Your credit score temporarily decreases whenever you apply for any of the best credit cards. That's because credit card issuers perform a hard credit inquiry, sometimes called a hard pull, to view your credit score when deciding if you're a good candidate for their products. But if you've racked up a lot of credit inquiries, issuers may consider that a red flag.
That's why credit card pre-approval is so handy. If you're pre-approved for a card, you have a relatively high chance of officially being approved, lowering your chances of having your credit pulled for a card you can't even get.
Remember, however, there's no guarantee that you'll always get the card — even if you're pre-approved.
Compare the Top Credit Cards That Offer Pre-Approval
$0
0% intro APR for 15 months on purchases and balance transfers
18.24% - 27.24% Variable APR
Earn Unlimited Cashback Match®
Good to Excellent
- From January 1 to March 31, 2025, earn 5% cash back at restaurants, home improvement stores, and select streaming services on up to $1,500 in purchases after enrollment, then 1%
- Discover will match your cash back earned at the end of your first account year
- No annual fee
- Cap on how much bonus cash back you can earn each quarter
- If the quarterly categories aren't convenient for you, you can earn more cash back with a different card
The Discover it® Cash Back is one of the best credit cards that offers 5% back on popular rotating categories up to a spending limit. Your rewards are matched by Discover after the first 12 months, and the card has no annual fee.
Discover it Cash Back- Intro Offer: Unlimited Cashback Match for all new cardmembers–only from Discover. Discover will automatically match all the cash back you’ve earned at the end of your first year! There’s no minimum spending or maximum rewards. You could turn $150 cash back into $300.
- Earn 5% cash back on everyday purchases at different places you shop each quarter like grocery stores, restaurants, gas stations, and more, up to the quarterly maximum when you activate. Plus, earn unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases.
- Redeem your rewards for cash at any time.
- Apply and you could get a decision in as little as 60 seconds. No annual fee.
- Start shopping and earning rewards in minutes with our digital card, before your physical card arrives in the mail, if eligible.
- Discover could help you reduce exposure of your personal information online by helping you remove it from select people-search sites that could sell your data. Activate by mobile app for free.
- Get a 0% intro APR for 15 months on purchases. Then 18.24% to 27.24% Standard Variable Purchase APR applies, based on credit worthiness.
- Terms and conditions apply.
$0
0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for the first 15 months
18.99% - 28.49% Variable
Limited Time Offer: Earn a $250 bonus
Good to Excellent
- Solid flat cash-back rate
- You can combine cash-back rewards with Ultimate Rewards points if you have an eligible card
- No annual fee
- Some other cards offer a higher rate of cash back on certain types of purchases
The Chase Freedom Unlimited® is a great choice for credit card beginners and experts alike. With no annual fee and a high earnings rate, it's worth considering as an everyday card — and it's even better when you pair it with an annual-fee Chase card like the Chase Sapphire Reserve®.
Chase Freedom Unlimited- Limited Time Intro Offer: Earn a $250 Bonus after you spend $500 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening
- Enjoy 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, our premier rewards program that lets you redeem rewards for cash back, travel, gift cards and more; 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service, and 1.5% on all other purchases.
- No minimum to redeem for cash back. You can choose to receive a statement credit or direct deposit into most U.S. checking and savings accounts. Cash Back rewards do not expire as long as your account is open!
- Enjoy 0% Intro APR for 15 months from account opening on purchases and balance transfers, then a variable APR of 18.99% - 28.49%.
- No annual fee – You won't have to pay an annual fee for all the great features that come with your Freedom Unlimited® card
- Keep tabs on your credit health, Chase Credit Journey helps you monitor your credit with free access to your latest score, alerts, and more.
- Member FDIC
$0
N/A
29.74% Variable
N/A
Limited, No History
- Earns 1.5% cash back on all purchases with no limits
- You can get approved for this card with limited credit
- Ability to increase credit line and potential to improve credit score with responsible use
- No welcome bonus
- Because it’s a secured credit card, you’ll have to put down a security deposit for your initial credit line
- High APR if you carry a balance
The Capital One Quicksilver Secured Cash Rewards Credit Card is a great choice if you're new to credit cards and working on building your credit history and score. It's a rare secured credit card that offers decent rewards, but you'll have to put down a deposit after you're approved to secure your credit line.
