Prequalify for Credit Cards: Find the Best Offers from Chase, Discover, Capital One, & More
You’re in the market for a new credit card, but you’re not sure which ones you’re qualified for. After all, every card has different credit requirements, and these details are not always available online. Luckily, you can prequalify for some credit cards without submitting a full application.
Credit card prequalification is a great way to find out which cards you’re eligible for, so you can narrow your options and avoid incurring multiple hard inquiries on your credit report.
To prequalify, you’ll need to provide credit card companies with some basic personal info, and they’ll run a soft inquiry into your credit report to see if you are likely to be approved for a given card. They’ll also tell you about other cards that would be a good fit for your financial situation.
This page will show how to get prequalified for credit cards, and the best prequalified credit card offers for you to consider.
On this page:
- Prequalified vs Pre-Approved Credit Cards: What’s the Difference?
- Banks That Allow You to Prequalify for Credit Cards
Prequalified vs Pre-Approved Credit Cards: What’s the Difference?
While many people throw these words around interchangeably, they don’t mean the same thing. Pre-qualification is when you provide a credit card company with some basic info to see what cards you’re likely to get approved for. Pre-approved credit cards are the cards that companies invite you to apply for—after they’ve run a soft inquiry into your credit report and determined that you qualify.
Finding credit card offers you’re prequalified for is a great way to quickly get a new credit card, and it prevents you from hurting your credit score. For example, you don’t want to apply for one of the most exclusive credit cards when you really should be applying for a credit card for people with bad credit.
Just remember, even if you prequalify for a credit card, that’s not a guarantee that you’ll be approved after you complete the full credit card application. It always helps to check your own credit score to have an idea of what it is and therefore the types of cards you should apply for.
Banks That Allow You to Prequalify for Credit Cards
Most major banks allow you to prequalify for credit cards. If you’re already a customer of the bank, you can typically see a list of cards you’re pre-approved for after logging in to your account. If you see a card you’re interested in from a bank at which you don’t have an account, the bank will usually offer a pre-qualification survey where you enter some basic information, such as your name, address, income, and credit score.
Some banks even require you to enter your social security number, but they don’t use it for a hard credit check. Just make sure to read the fine print to determine that the form you’re submitting is a prequalification form and not an official application.
Here are our top-rated cards from major banks that allow you to prequalify for credit cards. If you see a card that you like, click through to the bank’s website and look for their prequalification offers.
Chase Prequalify Offers
Chase offers some of the best travel credit cards thanks to the flexible Chase Ultimate Rewards portal. You can see if you prequalify for the best Chase cards by submitting the Chase Prequalify form. Just enter your name, address, and the last four digits of your Social Security Number.
Chase Sapphire Preferred
The Chase Sapphire Preferred card is widely considered to be one of the best travel credit cards. It has an excellent bonus offer that gives you 60,000 bonus points (worth up to $750) after you spend just $4,000 in the first 3 months. You get 2 points for every dollar you spend on travel and dining and you earn 1 point on everything else. When you redeem with Chase Ultimate Rewards, you’re able to get a 25% points bonus, but you can also transfer your points to other popular points programs. The card has a $95 annual fee, a purchase APR between 17.24% and 27.24%, no foreign transaction fees, and purchase and travel protections.
Chase Freedom Card
The Chase Freedom card allows you to earn up to a $150 bonus if you spend just $500 in the first 3 months after getting your card. It also has no annual fee and a 0% APR for the first 15 months on both purchases and balance transfers (there is a 3% balance transfer fee). After that, they charge a 17.24% to 25.99% variable APR. The card offers 5% cash back on up to $1,500 of purchases in bonus categories each quarter and 1% cash back after that. The card also offers things like extended warranties and purchase protection.
Chase Freedom Unlimited Card
The Chase Freedom Unlimited card offers 3% cash back on your first $20,000 in purchases during the first year. Afterward, you’ll get 1.5% cash back on all your purchases. The card has no annual fee and has an intro APR of 0% for 15 months on both purchases and balance transfers (there is a 3% balance transfer fee). After that period is over, they’ll charge you a variable APR that runs between 17.24% and 25.99%. Similar to the Chase Freedom card, this card also has purchase protection and extended warranties.
