How to get approved for a Capital One credit card: Application tips and strategies for success

Applying for a Capital One credit card can be nerve-wracking because the bank is notoriously finicky with approvals. I know plenty of folks with good credit who meet the various criteria and still get denied for a Capital One card. But don’t let that discourage you: By following a few tips, you can increase the chances you’ll get approved for a Capital One credit card and avoid an unnecessary credit pull.

With the elevated welcome bonus for the Capital One Venture Rewards credit card, you may be wondering how to get approved for a Capital One credit card. There are numerous application rules and qualifications to be aware of, not to mention the Capital One pre-approval tool can make the outcome more predictable.

If you want to get approved for a Capital One credit card, here are some tips and strategies to make it happen:

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How to increased the likelihood you’ll get approved for a Capital One credit card

If you want to get approved for a Capital One credit card, there are several things you can do to increase the odds. Again, no guarantees but you might boost your chances by taking these steps:

• Understand Capital One credit card requirements
• Review Capital One’s credit card application rules
• Know your credit score 
• Use the Capital One pre-approval tool to get matched with qualifying credit cards
• Open a (free) Capital One checking and savings account

Understand Capital One credit card requirements

The main requirements for a Capital One credit card include being at least 18 years old and having a social security number. Beyond this, the requirements vary by card: Some Capital One cards require excellent credit while others require no credit history at all.

Banks extend credit to applicants who are likely to repay their debts. To ensure this, they’ll review your credit history, income information and maybe even require a security deposit (for secured credit cards). When applying for a Capital One card, be sure to review the individual card page for specific requirements to improve your odds of approval.

Review Capital One’s credit card application rules

Capital One application rules dictate who qualifies for a new Capital One card. Reviewing these rules can increase the odds you’ll get approved for a Capital One credit card. For example, if you’ve opened a Capital one card in the past six months, you may not be approved for another one.

Knowing this will help you avoid an unnecessary credit card pull for a card you may not be eligible for.

• Capital One six-month rule
• Capital One five-card rule
• Capital One 48-month rule
• Two cards in 30 days

Pick a card that aligns with your credit score

Knowing what the credit requirement is for the Capital One card you’re interested in will help you avoid applying for cards you don’t qualify for and select a card best suited to your credit profile.

If you don’t know your current credit score, you can get a free annual credit report. Alternatively, you can use a free tool like Experian or Credit Karma which won’t incur a hard credit pull. Capital One provides free access to free FICO scores through CreditWise.

Capital One credit score requirements

Capital One doesn’t publicize credit score requirements, but it does list general credit requirements on each card page (i.e. “Fair” to “Excellent” credit). To help you increase the odds that you’ll get approved for a Capital One credit card, I’ve broken down the approximate ranges for each card, based on how FICO qualifies Fair to Excellent credit:

Capital One credit score requirements for personal cards

• Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card: Excellent credit (740-850)
• Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card: Good to Excellent credit (670-850)
• Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card: Good to Excellent credit (670-850)
• Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card: Good to Excellent credit (670-850)
• Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card: Good to Excellent credit (670-850)
• Capital One QuicksilverOne Cash Rewards Credit Card: Fair credit (580-669)
• Capital One Quicksilver Secured Cash Rewards Credit Card: Rebuilding/no credit history
• Capital One Platinum Credit Card: Fair to Good (580-740)

Capital One credit score requirements for student cards

• Capital One Quicksilver Student Cash Rewards Credit Card: Fair credit (580-669)
• Capital One SavorOne Student Cash Rewards Credit Card: Fair credit (580-669)

Capital One credit score requirements for business cards

• Capital One Venture X Business: Excellent credit (740-850)
• Capital One Spark Cash Plus: Excellent credit (740-850)
• Capital One Spark Cash Select for Excellent Credit: Excellent credit (740-850)
• Capital One Spark Miles for Business: Excellent credit (740-850)

Pay down high outstanding debt

Before applying for a new Capital One credit card, consider paying your existing credit balance down. It’s best practice to keep your utilization rate under 30%.

If your current credit balances are above 30%, you should consider paying them down to increase your chance of approval.

Use the Capital One pre-approval tool

The Capital One pre-approval tool lets you determine eligibility for a new credit card without impacting your credit score. You simply provide your name, address, social security number and date of birth. You can also specify the type of credit card you’re looking for. 

Capital One will conduct a “soft pull” on your credit and determine which cards you might qualify for. It’s a great way to determine the likelihood of a card approval, without impacting your credit score. 

If you’re aiming for a Venture X card and Capital One pre-approves you for a Quicksilver Card instead, you might want to review your credit profile and imrpove your score before applying for your first-choice credit card. 

Open a Capital One checking and savings account

Having a banking relationship with Capital One might improve the odds you’ll get approved for a Capital One credit card. This works with most banks. Establishing a relationship with a checking and savings account can also make you eligible for pre-qualification offers. 

Capital One has a free checking and savings account, which I signed up for a year ago. The 360 checking and savings accounts are free of monthly fees and require no minimum deposit. Best of all, your Capital One debit card gets you 50% off drinks at Capital One Cafes. 

