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Does Pre-Qualification Affect Your Credit Score?

3 min read

Published August 16, 2024

Table of contents

Key Takeaways

Credit card pre-qualification can give you an idea of your likelihood of approval for a given credit card—without hurting your score.
Many lenders use “pre-qualification” and “pre-approval” interchangeably, though the terms technically have different meanings.
Neither pre-qualification nor pre-approval guarantees that you’ll qualify for a specific credit card; you still must complete an application.

As you shop for a new credit card, you may want to compare important factors, like your credit limit, rewards, and interest rate. However, applying for a credit card without knowing whether you meet the card issuer’s criteria might leave you disappointed and lower your credit score, too. Fortunately, you can save yourself time and protect your credit score by requesting pre-qualification or pre-approval before you apply.

What is pre-qualification for a credit card?

Through pre-qualification, you can figure out whether you may qualify for a credit card. Typically, credit card issuers offer a pre-qualification application online. You typically provide some relevant financial information, like your employment status, income, and debt. The credit card company would then conduct a soft credit check for insight into your credit history. Applicants usually have to offer their Social Security number to allow for a soft credit inquiry.

Pre-qualification applications often process quickly and can produce nearly immediate results. If you pre-qualify for a credit card and like the terms, you can apply. While pre-qualification often precedes the application process, you don’t necessarily have to pre-qualify to apply for most credit cards.

When pre-qualification is the same as pre-approval

Technically, credit card pre-approval refers to a slightly different process than pre-qualification, though both point to your likelihood of receiving an offer. While a consumer initiates pre-qualification by completing an application, a lender usually initiates pre-approval. When you receive a pre-approved offer in the mail, typically, a credit card bureau has given your name to the credit card company as a qualified applicant.

However, the distinction between “pre-approval” and “pre-qualification” is subtle. Many credit card companies use the terms interchangeably to minimize confusion.

To determine whether you qualify for a credit card from Discover, you can complete the online pre-qualification process. Before you apply, you could learn in minutes whether you’re likely to be approved and what your interest rate may be.

See if you’re pre-approved

Does credit card pre-qualification hurt your credit score?

Pre-qualification typically has no effect on your credit score. When you apply for pre-qualification, you provide basic information about your income and your financial situation, as well as permission for the credit card issuer to complete a soft credit pull. Fortunately, a soft credit check doesn’t leave a negative mark on your credit report like a hard inquiry may.

Because pre-qualification doesn’t affect your credit score, it can be a helpful tool when shopping for credit cards from multiple lenders. If you apply for several credit cards at the same time, you risk hurting your credit score with too many hard inquiries at once. Soft credit inquiries don’t have the same impact.

Did you know?

When you’re ready to apply for a credit card, Discover makes it easy to compare the premium benefits of industry-leading cards against one another. Choose the card that fits best for your spending habits.

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Does pre-qualification mean you’ll get a new credit card?

While pre-qualification could give you valuable guidance, it doesn’t guarantee approval. If you want to move forward with a pre-qualified offer, you must complete the full application process. Unlike pre-approval or pre-qualification, a full application requires a hard credit inquiry. Keep in mind that a complete application will likely impact your credit score. However, with responsible credit card use, your score should recover quickly.

If you’re choosing between a few credit card options, don’t forget to take advantage of pre-qualification (or pre-approval). That way, you can compare your choices without hurting your credit score.

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