Applying for a new credit card can come with concerns. Will you receive an approval? Will the APR be low enough? What will your credit limit be? Besides the unknowns, issuers make hard inquiries against your credit report(s) when evaluating your creditworthiness. By preapplying for a credit card, much of the uncertainty can be avoided. Most card issuers offer preapproval or pre-qualification, allowing applicants to see if approval for a card is likely without committing to a formal application.
Applicants can shop around and fill out as many preapproval applications as desired. Preapprovals don’t usually harm credit because issuers perform soft credit checks to determine eligibility. Once the applicant decides to apply the issuer will do a formal credit pull before making a final decision.
Receiving a preapproval for a card won’t guarantee the issuer will give final approval with the terms initially offered. This being said, you’ll usually stand a good chance of getting what you’re shopping for if you submit a formal application within the preapproval window.
Issuers With Credit Cards That Offer Preapproval in 2024
Most major card issuers in the U.S. offer preapproval for at least some of the cards in their lineups. Each issuer requires different information from the applicant, ranging from name and email address to income and housing status. Find cards from the following issuers in our lists below:
- Capital One
- Chase
- American Express
- Citi Bank
- Discover
- Bank of America
Not every credit card is eligible for preapproval and you will have to inquire with the issuer directly to determine which offers you may be pre-approved for, if any.
If your preferred card issuer is not listed here, contact the company by phone or email to ask if it has pre-qualifying offers.
Here are some of the best card offers we’ve seen on the market.
Capital One Cards That Offer Preapproval
Capital One requires your name, date of birth, Social Security number and what kind of card you want, among other personal details:
- Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card
- Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card
- Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
- Savor Rewards Credit Card*
- Capital One QuicksilverOne Cash Rewards Credit Card
- Capital One Quicksilver Secured Cash Rewards Credit Card
- Capital One Platinum Secured Credit Card
Featured Partner Offers
Chase Cards That Offer Preapproval
Chase offers an online application for preapproval and logging into your Chase account may result in an opportunity to see an offer based on your existing relationship with the bank. You may also receive offers in the mail.
Featured Partner Offers
American Express
American Express recently overhauled its application system. Prospective cardholders interested in applying for a U.S. personal American Express card can visit American Express to see card offers. Upon applying for a chosen card, a soft inquiry will be made on an applicant’s credit report and applicants will be told with 100% certainty if they are approved – without any impact to their credit score. If the approved applicant then accepts the card, a hard inquiry will be made on their credit report, which may impact their credit score.
Application requires a home address, annual income and your Social Security number:
- Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express
- Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express
- American Express® Gold Card
- The Platinum Card® from American Express
Featured Partner Offers
Citi
Citi asks for your name, address, last four digits of your Social Security number and the type of card you want:
Discover
Discover asks for name, Social Security number, annual income, monthly bill payments, housing status and more:
Bank of America
Bank of America requires your name, date of birth, last four digits of your Social Security number and what type of card you want:
What Is Preapproval?
Preapproval means a credit card issuer has reviewed your credit history using a soft credit check to determine whether you’re eligible for a credit card. Soft credit checks don’t affect your credit, whereas hard credit checks appear in your credit history and may reduce your score slightly. If you decide to submit a formal application for a credit card, the card issuer will more than likely make a hard credit check before making a final decision.
Preapproval offers are not guaranteed and sometimes these offers expire. For example, Discover’s preapproval offers are valid for seven days (applicants can apply for a new preapproval offer if they pass the initial preapproval period).
Credit Card Preapproval vs. Pre-Qualification
Card issuers may sometimes use the terms preapproval and pre-qualification interchangeably. Both mean an issuer preliminarily reviews your personal and financial information to determine if you’re eligible for a credit card offer.
The difference is that a pre-qualification tends to be a simple review of your credit history using basic details like name, address and Social Security number. A preapproval may go a step further by performing a soft credit check and analyzing financial information such as annual income and monthly bill payments.
A preapproval or pre-qualification offers potential rates, terms and card benefits as individualized for the applicant. No matter what the issuer calls it, preapprovals or pre-qualifications don’t guarantee a final offer. Unless the issuer directly tells you the offer is guaranteed, it isn’t. If you are denied during the preapproval or pre-qualification process, you can try applying for preapproval or pre-qualification with a different card issuer without harm to your credit.