I really like having a Capital One 360 checking and savings account for convenience. Since it has no fees and is super easy to set up, you might want to consider opening a Capital One checking account as a means to build a relationship with the bank and improve your odds of a credit card approval. 

How to apply for a Capital One credit card

You can apply for a Capital One credit card through their website. Alternately, you can apply using one of my application links below. I’ll earn a commission if you get approved and appreciate your support. The process to apply for a Capital One credit card is pretty simple:

1. Pick a card: Head to the credit card tab and select the type of card your’e interested in (cash back, credit-building, travel rewards, etc.). Review the options on the card page, which are laid out in table format. You can compare the various cards and select the one you want to apply for.
2. Check if you’re pre-approved: Each card has a “See if I’m pre-approved” button above the application link. You can click on it to determine if you qualify for the card, without a hard inquiry. This is significant because Capital One pulls your credit from all three bureaus. So why waste three credit pulls if you don’t have to?
3. Fill out the credit card application: On the application page, you’ll be prompted to enter your name, citizenship information, contact details, employment information, annual income and the types of bank accounts you currently have.
4. Wait for an approval: After submitting your application, you’ll either get an instant decision or a notice that Capital One needs more time to review your application.

How to check the status of your Capital One credit card application

Capital One can take 7 to 10 days to review your credit card application or they might give you an instant decision. If you’re still waiting on a decision, you can check the status of your Capital One credit card application by visiting the bank’s application center. Provide the last four digits of your social security number, date of birth and zip code. 

Capital One also e-mails out credit decisions, but those can end up in the spam folder. Your best bet is to check your card application status online or call Capital One customer service.

Why you didn’t get approved for a Capital One credit card

Despite meeting all of the above criteria, sometimes people still get rejected for a Capital One card. There are entire Reddit threads devoted to this mysterious phenomenon. You might get rejected for a Capital One card because of your income, employment status, or previous missed payments on a Capital One credit card. 

If your account isn’t in good standing and/or you’ve exceeded your credit limit, that might also lead to Capital One rejecting your card application. 

Lastly, your application might be rejected because Capital One can’t pull your credit report. Many consumers will freeze their credit reports to protect themselves from rising credit card fraud. If you don’t unfreeze it before submitting your application, you’ll get rejected.

Unlike other banks, Capital One pulls your credit score from all three credit bureaus. So if there’s an issue or freeze on even one report, your application will be rejected.

• Low credit score: If Capital One cites a low credit score as the reason for rejection your application, ask if they’ll consider you for a lower-tier card. For example, if Capital One rejects you for a Venture Rewards Credit Card, ask if they’ll consider you for a VentureOne Rewards Card instead.  You may not get a generous welcome bonus, but at least your credit inquiry won’t go to waste. You’ll have a chance to build your credit further and maybe get pre-qualified for a higher-tier card down the line.
• Errors on your credit report: If Capital One rejects your application because of an error on your credit report, you can correct it and then submit proof of the correction. If the error caused a significant drop in your credit score, you might want to request a rapid rescore and then have Capital One re-pull your upgrade credit report. A rapid re-score takes between 24-48 hours to reflect on your report.
• High outstanding debt: If you’re rejected because of high outstanding credit card debt, consider paying the balance down. It’s best practice to keep your utilization rate under 30%. If it’s above this number, you should consider paying it off before applying for a new Capital One card.
• Other reasons you might not get approved for a Capital One credit card: Capital One Venture Card page lists several other factors that may impact approval. They include providing inaccurate information and a freeze on your credit.

What to do if Capital One rejects your card application

If you’re rejected for a Capital One card, you can always call the reconsideration line and plead your case. You have up to 30 days to request a reconsideration without another credit pull, so it’s best to be proactive and to it sooner rather than later.

The number will be provided to you in the rejection notice but if you don’t see the number, call 1-800-625-7866 and ask to speak to a representative. 

When making a case for a reconsideration, you’ll want to point to your good income and any existing relationship with Capital One. You’ll also want to point out that you pay all your debts on time and are the ideal customer. 

If Capital One gives you a specific reason for rejection, you’ll want to take a different approach depending on what it is. In the case of a credit report error, you should file a dispute immediately through the appropriate bureau:

• Equifax
• Experian
• Transunion

What to do if Capital One needs more time to review your application

If you get a message stating Capital One needs more time to review your application, don’t wait: Call them right away and see if there’s any information you can provide to expedite the process. You only have 30 days to dispute a rejection or provide whatever information they’re asking for.

So if you wait until they send you a letter informing you of a problem, then you might not get approved for a Capital One credit card.

I’ve had this happen numerous times when applying for credit cards and I’d say nine out of ten times, being proactive got my application approved. Sometimes it was a matter of verifying some information. Other times, I was asked to submit proof of income or unfreeze a credit report I didn’t realize was frozen. 

Regardless of the reason, it helped that I called the bank right away and provided the requested documentation in a timely manner.

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