The Recommended Minimum Requirements for Capital One Credit Cards [2023]

If you’re looking to add a Capital One credit card to your wallet, you’ll find a lot of available information that can be helpful in your pursuit.

Our quest today is to share some of that information to assist you in starting the process. Of course, we don’t have all the answers, but we can help you increase your chances of getting approved for a Capital One credit card and potentially avoid the disappointment of being declined.

Capital One is a solid financial institution known historically for its simplicity in credit card products — both in terms of earning rewards and redemption options. While the issuer has expanded its line with a premium travel rewards card and more ways to redeem rewards, you’ll still find that most of the collection functions simplistically.

There’s a Capital One credit card that’s a fit for nearly every consumer credit situation. If you’re considering a Capital One credit card, you’ll want to read today’s article to learn what it takes to increase your chances for approval.

The Value of a Capital One Relationship

With all the credit card issuers out there, why consider Capital One? Here are some of the reasons Capital One is a good credit card choice.

A Card for Every Consumer

Whether you have excellent credit or credit that’s far less than perfect, Capital One has built a collection of credit cards to match every credit situation. Not all credit card issuers can make this claim. No matter your starting point, you’ll have a path to improving your credit with Capital One.

And, if you have excellent credit, there are cards with robust earning structures, premium travel benefits, and flexible, valuable choices at redemption time.

Earning Rewards

With the exception of cards designed for the sole purpose of building/rebuilding credit, every purchase you make with a Capital One card earns rewards. Most cards feature purchase categories that receive bonus rewards earnings.

Multiple Redemption Options

Rewards earned on Capital One credit cards can be redeemed for cash-back, statement credits, travel, or transferred to travel partners for potentially greater value.

Travel and Shopping Protections and Benefits

Capital One cards come with various levels of travel protections, including car rental insurance and roadside dispatch, plus benefits such as lounge access and no foreign transaction fees. You’ll also find protections such as purchase security and extended warranty that can make you whole if something happens to an eligible purchase.

Additional Services

In addition to issuing credit cards, Capital One offers financial products including checking/savings accounts, debit cards, money market accounts, and certificates of deposits.

Capital One also provides services such as the Capital One Shopping tool and CreditWise, a free credit access/monitoring tool. You do not need a Capital One account or credit card to utilize these services.

Bottom Line: Capital One offers nearly every consumer, regardless of their credit situation, an opportunity to qualify for a credit card and improve their credit situation. You’ll find bountiful earning opportunities, flexible redemption options, travel/shopping protections and benefits, and additional services offered by Capital One. 

Recommended Minimum Requirements for Capital One Credit Cards

What We Know for Sure

Having an Excellent Credit Score Increases Your Likelihood of Approval

Although Capital One offers cards for every credit level, a very good or even excellent credit score (740 and above) increases your chances of approval for the best Capital One credit cards. And, although your credit score is one of the most important factors Capital One looks at, it’s not the only factor.

Sufficient Income and Credit History Are Also Important

Capital One looks at your credit score, but also whether your income (and possibly household income) is sufficient to make credit card repayments. In addition, Capital One offers the following statement clarifying its definition of a qualified applicant, even with a good to excellent credit score.

Capital One Can Pull Credit from All 3 Major Credit Bureaus

You can expect to receive a hard inquiry (hard pull) from each major credit bureau — Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion — when applying for a Capital One credit card. For this reason, it’s important that you make sure you haven’t frozen access to any of these accounts.

It also emphasizes the importance of knowing where you stand credit-wise, of meeting the requirements for the card you’re applying for, and not wasting inquiries for a possible denial.

Too Many Inquiries Can Be a Negative

One of the top reasons for Capital One denying you a credit card is too many inquiries. While there is no definitive number that will guarantee a denial, the more inquiries you have on your credit report, the greater your chances of being denied.

You Will Need an ITIN or SSN To Be Approved

You do not have to be a U.S. citizen to be approved for a Capital One credit card but you will need an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number or Social Security number. You’ll also need to be at least 18 years old and have a U.S. physical address.

Optional, but Potentially Helpful

Any Positive Relationship With Capital One Is Helpful

Having had a previous Capital One credit card, bank account, or other financial relationship can improve your chances of being approved for a Capital One credit card.

