Does getting denied for a credit card hurt your credit score?

The information provided on this website does not, and is not intended to, act as legal, financial or credit advice. See Lexington Law’s editorial disclosure for more information.

Not getting approved for a credit card can be a bummer, but does getting denied hurt your credit score? Read on to discover how getting denied affects your credit, potential reasons why your application was denied and the next steps to get approved in the future.

Table of contents:

• How does applying for a credit card affect your credit?
• 6 reasons why credit card applications are denied
• Steps to take after getting denied for a credit card

How does applying for a credit card affect your credit?

After you submit a credit card application, the lender will likely perform a credit check to evaluate your credit history. This triggers a hard inquiry, which is a lender’s request to obtain your credit report from the credit bureaus.

Typically, a hard inquiry causes your credit score to drop around five points or so. While hard inquiries remain on your credit report for two years, the effect on your credit score only lasts a few months to a year. Remember that the effect on your credit is the same regardless of whether your application is approved or denied.

While scoring models provide rate shopping windows for auto loans, student loans and mortgages, these windows don’t apply to credit card applications. To lessen the effects of hard inquiries on your credit, try waiting at least six months between submitting credit card applications.

6 reasons why credit card applications are denied

Below are potential reasons why your credit card application was denied and tips to increase your chances of being approved in the future.

1. Insufficient credit history

Insufficient credit history means that there isn’t enough information in your credit file to determine your risk.

When applying for a credit card or loan, lenders look at your credit history to determine your track record as a borrower. A lack of a credit history is essentially a giant question mark for the lender, which prevents them from assessing your risk level.

Credit tip: Consider applying for a secured credit card or becoming an authorized user on someone else’s account to begin building credit.

2. Poor credit score

Many credit cards have credit score requirements for approval. While this varies from card to card, most require a credit score in good range or higher, which starts at 670 according to the FICO® model. The higher your credit score, the more likely lenders are to approve you and offer favorable interest rates and terms.

Credit tip: Take steps to improve your credit score, such as making timely payments, lowering your credit utilization and disputing inaccuracies on your credit report.

3. Late payments

A history of late payments may indicate to lenders that you might struggle to repay the credit they lend you. Not to mention that payment history is the most important factor in determining your credit score, so too many late payments can severely damage your credit.

Credit tip: Enroll in autopay or set reminders to pay your bills on time.

4. Too many hard inquiries

In addition to the effect that hard inquiries have on your credit score, applying for too many credit cards in a brief time frame might signal to creditors that you aren’t financially stable and, therefore, are a high-risk borrower.

Credit tip: While there is no hard and fast rule, consider waiting about every six months between each new credit card application.

5. High debt-to-income ratio

Your debt-to-income ratio is the amount of debt you owe each month divided by your monthly income. Generally, a low debt-to-income ratio indicates to lenders that you have a higher likelihood of being able to make payments.

Credit tip: To maintain a good debt-to-income ratio, aim to keep your total monthly debt payments under 36 to 43 percent of your monthly income.

6. Inaccuracies on your credit report

Having errors or inaccuracies on your credit report can stand in the way of getting approved for credit. To check for errors, download a free copy of your credit report at AnnualCreditReport.com and identify errors such as incorrect accounts, inaccurate balances or errors regarding your personal information.

Credit tip: If you find errors on your credit report, file a dispute with the credit bureau to potentially have the inaccurate information removed.

Steps to take after getting denied for a credit card

If your credit card application is denied, consider taking the following steps to increase your chances of approval:

• Determine why your application was denied: Creditors must send you an adverse action notice that details why your application was denied.
• Ask the creditor to reconsider: Most banks have a credit card reconsideration line you can call to plead your case. You may have been denied by mistake, so it never hurts to follow up.
• Wait to reapply: While your first thought may be to reapply for the card, try waiting six months between submitting credit card applications.
• Research alternative cards: Some credit cards are harder to get approved for than others. For example, platinum rewards cards have more stringent requirements than secured cards. Consider the card’s score requirements against your own score before applying.
• Seek preapproval: Many creditors send preapproval letters after using soft inquiries to determine that you meet the initial criteria to get approved for the card. While preapprovals don’t guarantee approval, they can help you filter through cards you won’t get approved for without getting a hard inquiry on your credit report.
• Monitor your credit: As you work to improve your credit, continue to check your credit score and report so you can determine when you have a better chance at approval.

At Lexington Law Firm, our team could help you manage and work to improve your credit to potentially get approved for credit cards and loans. To determine your current credit status, get your free credit assessment today.

Note: Articles have only been reviewed by the indicated attorney, not written by them. The information provided on this website does not, and is not intended to, act as legal, financial or credit advice; instead, it is for general informational purposes only. Use of, and access to, this website or any of the links or resources contained within the site do not create an attorney-client or fiduciary relationship between the reader, user, or browser and website owner, authors, reviewers, contributors, contributing firms, or their respective agents or employers.