Barclays Credit Cards

There’s currently no way to get Barclaycard pre-approval. At least, that’s the case for Americans: You can use Barclays’ credit card eligibility checker if you live in the UK. The only hope the rest of us have of Barclaycard pre-approval is to get a pre-approved offer in the mail. And there’s no way to summon such a letter. Barclaycard pre-approves people on its own schedule, according to its own criteria. And they obviously aren’t public.

Getting pre-approved for a credit card is helpful because it means you have a roughly 90% chance of being approved for an account when you actually apply. But just because you can’t do an official Barclaycard pre-approval check doesn’t mean you’re flying blind. There’s a lot of information available that can help you estimate your odds of being approved for whichever Barclaycard you have your eye on.

Here’s what to consider in place of Barclaycard pre-approval:

• Minimum Credit Score: All of the Barclaycard credit card offers on the market right now require at least good credit for approval. And even good credit isn’t enough in a couple cases. What is good credit? You may think it’s a credit score of 660-719. But we’ve seen a lot of people with such scores get rejected for credit cards with good-credit requirements. So, we recommend applying for Barclaycards that require good credit or better only if your credit score is 700+. And Barclaycards that require excellent credit should be reserved for people with scores of 750+.

  You can check your latest credit score for free on WalletHub, the only site with free daily updates.

• Ability to Pay: If your income level or your financial obligations indicate you can’t afford a new line of credit, Barclaycard won’t approve you.
• Good Credit Barclaycards: You need at least good credit to have a chance at qualifying for theMastercard® Black Card, Lufthansa Credit Card, American Airlines AAdvantage® Aviator™ Silver Credit Card, and Holland America Line Credit Card.
• Excellent Credit Barclaycards: You won’t have a shot at JetBlue Plus Card unless you have excellent credit.

Reportedly, there once was a Barclaycard pre-approval screening tool. And while there isn’t one now, that shouldn’t be too big of a deal. Pre-approval lets you check your chances without a hard inquiry, but even pre-approved people have to submit a formal application. And if you’re up to date on your credit score and have a clear picture of your finances, you should be able to decide if applying for a Barclaycard is worth it.

If it’s not the right call because your credit score is less than good, there are plenty of credit cards for people with fair, limited and bad credit from other issuers. Many of them let you check for pre-approval, too.

The Barclaycard credit score requirement is to have a credit score of 700; this means you need at least good credit to get a Barclaycard. But barely meeting the absolute minimum Barclaycard credit score requirement probably won’t give you very high odds of approval. For the same reasons, Barclaycards that require excellent credit should be reserved for people with scores of 750+.

It’s also important to note that your credit score isn’t the be-all and end-all of credit card approval. Credit card issuers also consider factors such as your credit history, income and how much debt you owe. But comparing your rating to a given Barclaycard’s credit score requirement is an easy way to get a rough sense of your approval odds.

Here are the Barclaycard credit score requirements:

• JetBlue Plus Card: Excellent credit (750+)
• JetBlue Card: Good credit (700+)
• Emirates Skywards Credit Card: Excellent credit (750+)
• Emirates Skywards Premium Credit Card: Excellent credit (750+)
• Mastercard® Black Card: Good credit (700+)
• Lufthansa Credit Card: Good credit (700+)
• American Airlines AAdvantage® Aviator™ Silver Credit Card: Good credit (700+)
• American Airlines AAdvantage® Aviator™ Red Credit Card: Good credit (700+)
• NFL Extra Points Credit Card: Good credit (700+)
• Priceline Credit Card: Good credit (700+)
• Princess Cruises® Credit Card: Good credit (700+)
• RCI® Credit Card: Good credit (700+)
• AARP Rewards Credit Card: Good credit (700+)
• Upromise Credit Card: Good credit (700+)
• Frontier Airlines Credit Card: Good credit (700+)
• Holland America Line Credit Card: Good credit (700+)
• Wyndham Credit Card: Good credit (700+)
• Wyndham Credit Card with No Annual Fee: Good credit (700+)
• Diamond Resorts Credit Card: Good credit (700+)
• Carnival Credit Card: Good credit (700+)
• Barnes & Noble Credit Card: Good credit (700+)
• Choice Credit Card: Good credit (700+)
• American Airlines AAdvantage® Aviator™ Business Credit Card: Good credit (700+)
• JetBlue Business Credit Card: Good credit (700+)
• Wyndham Business Credit Card: Good credit (700+)

Ultimately, if you don’t know whether your credit puts you in the Barclaycard ballgame, you can check your latest credit score for free on WalletHub, the only site with free daily updates.

