Pre-approved Credit Cards

You can easily check for Capital One pre-approval online. To start, enter your name, date of birth, Social Security number and address. Then, tell Capital One what kind of card you're looking for and click “See Your Card Offers.” Capital One will then show you which of their cards you seem to be a good fit for, based on a soft pull of your credit. The process should take minutes at most, and it won't affect your credit score.

You may also receive a Capital One pre approval offer by mail. In that case, all you have to do is enter the “Reservation Number” and “Access Code” here to get to the card's application. The application will be flagged as pre-approved when Capital One reviews it.

If you don't have an offer yet, don't worry. Checking online is quick and easy. Just remember that pre-approval doesn't mean guaranteed approval. It is about as close as you can get, though, considering that most people who are pre-approved get approved when they officially apply.

Here's how to check for Capital One pre approval online:

1. Go to the Capital One pre approval page.
2. Enter your name, date of birth, Social Security number and address.
3. Select the type of card that appeals to you most: travel rewards, cash back or low interest (or select “not sure”).
4. Rate your credit level: excellent, average or rebuilding.
5. Check the box that indicates you know you're not submitting an actual credit card application.
6. Click “See Your Card Offers”.

After a few seconds, you should see the Capital One credit cards that you're pre-approved for, if any. And you'll be able to apply for one of them right away, if you wish. Capital One offers credit cards to people of all credit levels. So the odds are good that you'll come away with at least one Capital One pre-approved credit card offer.

There are two ways you can qualify for Discover pre-approval: You can either proactively check which credit cards you pre-qualify for using Discover's free online tool, or you could receive a pre-approved Discover it offer in the mail.

There's a good chance you'll be pre-approved for at least one Discover card, as Discover has cards for people of all credit levels. But it's important to remember that pre-approval does not actually guarantee you'll get a card. Your odds will be very high, but there's a reason “pre” comes before “approval” with this type of offer. So let's talk about not only how to get pre-approved, but also how to actually seal the deal.

Here's how Discover pre-approval works:

1. You receive an offer. Discover has an easy online form that will immediately let you know which offers you pre-qualify for, if any. Using this tool won't hurt your credit score in any way. You could also get a pre-approved offer in the mail.
2. You fill out an application. If you got an offer by mail, you can fill out the included application and send it back to Discover. You can also enter your invitation number online.
3. Discover evaluates you. You're likely to be approved, but it's possible you could be denied after a more thorough look at your information. If you're approved, you'll typically receive your card within 7-10 business days.

Although pre-approval itself is an automatic process, there are ways to improve your chances of qualifying. And they're all very easy to do:

• Make sure you never opted out. Anyone can opt out of receiving pre-approved credit card offers at OptOutPrescreen.com. But if you want to receive a Discover it pre-approval offer, you'll have to either remain opted in – the default option – or opt back in.
• Confirm your address is correct. Do this both by calling the postal service and by looking at your credit report to make sure the credit bureaus have it right. If your information isn't up to date, offers naturally can't reach you.
• Improve your credit. The better your financial situation is, the more likely you are to get pre-approved for some kind of credit card. WalletHub has some easy tips for improving your credit score to help you get started.
• Pay down debt. Your disposable income helps determine whether you can afford a new credit card. So the less money you owe to other people, the more you can afford to spend paying credit card bills. Making a plan to reduce your debt will help you get more offers in the future.

Remember, pre-approval does not mean guaranteed approval. It just means the credit card issuer thinks you'd be a good candidate to apply, based on a brief initial look at your credit history.

Your odds of officially getting approved will be very high. But upon further inspection of your borrowing profile, the issuer may discover something that gives it pause. If you're denied, you may want to think about putting a deposit on a secured credit card while you work on improving your credit standing.

You can easily check if Bank of America will pre-qualify you for a credit card online. All you have to do is provide your name, birth date and Social Security number, and Bank of America's pre-qualify tool will show you any BofA credit cards for which you have good approval odds. You might also receive a pre-qualified offer in the mail, which will only be for a single card.

Pre-qualification doesn't guarantee you approval. But pre-qualified applicants end up being approved in the vast majority of cases. Pre-qualification doesn't affect your credit at all since it uses a soft inquiry. But if you want to apply for a card, Bank of America will do a hard inquiry, which will cause a temporary score dip. This decrease is easily fixed with a few months of responsible card use, though. If you'd like to check for pre-qualification, you can do it in minutes.

If you already have a Bank of America account, all you have to do is log in on the pre-qualification page and you'll be able to see your offers right away without inputting any extra information. If you don't have an account, you just need to follow five simple steps.

