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Guide


HOW TO FIND THE BEST PRE-QUALIFIED CREDIT CARD OFFERS

Madison Blancaflor
Madison Blancaflor
Managing editor
Madison Blancaflor is the managing editor for TPG's content operations team. She
focuses on helping TPG's broader editorial team bring news, features and advice
to readers. She has nearly six years of experience covering the credit cards and
travel industries.


and
Stella Shon
Stella Shon
Writer
Stella is a full-time writer with expertise in credit cards, points and miles,
and all things travel. She is a journalism graduate of the University of North
Carolina, Chapel Hill and previously worked as a copywriter at JetBlue Airways
and as a credit cards writer at LendingTree.

May 13, 2024
•
10 min read


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The cards we feature here are from partners who compensate us when you are
approved through our site, and this may impact how or where these products
appear. We don’t cover all available credit cards, but our analysis, reviews,
and opinions are entirely from our editorial team. Terms apply to the offers
listed on this page. Please view our advertising policy and product review
methodology for more information.


EDITOR'S NOTE

This is a recurring post, regularly updated with new information and offers.  

With each issuer using its own approval criteria for applications, it can be
hard to know which credit card offers you are likely eligible to receive. This
can be especially difficult if you don't have a long credit history or a good
credit score.

That's where pre-qualified offers — and the tools you use to find them — can
come in handy. Not only do pre-qualified offers help you figure out which cards
you are most likely to be approved for, but they can also help you find targeted
offers that aren't available to every applicant.

Today, we'll walk you through how pre-qualified offers work and how you can use
tools such as CardMatch to find elevated bonuses and other special offers.


WHAT IS A PRE-QUALIFIED OFFER?

When you receive a pre-qualified credit card offer, an issuer has reviewed your
basic financial information and determined you are a good candidate for a
specific credit card. Sometimes, issuers send out pre-qualified or even
preapproved offers via snail mail, but you can also request pre-qualified offers
using different online tools.

A pre-qualified offer differs from being approved for a credit card upon filling
out an application. While issuers will typically look at an overview of your
creditworthiness, they don't pull your full credit report when you go through a
pre-qualification process.

Instead, a pre-qualified offer is simply meant to indicate that you are a strong
candidate for approval if you were to apply officially. To open a new line of
credit, you will have to actually go through an official application process.

In other words, just because you were given a pre-qualified offer doesn't
automatically mean you're guaranteed approval for a specific card.


SHUTTERSTOCK

There are multiple ways for you to get a pre-qualified credit card offer. As
annoying as mail offers can be when they crowd your mailbox, don't be too quick
to shred them all. You can get great personalized offers with elevated bonuses,
extended low-interest introductory periods and more.

Many issuers also have a pre-qualification tool on their website, including
Capital One.

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These tools can help those with midrange credit scores determine which cards
they are most likely to be approved for without having to submit applications
that could temporarily ding their credit score.


USING CARDMATCH TO FIND PRE-QUALIFIED OFFERS

One of the best resources for pre-qualified offers is the CardMatch tool. This
can help you filter and compare pre-qualified offers for cards like the Capital
One Venture X Rewards Credit Card, The Platinum Card® from American Express and
the American Express® Gold Card — and in some cases, these are even higher than
the standard public offer.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Check the CardMatch tool to see which card you pre-qualify for. Keep in mind
these offers are targeted and subject to change at any time.

YOU MAY PREQUALIFY FOR UP TO 150,000 POINTS

See if you prequalify for special offers—with no impact to your credit score.

Try CardMatch


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


HOW TO USE THE CARDMATCH TOOL

First, you fill out your information within the CardMatch tool.


THE POINTS GUY

From there, you'll be taken to a results page with the relevant offers. Your
results will, of course, be catered to you, and this all happens without a
formal hard inquiry against your credit report.

We've seen offers as high as 175,000 Membership Rewards points for the Amex
Platinum and 90,000 points for the Amex Gold after meeting minimum spending
requirements.

Compare that to their publicly available welcome offers: the Amex Gold card is
currently 60,000 points after spending $6,000 in purchases in the first six
months of card membership, while the Amex Platinum is currently offering a
public welcome offer of 80,000 Membership Rewards Points after you spend $8,000
on purchases within the first six months of card membership.

Related: Check to see if you're targeted for an elevated Amex Platinum or Amex
Gold offer via CardMatch


ISSUER PRE-QUALIFICATION TOOLS

Many issuers provide their own pre-qualification tools to help potential
applicants understand whether they are likely to be approved for certain cards.
Generally speaking, you may not find the best welcome offers through this
method. However, with limited credit histories and less-than-stellar credit
scores can utilize these tools to see which cards they may be able to get.


CAPITAL ONE PRE-QUALIFICATION

Capital One offers a tool to see if you are pre-qualified for several credit
cards, including:

 * Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card
 * Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card
 * Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
 * Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card
 * Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card
 * Capital One Platinum Credit Card
 * Capital One Platinum Secured Credit Card

Currently, you can't use this tool to see if you are qualified for Capital One's
premium product — the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card — but it
displays your odds of approval at many other of the issuer's cards.

The pre-qualification application is short, but you must provide your annual
income, Social Security number, address and housing situation.

I was pre-qualified for the Quicksilver, SavorOne and Platinum cards. As an
aside, I am currently a cardholder of the Venture Rewards card.

