Hardest Credit Cards to Get

To get a Black Card from American Express, you must receive an invitation to apply, have Excellent credit, and pay the $10,000 initiation fee. Amex customers can request an invitation for the Black Card online, though there is no guarantee of actually receiving an invite. The Amex Black Card is officially called the Centurion® Card from American Express, and it is reportedly reserved for customers who charge hundreds of thousands of dollars per year to other Amex cards.

How to Get a Black Card

1. Open an American Express credit card account. American Express only extends invitations for the Black Card to existing members, so you'll have to be an Amex cardmember to enter the candidate pool. There are several American Express credit card offers you can apply for right now.
2. Spend and pay off large amounts on your Amex card. American Express does not publicly disclose the spending requirements for earning a Black Card invitation. However, online rumors suggest you would have to charge over $250,000 per year to your Amex card to be considered.
3. Request an invitation. As an Amex cardmember, you can ask to be considered for a Black Card invitation online. You will only need to give your full name, as well as your American Express credit card number and 4-digit security code.

Apart from the Centurion® Card from American Express, several issuers offer “black cards” that are open for applications. While none of them are as iconic as the Amex Black Card, some of them offer attractive rewards and benefits.

If you're on the hunt for a prestigious credit card that you can apply for right now, you can check out the most exclusive credit cards in circulation on WalletHub.

It is not very hard to get a Bank of America credit card because Bank of America offers cards for people with bad credit or better. The easiest credit card to get from Bank of America is the Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards Secured Credit Card, which is available to applicants with bad credit. Depending on your credit score, you may be able to qualify for other Bank of America credit cards, too.

Minimum Credit Score for Notable Bank of America Credit Cards

• Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards Secured Credit Card: bad credit
• BankAmericard® credit card: excellent credit
• Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card: excellent credit
• Bank of America® Travel Rewards Credit Card for Students: limited credit

As long as you meet the credit score requirement and a few other requirements, it's not hard to get a Bank of America credit card. As with all credit cards, you'll need to have a steady income and be at least 18 years old. You'll also need to have an SSN or ITIN.

Keep in mind that just because it's not hard to get some Bank of America credit cards, that doesn't mean it's necessarily easy to get all of them. You're also never guaranteed to be approved, even for the cards with the easiest approval requirements.

Millionaires use credit cards like the Centurion® Card from American Express, the J.P. Morgan Reserve Credit Card, and The Platinum Card® from American Express. These high-end credit cards are available only to people who receive an invitation to apply, which millionaires have the best chance of getting. For example, in the case of the Amex Centurion Card – also known as “the Black Card” – you reportedly need to charge at least $100,000 across Amex credit cards every year to even qualify for an invite.

Credit Cards That Millionaires Use

• Centurion® Card from American Express
• J.P. Morgan Reserve Credit Card
• The Platinum Card® from American Express
• Chase Sapphire Reserve®
• Citi Chairman Credit Card

When invite-only cards aren't a good option, some millionaires choose premium travel rewards cards such as American Express Platinum card and Chase Sapphire Reserve. People with good-to-excellent credit who are approved for either card can expect lucrative bonuses, generous rewards on purchases, and other perks that will more than offset their hefty annual fees. American Express Platinum card charges $695 a year to own, and the Chase Sapphire Reserve likewise carries a big price tag with its $550 annual fee.

Millionaire business owners may also get good use from a business credit card such as American Express Business Platinum card, a top choice for frequent travelers who don't mind shelling out $695 a year for all the high-end perks the card offers. Chase Ink Preferred is another attractive option for business owners with seven-figure incomes, as the card offers stellar rewards on business-related purchases and a significantly lower annual fee ($95) than American Express Business Platinum card.

Yes, Blue Cash Preferred is hard to get because it requires a credit score of 700+ for approval, which means you need good to excellent credit to get this card. Since the average credit score is lower than this requirement, most people will not be able to get the Blue Cash Preferred card.Since the average credit score is lower than this requirement, most people will not be able to get the Blue Cash Preferred card.

You also won't get approved for the Blue Cash Preferred card if you already have five Amex cards, if you've already applied for an Amex card in the past five days, or if you've already applied for two Amex cards in the past 90 days.

Having said that, it is also worth noting that your credit score isn't the only thing the issuer takes into account while considering your application. Various other factors will also determine the outcome, like your credit history, your income and any debts you might have.

Lastly, for a better sense of your Blue Cash Preferred approval odds, check out the American Express pre-qualification tool. You can also check your credit score for free on WalletHub.

The hardest store-affiliated credit card to get is the Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi because it requires excellent credit for approval, which means a credit score of 750 or higher. On top of that, the Costco Credit Card is only available to Costco members.

On the other hand, store-only credit cards generally require fair credit or better for approval. These cards are a good option for people loyal to a particular brand, since they can usually only be used at the retailer they are associated with. Store-affiliated credit cards with stricter approval requirements can typically be used anywhere, though they might offer better rewards for purchases at their respective brand.

