Best Preapproved Credit Card Offers
It used to be that if you wanted a new credit card, you would apply and hope for the best. The credit card company would check your credit history — known as a hard pull of your credit — and decide whether or not they deemed you worthy. Regardless of whether you were approved, your credit score would be impacted. Apply for a few different cards and your score could really take a hit.
Today, you can see whether you are preapproved for many credit cards, without any impact to your credit score. This is a big advantage, especially for those who may not have perfect credit and therefore may not qualify for every card. And these are the folks who could be the most negatively impacted by a hard pull on their credit.
6 of the Best Preapproved Credit Card Offers
Keep in mind that if you accept a preapproved offer from a credit card company, they will then do a full credit check, including a hard pull. So, it’s possible your credit score could take a bit of a hit once you officially apply. And a preapproval isn’t a guarantee you’ll get the card. Once the issuer looks at your full credit history and income, they could still turn you down, although it’s more likely you’ll be approved than not.
Here are the best preapproved credit card offers.
Apple Card
You can apply for the Apple Card on the Apple Card website and get a preapproved offer in a few minutes, without a hard inquiry on your credit. If you decide to accept the offer they give you — which will include your credit line and interest rate — you can use the account instantly. Use it with Apple Pay and get extra cash back, which is credited almost instantly.
The Apple Card offers 3% cash back at Apple and other merchants, like T-Mobile, Exxon, Uber and Nike, when you use it with Apple Pay. You get 2% cash back when you use it at any merchant that displays the Apple Pay or contactless pay logo. And you get 1% everywhere else.
American Express, Member FDIC, has an easy preapproval form that asks for basic information like name, address, the last four digits of your social security number and your income. They are careful to note that the cards you qualify for through preapproval may not include bonus rewards points, an introductory interest rate or other perks.
The American Express Blue Cash Everyday Card has no annual fee, and you earn 3% cash back at U.S. supermarkets, gas stations, and online retail purchases of up to $6,000 per year in each category (then 1%) and 1% cash back on everything else. The card has a APR.
Capital One QuicksilverOne Rewards Credit Card
Capital One will preapprove you for several of their cards and they start by asking you what you’re looking for — cash back, no annual fee or low interest. There’s even an option to select that you want to build your credit. Then you’ll fill in your details and they’ll let you know which card or cards you’re preapproved for.
There are several iterations of the Capital One Quicksilver Rewards Card, and the one you’ll get will depend on your credit: fair, good or excellent. There’s also a secured card, which requires that you put down a deposit equal to your credit line. When you use the card and make the payments according to the terms, you’ll be able to move up to an unsecured card. All of the Capital One Quicksilver cards offer unlimited 1.5% cash back on every purchase.
Discover it® Cash Back Card
Discover Card has a short preapproval form that asks for basic information like name, address and date of birth. It also asks some more specific questions about your income and expenses, and lets you select the card benefit that is most important to you, whether it is cash back, travel rewards or balance transfers. Once you fill it out, you’ll be shown the card or cards you are preapproved for.
The Discover it Card offers an introductory interest rate of 0% APR for the first 15 billing cycles, followed by rates of APR. Plus, you get 5% cash back on purchases at certain categories of merchants that change each quarter on up to $1,500 in purchases. On all other purchases, you get 1% cash back. And Discover matches all the cash back you earn in your first year, dollar for dollar.
Bank of America’s preapproval process asks the standard questions — name, address, date of birth and last four digits of your social security number — and then shows you the offers you are pre-selected for. These offers typically include the bonus offers, like an introductory interest rate and bonus points, that some other cards exclude from their pre-qualified offers.
The Bank of America Travel Rewards Credit Card offers 25,000 bonus points if you spend at least $1,000 in purchases in the first 90 days you have the card. You get 1.5 points for every dollar you spend on the card. There’s no limit to the points you can earn, and they don’t expire. You also get an introductory 0% APR interest rate for the first 15 billing cycles. After that, your rate is .
Citi® has a quick pre-screening form that asks for your name, address, email address and the last four digits of your social security number. You can also choose the type of card you want — cash back, balance transfer, low introductory APR or rewards. Then you check the box to indicate that you’re authorizing a soft pull on your credit which won’t impact your score.
The Citi Double Cash Back Credit Card pays you cash back twice on each purchase — 1% when you make the purchase, and another 1% when you pay for it. You can also get 0% APR for 18 months on balances you transfer within the first four months of account opening. After that period, the rates are APR. This card has no annual fee.
Final Take
Whether you take a preapproved credit card offer or not, it’s important to pay attention to the fine print when applying for any card. Make sure you understand what your credit limit is, what your interest rate is and what fees you will pay. Many issuers do not offer their typical introductory interest rates and bonus rewards points when you accept a preapproved offer, so be sure to read the terms carefully. And most importantly, don’t apply for any card that you won’t be in a position to pay back.
FAQ
- Do credit card preapprovals hurt your credit?
- No. When a credit card company preapproves you, they do a soft credit inquiry, which does not hurt your credit score. Once you accept a credit card offer, however, they will do a hard inquiry which could impact your credit score.
- Which bank gives fast preapproved credit cards?
- Many banks will preapprove you for a credit card in just a few minutes. Bank of America, Citi and Chase have preapproval forms on their websites.
- What credit cards can I see if I am preapproved for?
- Many credit cards offer preapproval to see if you're likely to be issued a card if you apply. American Express, Capital One, Discover and others will preapprove you on their website.
- How do you get preapproved for a credit card?
- Many companies offer preapproval for credit cards on their website. You typically need to provide your name and address, your income and the last four digits of your social security number. In some cases, you'll need to indicate which card you're interested in.
Rates are subject to change; unless otherwise noted, rates are updated periodically. All other information on accounts is accurate as of Aug. 16, 2022.
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All information about American Express card offers have been collected independently by GOBankingRates and have not been reviewed or approved by American Express. These offers are not available through GOBankingRates.