It’s Not a Sin To Anticipate Carrying a Balance

In reality, carrying a balance from one statement to the next does negate any rewards you’re earning due to incurring interest charges. Credit card companies, however, make money on consumers who carry balances on their cards. For this reason, don’t rule out the possibility, when completing the application, that you may sometime in the future need to carry a balance.

Bottom Line: Capital One will determine your eligibility for its credit cards based on credit score, credit history, income, existing relationships, and the number of credit card inquiries on your credit report. 

Applying for a Capital One Credit Card

Check To See if You Have Offers

Fortunately, you do not need to be subjected to a hard inquiry (hard pull) on your credit report to find out if you have card offers waiting for you from Capital One. Here are some options for finding existing card offers with no risk to your credit.

Capital One Pre-approval Tool

Capital One has its own pre-qualification tool perfect for finding out if you have existing card offers. There won’t be a hard inquiry on your credit report and very little information is required to view any possible card offers. Pre-qualifying doesn’t mean guaranteed approval, but you’ll be able to view the cards you’re more likely to be approved for.

CardMatch Tool

Many large credit card issuers, including Capital One, participate in CardMatch. The tool is simple to use and does not affect your credit score. Just supply some basic information and you’ll be able to see any potential credit card offers available to you.

Know Your Credit History and Score

Contrary to popular belief, it does not affect your credit score if you access your credit report. In fact, knowing your credit history and credit score is a key component to increasing your odds of getting approval for a credit card.

Once you’re aware of where you stand, credit-wise, you’ll have the power to begin to improve your situation and/or apply for a card that closely matches your credit profile.

The first step is to check your credit score and access a copy of your credit report. You can accomplish this for free at each of the 3 major credit bureaus every 12 months. Use Annual Credit Report to access your information or sign up with a third-party websites, such as Credit Sesame, Credit Karma, or Credit Journey (Chase).

Once you have access to your credit report, you’ll want to check it for any errors. It’s common to find errors on a credit report, and if you do, you can take this opportunity to get them corrected.

Remember, it doesn’t cost anything, nor does it hurt your credit to retrieve your credit information. Plus, it’s a necessary step to educate yourself and check for accuracy before applying for any credit card.

Hot Tip: If you find errors on your credit report, here are some tips on how to fix or dispute those errors and/or mistakes. 

What if You Have No Credit or Poor Credit

We all had to start somewhere — and that somewhere could be with poor credit or even no credit. Knowing where you stand, however, can give you an edge and make it easier to secure a card that can help you improve your situation.

Capital One is a prominent credit card issuer that offers card options, even for those who have poor credit or no credit. We’ll cover some of those options shortly.

Hot Tip: If you have no credit history, asking a close friend or family member who has a Capital One credit card if they would add you as an authorized user can help you build a positive credit history. This is a big step for the credit card holder as they are responsible for any charges made on the card, but in the right circumstances, it’s a solid path to building credit. 

Best Capital One Credit Card for Excellent Credit (740+)

Congrats, you’ve earned a very good to excellent credit score. Here are some of the best Capital One cards you might want to consider:

Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card

We like Capital One’s flagship card, the Capital One Venture X card, for its travel benefits like lounge access with unlimited complimentary access for you and two guests to 1,300+ lounges, including Capital One Lounges and participating Priority Pass or Plaza Premium Lounges in the Partner Lounge Network. The card strays from Capital One’s previous theme of simple earning structures and provides robust earning opportunities. The Capital One Venture X card has surfaced as one of the best travel rewards cards available.

Best Capital One Credit Cards for Good Credit (670 to 739)

With good credit, you’ll still be able to find a Capital One card that earns rewards on every purchase.

Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

Earning double miles on every purchase and 5x miles on hotel and rental cars via Capital One Travel makes accumulating a stash of travel rewards on the Capital One Venture card easy. You’ll also receive fee reimbursement for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck. Having the option to transfer miles earned on the card to travel partners can result in potentially greater value for your rewards.

Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card

If you’re looking for a rewards-earning card that doesn’t charge an annual fee, the Capital One VentureOne card might just be a fit as you’ll be earning a flat rate of 1.25 miles per dollar on every purchase you make.

