively for Costco members
- 4% cash back on eligible gas for the first $7,000 per year and then 1% thereafter
- 3% cash back on restaurants and eligible travel purchases
- 2% cash back on all other purchases from Costco and Costco.com
- 1% cash back on all other purchases
- No annual fee with your paid Costco membership and enjoy no foreign transaction fees on purchases
- Receive an annual credit card reward certificate, which is redeemable for cash or merchandise at U.S. Costco warehouses, including Puerto Rico
- The standard variable APR for Citi Flex Plan is 15.99%. Citi Flex Plan offers are made available at Citi's discretion.
|
Intro (Purchases)
|
Intro (Transfers)
|
Regular APR
|
Annual Fee
|
Credit Needed
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
N/A
|
N/A
|
15.99% (Variable)
|
$0
|
Excellent
|
Additional Disclosure: Citi is a CardRates advertiser.
Cards from Citi are typically aimed at consumers with good to excellent credit scores, plus a student and secured offering for those building credit. Citi offers a wide range of rewards cards, including the Citi® Double Cash Card with one of the highest unlimited cash back rates available.
HSBC
Originally founded as the Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation as a way to finance trade between Europe and Asia, HSBC is now a global bank with cardholders from around the world. HSBC now offers cards that specialize in travel rewards and perks.
- Earn 50,000 Rewards Bonus Points worth $750 in airfare – when booked online through HSBC Rewards – after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months of account opening
- You’ll earn 3X Rewards Points on new travel purchases – including airline, hotels, and car rentals -- 2X Points on new dining purchases, and 1X Points on all other purchases
- Receive up to $400 in travel credits per year for all airfare, hotels, and car rentals booked through HSBC Travel
- You and one guest enjoy complimentary, unlimited access to 1,000+ airport lounges provided by LoungeKey™
- Take 3 rides per month and receive a $5 Lyft App credit
- An exclusive Luxury Thank You Gift when you reach $50,000, $75,000, and $100,000 in cumulative spend annually. Up to 3 Luxury gifts per year.
|
Intro (Purchases)
|
Intro (Transfers)
|
Regular APR
|
Annual Fee
|
Credit Needed
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
N/A
|
N/A
|
14.99% - 18.99% (Variable)
|
$395
|
Excellent
|
As a bank with a worldwide market, HSBC goes the next step to ensure you can use your card everywhere: Each HSBC card comes free from foreign transaction fees. This means you can make purchases anywhere you travel in whichever currency is convenient, without paying for the privilege.
Aim to Keep All Three Credit Reports in Good Shape
All in all, while you can’t predict which credit bureau will be queried when you apply for a new credit card, you can decrease the impact of the somewhat random selection. For instance, you can choose to apply for new cards sporadically, limiting the number of inquiries on all of your reports.
You can also practice responsible credit behaviors, including always paying your debts as agreed and maintaining low balances, so that all three of your reports look their best no matter which one is queried. You should also regularly check all three credit reports for errors or fraudulent accounts.
Think of it in terms of the newspaper stand again. To ensure you’re getting a balanced report on the city’s events, you should look at several papers, with several different viewpoints. One paper may cover an event that the others missed thanks to having its own sources. Any of your three credit reports can include information the others missed — and all three can contain things they shouldn’t.
Advertiser Disclosure
CardRates.com is a free online resource that offers valuable content and comparison services to users. To keep this resource 100% free, we receive compensation for referrals for many of the offers listed on the site. Along with key review factors, this compensation may impact how and where products appear across CardRates.com (including, for example, the order in which they appear). CardRates.com does not include the entire universe of available offers. Editorial opinions expressed on the site are strictly our own and are not provided, endorsed, or approved by advertisers.
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.
Share This Article
About the Author
![Credit Card Applications: How to Apply for [current_year]‘s Top Cards](https://www.cardrates.com/images/uploads/2017/06/Credit-Card-Applications_How-To-Apply-edit.jpg?width=158&height=120&fit=crop "Credit Card Applications: How to Apply for [current_year]‘s Top Cards")
![Capital One Secured Credit Card Reviews of [current_year]](https://www.cardrates.com/images/uploads/2021/11/Capital-One-Secured-Credit-Card-Reviews.jpg?width=158&height=120&fit=crop "Capital One Secured Credit Card Reviews of [current_year]")