Best Credit Cards That Offer Preapproval Or Prequalification In June 2024 (2024)

Most major card issuers in the U.S. offer preapproval for at least some cards in their lineup. Each issuer requires different information from the applicant, ranging from name, Social Security number and email address to income and housing status.

Find cards from the following issuers in our lists below:

1. Capital One
2. Chase
3. American Express
4. Citi Bank
5. Discover
6. Bank of America

Not every credit card is eligible for preapproval, and you’ll have to inquire with the issuer to determine which offers you may be preapproved for, if any.

If your preferred card issuer is not listed here, contact the company to ask if it has prequalifying offers.

Capital One requires your name, date of birth, Social Security number and the kind of card you’re considering, among other personal details. The issuer offers preapproval for these cards:

• Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card
• Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card
• Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
• Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card
• Savor Rewards Credit Card*
• Capital One Platinum Credit Card
• Capital One QuicksilverOne Cash Rewards Credit Card
• Capital One Quicksilver Secured Cash Rewards Credit Card
• Capital One Platinum Secured Credit Card

Credit card applications originating from this page will result in a hard credit inquiry. Please contact the issuer for preapproval or prequalification opportunities.

Chase doesn’t have an online application for preapproval, but existing Chase customers may be offered preapproval. You can check your eligibility by logging into your Chase account to see an offer based on your existing relationship with the bank. You may also receive offers in the mail or email.

• Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
• Chase Sapphire Reserve®
• Chase Freedom Unlimited®
• Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card

Credit card applications originating from this page will result in a hard credit inquiry. Please contact the issuer for preapproval or prequalification opportunities.

American Express recently overhauled its application system. Prospective U.S. cardholders interested in applying for a 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 learn with 100% certainty if they are approved—without any impact on their credit score. If the approved applicant accepts the card, a hard inquiry will be made to the credit bureau, which may impact their credit score.

Preapproval is not available for business credit cards.

The 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

Credit card applications originating from this page are not preapproval opportunities and will result in a hard credit inquiry after which your application may be declined. Please contact the issuer for preapproval or prequalification opportunities.

Citi asks for your name, address and the last four digits of your Social Security number. The single site will evaluate your approval for several cards you may be qualified for:

• Citi Double Cash® Card
• Citi® Diamond Preferred® Card
• Citi Simplicity® Card*

Discover asks for name, Social Security number, annual income, monthly bill payments, housing status and more:

• Discover it® Miles
• Discover it® Student Cash Back
• Discover it® Cash Back

Bank of America existing customers can log in to their account to learn about card offer preapprovals. Bank of America does not offer an online preapproval page, but you may receive prequalified card offers by mail. Some cards include:

• Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card
• Bank of America® Premium Rewards® Elite credit card*
• BankAmericard® credit card
• Bank of America® Unlimited Cash Rewards credit card
• Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards credit card

Preapproval means a credit card issuer has reviewed your credit history using a soft credit inquiry 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 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 they expire. For example, Discover’s preapproval offers are valid for seven days (applicants can apply for a new offer if the initial period has expired). Additionally, a hard inquiry when you formally apply may return details that could change your offer or affect your approval.

Card issuers may sometimes use the terms preapproval and prequalification interchangeably. Both mean an issuer preliminarily reviews your personal and financial information to determine your eligibility for a credit card.

The difference is that prequalification tends to be a simple review of your credit history using basic details like name, address and Social Security number. A preapproval may go further by performing a soft credit check and analyzing financial information such as annual income and monthly bill payments.

A preapproval or prequalification offers potential rates, terms and card benefits individualized for the applicant. No matter what the issuer calls it, preapprovals and prequalifications don’t guarantee a final offer. Unless the issuer tells you the offer is guaranteed, it isn’t. If you’re denied during the preapproval or prequalification process, you will receive a reason that your application was denied.

If you are denied, you can try applying for preapproval or prequalification with a different card issuer without harm to your credit. But exercise caution. Applying for too many credit cards in a short time may be a sign of risk to card providers.

Pros

Applying for preapproval on a card issuer’s website is an easy way to determine which cards you may be eligible for without harming your credit. Preapproval or prequalification allows you to shop around without affecting your credit score, so a major pro is the guidance preapproval or prequalification can provide. Sometimes a card issuer may even share your potential credit limit and APR.

Preapproval and prequalification offers may also include offers for increased reward earnings, including higher welcome bonuses.

Cons

The cons of prequalification and preapproval are fairly few. They take time and it can be a hassle to fill out so many forms, but that’s a required step to apply for a card anyway. Offers are not final, but applying for preapproval and prequalification won’t affect your credit, so it’s either a reassurance about your ability to receive approval or a reality check about your credit health.

If you miss the preapproval window or your financial situation changes, the card issuer may deny your formal application, so make a decision fairly quickly before actually applying.

The first step to credit card prequalification 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 debts 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 mailed offer 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 must provide a reason for their 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.

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 available 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 beyond credit card offers. Visit the Direct Marketing Association (DMA) website at DMAChoice.org or call 212-768-7277.