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When you apply for any of the best credit cards, your credit score will temporarily decrease.
That's because credit card issuers perform a hard credit inquiry (sometimes called a hard pull) to view your credit score and decide if you're a good candidate for their cards.
If you've got a lot of credit inquiries, issuers may consider that a red flag. That's why credit card preapproval is so handy. If you're preapproved for a card, you have a fair idea of whether or not you'll be approved. It helps you to ensure you won't waste a credit pull on a card you won't get (though note that even if you're preapproved, that does not guarantee you'll get the card).
What is credit card preapproval?
Credit card preapproval is when a bank indicates whether you're likely to be approved for a card before the bank does a hard inquiry and dings your credit. If you decide to apply, this does not guarantee you will be approved — but it gives you a good idea of your chances. Not all banks offer credit card preapproval. But the ones that do issue some of the best cards on the market.
Compare Credit Cards That Offer Preapproval
Best Credit Cards That Offer Preapproval
We're focused here on the rewards and perks that come with each card. These cards won't be worth it if you're paying interest or late fees. When using a credit card, it's important to pay your balance in full each month, make payments on time, and only spend what you can afford to pay.
Methodology: How we chose the best credit cards with preapproval
Personal Finance Insider takes a close look at factors including welcome bonuses, annual fees, rewards rates, the ease of using rewards, and benefits to figure out which credit cards are the best options for different needs, whether that's building credit, travel rewards, or pre approval. We dig into the fine print to explore everything a card offers, and break down the pros and cons.
We chose the best credit cards with pre approval with not only these factors in mind, but also the ease of finding preapproved offers. We've included banks that make it simple to see your preapproval status online and choose from a wide variety of cards geared to different consumers.
See the full methodology for how Insider rates credit cards »
Why You Should Trust Our Recommendations
The credit cards team at Insider takes a close look at each credit card's virtues and downfalls and highlights the offers that best suit most common financial situations. We don't just examine good cards — we review (and warn against) credit cards that are subpar or predatory.
Best Credit Card Preapproval Frequently Asked Questions
What does being preapproved for a credit card mean?
Being preapproved means the bank has examined a handful of factors (such as employment income, history of bankruptcies, etc.) and decided that your profile would be a good fit for its credit card. It does not guarantee that you'll be approved when applying, but it lets you know that you've got a good chance.
What's the difference between prequalified and preapproved for a credit card?
The difference between prequalified and preapproved is minor. Credit card preapproval often means that the bank has determined that your information more strongly meets the criteria of approval, implying that your odds are even stronger than a prequalified offer. Preapproved offers also may tend to more frequently come from a bank with which you've already got a relationship, as they know you better.
Which banks offer credit card preapproval?
Nearly all banks offer some form of preapproval — but not all give you the ability to initiate the process. For example, most major banks (Bank of America, Capital One, Chase, and Discover) currently allow you to check for preapproved offers (or prequalified offers — again, these terms are basically interchangeable). And American Express offers its own flavor of preapproval for new cardholders with its "Apply with confidence" feature. It's also worth noting that banks generally will not offer preapprovals for small-business credit cards.
How do you check for preapproved credit cards?
You can check for preapproved credit card offers with most banks. They provide a landing page on their website which allows you to input some quick details (name, address, and last four digits of your Social Security number, usually) to view a list of offers targeted to you.
Best Premium Credit Card That Offers Preapproval
The
This is a premium credit card with a
- Up to $300 in statement credits each cardmember year toward travel purchases
- Global Entry, TSA PreCheck, or NEXUS application fee credit (up to $100)
- Airport lounge access (Priority Pass Select membership with access to 1,300+ lounges worldwide, Chase Sapphire Lounge access, access to the Chase Sapphire Terrace in Austin)
- Some of the best travel insurance of any credit card
- Two years of free Lyft Pink All Access membership — and a 50% discount on year three (15% discount on rides, cancellation forgiveness, free 45-minute bike rentals, etc.)
- 10 points per dollar on hotel stays and car rentals reserved through the Chase Ultimate Rewards® Travel Portal
If you travel by car or plane regularly, this is one of the best cards you can open. The card's annual travel credit will automatically reimburse you for travel spending — meaning if you spend at least $300 per year on travel, the card's annual fee is effectively $250. And the Priority Pass airport lounge access it offers is worth over $400 each year.
