Mr Credit Card
When you apply for a credit card, most issuers will perform a credit check (also called a hard pull or hard inquiry) on your credit report and decide whether to approve or deny based on that and other factors like your income etc. A hard inquiry can knock off a few points off your credit score (albeit temporarily). For those with bad credit, excessive hard inquiries can be a bad signal for issuers and also knock off too many points on an already low credit score.
Fortunately, most mainstream credit card issuers allows you to go through a pre-approval or pre-qualification process. This involves a soft pull on your credit report and does not have any impact on your credit scores. If you are pre-approved, you still have to go through a application process where there is a hard pull or hard inquiry. But at least you can save yourself a hard inquiry if you are not pre-approved or pre-qualified in the first place. Note also that pre-approval or pre-qualification goes not mean you will definitely approved.
Below is a list of issuers and their pre-approval pages and information required. We also then highlight our best soft pull credit cards below.
| Issuer | Required Information |
|---|---|
| American Express | Full name, address, last 4 digits of your Social Security number, income (optional) |
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Full name, address, date of birth, last 4 digits of your Social Security number, what kind of card you want |
| Capital One | Full name, address, date of birth, your full Social Security number, what kind of card you want |
| Chase | Full name, address, last 4 digits of your Social Security number |
| Discover | Full name, address, birth date, full Social Security number, whether you’re a student, whether you have bank accounts, housing status, income, what kind of card you want |
| Credit One Bank | Full name, address, birth date, full Social Security number, email address, total monthly income |
| Merrick Bank Bank | Full name, address, birth date, full Social Security number, email address |
| Destiny Mastercard | Full name, address, birth date, email address, phone number, full social security number |
| Milestone Mastercard | Full name, address, birth date, email address, phone number, full social security number |
| Indigo Mastercard | Full name, address, birth date, email address, phone number, full social security number |
| Continental Finance | Full name, address, birth date, email address, phone number, full social security number, monthly income, Do you have checking account or debit card?, Do you intend to use card for cash advance? Would you like an additional card? |
Best Soft Pull Only Credit Cards
The following credit cards use only soft pulls for identification purposes and will aproved you without any hard inquiries.
Opensky Secured Visa does not do any hard inquiry when you apply. They only do a soft inquiry to confirm your identity and will approve you as long as you fund your security deposit. You can fund your security deposit with a debit or prepaid card and even with Western Union or Moneygram.
Annual Fee - $35
Regular APR - 17.39%
Read our review of the Opensky Secured Visa
First Progress also does not perform any hard inquiry though they might do a soft inquiry for identification purposes. This has no impact on your credit score. Instead, the only requirement is that your income must exceed your expenses by the amount of security deposit you intend to fund. You will be approved and get your card once you fund your security deposit.
Annual Fee - $29, $39 or $49
Regular APR - 19.99%, 13.99% or 9.99%
Read our review of the First Progress Credit Card.
Applied Bank does not perform any hard inquiries when you apply for their secured credit card. Instead, they might do a soft inquiry to verify your indentity. It is one of the rare credit cards with a very low regular APR at 9.99%. Furthermore, they also do not require that you have a checking account (you can fund your security deposit with either a debit or prepaid credit card).
Annual Fee - $48
Regular APR - 9.99%
Read our review of the Applied Bank Secured Credit Card.
Credit Cards with Pre-Approval Pre-Qualification Process With No Hard Inquiry or Impact on Credit Scores
Below are the best credit cards with pre-approval process with no hard inquiry. A soft pull is done and you will find out if you pre-qualify or are pre-approved. If you are happy with what you are being offered, you can then go through the actual application process and his involves a hard inquiry.
Among the cards that require pre-qualificationa and pre-approval, the Merrick Bank Double Your Line Visa is probably the best because after 7 months of timely payments, your credit line will double. You will first go through a pre-qualification process. It involves a soft pull with no impact on your credit score. If you get pre-approved, you can then proceed to the actual application. To increase your chances of getting a pre-approval, you should have a credit score of at least 600-620, no late payments or delinquencies for at least a year, only 2 hard inquires during the last six months and no recent derogatory items or collections on your credit report.
Annual Fee: $0-$72
Regular APR: 23.45% - 28.45%
Starting Credit Limit: $500 - $1,250
Read our review of the Merrick Bank Double Your Line Platinum Visa
The Credit One Bank Platinum Rewards Visa is arguably one of the best bonus category cash back credit cards for everyday spending because you can earn 5% cash back on groceries, gas, internet, cable, satellite TV and mobile services for up to $5,000 in annual spending. This card was originally targeted at prime consumers (a first for Credit One), but they now accept applicants who have credit score of at least 620. All Credit One Bank applicants have to go through a pre-approval process which involves a soft pull.
