What is a Pre-approved Credit Card Offer?

There are several ways you can get a pre-approved credit card offer: in direct mail, an email, or by filling out a pre-qualification form on a bank’s website.

The main thing you should know about pre-qualification is that it is not an approval. In the fine print, they always say something like “pre-approved offers are subject for a credit approval”.

Basically, the process is a simple, quick check based on your parameters to determine if you fit into the credit card offer target audience – the bank makes a soft inquiry on your credit report (without damaging your credit score).

If you have a checking account and look for easy credit approval, Emporium card is a good option

Emporium Card

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intro purchase APR n/a	regular APRSee website for Details*

bad credit required

no fees

Up to $5,000 Spending Limit in Less than 60 Seconds! Shop from over 100,000 brand name products such as Apple, Samsung, Sony, Gucci, Prada and much more with low easy payments.

Less than Perfect Credit Accepted. Approval is quick and easy. Must be 18 years or older, have a valid checking account and a verifiable source of income.

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Blue Cash Everyday AmEx

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intro purchase APR 0% for 12 months	regular APR13.49 - 23.49% (V)
intro BT APR 0% for 12 months	3% BT fee $5 min
rewards 1% 2% 3% on $1	+$100 bonus

• earn 3% back at US supermarkets (limited by $6000 spending annually, then 1%)
• 2% on gas and in selected department stores
• 1% back on all other purchases
• $100 sign up bonus after spending $1000 in purchases in the first 3 months

good credit required

no annual fee

up to 2-3% cash back

Amazon Prime membership free

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Discover it Cash with 5% Cash Back

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intro purchase APR 0% for 14 months	regular APR11.49 - 23.49% (V)
intro BT APR 0% for 14 months	3% BT fee
rewards 1 or 5%

• earn 5% on quarterly changing category up to $1,500 quarterly maximum in purchases
• 1% on all other purchases

 

good credit / fair credit required

no annual fee

5% cash back on selected quarterly category

high limits

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Capital One Platinum

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intro purchase APR no intro offer	regular APR24.99 - 24.99% (V)
intro BT APR no intro offer	no BT fee

no credit required

• no annual fee
• for average or no credit
• high 24.99% APR

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If you decide to follow up and apply, the bank makes a more sophisticated check with a hard pull on your credit report, which potentially can hit your credit score. According to statistics, as much as 80% of pre-qualified applications successfully get approved in low score segments and up to 95% get approved if they follow up in good credit segments.

We put together a list of banks that allow you to check online if you qualify for credit card offers. It also helps in understanding what terms, rewards, and bonus options are available for you in particular instead of a wide range of APR’s you see on the site.

See if you pre-qualify for a card at the following banks (we put the best card offer for every bank, but you are free to check if you prequalify for other cards at the banks web page):

• American express
• Bank of America
• Capital One
• Chase
• Citibank
• Credit One
• Discover
• US Bank

You should know that if that unsolicited offers bother you, you have a right to opt out from receiving them – just go to https://www.optoutprescreen.com and opt out.