Clark Newton, Member
@aprwizard9
The best pre-approved credit cards are really just the top cards that you can see if you pre-qualify for before actually submitting an application. And you can’t check to see if you pre-qualify for one card in particular, at least not directly. Rather, a credit card company will tell you which of its cards you’re pre-approved for. If that happens to include the card you’re targeting, you’ll know your odds of being approved are extremely high, should you decide to apply. If your chosen card isn’t listed, there’s still a chance you could get approved, but it’s not a good sign.
Here are the best pre-approved credit cards:
- Cash Back: Citi Double Cash Card
- Travel Rewards: Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
- Initial Bonus: Chase Sapphire Preferred Card
- Balance Transfers: Citi Simplicity Card
- 0% Purchases: Amex EveryDay Credit Card
- Fair Credit: Capital One Platinum Credit Card
- Students: Bank of America Travel Rewards credit card for Students
- Bad Credit: Discover it Secured Card - No Annual Fee
Take note, however, that only some credit card companies allow people to check which, if any, cards they’re approved for.
These credit card companies let you check for pre-approval:
- American Express
- Bank of America
- Capital One
- Chase
- Citi
- Discover
Checking for pre-approval is definitely a good idea. It lets you gauge your chances of success before risking a hard pull on your credit. And the better your credit is, the better the credit cards you pre-qualify for will be, too. Your odds of actually getting approved when you apply will also be higher.
That’s where WalletHub’s free daily credit scores and personalized credit analysis can help. You’ll always know exactly where your credit stands and what you need to do to improve it.

2021's Best Instant Approval Credit Cards
Compare CardsMila Michaels, Member
@mila_michaels
All pre-approval does is give you an idea of your chances for approval without impacting your credit score. That being said, the best pre-approved offer depends on what your credit standing is, and most importantly what your needs are. I like the Chase Sapphire Preferred, but that’s a personal opinion.
Hugh Bertram, Member
@hugh_bertram
It really depends what you're looking for, and what your score is. Chase Sapphire Preferred is very good, because of their intro bonus.
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