Hardest Store Credit Cards to Get

You can check out store credit card offers from hundreds of retailers on WalletHub.

It is fairly hard to get a Wells Fargo credit card, as most Wells Fargo cards require good credit or better for approval. Wells Fargo does have options for business owners with bad credit, though, which means it's not as hard to get a Wells Fargo business credit card as it is to get a regular Wells Fargo credit card.

The easiest credit card to get from Wells Fargo is the Wells Fargo Business Secured Credit Card, which is available to business owners with bad credit. This card has an annual fee of $0 and offers rewards, giving 1.5% Cash Back on purchases.

Minimum Credit Score for Notable Wells Fargo Credit Cards

• Wells Fargo Business Secured Credit Card: bad credit
• Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card: good credit
• Hotels.com® Rewards Visa® Credit Card: good credit
• Wells Fargo Reflect℠ Card: good credit

If you meet the credit score requirement and a few other requirements, it becomes easier to get a Wells Fargo credit card. As with all credit cards, you'll need to have a steady income and be at least 18 years old. You'll also need to have an SSN or ITIN.

It is not very hard to get a Capital One credit card because Capital One offers cards for people with bad credit or better. The easiest credit card to get from Capital One is the Capital One Quicksilver Secured Cash Rewards Credit Card, which is available to applicants with bad credit. Depending on your credit score, you may be able to qualify for other Capital One credit cards, too.

Minimum Credit Score for Notable Capital One Credit Cards

• Capital One Quicksilver Secured Cash Rewards Credit Card: bad credit
• Capital One Platinum Credit Card: limited credit
• Capital One Platinum Secured Credit Card: bad credit
• Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card: good credit

As long as you meet the credit score requirement and a few other requirements, it's not hard to get a Capital One credit card. As with all credit cards, you'll need to have a steady income and be at least 18 years old. You'll also need to have an SSN.

Keep in mind that just because it's not hard to get some Capital One credit cards, that doesn't mean it's necessarily easy to get all of them. You're also never guaranteed to be approved, even for the cards with the easiest approval requirements.

It is not very hard to get a U.S. Bank credit card because U.S. Bank offers cards for people with bad credit or better. The easiest credit card to get from U.S. Bank is the Harley-Davidson® Secured Credit Card, which is available to applicants with bad credit. Depending on your credit score, you may be able to qualify for other U.S. Bank credit cards, too.

Minimum Credit Score for Notable U.S. Bank Credit Cards

• Harley-Davidson® Secured Credit Card: bad credit
• U.S. Bank Altitude® Connect Visa Signature® Card: excellent credit
• U.S. Bank Altitude Reserve Visa Infinite® Card: excellent credit
• U.S. Bank Visa® Platinum Card: good credit

As long as you meet the credit score requirement and a few other requirements, it's not hard to get a U.S. Bank credit card. As with all credit cards, you'll need to have a steady income and be at least 18 years old. You'll also need to have an SSN or ITIN.

Keep in mind that just because it's not hard to get some U.S. Bank credit cards, that doesn't mean it's necessarily easy to get all of them. You're also never guaranteed to be approved, even for the cards with the easiest approval requirements.

The hardest Amex card to get is the Centurion® Card from American Express. Also known as the “Black Card,” this Amex card is hard to get because it is available by invitation only, and potential candidates are rumored to need an annual income of at least $1 million. They'll also reportedly need to meet lofty spending requirements on other Amex accounts every year just to get an invitation to apply. Additionally, the Centurion® Card from American Express carries a $5000 annual fee and a $10,000 initiation fee.

The Centurion® Card from American Express is clearly not for everyone, but Amex does offer other premium cards such as The Platinum Card® from American Express. Anyone can apply for the American Express Platinum card, which is not as hard to get as the Black Card but still requires at least good credit to be approved.

The American Express Platinum card shares many of the same features as the Black Card, and also comes with a high price tag. The annual fee is $695, which some people may consider a bargain when compared to the Black Card's exorbitant costs.

It is not very hard to get a Credit One credit card because Credit One offers cards for people with bad credit or better. The easiest credit card to get from Credit One is the Credit One Bank® Platinum Visa® for Rebuilding Credit, which is available to applicants with bad credit. Depending on your credit score, you may be able to qualify for other Credit One credit cards, too.

Minimum Credit Score for Notable Credit One Credit Cards

• Credit One Bank® Platinum Visa® for Rebuilding Credit: bad credit
• Credit One Bank® Platinum X5 Visa®: fair credit
• Credit One Bank® Platinum Visa®: fair credit

As long as you meet the credit score requirement and a few other requirements, it's not hard to get a Credit One credit card. As with all credit cards, you'll need to have a steady income and be at least 18 years old. You'll also need to have an SSN.

Keep in mind that just because it's not hard to get some Credit One credit cards, that doesn't mean it's necessarily easy to get all of them. You're also never guaranteed to be approved, even for the cards with the easiest approval requirements.