For most mainstream unsecured credit cards, you need a FICO score of at least 670, which is the bottom of the “good” range. The national average FICO score is 715, and anyone at or above that mark has a realistic shot at most standard rewards and cash-back cards. That said, no single number guarantees approval. Issuers also look at your income, your existing debt, and your employment before deciding, so the credit score you need for a credit card is really a floor, not a finish line.
Score Ranges and What They Qualify You For
FICO scores run from 300 to 850 and break into five tiers. Each tier opens a different set of cards.1myFICO. What is a Credit Score?
- Exceptional (800–850): You qualify for virtually every card on the market, including premium travel cards with large sign-on bonuses, lounge access, and the lowest available rates.
- Very good (740–799): You still qualify for top-tier rewards cards and generally receive the lowest advertised rates. The practical gap between this range and exceptional is slim.
- Good (670–739): The baseline most mainstream issuers look for. Standard rewards, cash-back, and many travel cards are available, though not always with the best rates or highest limits.
- Fair (580–669): Options narrow. Cards at this level tend to carry higher rates, lower limits, and sometimes annual fees you wouldn’t see offered to stronger borrowers.
- Poor (300–579): Most traditional unsecured card applications get declined. Secured cards and certain subprime products are the main options.
If your score sits in the good range or above, you have a reasonable path to most non-premium cards. If it sits below, the next sections matter more.
Why Your Score Alone Doesn’t Decide It
Federal law requires issuers to look past the number. Under the CARD Act, they must assess whether you can actually afford the minimum payments on a new account. That means they review your reported income, your employment status, and your existing obligations like rent or a mortgage, comparing what you owe each month against what you earn.
This is why some applicants with scores above 700 still get declined. High existing debt relative to income signals repayment risk that a score alone doesn’t capture. The reverse is also true: a strong income with low obligations can sometimes offset a borderline score.
One boundary worth knowing. If you’re under 21, you need either a cosigner who is at least 21 and able to repay the debt, or you must show independent income sufficient to cover the minimum payments.2Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 15 USC 1637 – Open End Consumer Credit Plans Part-time job income qualifies, but it has to be documented on the application. A parent’s income doesn’t count unless the parent cosigns.
Options if Your Score Is Below 670
A thin file or a low score doesn’t lock you out. Several card types are built for exactly this situation.
Secured Credit Cards
Secured cards require a refundable deposit, usually $200 to $500, that becomes your credit limit. Deposit $300, get a $300 limit.3Experian. How Secured Credit Card Deposits Work The deposit works as collateral, which is why issuers approve applicants they’d otherwise decline. You use the card like any other, and your payment activity gets reported to the credit bureaus. After several months of on-time payments, many issuers will upgrade you to an unsecured card and refund the deposit. This is the most reliable path for building or rebuilding credit from scratch.
Student Credit Cards
Student cards target college students with little or no credit history. Approval criteria are more relaxed, and some reward good grades. Limits tend to run $500 to $1,500, enough to start a track record. The under-21 income or cosigner rule still applies.
Retail Store Cards
Store-branded cards generally have lower approval thresholds than general-purpose cards. The tradeoff is real: retail cards carry higher interest rates on average, and many can only be used at the issuing retailer.4Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Issue Spotlight: The High Cost of Retail Credit Cards They can work as a stepping stone. Watch the APR if you plan to carry a balance.
How to Raise Your Odds Before You Apply
If your score is close to the cutoff, two levers move fastest: credit utilization and payment history. Together they account for 65% of your FICO score.5myFICO. How Are FICO Scores Calculated?
Keep utilization under 30% of your total available credit across all cards. Borrowers who stay under 10% tend to have exceptional scores of 800 or higher.6Experian. What Are the Different Credit Score Ranges? Paying down a high balance before you apply can produce a noticeable score bump within one billing cycle.
Getting added as an authorized user on someone else’s well-managed card is another option. The account’s payment history and credit limit get added to your report, which can boost a thin file significantly. It cuts both ways, though. If the primary cardholder misses payments or runs up a balance, your score takes the hit too.7Experian. Will Being an Authorized User Help My Credit Only do this with someone whose habits you trust.
Before you submit an application, check your credit reports at AnnualCreditReport.com for errors. Disputed inaccuracies that get removed can lift your score. Then use the pre-qualification tools major issuers offer. These show your estimated approval odds with only a soft inquiry, so there’s no downside to checking. Pre-qualification isn’t a guarantee of approval, because the issuer still runs a hard inquiry when you formally apply, but it filters out cards you’re unlikely to get.
One more thing on inquiries. Credit card applications don’t get the rate-shopping protection that mortgage and auto loan applications do. Three card applications in one week means three separate hard inquiries on your file, each counted independently. Space applications out.
What to Do if You’re Denied
A denial isn’t a dead end. Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, any issuer that denies your application based on your credit report must send you an adverse action notice. That notice has to include the specific reasons for the denial, the name and contact information of the credit bureau that supplied the report, your numerical credit score, and a statement that the credit bureau didn’t make the decision.8Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 15 USC 1681m – Requirements on Users of Consumer Reports
You also have the right to request a free copy of your credit report from the bureau named in the notice, as long as you ask within 60 days.8Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 15 USC 1681m – Requirements on Users of Consumer Reports This is separate from the free annual report at AnnualCreditReport.com. Use it. The denial reasons combined with the full report give you a specific list of what to fix before your next application.
If you find errors, you can dispute them directly with the credit bureau, which has 30 days to investigate. Correcting a misreported late payment or an account that isn’t yours is sometimes enough to turn a denial into an approval on a second attempt.