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What Does Credit Card Pre-Approval Mean?

Last Updated: November 8, 2024
7 min read
Getting a credit card

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Key points:

  1. Credit card issuers may offer you a pre-approved credit card after reviewing your credit history and determining that you meet the basic qualifications.

  2. Credit card companies typically conduct a soft credit check to determine whether you qualify for pre-approval.

  3. You can compare the different pre-approval offers you receive before deciding which card is right for you.

As you sort through your household’s mail or your email inbox, you might encounter an unexpected credit card offer, even though you haven’t submitted an application. But what, exactly, do these offers mean, and how should you respond? Let’s discuss how pre-approved credit card offers work, and what to do if you receive one.

What are pre-approved credit card offers?

You may receive pre-approval offers in the mail or by email. A pre-approved credit card offer simply indicates that you've met many of the credit card company’s basic qualifications for approval. A pre-approved offer may give you an idea of the terms, like interest rate and credit limit, that you might qualify for. Some pre-approved offers may come from credit card companies that you already have an account with. Card issuers you don’t have an account with might also send you pre-approval offers as promotions.

Credit card issuers typically determine who receives pre-approval offers by conducting soft credit inquiries (also called a soft pull or soft credit check). A credit card company may send pre-approval offers to a pool of potential customers who already meet specific criteria.

Soft pulls don’t impact your credit score. Typically, credit card issuers don’t need your permission to check your credit report for pre-approval offers, so you don’t know in advance if you’ll receive one. If you meet a credit card issuer’s criteria, you may receive a pre-approved offer for an unsecured or a secured credit card.

Does pre-approval for credit cards mean I’m approved for a credit card?

No, pre-approval doesn’t mean you’ve already been approved for a credit card. Credit card pre-approval just means that you might be a good candidate for an offer based on the credit card issuer’s initial assessment of your credit history. Because the lender may need more financial information, you still have to apply to get approved for the credit card offer. Even after credit card pre-approval, your application might be denied.

Pre-approved vs. pre-qualified credit card offers

Pre-approval is one way to review your credit card options, but you may have heard of something called pre-qualification. While sometimes the terms are used interchangeably, pre-approval and pre-qualification typically work a little differently. 

 

The major difference between pre-approval and pre-qualification comes down to the party who reaches out first.

What is a pre-qualified credit card offer?

It’s up to you to make the first move in the credit card pre-qualification process.   When you request credit card pre-qualification from a credit card company, the issuer conducts a soft credit check to determine the new credit card offers you might qualify for if you apply. Requesting a pre-qualification check before you complete a credit card application can help you find the best credit card offer.

Some card issuers, including Discover®, may invite you to see if you’re "pre-approved" through a tool on their website or mobile apps. In those cases, technically you’re requesting a pre-qualified offer, not a pre-approved offer.

In other pre-approval cases, the credit card issuer reaches out first. You might even receive an offer from a credit card company you’ve never considered before. That happens because the lender has already looked at some of your credit information from your credit file and determined that you might be a good fit.

It’s important to note that neither pre-approval nor pre-qualification guarantees that you’ll be able to open a new credit card account. The details of your credit profile may change before you apply, or a hard credit check might reveal more information than the soft inquiry did.

Did you know?

You can use pre-qualified or pre-approved credit card promotions to compare options before deciding to submit a credit card application. This can help you find the best fit without initiating too many hard credit inquiries that may hurt your credit score.

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How to qualify for pre-approved credit card offers

You might qualify for pre-approved credit offers if you have a strong credit file that meets credit card companies’ criteria for new card members. The companies typically get contact and credit information from a major credit bureau (Equifax®, Experian®, and TransUnion®) about people who might meet their criteria. They use that information to send prospective customers pre-approval offers that encourage them to apply for an account.

If you meet the criteria of a lot of different credit card companies, you might get many different pre-approval offers, which you can compare to find the best new credit card for you.

How to improve your chances of being pre-approved

Because lenders typically look for borrowers with good credit history, your chance of getting a pre-approval offer may increase when you practice responsible credit habits. If you don’t receive many pre-approved offers, you may want to work on increasing your credit score.

You can start by checking your credit report and reporting any errors to the credit bureau. Payment history and credit utilization ratio are crucial factors of your credit score. So, you may also build a positive credit history by making all monthly payments on time and paying down your credit card debt.

Benefits of pre-approved credit cards

Pre-approved credit card offers can make applying for a new credit card easier. Here’s how:

Hard credit inquiries may hurt your credit score, especially if multiple hard credit checks appear on your credit report within a short timeframe. But the pre-approval process only requires a soft inquiry. This is important because you can compare multiple pre-approved credit card offers before you apply for one without worrying about the impact on your credit score. 

 

Keep in mind that if you apply for an offer you receive, the lender will likely conduct a hard pull of your credit profile to make a final decision on your application.

With pre-approved credit card offers, lenders approach you. You don’t have to scour the internet looking for cards you might like and guessing at the terms you might receive. And if you have a good credit score and credit history, you may attract offers with great benefits and rewards.

Pre-approval is a great way to find the credit cards you may qualify for and assess their features and benefits. Whether you’ve been looking for a travel rewards credit card or a credit card with a great cash back rate, credit card pre-approval makes it easy to compare cards. You may also want to look at credit card security features like $0 fraud liability on unauthorized purchases.

Some pre-approved credit card offers include low introductory APR promotions. As long as the promotional APR applies to balance transfers, you may use a credit card like a debt consolidation loan. In that case, you can transfer balances from high-interest accounts to the new card to help pay off the credit card debt quicker and save on interest. Just keep in mind that balance transfers may come with a balance transfer fee, which can typically range from 3%-5% of the transferred amount.

How to apply for a pre-approved credit card

Once you decide to apply for a pre-approval offer, you’ll likely have to provide more financial information. For instance, the lender may ask about your income and debts before doing a hard credit check.

Before you open an account, you should look at the interest rate and other card terms to determine whether it’s the best credit card offer for you. And remember that these terms may give you a good idea of the credit card details, but the specifics can vary depending on your credit card application information. You may be able to request a higher credit limit, for example.

Whether you decide to go with a pre-approved offer or not, credit card pre-approval can give you an idea of the card features and terms to look out for.

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  • Legal Disclaimer: This site is for educational purposes and is not a substitute for professional advice. The material on this site is not intended to provide legal, investment, or financial advice and does not indicate the availability of any Discover product or service. It does not guarantee that Discover offers or endorses a product or service. For specific advice about your unique circumstances, you may wish to consult a qualified professional.