How can I get Mastercard pre-approval?

To check for Mastercard pre-approval, look through mail and emails from credit card companies to see if there are pre-approved offers. Or go to a card issuer’s website, look for a pre-qualification portal, and input a Social Security number and other requested information to check for Mastercard pre-qualification. The issuer’s website will then show the cards for which you have decent odds of being approved.

All major credit card issuers send out mailings or emails to customers who they think would meet the criteria they’re looking for. Not all major issuers offer an online option, but Chase, Bank of America, and Capital One are three examples of issuers that do. Each of these three credit card issuers also offers Mastercard credit cards.

In general, pre-approval indicates that the card issuer reached out to you, and pre-qualification suggests that you inquired about your approval odds. Both indicate that your chances of approval are very good if you decide to apply, but neither guarantees approval. You never know for sure whether you’ll be approved until you apply for a card. That said, you can always get a better sense of your odds by reading through WalletHub’s many credit card reviews and checking your credit score for free.

You can get Mastercard pre-approval if an issuer decides you'd be a good fit and sends you a pre-approved letter. Otherwise, certain banks offer the possibility for you to pre-qualify for a card by checking your status online. Here are a few good options:

• Surge Mastercard Credit Card
• Indigo Mastercard for Less than Perfect Credit
• Capital One Platinum Secured

All of these cards are suitable for people with bad or limited credit history. And by offering pre-approval or pre-qualification, they will only do a soft pull on your credit report. But be aware, when you decide to finally apply for a card, a hard pull on your credit report is pretty much unavoidable.