You'll also get a handful of temporary benefits which can amount to several hundred dollars in value. For example, through December 31, 2024, you'll get free DoorDash DashPass membership (waived delivery fees, reduced service fees on orders of $12 or more) and a $5 in-app credit each month. You'll also get a year of free Instacart+ membership and up to $15 per month in credits on Instacart purchases when you activate by July 31, 2024.
You can see if you're preapproved for Chase credit cards here.
Chase Sapphire Reserve credit card review
Best Mid-Tier Travel Credit Card That Offers Preapproval
The
This
- 5 miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars booked through the Capital One Travel Portal
- 2 miles per dollar on all other purchases
In short, you'll earn 2 miles per dollar for almost all spending. Because Insider estimates that Capital One miles are worth an average of 1.7 cents each when converted to airline miles and hotel points, you're getting effectively 3.4% back on all purchases.
This card comes with up to $100 in reimbursement when applying for either TSA PreCheck or Global Entry. You'll also get two free visits to Capital One Lounges each year (you'll pay a discounted price on any additional visits).
You can see if you're preapproved for Capital One cards here.
Capital One Venture Card review
Best Cash-Back Credit Card That Offers Preapproval
The
Here's why that's powerful. The card's normal earning rates are:
- 5% cash back on rotating categories
Discover It Cashback rotation - 1% cash back on everything else
That's a solid earning rate by itself — the ability to earn 5% back on common purchases is well above average. But with Discover matching the cash back you earn during the first year, those 5% rotating bonus categories turn into 10%, and you'll receive a minimum of 2% on all other purchases in year one.
The card doesn't offer much more in the form of ongoing benefits other than waived foreign transaction fees, a free FICO score (a common credit card perk), and no late fee on your first late payment.
The card also comes with
You can see if you're preapproved for Discover credit cards here.
Discover it Cash Back card review
Best No-Annual-Fee Credit Card That Offers Preapproval
The
The
The
- 5% cash back (5 points per dollar) on travel purchased through the Chase Travel Portal
- 5% back (5 points per dollar) on Lyft rides through March 2025
- 3% cash back (3 points per dollar) on dining and drugstore purchases
- 1.5% cash back (1.5 points per dollar) on everything else
This card has a
You can check for preapproved offers from Chase here.
Chase Freedom Unlimited review
Best 0% Intro APR Credit Card That Offers Preapproval
The
The real meat and potatoes of this card are in its earning rate for everyday spending, however. You'll get:
- 10% cash back with Uber and Uber Eats (through November 14, 2024)
- 8% cash back on Capital One Entertainment purchases
- 5% cash back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
- 3% cash back on dining, grocery stores (except at superstores like Walmart® and Target®)
- 3% cash back on eligible streaming services
- 3% cash back on entertainment
- 1% cash back on all other purchases
For a
It's also worth noting that if you've got a Capital One miles-earning credit card, such as the
You can see if you're preapproved for Capital One cards here.
Capital One SavorOne card review
Best Student Credit Card That Offers Preapproval
The
The earning rate of this
- Gas
- Online shopping
- Dining
- Travel
- Drugstores
- Home improvement/furnishings
You can change your bonus category month to month.
You'll also earn 2% cash back on groceries and at wholesale clubs — and 1% back on everything else. The only restriction is that you can only earn bonus points on up to $2,500 in combined spending across 3% and 2% categories each quarter.
This card also aids students with a
You can see if you are preapproved for Bank of America credit cards here.
Bank of America Customized Cash Rewards for Students Review
Best Secured Credit Card That Offers Preapproval
The
To get it, you'll need to make a minimum deposit of $200. Based on your credit, you may be able to get a credit line higher than this. Your amount of available credit will match your deposit. After six months of on-time payments, you'll be eligible for a raise in your credit line.
The card earns 5% cash back on hotels and car rentals booked through Capital One Travel and 1.5% back on all other eligible purchases. That's a so-so return in the world of cash-back credit cards — but it's above average for a secured credit card.
You can see if you're preapproved for Capital One cards here.
Capital One Quicksilver Secured card review
Honorable Mention: American Express Cards
American Express has what is pretty inarguably the best type of "preapproval" process — though not all customers are eligible to use it at the moment.
It offers a feature called "Apply with confidence" which will tell you with absolute certainty if you will be approved for a specific credit card before it initiates a hard pull on your credit. This is currently only available for customers who do not already have an American Express card — and it will not work for co-branded airline and hotel credit cards such as the
It will work on some of the best American Express credit cards, such as
If you're already an American Express cardholder, Amex tends not to hard pull your credit when opening a new card, anyway. That's preapproval-adjacent in that you won't receive credit inquiries for cards you don't open.