If you want maximum rewards but don’t want to be tied to a single airline or hotel, consider a general-purpose business rewards card from a different credit card company.

The Barclaycard Arrival login page is located at barclaycardus.com.There isn’t a special page for Arrival Plus cardholders. All of Barclaycard’s U.S. credit card customers log in the same way. On that note, Barclays is an international banking institution. So make sure not to use one of the login pages for foreign customers.

Once you arrive at the Barclaycard login page, you’ll just need to enter your username and password to access your account. You can view your transactions, request a credit limit increase, do balance transfers, redeem rewards and more.

• If you don’t have your Barclaycard Arrival login credentials yet, there’s a box labelled “New Cardmembers,” followed by a button that says, “Set up online access.” Once you click that, you’ll need to provide the last 4 digits of your SSN as well as your date of birth, account number and citizenship status. After verifying your identity, you will be able to create a username and password.
• If you’ve submitted an application but have yet to heard back, you can check its status using the Barclaycard login page, too. Below “Forgot username or password?”, you’ll find the following: “Already applied? Check the statusof your application now.” Just click it and enter your name, last 4 SSN digits, zip code and email. And you’ll get an update.

Lastly, you can also log into your Arrival account through the Barclaycard mobile app, available for both Apple and Android devices. Once you log in, you’ll be able to access all the same functions of the Barclaycard website right from your phone or other device.

The Barclaycard foreign transaction fee is either 0% or 3%, depending on the card. So, it’s a good idea to check which Barclaycards come with 0% foreign fees before applying.

Here are some good Barclaycards with 0% foreign transaction fee:

• Emirates Skywards Premium Credit Card
• Wyndham Credit Card
• JetBlue Plus Card
• Lufthansa Credit Card
• Holland America Line Credit Card

If you’re planning to travel overseas a lot, I’d definitely recommend getting one of the cards with 0% foreign transaction fee. After all, vacations are expensive enough without adding an extra 3% to the price of everything.

It’s also good to remember that you don’t have to travel to be charged a foreign fee. If you buy something online from a vendor in another country and get it shipped to you, foreign transaction fees apply there, too.

Ultimately, you can check out our editors’ latest picks for the best no foreign transaction fee credit cards on the market.

Barclaycard reconsideration works sometimes, or else they wouldn’t offer it. But I definitely wouldn’t get your hopes up, unless something important has changed since you applied. For example, it’s worth calling the Barclaycard reconsideration line (1-888-232-0780) if:

• There was a major mistake on your credit report;
• You just paid off a big debt; or
• You got a raise at work.

Basically, anything that improves your borrowing profile in a meaningful way could be relevant for reconsideration. But if nothing has changed, the result is unlikely to either.

Your rationale for reconsideration should ideally address the reason you got rejected, which credit card companies are required to disclose. If you think there’s an argument to be made, there are two ways to contact the Barclaycard reconsideration department.

• Phone: 1-888-232-0780
• Mail: Card Services, P.O. Box 8801, Wilmington, DE 19899-8801

Seeing if your credit score has improved is one easy way to gauge whether you’re eligible for reconsideration. Most Barclaycards seem to require good or excellent credit. So if you’re not firmly in one of those buckets, you might want to just move on. If you have limited or fair credit, I’d look into Capital One QuicksilverOne.

The Barclaycard business products offered in the United States are limited to just three business credit cards: the American Airlines AAdvantage® Aviator™ Business Credit Card, the Hawaiian Airlines® Business Credit Card and the JetBlue Business Credit Card. You’ll need good credit, a score of 700+, to qualify for any of these cards.

Barclays Bank is based in London, and its U.S. operations are headquartered in New York City. It offers business banking in the U.K., but not in the U.S. Its corporate focus stateside is just on business credit cards.

Here’s what you should know about Barclaycard business credit cards:

• American Airlines AAdvantage® Aviator™ Business Credit Card:

  50,000 miles after spending $1,000 in the first 90 days, plus 30,000 miles for spending a total of $6,000 in the first 12 months. 2 miles / $1 spent on American Airlines purchases and at office supply stores, car rental agencies, and telecom merchants. 1 mile / $1 on everything else. $95 annual fee.

  First checked bag free for up to four passengers. Companion certificate each year when you spend $30,000. 25% statement credit on American Airlines food and beverage purchases. Good credit required.

• Hawaiian Airlines® Business Credit Card:

  110,000 miles bonus for spending $1,000 in the first 90 days. 20,000 bonus miles when you spend $50,000-$99,999 in a year, or 40,000 when you spend $100,000+. 3 miles / $1, on Hawaiian Airlines purchases, 2 miles for every $1 spent on gas, office supplies, and dining and 1 mile / $1 on everything else.

