Guaranteed Approval Credit Cards

Your best options to get a credit card today are American Express cards, Capital One cards and some store cards. While it’s pretty common to get approved for a credit card the same day if you apply online, you’ll still usually have to wait another 7-10 business days before your card comes to use it.

All American Express cards give you the potential for an instant card number after approval, which will give you access to part of your credit line until your card arrives. Capital One cards provide instant use through the Capital One app, but that’s only possible if you’re an existing Capital One cardholder. Store cards, such as the Target REDCard, may give you an instant number or code to use as a temporary version of your card.

Here are the best credit cards you can get today:

• Bad credit – Capital One Secured Mastercard: Requires a minimum security deposit of $49, $99 or $200. Your credit line will always be at least $200. No rewards. No annual fee. Must be an existing Capital One customer to see your card information through the app.
• Limited credit – Capital One QuicksilverOne: Unlimited 1.5% cash back on all purchases. $39 annual fee. Must be an existing Capital One customer to see your card information through the app.
• Fair credit – Target REDcard: 5% off at Target and Target.com. 30 extra days on returns. Free shipping. No annual fee. Gives a temporary number after approval to use until your card comes.
• Good credit (miles) – Capital One Venture: $50,000 bonus miles when you spend $3,000 in the first 3 months. Unlimited 2 miles per dollar on all purchases. $95 annual fee waived the first year.
• Good credit (hotel) – Starwood Preferred Guest card from Amex: 75,000 bonus points when you spend $3,000 in the first 3 months. 6 points per $1 at SPG and Marriott hotels and 2 everywhere else. Free night each account anniversary. $95 annual fee waived the first year.
• Good credit (cash back) – Capital One Quicksilver: $150 bonus cash back when you spend $500 in the first 3 months. Unlimited 1.5% cash back on all purchases. No annual fee.
• Good credit (cash back) – Amex Blue Cash Everyday: $150 statement credit when you spend $1,000 in the first 3 months. 3% cash back on the first $6,000 per year at U.S. supermarkets, 2% at U.S. department stores and U.S. gas stations and 1% on everything else. No annual fee.
• Excellent credit – Costco Anywhere Visa: 4% cash back on the first $7,000 spent on gas per year, 3% on restaurants and travel, 2% at Costco, 1% on everything else. No annual fee but must be a Costco member. Requires excellent credit. Gives a temporary code to scan at checkout until the actual card arrives.

While there’s no guarantee these options will get you a credit card today, they’ll certainly give you your best chance. Don’t forget that if you get approved for a Capital One card you’ll need to both already have another Capital One card open and have downloaded the app. Unfortunately, this option isn’t available to every Capital One customer but Capital One doesn’t disclose who is eligible for instant card information. In the same way, all Amex cards give the potential for instant numbers, but aren’t guaranteed to give you one.

And if you’re interested in a store card, make sure to ask if they offer instant use first. Lastly, when your physical card arrives by mail in 7-10 business days, be sure to activate it right away.

There are two kinds of credit cards for a 550 score: secured credit cards and unsecured credit cards for bad credit. A 550 credit score is within the bad credit range, unfortunately. Bad credit goes from 300 to 639. But picking the right 550 credit score credit card and using it responsibly could help you improve your score to “fair” territory within 12-18 months.  

The best credit card for a 550 score is the OpenSky Secured Visa. There’s no credit check when you apply, so approval is almost guaranteed. You just need at least $200 for a security deposit and enough income to make monthly payments. It also reports to all three major credit bureaus every month, which is your ticket to a better credit score. And a $35 annual fee isn’t too much to pay for that.

The Discover it Secured Card is another great 550 credit score credit card. It has no annual fee and actually rewards you for making purchases. A 550 credit score won’t keep you from getting approved either. But a pending non-chapter 7 bankruptcy will.  

Those aren’t the only credit cards you can get with a 550 credit score. If you’re looking for a card with no deposit, the Credit One Bank Platinum Visa for Rebuilding Credit is the best you’re going to do. But it has an annual fee of up to $99. And it’s probably a bit stingier with approval than secured cards. In particular, you may run into issues if your monthly income isn’t at least a couple hundred dollars higher than your expenses. So consider all your options. 

Here are the best credit cards for a 550 score:

• OpenSky® Secured Visa® Credit Card
• Discover it® Secured
• Credit One Bank® Platinum Visa® for Rebuilding Credit
• Capital One® Secured Mastercard®
• Milestone® Mastercard® - Bad Credit Considered

Before applying for a card, make sure to check out its terms and conditions, or a FAQ page if there is one, just to make sure you fit the criteria for eligibility. You can also try getting pre-approved for a credit card. It won’t hurt your credit.

Yes, you’re going to want a 640+ credit score for Best Buy Store Card approval. That’s in the fair credit range but not quite at the bottom of it (620), so as to give you better odds of approval. Fair credit is the minimum credit standing required. And barely meeting a card’s minimum requirements is far from the ticket to high approval odds. Still, store cards like the Best Buy one aren’t beyond the average person’s reach. The average credit score is around 680. And there are other things besides your credit score that matter for Best Buy Store Card approval.

Here’s what you need, along with a fair credit score, for a Best Buy Store Card:

• All the basics. You can’t get approved without a U.S. mailing address and Social Security Number. You also need to be at least 18 years old and have income, or access to it.
• At least fair credit. That means 620+, but your approval odds only increase as your score gets higher.
• Some money to spend. You’ll have to list your income and assets on your application, along with how much debt you owe. That’ll show how much you’re still free to spend.
• Other information. Exactly what Citi takes into account and how much weight each factor carries isn’t public information. But things like your employment status and how many other cards you’ve opened recently have been known to play a role.

Make sure to check your credit score before you apply. Is it 640+? If not, you may want to take some time to improve it. You can raise your score by using less of your available credit, paying on time and reducing debts.

Unless you have good or excellent credit, you’re not going to find a guaranteed approval credit card with a $1,000 limit. The best you’ll be able to do is either place a deposit of $1,000 on a secured credit card or apply for an unsecured card that you are way overqualified for. The Discover it® Secured is one good option, for example, as it doesn’t charge an annual fee and allows deposits of up to $2,500.

It’s important to remember that no credit card really offers guaranteed approval. Secured cards have the highest approval odds because they require you to place a refundable security deposit, the amount of which matches your spending limit. But that means you won’t be able to use them for any purchases you don’t already have the money for.

Beyond that, the better your credit is, the higher your approval odds will be for unsecured credit cards. But credit cards for people with limited or fair credit may or may not offer $1,000 spending limits, so you’ll likely have to set your sights a bit higher to be sure of getting that much fire power. And that means you need really good credit for approval to be anywhere close to guaranteed.

For tips to help you get the credit needed to qualify for the best cards, check out WalletHub’s credit improvement guide. You can also get personalized recommendations for credit cards with high approval odds by signing up for a free WalletHub account.