What are the Fingerhut credit approval requirements?

Fingerhut Credit Account’s approval requirements aren’t public – at least not the specifics. You’ll need to meet all the general standards, like being at least 18 years old with a U.S. mailing address, SSN, and the ability to pay. But this much is clear: The Fingerhut Credit Account is one of the easiest “credit cards” to get approved for, and it can help you improve your credit standing if used responsibly. You even have good odds of getting it if you’ve made mistakes in the past, as Fingerhut accepts applicants who have bad credit. “Even if you have been turned down for credit, give us a try,” Fingerhut Credit’s webpage reads. “We can often say Yes! when others say no.”

So you don’t need any particular score to get the Fingerhut Credit Account. There are a few situations where Fingerhut will have to say no, though. Being in the middle of bankruptcy is one. But there are more.

Here are the Fingerhut Credit approval requirements:

• 18+ years old
• United States mailing address
• Social Security number (SSN)
• Enough income or assets to afford monthly payments
• No active bankruptcy
• Not a member of a consumer credit counseling service
• No past-due minimum payments while in the Fingerhut FreshStart program
• No foreclosure, tax liens or other derogatory marks on your credit

As long as you avoid the negatives, you should have a good chance of Fingerhut Credit approval. And the best part about the process is if you’re not qualified for the card, Fingerhut might instead enroll you in their FreshStart program.

With this program, you’ll be able to make a Fingerhut purchase between $50 and the spending limit they give you. You must make a down payment of at least $50 toward the balance, and then pay off the rest in the time limit they specify after (usually a few months). After you finish paying the balance off, as long as you weren’t late with any payments, you’ll graduate to the regular Fingerhut Credit Account. The FreshStart program doesn’t report to the credit bureaus, but the regular account you’ll get afterward does.

So a Fingerhut credit account is easy to get approved for and it’ll help you rebuild your credit. And to top it off, there’s no annual fee. But the only issue is that you can only use the card for Fingerhut purchases. If you’re looking for a card you can use anywhere, a good option might be the OpenSky® Secured Visa® Credit Card, because it doesn’t even do a credit check. 

And if you’d like to get more information about your credit standing before you apply, you can check your latest credit score for free on WalletHub, the only website where credit scores and reports update daily.

Well, it's one of the few unsecured cards that accept a "Bad" score, so even if your report's not lookin' great, you've got good chances.