  $99 annual fee. Good credit required.

• JetBlue Business Credit Card:

  Limited time 50,000 points bonus when you spend $1,000 in your first 90 days. 5,000 points every account anniversary. 6 points / $1 on JetBlue purchases, 2 points per $1 at restaurants and office supply stores, and 1 point / $1 on everything else.

  10% of your points back when you redeem. 50% savings on JetBlue in-flight purchases. Free first checked bag for you and 3 companions. $100 annual statement credit for purchasing a JetBlue Getaways vacation package of $100+. $99 annual fee. Good credit required.

If the airline miles offered by Barclaycard business credit cards aren’t for you, there are plenty of good cards from other issuers to consider. For example, the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card offers 100,000 points initial bonus. And the Capital One® Spark® Cash for Business gets you a $500 cash bonus.

Barclaycard approval odds largely depend on your credit score, income and debt. All Barclays credit cards require a minimum of 700 or 750 credit score; this means you need either good or excellent credit to get approved for a Barclaycard. And that alone tells you the average American’s Barclaycard approval odds aren’t so hot. The average credit score is below 700, and you need to be above that mark for good Barclays approval odds.

Here’s what you should know about your Barclaycard approval odds:

• Barclaycard will consider your credit history, income, existing debt and number of recent inquiries, among other things, when reviewing your application. The exact approval criteria for each card aren’t public, though.
• Some Barclaycards require excellent credit for approval.
• The vast majority of Barclaycard credit cards require at least good credit for approval.
• When applying, you must provide your permanent address, date of birth, Social Security number and mother’s maiden name.
• Business card applicants must provide their company’s legal name, trade name and phone number, plus how many employees they have, how long they’ve been in business, and their annual revenue.
• You can’t check if you’re pre-approved for a Barclaycard. You could receive a pre-approved offer in the mail, but there’s no way to request that.
• You should check your latest credit score before applying. If it’s not good enough for a Barclaycard yet, you’ll want to look into other cards for building credit.

The best thing you can do for your Barclaycard approval odds is use credit responsibly. Paying down balances, making payments on time and not maxing out your existing cards all help your chances. And if Barclaycards aren’t a realistic option right now, you still have choices. Plenty of other credit card companies have offers for people with fair, limited and bad credit.

No, there is no Barclay secured credit card. Barclays doesn't have any credit cards for people with bad credit either. And the sole offer for people with limited or no credit history, called Barclaycard Forward, is only available in the UK. All the U.S. Barclaycards require good credit or better, and you need excellent credit to get the best ones.

While Barclays doesn't offer any secured credit cards, there are plenty of other issuers who do. So it's definitely worth checking out our editors' picks for the best secured credit cards. You can select one based on your needs and as long as you stay on top of your bills, you'll eventually be eligible for a Barclaycard. If you'd like to know where you stand, you can check your credit score for free, right here on WalletHub.

There isn't a Barclaycard for bad credit. All Barclaycards require at least good credit, and some require excellent credit.

But Barclays isn't the only issuer out there, and several others have secured cards for people who are rebuilding their credit. Secured cards are generally open to those with bad credit because they require a security deposit. The deposit serves as your credit limit, and as collateral if you default. If you pay off your balance and close your account, you'll get your deposit back. Some of the best options even offer rewards.

Here are some alternatives to a Barclaycard for bad credit:

• Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards Secured Credit Card: $0 annual fee. 3% cash back in a category of your choice, 2% back at grocery stores and wholesale clubs (up to $2,500 spent quarterly in the 3% and 2% categories combined), and 1% back on all other purchases . Requires a minimum security deposit of $300. Your credit line is the same as your deposit.
• Credit One Bank® Platinum Visa® for Rebuilding Credit: Annual fee of $75 intro 1st yr, $99 after. 1% cash back on gas and grocery purchases, as well as 1% back on mobile phone, internet, cable and satellite TV services. Unsecured, with a $300 initial credit limit. Open to those with bad credit.
• Capital One Platinum Secured Credit Card: $0 annual fee. Minimum deposit of $49, $99 or $200, depending on the specifics of your credit. Your credit line is a minimum of $200, plus anything you add, up to your maximum approved credit line.
• OpenSky® Secured Visa® Credit Card: $35 annual fee. No credit check when you apply. Minimum deposit is $200. Your deposit serves as your credit limit.

The best alternative to a Barclaycard for bad credit is a secured card from another major issuer. While there are unsecured credit cards for bad credit, their secured counterparts will often have better rates and even offer rewards. If you pay your bills on time and avoid maxing out your credit limit, you'll start seeing your credit score go up.