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Scores make us competitive, even if there’s no clear reward for being the best. It’s why you break the handle on the foosball table trying to beat your brother-in-law on his birthday, because he already beat you once and you can’t go 0-2 in foosball.
It’s also why some people aim for a perfect 850 credit score, even though they could do very well with a score 100 points less than that. Under most scoring systems, credit scores range from 300 to 850. And while having a perfect score lends you bragging rights and an ego boost, you don’t even need to be in the 800s to qualify for the best credit cards.
Here’s the score you need for most cards.
The credit score you need for most credit cards is…
Truthfully — about 760.
A credit score of 760 or thereabouts will qualify you for most credit cards, including those designed for people with excellent credit. Not only that, but a score of 760 offers other high-score benefits, too, like competitive insurance premium and better interest rates on loans and mortgages.
Since credit card companies aren’t transparent about the exact score you need to qualify for their cards, most will advertise a range of scores. For example, some cards may accept applicants with a score of 670 to 850, while others will accept those with scores of 740 to 850.
If you fall within this range, you meet the credit score criteria. In this regard, it doesn’t matter if your score is 761 or 850. Both scores are high enough to qualify for most credit cards, even if one is perfect and the other just one small step toward perfection.
Other factors contribute to your chances of getting approved
Credit card companies don’t make decisions based on credit scores alone. While credit scores play a big role, they’re only one of several factors that contribute to your application’s approval (or rejection). Credit card companies will also consider:
- Income
- Employment
- Credit history
- Past delinquencies
- Number of hard inquiries
That last one is important. Hard inquiries happen when a lender checks your credit before making a final decision on your application. Since hard inquiries stay on your credit report for 24 months, you could have several of them on your report even with a high credit score. The high number of inquiries might be a red flag to a credit card company, which might (cautiously) reject your application.
Then again, if you don’t have many hard inquiries, have a high enough income to pay your credit card balance, and have a positive credit history, your application looks especially strong with a credit score of 760 or higher. This combination would likely qualify you for most luxury cards, including the best travel credit cards.
Focus on getting your credit score to a 760 or higher and you’ll be well within the range accepted by most credit card companies.
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