Citibank Prequalify Offers
Citibank credit cards offer a number of great perks and rewards that might suit your needs. To see which Citi cards you prequalify for, you just need to enter your name, address, the last four digits of your Social Security number, and the types of credit card benefits you’re looking for in the Citi prequalify form, so Citi knows which cards to recommend.
Citi Prestige Card
The Citi Prestige Card is a premium travel card that comes with a hefty annual fee of $495, but it offers great rewards to make the price worth it. You can earn 50,000 bonus points (worth $500 in travel) if you spend $4,000 in the first 3 months after you open your account. The card also offers 5 points for every dollar spent on airfare, 5 points on restaurants, 3 points on hotels and cruise lines, and 1 point on every dollar spent on other purchases. The card offers great benefits like a complimentary 4th-night stay when you book with your rewards, airport lounge access, and a $250 travel credit every year. There are no foreign transaction fees and the variable APR is 17.99% to 25.99%.
Citi Double Cash
The Citi Double Cash card is a great card for those who don’t travel very often or spend a lot of money on their card. For zero annual fee, you get 2% cash back on all your purchases (1% when you buy something and 1% when you pay off your balance). The card also offers a 0% introductory interest rate for the first 18 months on balance transfers (there is a 3% balance transfer fee). The card has a 3% foreign transaction fee and charges a variable APR of 15.74% to 25.74%. It also has certain perks like access to Citi Entertainment, for access to exclusive events and concert tickets.
Citi/AAdvantage Executive World Elite MasterCard
The Citi/AAdvantage Executive World Elite Mastercard is a great card if you frequently travel on American Airlines. The card offers 50,000 American Airlines bonus miles (worth up to $650) if you spend $5,000 in the first 3 months after you open the card. The card provides things like access to the Admirals Club, Reimbursed Global Entry and TSA PreCheck fees, first checked bag free for you and up to 8 companions, and priority check-in. You also earn 2 miles for every $1 spent on American Airlines purchases and 1 mile for every other dollar spent. The card has no foreign transaction fees but has an annual fee of $450, and a variable APR of 17.99% to 25.99%.
Discover Prequalify Offers
There aren’t as many Discover credit cards as cards from other banks. However, Discover is known for its great customer support, and the cards it does offer are often among the best of their class. To see which cards you prequalify for, you have to enter your name, address, income information, and rent or mortgage expenses, as well as what you’re looking for in a credit card on the Discover prequalify form.
Discover it Cash Back
The Discover it Cash Back card is great if you’re looking for a good cash back credit card with no annual fee. You get 5% cash back at a different type of merchant each quarter—currently restaurants and PayPal. Outside of those quarterly categories, you earn 1% cash back. As a welcome offer, Discover will match all the cash back you earn in your first year. The card has an APR of 0% for the first 14 months on purchases and balance transfers (but there is an intro 3% balance transfer fee; 5% fee after that). The normal rate is a variable 14.24% to 25.24% APR.
Discover it for Students
The Discover it for Students Cash Back card is similar to the Discover it Cash Back card in that it has no annual fee and you get 5% cash back on different places each quarter—like gas stations, grocery stores, Amazon.com, or restaurants. You also earn 1% cash back on all your other purchases and you get your cash back matched at the end of your first year. The big difference between this and the regular Discover it card is that you only get a 0% introductory interest rate for the first 6 months on purchases and balance transfers (with the same intro 3% balance transfer fee; 5% after that) and the variable APR runs between 15.24% to 24.24% after that. However, you do get a reward for good grates: a $20 statement credit every school year that your GPA is 3.0 or higher.
Discover it Secured
The Discover it Secured card is a great card for those with bad or limited credit. The card has no annual fee, but it requires that you put down a security deposit in order to use the card. This deposit will determine your credit limit, so you won’t be able to charge very much to the card. That said, you do earn 2% cash back on up to $1,000 in purchases on gas and restaurants. After that, you earn 1% cash back on everything else. The card also gives you access to your FICO scores so that you can see how your credit improves as you make on-time monthly payments. The card has a 25.24% variable APR.
American Express Prequalify Offers
Many people regard Amex credit cards as status symbols because of how exclusive some of their cards are. That doesn’t mean you can’t qualify for them with less-than-perfect credit, though. To find out if you qualify, just enter your name, income, address, and the last four digits of your SSN in the Amex prequalify form to see if you’re eligible.