Quicksilver Secured Cash Rewards Credit Card- No annual or hidden fees, and you can earn unlimited 1.5% cash back on every purchase, every day. See if you're approved in seconds
- Put down a refundable $200 security deposit to get a $200 initial credit line
- Building your credit? Using a card like this responsibly could help
- Enjoy peace of mind with $0 Fraud Liability so that you won't be responsible for unauthorized charges
- You could earn back your security deposit as a statement credit when you use your card responsibly, like making payments on time
- Be automatically considered for a higher credit line in as little as 6 months with no additional deposit needed
- Earn unlimited 5% cash back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, where you'll get Capital One's best prices on thousands of trip options. Terms apply
- Monitor your credit score with CreditWise from Capital One. It's free for everyone
$0
0% intro APR for your first 18 billing cycles for purchases, and for any balance transfers made within the first 60 days of opening your account
16.99% - 26.99% Variable
Fair
- Generous welcome bonus for a student credit card
- No annual fee
- Flexible rewards earning - you can pick the category in which you earn the most cash back each quarter
- Foreign transaction fees
- Few benefits compared to other rewards credit cards
- Card only earns 1% cash back outside of bonus categories
The Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards Credit Card for Students offers a lucrative but uncomplicated rewards structure, a lengthy 0% introductory APR, and a welcome bonus that provides a sizable return compared to the spending requirement.
Customized Cash Rewards Credit Card for Students- Online $200 cash rewards bonus after making at least $1,000 in purchases in the first 90 days of your account opening
- 3% and 2% cash back on the first $2,500 in combined choice category/grocery store/wholesale club purchases each quarter, then earn 1%
- 1% cash back on all other purchases
- Cash rewards don’t expire and for future purchases, you can change your choice category online or through the mobile app
- 0% intro APR for your first 18 billing cycles for purchases, and for any balance transfers made within the first 60 days of opening your account
- No annual fee
- Access your FICO® Score updated monthly for free, within your Mobile Banking app or in Online Banking
$95
N/A
19.99% - 29.24% variable
Get $250 to use on Capital One Travel in your first cardholder year and earn 75,000 bonus miles
Good to Excellent
- $50 experience credit and free upgrades on Capital One Lifestyle Collection bookings
- Includes a statement credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck
- Other credit cards offer higher rewards in certain categories of spending
If you want an easy, no-fuss travel rewards credit card, the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card is a great fit. For a moderate annual fee, it offers plenty of value, useful benefits, and a substantial welcome bonus.
Venture Rewards Card- Enjoy $250 to use on Capital One Travel in your first cardholder year, plus earn 75,000 bonus miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening - that’s equal to $1,000 in travel
- Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, every day
- Earn 5X miles on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, where you'll get Capital One's best prices on thousands of trip options
- Miles won't expire for the life of the account and there's no limit to how many you can earn
- Receive up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®
- Use your miles to get reimbursed for any travel purchase—or redeem by booking a trip through Capital One Travel
- Enjoy a $50 experience credit and other premium benefits with every hotel and vacation rental booked from the Lifestyle Collection
- Transfer your miles to your choice of 15+ travel loyalty programs
$550
N/A
21.49% - 28.49% Variable
Earn 60,000 bonus points
Good to Excellent
- Annual travel credit can effectively shave $300 off the annual fee if you use it
- Strong travel insurance
- Strong bonus rewards on travel and dining
- Very high annual fee
If you're new to rewards credit cards you may want to start elsewhere, but if you know you want to earn Chase points and you spend a lot on travel and dining, the Sapphire Reserve is one of the most rewarding options.
Chase Sapphire Reserve- Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
- $300 Annual Travel Credit as reimbursement for travel purchases charged to your card each account anniversary year.
- Earn 5x total points on flights and 10x total points on hotels and car rentals when you purchase travel through Chase Travel℠ immediately after the first $300 is spent on travel purchases annually. Earn 3x points on other travel and dining & 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases
- Get 50% more value when you redeem your points for travel through Chase Travel℠. For example, 60,000 points are worth $900 toward travel.
- 1:1 point transfer to leading airline and hotel loyalty programs
- Access to 1,300+ airport lounges worldwide after an easy, one-time enrollment in Priority Pass™ Select and up to $120 application fee credit every four years for Global Entry, NEXUS, or TSA PreCheck®
- Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Coverage, Lost Luggage Insurance and more.
- Member FDIC
$0
0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 15 months (3% fee for the first 15 months, then 4% at a promotional APR that Capital One may offer you at any other time)
19.24% - 29.24% Variable
Earn $200 cash back
Good to Excellent
- No annual fee
- Bonus cash back on dining, entertainment, and grocery store purchases
- Long intro APR period for purchases and balance transfers
- Other cards earn more cash back in certain bonus categories
- Not the highest sign-up bonus among cash-back cards
The Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card offers a good welcome bonus and excellent return rates that can earn you cash back on common expenses like dining, groceries (excluding superstores like Walmart and Target), streaming, and entertainment — plus there's no annual fee to worry about.
Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card- Earn a one-time $200 cash bonus once you spend $500 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening
- Earn unlimited 3% cash back at grocery stores (excluding superstores like Walmart® and Target®), on dining, entertainment and popular streaming services, plus 1% on all other purchases
- Earn 8% cash back on Capital One Entertainment purchases
- Earn unlimited 5% cash back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, where you'll get Capital One's best prices on thousands of trip options. Terms apply
- No rotating categories or sign-ups needed to earn cash rewards; plus cash back won't expire for the life of the account and there's no limit to how much you can earn
- 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 15 months; 19.24% - 29.24% variable APR after that; balance transfer fee applies
- No foreign transaction fee
- No annual fee
Best Credit Cards That Offer Pre-Approval
- Discover it® Cash Back: Best cash-back credit card that offers pre-approval
- Chase Freedom Unlimited®: Best no-annual-fee credit card that offers pre-approval
- Capital One Quicksilver Secured Cash Rewards Credit Card: Best secured credit card that offers pre-approval
- Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards Credit Card for Students : Best student credit card that offers pre-approval
- Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card: Best mid-tier travel credit card that offers pre-approval
- Chase Sapphire Reserve®: Best premium credit card that offers pre-approval
- Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card: Best 0% intro APR credit card that offers pre-approval
Pre-Approval Credit Card Reviews
Find the best credit cards with pre-approved offers right now. Business Insider's comprehensive list covers and details the top pre-approval credit cards for all types of credit.
Best Cash Back Card: Discover it® Cash Back
The $0-annual-fee Discover it® Cash Back doesn't offer a traditional welcome bonus. Instead, it comes with something called Unlimited Cashback Match® - only from Discover. Discover will automatically match all the cash back you've earned at the end of your first year.
Here's why that's powerful. The card's normal earning rates are:
- 5% cash back on rotating categories (from January 1 to March 31, 2025, earn 5% cash back at restaurants, home improvement stores, and select streaming services on up to $1,500 in purchases after enrollment, then 1%)
- 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 0% intro APR for 15 months on purchases and balance transfers, then a 18.24% - 27.24% Variable APR APR.
You can see if you're pre-approved for Discover credit cards here.
Read more in our Discover it Cash Back card review.
Best No-Annual-Fee Card: Chase Freedom Unlimited®
The Chase Freedom Unlimited® offers $250 bonus after you spend $500 on purchases in the first three months from account opening. On the surface, that looks like a solid bonus — but it gets even better.
The Chase Freedom Unlimited® isn't a true cash-back credit card. It actually earns Chase Ultimate Rewards® points, which are worth 1 cent each when redeemed for cash back. But you can get an average of 1.8 cents each from them if you convert them into airline miles or hotel points for cheap (or free) travel. To do this, you must have either the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, Chase Sapphire Reserve®, or Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card. You can then transfer your points from the Freedom Unlimited to one of these cards, and onto various travel partners.
The Chase Freedom Unlimited® offers the following earning rates:
- 5% cash back (5 points per dollar) on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠
- 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 $0 annual fee, so it's free to try — and keep.
You can check for pre-approved offers from Chase here.
Read more in our Chase Freedom Unlimited review.
Best Secured Card: Capital One Quicksilver Secured Cash Rewards Credit Card
The $0-annual-fee Capital One Quicksilver Secured Cash Rewards Credit Card doesn't offer a welcome bonus at the moment. The tradeoff is even if your credit score is subpar or you have less than three years of credit history, you can still be eligible for this card.
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 pre-approved for Capital One cards here.
Read more in our Capital One Quicksilver Secured card review.
Best Student Card: Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards Credit Card for Students
The Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards Credit Card for Students comes with a $200 cash rewards bonus after making $1,000 in purchases in the first 90 days from account opening. That's an excellent bonus for a student credit card.
The earning rate of this $0-annual-fee student card is also above average. You can select to earn 3% back on one of the following categories:
- 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 0% intro APR for your first 18 billing cycles for purchases, and for any balance transfers made within the first 60 days of opening your account (then a 16.99% - 26.99% Variable APR). This is great for initial college purchases like course materials, dorm furniture, etc.
You can see if you are pre-approved for Bank of America credit cards here.
Read more in our Bank of America Customized Cash Rewards for Students card review.
Best Mid-Tier Travel Card: Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card offers 75,000 miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first three months of account opening, plus $250 to use on Capital One Travel in your first cardholder year. Those miles are worth an average of $1,275 when you transfer the miles to airline and hotel partners such as Turkish Airlines, British Airways, Wyndham Rewards, and more for (nearly) free travel.
