You can also check your credit score with a service like myFICO score or get your score for free with any of these free credit monitoring services.
Once you know your credit score, you can avoid being declined when you shop for a new credit card by choosing a card for which you have an above-average chance of approval.
If you walk into a bank for a loan or apply for a credit card online, you have no idea what credit score is required to get approved. So if you know your score is 665 (and that’s about average), that doesn’t help you if the credit card you’re applying for requires a 670 credit score.
Most Credit Card Offers Require Very Good Credit
Let’s be clear about that. A lot of people who apply for credit cards are denied. And if you get denied too many times in a year, that can actually hurt your credit further.
Most so-called “prime” and “superprime” credit cards are only available to applicants with credit scores of 750 or better. These include most American Express, Chase, and Bank of America credit cards.
Even with good credit, there are other reasons you might still be declined, like too much overall debt or even just one recent late payment.
Read more: Why Was My Credit Card Application Denied?
To help you avoid that, let’s look at what cards you can get with various credit scores. You can also browse our full list of the best credit cards. Each card features a minimum required credit quality category.
Excellent Credit: 750+
Reaching the excellent or superprime credit level often requires at least 10 years of on-time payments and a mix of credit accounts such as credit cards, student loans, and a mortgage.
Even if you’ve responsibly used credit for up to five years, you may still be declined for many cards simply because the banks want customers who have an even longer track record of timely payments.
If you’re in this range, you have your pick of any of the best credit cards out there, and you can take advantage of promotions in which the banks will actually pay you in cash back rewards or travel rewards for opening and using a new credit card.
Read more: Best Credit Cards if Your Credit Score Is Above 750 (Excellent Credit)
Suggested Credit Card for Excellent Credit:
