How To Get Preapproved For A Capital One Credit Card

It can be frustrating to apply for a rewards credit card only to have your application denied out of the blue. Luckily, getting preapproved for a credit card can help you determine the likelihood that you’ll be approved without actually having to apply. Best of all, it doesn’t hurt your credit score and takes just a few minutes to check.

Capital One has some great credit card offers for both credit card newcomers and consumers interested in maximizing credit card rewards. These include simple cash back credit cards, lucrative travel credit cards and points-earning rewards cards. If you’re interested in a Capital One credit card, going through the preapproval process is a great way to save time, protect your credit and receive targeted offers that match you with relevant cards according to your credit score and borrower profile.

You can use Bankrate’s CardMatch tool to quickly and easily see which cards you may be preapproved for. It’s also possible to gain preapproval for credit card offers on Capital One’s website. Either way, it can take just a few minutes to check and see if you’re preapproved for certain cards.

What is the Capital One preapproval process, and how does it work?

When you apply for a Capital One credit card, the lender typically runs a hard pull on your credit before deciding whether to approve your application. If your application is rejected, not only are you unable to open up a credit card with the lender, but the hard pull could also negatively affect your credit score. 

Since a hard inquiry temporarily dings your credit score by a few points, this can be especially frustrating if your credit score is on the threshold of moving from average to good or good to excellent. The temporary setback to your credit score can also make it more difficult to qualify for competitive card offers moving forward.

Getting preapproved or prequalified for a credit card by Capital One allows you to see if you are likely to qualify for a certain card before you officially submit an application. While the exact process is unique for each lender, the preapproval process for Capital One generally looks like this:

1. Captial One receives your preapproval form. This form can come from the Capital One website or through a third-party service.
2. Capital One performs a soft credit check. Unlike a hard credit check, this one won’t impact your credit score.
3. Capital One takes the information it gathered and decides whether it considers you to be preapproved. This information includes not only what Capital One got from the soft credit check, but also any additional information you provided, such as your household income. 

A preapproval can give you an idea of what credit cards are available to you without hurting your credit score. It can also give you the confidence to submit an application for a card that meets your needs. 

How to get preapproved for a Capital One credit card

There are several ways to get preapproved for a Capital One credit card, including using third-party tools like Bankrate’s CardMatch and prequalifying for a card on Capital One’s website.

Check for offers on third-party tools

There are a variety of tools designed to aggregate credit card preapprovals and provide you with the results. A safe, secure option among them is Bankrate’s CardMatch tool. To use the tool, you’ll need to provide some basic information about yourself, including your name, address and the last four digits of your Social Security number. Bankrate will then match you with personalized offers based on your borrower profile.

Because the preapproval process only triggers a soft pull, it won’t affect your credit. Plus, you’ll be able to compare rewards and rates from multiple credit cards and quickly and easily submit an application for the card that works best for you. You can learn more about how to use CardMatch here.

Go to Capital One’s website or use its mobile app

You can get preapproved for a Capital One card directly from its website or through its mobile app if you have an existing account with the lender. As with the CardMatch tool, you’ll need to provide some personal information that includes your name, address and Social Security number. You’ll also need to provide information about your income, expenses and employment status. The lender will then let you know if you’re preapproved for any Capital One credit cards.

Keep an eye out for mail offers

If you receive a targeted ad in the mail or your email inbox, you can follow the instructions on the card to apply. 

Talk to a Capital One representative 

Calling Capital One’s customer service line is a quick way to get guidance through the lender’s preapproval process. If you’d rather talk to someone in-person, you can also go to a physical Capital One bank branch. 

Best Capital One credit cards for prequalified offers

Capital One offers some solid credit cards for borrowers, whether you’re looking to earn general cash back, miles for travel or rewards for spending in particular categories.

How to increase your chances of getting preapproved

Preapproval is a great way to find out which cards you qualify for without hurting your credit, but it’s not a magic tool that actually increases your chances of getting approved. Plus, it’s unlikely that you’ll get preapproved for every card you fill out a preapproval form for, especially if you have poor or fair credit. 

Here are a few things you can do to boost your credit score so that you can actually increase your chances of being preapproved.

Make on-time payments on your credit cards

One of the most important factors influencing your credit score is your history of on-time payments. Making on-time payments consistently each month will help your credit. On the other hand, even a few missed or late payments can have a serious negative impact on your score. 

In order to boost your chances of preapproval, be sure to prioritize making on-time payments each month.

Reduce your credit utilization

Credit utilization is another important factor that influences your credit score. The higher your credit utilization, the worse it is for your credit. You can decrease your credit utilization ratio by reducing the balances on your credit cards and paying off debt. 

Sign up for Experian Boost

While utility bills don’t usually appear on your credit report, that doesn’t have to be the case. You can be rewarded for a history of on-time utility payments by signing up for Experian Boost. This service from Experian allows consumers to list monthly bills, like utility bills and phone bills, on their Experian credit report. 

Just by paying your utility bills on time each month, you can work to increase your credit score.

The bottom line

Capital One has plenty of great rewards credit cards to choose from, whether you’re looking for travel cards, cash back cards or something in between. If you’re a borrower with less-than-stellar credit, these cards may be hard to qualify for. However, you don’t have to suffer a rejected application – or unnecessary hard credit pull – to find out. To see if you qualify without hurting your credit, you can use Bankrate’s CardMatch tool to get preapproved or visit Capital One’s website.

Frequently asked questions about Capital One preapprovals

• How long does Capital One preapproval take?
  

  Capital One’s preapproval process is usually done within minutes of submitting your information, but it can take longer if the issuer decides to halt your request for some reason.

• Will Capital One preapproval affect my credit score?
  

  No, getting preapproved for a Capital One credit card will not affect your credit score. However, if you choose to apply for the card, your credit score will be impacted by the hard credit inquiry done during the actual application process.

• Can I apply for a Capital One credit card without preapproval?
  

  Yes, you can apply for a Capital One credit card without getting preapproved. Preapproval does not affect your odds of approval, it only shows you how likely you are to be approved. However, we recommend going through the preapproval process so that you can feel confident in moving forward with a full application.