At redemption time, you can purchase travel via Capital One Travel or, just like the Capital One Venture X card and Capital One Venture card, you’ll have the option to transfer those miles to travel partners where there’s potential for great redemption value.

Other Capital One cards to consider are:

• Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card — Earn 1.5% unlimited cash-back on every purchase.
• Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card — Earn 3% cash-back on dining, entertainment, popular streaming services, and at grocery stores (excluding superstores like Walmart and Target). Earn 1% cash-back on all other purchases.

Best Capital One Business Credit Cards

Just like Capital One personal consumer cards, there’s an option for every credit situation with Capital One business credit cards.

Business credit cards allow you to manage cash flow with employee credit cards, set spending limits, manage your account online, and view transaction reports.

Here are 3 examples of Capital One business credit cards for those with excellent, good, and fair credit or those rebuilding credit.

Capital One Spark Miles for Business — Good to Excellent Credit

With double miles on every purchase, you’ll be off to a good start with the Capital One Spark Miles card. If your business involves travel, you’ll also like that the card earns 5x miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars via Capital One Travel, has no foreign transaction fees, and has the option to redeem miles on flights, hotels, vacation packages, and more.

Capital One Spark Cash Select for Excellent Credit — Excellent Credit

With no annual fee and 1.5% cash-back earnings on every purchase your business makes, earning rewards is cost-effective and simple with the Capital One Spark Cash Select card.

Capital One Spark Classic for Business — Fair/Rebuilding Credit

You can still earn rewards, even if your credit is less than perfect. With the Capital One Spark Classic card, you’ll be earning 1% cash-back on every purchase and not have to pay an annual fee.

If your credit score is considered fair (580 to 669), Capital One clarifies that you can still be a qualifying applicant even if you have “defaulted on a loan in the past 5 years or have a limited credit history of less than 3 years.”

Bottom Line: Regardless of the size of your business or credit situation, chances are there’s a Capital One business credit card that will help you manage your business finances and earn rewards in the process.

Best Capital One Credit Card for Poor or No Credit

Capital One Platinum Secured Credit Card

The Capital One Platinum Secured card is the perfect card for building or rebuilding credit. You won’t earn rewards by spending on the card, as it’s designed specifically to help you improve your credit situation.

Make a 1-time refundable deposit of $49, $99, or $200, depending on creditworthiness determined by Capital One, and receive a $200 initial credit limit. With responsible use, you can qualify for a refund of your deposit, a higher credit limit, or a card upgrade. The card does not charge an annual fee.

Bottom Line: Capital One offers a wide variety of credit card products that can match nearly any consumer’s credit situation. Whether you have excellent credit or not-so-perfect credit, there’s a solution and path to improve or build your credit with Capital One cards. 

Reconsideration Line

If you aren’t approved immediately or are declined for a credit card with Capital One, it’s worth calling 800-625-7866 to make sure the decision isn’t made based on any errors or misleading information.

You can also contact its customer service at one of these numbers: 800-763-9795 or 800-695-5171.

To check the status of an application, call 800-903-9177.

Final Thoughts

You’ll need a very good to excellent credit score, solid credit history, and sufficient income, to qualify for Capital One’s best credit cards. However, even if you don’t have excellent credit, you’ll find plenty of Capital One cards that can help you build credit if you have none, or rebuild your credit if it is less than perfect.

Not all card issuers offer such a range of credit card products, but Capital One does, and it makes it a great choice for building a relationship that can lead to having access to some of the best rewards-earning cards.

For Capital One products listed on this page, some of the above benefits are provided by Visa® or Mastercard® and may vary by product. See the respective Guide to Benefits for details, as terms and exclusions apply.

Enrollment required through Capital One website or mobile app. Upon enrollment, eligible cardholders will remain at upgraded status level through December 31, 2024.  Please note, enrolling through the normal Hertz Gold Plus Rewards enrollment process (e.g. at Hertz.com) will not automatically detect a cardholder as being eligible for the program and cardholders will not be automatically upgraded to the applicable status tier.  Additional terms apply.

The information regarding the Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.
The information regarding the Capital One SavorOne Card Rewards Credit Card was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.
The information regarding the Capital One Spark Cash Select for Excellent Credit was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.

Information regarding the Capital One Spark Miles for Business was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.