Pros and Cons of Pre-Qualified Credit Cards
Pros
Applying for preapproval on a card issuer’s website is one relatively easy way to figure out which cards you may be eligible for without harming your credit. Preapproval or pre-qualification allows you to shop among card issuers without affecting credit score, so a major pro is the guidance preapproval or pre-qualification can provide. Sometimes a card issuer may even share your potential credit limit and APR.
Preapproval and pre-qualification offers may also include offers for increased reward earning, including higher welcome bonuses.
Cons
The cons of pre-qualification and preapproval are fairly few in number. Sure, they take time and it can be a hassle to fill out so many forms, but you’ll have to do that anyway when you apply for cards. Offers are not final, but applying for preapproval and pre-qualification won’t affect your credit, so it’s either a reassurance about your ability to receive an approval for the card or a reality check about your need to pay more attention to your credit health before applying for better cards.
If you miss the preapproval window or your financial situation changes, the card issuer may deny your formal application, so be sure to make a decision fairly quickly before actually applying.
How To Get Pre Approved for a Credit Card
The first step to getting preapproved for a credit card is to go to the card issuer’s preapproval tool on its website and fill in the required details. Each issuer may require different information, so it’s best to be prepared. Have your personal and financial information handy like your Social Security number, annual income, monthly bill payments and housing status.
Preapproval offers can be mailed to your address in which case you can respond by phone or by entering your offer number on the card issuer’s website. The mailing letter will have detailed instructions on how to apply.
Online preapprovals happen in seconds. The issuer’s website will inform you which cards you qualify for—sometimes including rates, credit limit and APR. From there, you can fill out a formal application.
If your credit card application is denied, the card issuer will likely provide reasons for the decision. Use this information to improve your credit standing and try again in a few months. You can also move on and apply for preapproval with a different card issuer.
What Should You Do If You Receive Too Many Offers
If you’re sick of digging through piles of credit card offers every time you check your mail or the waste of paper disgusts you, you can opt out of receiving the offers by visiting OptOutPrescreen.com, the official opt-out website, or calling 888-5-OPT-OUT (888-567-8688). You’ll be asked for personal information, such as your name, address and Social Security number (SSN).
Opting out online will only halt offers for about five years, so if you’d like to opt out permanently, you’ll need to fill out a form on the opt out website and mail it to:
Opt-Out Department
P.O. Box 530200
Atlanta, GA 30353
You can also opt to stop receiving marketing mail altogether by visiting the Direct Marketing Association (DMA) website at DMAChoice.org, or calling 212-768-7277.
Bottom Line
Applying for preapproval on a card issuer’s website is one relatively easy way to figure out which cards you may be eligible for. preapproval or pre-qualification allows you to shop among card issuers without affecting credit score. Sometimes the card issuer may even share your potential credit limit and APR. Keep in mind preapproval offers are not final. If you miss the preapproval window or your financial situation changes, the card issuer may deny your formal application.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How much does preapproval hurt credit?
Card issuers perform a soft credit check for preapproval, meaning your credit will not be affected. Submitting a formal application will result in a hard credit check which will show up on a credit report and may cause your score to temporarily dip.
How can I find preapproved credit cards?
Go to any card issuer’s website and look for its preapproval or pre-qualification tool.
What credit score is needed for pre approval?
The credit score you need to receive preapproval for any specific card likely won’t be published by the card’s issuer. We recommend improving your credit as much as possible before beginning a search for credit cards to ensure you have the best odds possible. Preapproval applications will not, however, impact your credit, so you can safely find out if your credit is good enough without damaging it further.
Can you get denied after preapproval?
Yes, it is possible to be denied a credit card even if pre-approved for the same card. This is especially likely to happen if you apply after the preapproval period or if your financial situation changes.
How do you pre-qualify for American Express cards?
Use American Express’s pre-qualification tool to see which cards you’re eligible for.
How do you pre-qualify for Chase cards?
Chase does not offer a preapproval tool, but you can check your current Chase account “Offers for You” to see if any offers appear.
How do you pre-qualify for Capital One cards?
Use Capital One’s preapproval tool to see which cards you’re eligible for.
How do you pre-qualify for Citi cards?
Citi may send pre-qualified offers at their discretion.