The information for the Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Card has been collected
independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been
reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

Related: Best Capital One credit cards


DISCOVER PRE-QUALIFICATION

Discover also has an on-site pre-qualification tool you can utilize.

When I went through the process, I was pre-qualified for the Discover it Miles
and the Discover it Cash Back cards. I've never owned a Discover card,
potentially explaining why (and how) I qualified for these "top" Discover cards.

The information for the Discover it Miles and the Discover it Cash Back has been
collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have
not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

Related: Best Discover credit cards


CREDIT ONE BANK PRE-QUALIFICATION

Credit One Bank offers several credit card options. However, this issuer
certainly isn't anywhere near the level of Chase or Amex in terms of benefits
offered or potential rewards earned.

At the time of writing, Credit One Bank requires new customers to pre-qualify
for all new credit cards before applying.

I actually went through this process and was only pre-qualified to apply for the
Credit One Bank® Platinum Visa® for Rebuilding Credit. This could be because I
recently opened another credit card within the past few months.

Note that Credit One Bank lists its full credit card lineup as potential options
for pre-qualification (unlike Capital One, which only checks pre-qualification
for select cards).

The information for the Credit One Bank Platinum Visa for Rebuilding credit card
has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this
page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

Related: The best Credit One credit cards


DOES A PRE-QUALIFIED OFFER CAUSE A HARD PULL ON MY CREDIT REPORT?

A pre-qualified offer is based on a soft pull on your credit report. Going
through the CardMatch tool or an issuer's pre-qualification tool to check for
targeted offers will not affect your credit score, nor will it appear as a hard
pull on your credit report. This is because the issuer only receives a summary
of your credit score and accompanying report.

While the information gathered at this stage can give a bank a solid picture of
whether you would be approved based on certain criteria, your full report isn't
pulled.

Pre-qualified offers aren't the same as official applications. If you decide to
apply for a new line of credit, that will result in a hard inquiry on your
credit report, regardless of whether you went through the pre-qualification
process. And receiving a pre-qualified offer doesn't guarantee you'll be
approved for a new account.

Related: What is the difference between a hard and soft pull on your credit
report?


WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PRE-QUALIFIED AND PREAPPROVED?

Though some issuers use these terms interchangeably, there is a distinction
between pre-qualified and preapproved offers.

A pre-qualified offer is based on a soft pull done on your credit report where
you've met certain criteria that may make you eligible for a certain card or
offer. Generally, a pre-qualification offer results from a consumer submitting a
pre-qualification application (separate from an official credit application).

On the other hand, a preapproved offer is typically a prescreened offer that is
targeted to you. When you accept a preapproval offer and apply, the issuer must
honor the offer it sent you should you be approved for the card.

These are more common via direct mail, either through email or snail mail.
Issuers with a pre-qualification portal will generally have a section where you
can input an ID or invitation number from a mail-in offer to identify your
targeted offer within the system.


CNYTHZL/GETTY

Neither preapproved nor pre-qualified offers will hurt your credit score because
they result from a soft pull on your credit report.

However, if you decide to go forward with an application after either of these
types of offers, it will result in a hard inquiry once you officially apply and
give the credit issuer permission to pull your full report.

Related: 'Soft pull' credit cards: Are they worth it?


CAN YOU BE DENIED IF YOU ARE PREAPPROVED?

Neither a preapproved nor a pre-qualified offer counts as an official approval
for a card. While it might mean that your credit profile is more likely to be
approved, there is no guarantee.

There is a possibility that you could still be denied a credit card for a host
of reasons. The only way to find out if you are officially approved for a credit
card is to apply formally.

Similarly, just because you aren't pre-qualified for an offer doesn't mean you
wouldn't be approved for a certain card if you formally applied.

Related: Denied for a credit card? Here's what to do when it happens


BOTTOM LINE

Whether you're looking for the best-targeted offers or simply want a better idea
of which cards you are likely to be approved for, there is a lot of value in
searching for pre-qualified offers. Sometimes, like with the Amex Platinum offer
through CardMatch, you can even find lucrative sign-up bonuses or welcome offers
that you otherwise would miss out on.

Whenever I'm considering a new credit card, I always check CardMatch and other
pre-qualification tools to make sure I'm getting the best offer available.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Check the CardMatch tool to see which cards you pre-qualify for. Keep in mind
these offers are subject to change at any time.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Featured image by MASKOT/GETTY IMAGES
Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those
of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been
reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.


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GREAT OFFERS FROM OUR PARTNERS

 * Learn Moreabout Chase Sapphire Preferred® CardTerms Apply
   BEST FOR BEGINNERS
   Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
   75,000 bonus points
 * Learn Moreabout The Business Platinum Card® from American ExpressTerms Apply
   BEST BUSINESS TRAVEL CARD
   The Business Platinum Card® from American Express
   Earn 150,000 points
 * Learn Moreabout Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit CardTerms Apply
   See rates & fees
   Best card for premium perks while traveling
   Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
   Earn 75,000 miles
 * Learn Moreabout Chase Sapphire Reserve®Terms Apply
   Best premium travel card for value
   Chase Sapphire Reserve®
   75,000 bonus points
 * Learn Moreabout American Express® Gold CardTerms Apply
   Best for the well-traveled foodie
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   60,000 Membership Rewards® Points

See all best card offers


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