Annual Fee: $95
Regular APR: 23.99%
Starting Credit Limit: $500 - $1,250
Cash Rewards: 5% cash back on groceries, gas, internet, cable, satellite TV, mobile services for up to $5,000 in annual spending in these categories.
Read our review of the Credit One Bank Rewards Platinum Visa
Upgrade offers a pre-approval process where all you need is to enter your name and email address. You get to earn 3% cash back on home, auto and health related expenses. This work works like an emergency line of credit. Anything that you charge to the card will have to be paid back at the set period of time (between 24 -60 months determined at the pre-approval process). Unlike many cards with pre-approval process, you will know your credit limit, APR and the time you have to pay back every charge. You need at least a 680 to get approved for a decent rate and credit limit.
Annual Fee: $0
Regular APR: 8.99% - 29.99%
Starting Credit Limit: $500 - $25,000
Read our review of the Upgrade Triple Cash Rewards Visa
Reflex Mastercard is one of the better soft pull credit cards with no impact on your credit score to pre-qualify or pre-approve you. Depeinding on your credit score and situation, you could get up to a $1,000 starting credit limit. They do also have a good track record of credit limit increases. Their fees and rates also come in a range and those of you with better credit scores will get a better rate and low fees.
Annual Fee: $0-$72
Regular APR: 23.45% - 28.45%
Starting Credit Limit: $300 - $1,000
Read our review of the Reflex Mastercard
The Surge Mastercard will either pre-approve or pre-qualify you first before you can apply for the card. The pre-approval phase involves only a soft pull with no impact on your credit score. If you are pre-approved, you will be shown your offer and you can then choose to apply for the card. With this card, you are given a starting credit limit of between $300 and $1,000. Their fees and rates come in a range so if your credit is in the "upper tier" of the bad credit spectrum, you are likely to get a card with a decently low fee.
Annual Fee: $0-$72
Regular APR: 23.45% - 28.45%
Starting Credit Limit: $300 - $1,000
Read our review of the Surge Mastercard
The Destiny Mastercard is another soft pull credit card that will pre-qualify or pre-approve you with no impact on your credit score initially. All you need to do is to fill your name, email address and SSN number initially and Destiny will run a soft inquiry. Based on this, they will present your offer and your annual fee will either be $59 or $75 depending on your credit profile.
Requirements: To increase your chances of getting pre-approved and eventually approved, you should have a credit score range of between 600 to 650, on time payments for the last year, no more than 2 hard inquiries during the last 6 months and no derogatory items or collections initiated within the last year.
Annual Fee: $0-$72
Regular APR: 23.45% - 28.45%
Starting Credit Limit: $300
Read our review of the Destiny Mastercard
The Indigo Mastercard also requires that you get either pre-approved or pre-qualified before you can actually apply for the card. This involves only a soft pull or soft inquiry whereby your credit score will not be impacted. This helps save you an unnecessary hard inquiry if you do not get pre-approved. If you get pre-approved, you will be offered a card with a $300 starting credit limit and an annual fee of either $0, $59, or ($75 for the 1st year and then $99 from 2nd year onwards).
Requirements: To increase your chances of getting pre-approved and eventually approved, you should have a credit score range of between 600 to 650, on time payments for the last year, no more than 2 hard inquiries during the last 6 months and no derogatory items or collections initiated within the last year.
Annual Fee: $0, $59 or ($75 1st year then $99)
Regular APR: 23.45% - 28.45%
Starting Credit Limit: $300
Read our review of the Indigo Mastercard
The Milestone Mastercard is another card that makes you go through a pre-qualification or pre-approval process. It involves only a soft inquiry and has no impact on your credit score. If you get pre-approved, you will get an offer with a starting credit limit of $300 and an annual fee of either $35, $59 or ($75 for the 1st year and $99 thereafter). If you accept the offer, you can then apply for the card (which now involves a hard inquiry).
Requirements: To increase your chances of getting pre-approved and eventually approved, you should have a credit score range of between 600 to 650, on time payments for the last year, no more than 2 hard inquiries during the last 6 months and no derogatory items or collections initiated within the last year.
Annual Fee: $35, $59 or ($75 1st year then $99)
Regular APR: 23.45% - 28.45%
Starting Credit Limit: $300
Read our review of the Milestone Mastercard