Here's how to get Bank of America to pre-qualify you for a credit card:

1. Go to Bank of America's pre-qualification page. 
2. Click “Continue without signing in.”
3. Enter your full name, birth date and the last four digits of your Social Security Number. Click “Continue.”
4. Enter your address and select what type of credit card you're interested in (you can also select that you don't have a preference). 
5. Click “Show me my offers.”

You'll now be able to see any cards that Bank of America thinks you'd be a good candidate for. If you got a pre-qualification letter in the mail, you can either fill out the enclosed application, or use the special code provided when you apply online to flag your application as pre-qualified.

You can get Credit One to pre-qualify you for one of their credit cards online, by accessing their pre-qualification page. The process will not hurt your credit score, as Credit One just does a soft inquiry.

If you're prequalified for a Credit One credit card, your odds of acceptance are typically around 90%, should you decide to apply for real. But approval is not guaranteed. Prequalification simply means you may qualify for one of their cards based on a preliminary review of your credit report. You'll still have to submit an application. Then, Credit One will pull your entire report. This is done with a “hard pull” or “hard inquiry,” which may cause your credit score to dip slightly.

Credit One cards are designed primarily for people with bad credit and are fairly easy to get. However, if there are things like unresolved bankruptcies or tax liens on your credit report, Credit One might still reject your application. Otherwise, the odds are in your favor.

USAA credit card pre-approval isn't something you can initiate, unfortunately. There's no way to check which, if any, USAA credit card you pre-qualify for. You can only sit back and wait to receive a pre-approved USAA credit card offer in the mail, which may not come, or go ahead and submit a full application.

But before you get ahead of yourself, there are a few ways to get a feel for your approval odds without pre-approval. And it starts with making sure you're actually eligible for USAA membership. In particular, you must be a member of the U.S. military, or an eligible family member of someone who has served in the armed forces.

Assuming you clear that first hurdle, you can move on to figuring out which offer card is the best fit. Fortunately, there are USAA credit cards are available to people of all credit levels, from bad to excellent. So you should find an offer that will approve you.

Here's what to do instead of USAA credit card pre-approval:

• Check your credit score: You can check your latest credit score for free on WalletHub, the only site with free daily updates. Your score will give you a good sense of which offers you're likely to qualify for. Most USAA credit cards require good credit or better. And if you have bad credit, USAA's secured credit cards are your only options.
• Take the USAA quiz: USAA's tool matches you with a card, based on your credit score as well as your expected monthly spending and payments. Getting a match isn't the same thing as being approved, though.You can get a similar recommendation using WalletHub's free CardAdvisor tool, which considers offers from other major issuers, too.
• Call customer service: USAA members can call 210-531-8722, enter their member ID number, and ask to speak to a credit card specialist. You can ask the specialist for advice about which USAA card would be the best fit for you. They won't be able to give you definitive answers, but they can point you in the right direction.

If you aren't a USAA member yet, you can find out whether you're eligible and join online.

• Assess your own needs: If you have good or excellent credit and plan to pay your bill in full every month, focus on USAA's rewards credit cards. If not, consider an offer with a 0% introductory APR, either on new purchases or balance transfers.

There's no way to check for USAA credit card pre-approval. But if you're eligible for USAA membership, you should be able to find a card that will approve you.

To get Chase Freedom Flex pre-approval, check for offers online or at a local Chase branch, or respond to a pre-approval offer you received in the mail. Checking for Chase Freedom Flex pre-approval allows potential applicants to gauge their odds of being approved for the Freedom Flex Card before they submit an application. Pre-approval is done using what's known as a soft pull, which does not affect an applicant's credit score. Chase does not offer pre-approval by phone.

Chase Freedom Flex pre-approval does not guarantee you'll be approved. It does indicate that if you apply, your chances of getting approved are good. When you submit an actual application, Chase will request a copy of your credit report from at least one of the three major credit bureaus. This hard pull will cause a temporary drop in your credit score.

How Chase Freedom Flex Pre-approval Works:

• Online: Visit Chase's pre-approval tool, and enter your name, address and the last four digits of your Social Security number. Check the box stating you understand it's not an application and that pre-approval will not affect your credit score. Click “Find My Offers” at the bottom of the page, and you will see all the Chase cards for which you have been pre-approved.
• At a local Chase branch: Chase customers can easily get pre-approved, as the bank will already have your information. If you're not a Chase customer, you will need to provide the same information required for pre-approval online. If you're pre-approved, the branch will allow you to apply for a card in-house.
• Pre-approved offer by mail: Chase mails pre-approved offers to candidates who meet at least the minimum criteria for a specific card, such as Chase Freedom Flex. If you receive an offer, you can complete the enclosed application and mail it back to Chase. You can also apply online through the pre-approval status tool. Just input the invitation code provided with your mail offer. This flags you as pre-approved when you apply.

