Preapproval | Credit Card Topics

What is Credit Card Preapproval? How to Gauge Your Approval Odds Without a Hard Credit Pull

By: Eric Bank, 10/2/2024

So, you received an unsolicited credit card preapproval in the mail and wonder whether it’s just another piece of junk mail. Maybe not! Credit card preapproval means a card issuer has taken a peek at your credit profile (but has yet to perform a full credit check) and likes what it sees. Something like, “Hey, you might just qualify for this card.” But wait before you start celebrating because there is no guarantee that you’ll actually get the card. Preapproval... read more »

12 Best Soft-Pull Credit Cards (2023)

By: Adam West, 4/20/2023

Credit cards generally will not be issued without a hard credit inquiry, but you can get preapproved for a credit card with only a soft credit pull. Almost every time you apply for new credit, the lender credit check will usually result in a hard inquiry being noted on your reports, which may cause a small ding to your credit score. That's because lenders see an application for new credit as a desire to take on more debt. Doesn't make sense? Think of it this way: if a married person... read more »

18 Credit Card Pre-Approval Links (2024)

By: Adam West, 5/29/2024

Shopping for a credit card isn’t quite as exciting as going shopping with a credit card — but you can’t do one without the other. And both require a bit of research and rational thinking if you want to avoid making a bad financial decision that could haunt you for years. Thankfully, many major credit card issuers offer pre-qualifying applications that make it easier to narrow your choices and limit the hard inquiries placed on your credit report. And what’s even better,... read more »

5 Pre-Qualified Credit Cards For Bad Credit (2023)

By: Eric Bank, 11/30/2023

Pre-qualified credit cards for bad credit can help you get a card, improve your credit score, and build your credit history. Without damaging your credit score, prequalification gives you a reasonable idea of whether you’ll be approved for a credit card. Let's take a look at seven cards that offer applicants the ability to see their chances of approval before submitting an application, so they can narrow down their best credit card options. Cards | FAQs | Methodology Credit... read more »

18 Best Pre-Approval Credit Cards: 100% Online (June 2025)

By: Ashley Fricker, 5/28/2025

Pre-approved credit cards offer an opportunity for those with marginal credit scores to get an idea if they will be able to open a new line of credit without the ensuing credit score hit of a hard inquiry. Of all the nonsensical concepts in the world of consumer credit, perhaps one of the least intuitive is that it can actually harm your credit score when creditors pull your credit. I mean, the very reason we have credit reports is for creditors to check them, right? Right. But... read more »

Chase Pre-Approval: 6 Best Offers to Prequalify (2024)

By: Brittney Mayer, 1/26/2024

In the crowded field of credit cards, the Chase family of cards stands out to many as containing some of the best rewards out there. Not only does Chase's offering of cash back cards have solid rewards and good sign-up bonuses, but the Chase Ultimate rewards program has been lauded as one of the best for flexible travel rewards. Unfortunately, top cards come with top qualifications, and Chase has fairly stringent credit requirements for most of its cards. If you're unsure of your... read more »

3 Steps to Credit One Pre-Approval (2023)

By: Brittney Mayer, 5/26/2023

Checking to see if you qualify for Credit One pre-approval can be easily accomplished by following the steps detailed below. When companies check your credit report, there are two ways it can be done: through a hard inquiry or a soft inquiry. A hard inquiry, or pull, generally involves a lender (or another party) requesting your complete credit report. A hard pull will usually leave a small negative mark on your report that comes with a matching decrease in your credit score for up... read more »

Discover Card Pre-Approval: 4 Best Offers to Prequalify (2024)

By: Brittney Mayer, 8/28/2024

The modern era is a lovely place, full of technology and convenience. Vacuums run themselves, the sofa plugs in, and there are televisions in the refrigerators. With all this digitization, it's hardly shocking that just about everything hits our inboxes instead of our mailboxes. So what's the surprising part? Anytime I check the mail, there always seems to be at least one letter from a credit card company. These pre-approval offers and pre-qualification notices are forever showing up,... read more »

Capital One Pre-Approval: 5 Secrets to Prequalify (2024)

By: Ashley Fricker, 7/16/2024

If you've received a Capital One pre approval letter in the mail, it simply means you meet the bank's requirements for approval, and your chances of being approved for the credit card offer you have received are high. Card issuers find this information by working with credit bureaus to look at your credit reports, or by setting a specific requirement, such as a minimum credit score, and requesting a list of consumers from the bureaus who meet the requirement. If you're interested in... read more »

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All articles tagged Preapproval (9)