This $95-annual-fee card is an excellent card for beginners to the miles and points hobby . For starters, the card has a simple earning structure:
- 5 miles per dollar on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through the Capital One Travel Portal
- 2 miles per dollar on all other purchases
This card comes with up to $120 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 pre-approved for Capital One cards here.
Read more in our Capital One Venture card review.
Best Premium Travel Card: Chase Sapphire Reserve®
The Chase Sapphire Reserve® comes with 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening. That's worth an average of $1,080 in travel, per our points and miles valuations. This value comes from transferring your points to partner airlines and hotels like Hyatt, Southwest, United Airlines, and more for free hotel stays and award flights.
This is a premium credit card with a $550 annual fee to prove it. If you're able to use the card's benefits regularly, the annual fee is easy to justify. You'll get perks like:
- Up to $300 in statement credits each cardmember year toward travel purchases
- Global Entry, TSA PreCheck®, or NEXUS application fee credit (up to $120)
- Airport lounge access (Priority Pass™ Select membership with access to over 1,500 airport 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 Travel℠
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, 2027, 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 can see if you're pre-approved for Chase credit cards here.
Read more in our Chase Sapphire Reserve credit card review.
Best 0% Intro APR Card: Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card
The Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card comes with a welcome bonus of $200 cash back after you spend $500 on purchases within three months from account opening.
The real meat and potatoes of this card are in its earning rate for everyday spending, however. You'll get:
- 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 $0-annual-fee card, that's pretty amazing.
It's also worth noting that if you've got a Capital One miles-earning credit card, such as the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card, you can convert your cash back into Capital One miles at a rate of 1 cent per mile. You can then transfer them to Capital One airline and hotel partners for outsized value.
You can see if you're pre-approved for Capital One cards here.
Read more in our Capital One Savor Cash card review.
Honorable Mention: American Express Cards
American Express has what is pretty inarguably the best type of "pre-approval" 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. Your credit score may be impacted if you are approved and choose to accept the card.
This feature is currently only available for customers who do not already have an American Express card applying for a U.S. Personal Card via Business Insider, at AmericanExpress.com/us/credit-cards, or by calling American Express and may not be available through other avenues. It will also not work for co-branded airline and hotel credit cards such as the Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card or the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card.
It will work on some of the best American Express cards, such as The Platinum Card® from American Express and American Express® Gold Card.
If you're already an American Express cardholder, Amex tends not to hard pull your credit when opening a new card, anyway. That's pre-approval-adjacent because you won't receive credit inquiries for cards you don't open.
What is Credit Card Pre-Approval?
Credit card pre-approval occurs 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. Pre-approval does not guarantee you will be approved, but it does give you a good indication of your chances for approval.
Not all banks offer credit card pre-approval, but the ones that do issue some of the best cards on the market.
Best Credit Card Pre-Approval Frequently Asked Questions
What does being pre-approved for a credit card mean?
Being pre-approved means the bank has examined your financial factors, such as employment income and history of bankruptcy, and decided that you would be a good fit for its credit card. Pre-approval does not guarantee that you'll be approved when applying, but it lets you know you have a good chance.
What's the difference between prequalified and pre-approved for a credit card?
The difference between prequalified and pre-approved is minor. Credit card pre-approval often means that the bank has determined that your information more strongly meets the approval criteria, implying that your odds are even stronger than a prequalified offer. Pre-approved offers are more likely to come from banks you already use.
Which banks offer credit card pre-approval?
Most major banks such as Bank of America, Capital One, Chase, and Discover currently allow you to check for pre-approved or prequalified offers. American Express offers its own version of pre-approval for new cardholders with its "Apply with confidence" feature. Banks usually don't offer pre-approval for small business credit cards.
How do you check for pre-approved credit cards?
You can check for pre-approved credit card offers with most banks, often through a landing page on the website that lets you input some quick details (typically your name, address, and last four digits of your Social Security number) to view a list of offers targeted to you.
Why You Should Trust Us: How We Chose the Best Credit Cards With Pre-Approval
The credit cards team at Business 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.
We take 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 pre-approved offers. We've included banks that make it simple to see your pre-approval status online and choose from various cards geared to different consumers.
See the full methodology for how Business Insider rates credit cards.
Editorial Note: Any opinions, analyses, reviews, or recommendations expressed in this article are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any card issuer. Read our editorial standards.
Please note: While the offers mentioned above are accurate at the time of publication, they're subject to change at any time and may have changed, or may no longer be available.
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