Chase Freedom Flex pre-approval can be a useful resource if you're unsure of your chances of being approved. Note that you will need good credit or better to qualify for the Freedom Flex Card. So in addition to checking for pre-approval, you should also check your credit score before you apply.

You can check for Petal Credit Card pre-approval without impacting your credit score by filling out this online pre-approval form. Just verify your phone number, email address and a few other personal details, and you'll know if you're pre-approved in moments.

To be eligible for Petal Credit Card pre-approval, you must:

• Have a valid Social Security Number or Individual Taxpayer Identification Number
• Have a valid U.S. telephone number and street address (not a P.O. box)
• Have a valid email address
• Be 18 or older (19 or older if you reside in Alabama or Nebraska)
• Permanently live in one of the 50 United States, Washington, D.C., or a U.S. military location

If you are pre-approved for the Petal Credit Card, your odds of getting approved for the card are about 90%, should you decide to officially apply. While these are high approval odds, pre-approval doesn't guarantee approval. It only suggests that applying for a Petal Credit Card is a moderately safe bet.

You can check your Quicksilver pre-approval status online. The process should only take a few minutes. Just complete the questionnaire and click “See Your Card Offers.” The Capital One pre-approval tool is not specific to the Quicksilver card, so it will display all the Capital One cards for which you're likely to be approved. The results are based on your responses and a preliminary review of your credit. This review is known as a soft inquiry and does not affect your credit score. You can should also check your credit score before you complete the questionnaire to better assess your odds of approval. Applicants generally need good or excellent credit for good odds.

If you've received a Capital One Quicksilver pre-approval offer in the mail, that means you're already pre-approved. Capital One has initiated a soft inquiry and determined that you would likely qualify. To apply, visit the Capital One Welcome Page and enter the Reservation Number and Access Code from the pre-approval letter. You will need this information in order to have the application flagged as pre-approved.

Capital One Quicksilver pre-approval doesn't guarantee approval, but the odds of being approved are in your favor. Most applicants who get pre-approval are approved, but you will have to submit a formal application. When you apply, Capital One will request permission to pull your full credit report. This is called a hard inquiry, and it will cause your credit score to dip a few points. Taking advantage of the pre-approval feature allows you to avoid having too many hard inquiries in a short period of time because you can apply only for cards with good approval odds.

You cannot get pre-approved for the Target Credit Card, and neither can you pre-qualify.

It's not hard to get approved for this store card, since it only requires a fair (640+) credit score. But make sure you qualify for it. An application will result in a hard pull on your credit report, lowering your credit score for a short period of time.

Being pre-qualified for a credit card means the issuer has done a soft pull of your credit history and concluded that you are a good fit. It also means you have an 80%+ chance of acceptance if you decide to apply for the card in question. It's very similar to pre-approval in those regards. The main difference is who makes the first move. If a credit card company sends you an offer, it's probably pre-approval. But if you check yourself, on an issuer's website or by visiting a branch, it's pre-qualification. However, the distinction is small enough that people often use the terms interchangeably.

Some issuers let you check of pre-qualification online, while others only send offers in the mail. And if you don't want to get offers, you can opt not to receive them at OptOutPrescreen.com But prequalification can be a big help in choosing which card to apply for, since it helps you limit applications to your most likely options.

Here's what getting pre-qualified for a credit card means for you:

• American Express, Bank of America, Capital One, Chase, Citibank, and Discover all let you check for prequalification online. You'll need to provide your full name and Social Security number. You may also have to provide your birthday and home address. You'll then be shown which cards (if any) you prequalify for, along with an application link.
• If you get a pre-approved offer in the mail, it will come with a code that you can use to respond to the offer on the credit card company's website. But they'll also send you a paper application that you can fill out and mail back if you prefer.
• Whether you're pre-approved or pre-qualified, you still need to apply, and you aren't guaranteed acceptance. But you do have a very strong chance.

Getting pre-qualified for a credit card means you can apply knowing that you probably aren't wasting a hard inquiry on a long shot. And if you sign up for WalletHub, you'll get personalized credit analysis with card recommendations tailored to suit your circumstances as well.