Platinum Card from American Express
The Platinum Card from American Express is a premium card with a lot of great extras—but it has a high annual fee of $550. You can get a welcome bonus of 60,000 points if you spend $5,000 in the first 3 months. You also earn 5 points for every dollar spent on travel purchases when booked directly with airlines or on amextravel.com. You also get access to airport lounges, a $200 annual airline fee credit, and up to $200 per year towards Uber rides. You’ll also get travel benefits, like lounge access and a credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck. Since this is a charge card and not a credit card, you’ll have to pay off your balance in full at the end of each month.
American Express Blue Cash Preferred Card
The American Express Blue Cash Preferred Card offers you a bonus of $250 when you spend $1,000 on your card in the first 3 months. It also offers a 0% interest rate on purchases and balance transfers for the first 12 months (a 3% balance transfer fee is charged). After that, you’ll pay a variable APR of 15.24% to 26.24%. You’ll earn 6% cash back at supermarkets, 3% cash back at gas stations, and 1% cash back on everything else. It also offers you travel insurance, phone protection, and extended warranties.
Platinum Delta SkyMiles Credit Card from American Express
The Platinum Delta SkyMiles Credit Card is great for those who often fly Delta. You can earn 5,000 Medallion qualification miles and 35,000 bonus miles if you spend just $1,000 in the first 3 months. You also get $100 towards a Delta purchase in the first 3 months. The card has a $195 annual fee and a variable APR of 17.99% to 26.99%. Some other benefits include an annual companion fare ticket, first checked bag free, and no foreign transaction fees. You earn 2 miles for every dollar spent on Delta and 1 mile for every dollar you spend on other purchases.
Hilton Honors Aspire Card from American Express
The Hilton Honors Aspire Card from American Express is a good card if you often stay at Hilton hotels. It gives you 150,000 Hilton Honors Bonus points if you spend $4,000 within 2 months of opening your account. The annual fee is $450 and the interest rate is 17.99% to 26.99% variable APR. One of the benefits of the card is that you earn a lot of points—14 points for every dollar spent at a Hilton Portfolio resort, 7 points for every dollar spent on a flight, car rental, or restaurant purchases, and 3 points for every dollar spent on everything else. You also get a $250 Hilton Resort Statement credit and one weekend night free every year.
Capital One Prequalify Offers
Capital One credit cards are competitive both in the travel and cash back categories. Capital One offers a user-friendly mobile app, free credit score updates, and virtual credit card numbers, so you can protect yourself when shopping online. You can find out if you prequalify for a card by entering your address, social security number, name, and what type of cards you’re looking for on the Capital One prequalify form.
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
The Capital One Venture Rewards card offers a great bonus of 50,000 miles if you spend just $3,000 in the first 3 months. The card has an annual fee of $95 but it’s waived in the first year. One of the great things about the card is that you’re able to earn miles quickly—you get 10 miles for every dollar spent at hotels.com/venture and 2 points for every dollar spent elsewhere. There are no foreign transaction fees, and the variable APR is between 17.99% to 25.24%. You also get a Global Entry or TSA PreCheck credit, travel insurance, and consumer protections as well.
Capital One VentureOne Rewards Card
The Capital One VentureOne Rewards card offers a bonus of 20,000 miles if you spend just $1,000 in the first 3 months after opening your account. You can earn 1.25 miles for every dollar on all general purchases or 10 miles per dollar spent on hotel reservations at hotels.com/venture. The card has no annual fee, no foreign transaction fees, and an introductory 0% APR for 12 months. After that, the APR is variable and starts between 14.24% and 24.24%. It’s a great card for those who want a no-fee card with good perks—including travel and consumer protections.
Capital One Savor Card
The Capital One Savor card offers a cash bonus of $500 if you spend just $3,000 in the first 3 months after opening your account. The card has a $95 annual fee that is waived in the first year. You earn 4% cash back on all your dining and entertainment purchases, 2% at grocery stores, and 1% on all other purchases. The card has no foreign transaction fees and a variable APR of 16.74% to 25.74%.
Bottom Line: Which Prequalified Credit Card Is Right for You?
If you’re in the market for a new credit card, it’s easy to save time—and your credit score—by figuring out how to prequalify for credit cards. Just visit a credit card issuer’s prequalify form and once you know what you qualify for, you can get pre-approval for the credit card or complete a full application.
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