Does the Bank of America Cash Rewards Secured card do a hard pull?

Yes, the Bank of America Secured does a hard pull on your credit when you apply for it. This might hurt your score for a little while.

You can get this card even with bad credit, but if you want to make extra sure you're a good fit for it, check if you … read full answerpre-qualify with only a soft pull.

You can easily get Bank of America to pre-qualify you for a credit card online. All you have to do is provide your name, birth date and Social Security number, and Bank of America’s pre-qualify tool will show you any credit cards for which you have good approval odds. You might also receive a pre-qualified offer in the mail, which will only be for a single card.… read full answer

If you already have a Bank of America account, all you have to do is log in to the pre-qualification page and you’ll be able to see your offers right away without inputting any extra information. If you don’t have an account, you just need to follow five simple steps.

Here’s how to get Bank of America to pre-qualify you for a credit card:

1. Go to Bank of America’s pre-qualification page.
2. Click “Continue without signing in.”
3. Enter your full name, birth date and the last four digits of your Social Security Number. Click “Continue.”
4. Enter your address and select what type of credit card you’re interested in (you can also select that you don’t have a preference).
5. Click “Show me my offers.”

You’ll now be able to see any cards that Bank of America thinks you’d be a good candidate for. If you got a pre-qualification letter in the mail, you can either fill out the enclosed application, or use the special code provided when you apply online to flag your application as pre-qualified.

Pre-qualification doesn’t guarantee approval

Pre-qualification doesn’t guarantee you approval. But pre-qualified applicants end up being approved in the vast majority of cases. Pre-qualification doesn’t affect your credit at all since it uses a soft inquiry. But if you want to apply for a card, Bank of America will do a hard inquiry, which will cause a temporary score dip. This decrease is easily fixed with a few months of responsible card use, though. If you’d like to check for pre-qualification, you can do it in minutes.

Your Bank of America credit card approval odds are best if you have a credit score of 750 or higher. Most Bank of America credit cards require excellent credit for approval. You can also check for Bank of America pre-approval to get a better sense of your BofA credit card approval odds.… read full answer

The Bank of America credit card with the highest approval odds is the Bank of America Custom Cash Secured Card, which you can get with bad credit. If you're in college, there's a very good chance you'll be approved for one of the Bank of America student cards.

Here's what you need for good Bank of America credit card approval odds:

• Bank of America Custom Cash Secured Card: $200 minimum security deposit, bad credit accepted.
• BankAmericard® Credit Card for Students: Fair credit or limited, enrollment in a college or university.
• Bank of America Cash Rewards for Students: Fair credit or limited, enrollment in a college or university.
• Bank of America Travel Rewards for Students: Fair credit or limited, enrollment in a college or university.
• Bank of America Customized Cash Rewards credit card: Excellent credit
• Bank of America Travel Rewards credit card: Excellent credit
• Bank of America Premium Rewards credit card: Excellent credit
• BankAmericard credit card: Excellent credit

In general, your chances of being approved for a Bank of America credit card depend on your credit standing, income and debt, as well as which card you apply for.

Bank of America will also consider things like your employment status and how many credit accounts you have open. All applicants need to be at least 18 years old and U.S. residents. Non-resident aliens are eligible for certain credit card offers at local Bank of America financial centers.

How to increase your Bank of America credit card approval odds:

• Always pay your bills on time.
• Keep your credit utilization at 30% or less.
• Improve your credit score.

If you have your sights set on a card, make sure you know where you stand before applying. You can check your score for free, right here on WalletHub.