Easiest Credit Card to Get Approved: What to Know Before You Apply

If you’ve been turned down for a credit card before, you know the sting. Not all cards play hard to get, though. The truth? Some cards have approval odds that even first-timers, students, or folks with shaky credit can feel good about.

Before you jump into an application spree, let’s talk about what actually makes a card “easy” to get. It mostly comes down to what the bank wants to see in your credit file. Cards aimed at people just starting out—or those bouncing back from rough patches—usually care less about your score. That’s why you’ll hear about “secured” cards, student cards, or cards for poor credit as the most forgiving options.

Some secured cards, like the Discover it® Secured or the Capital One Platinum Secured, approve people with a thin or even bruised credit history. You’ll need a security deposit, but the bar to get in is low. Student cards often let young adults with little credit history in the door, and there are a few so-called “store cards” that almost never say no—though the fees and interest can bite.

• What Makes a Card Easy to Get Approved?
• Top Picks for Easy Approval
• Tips to Boost Your Odds
• Common Misconceptions About Easy Approval Cards

What Makes a Card Easy to Get Approved?

If you want to boost your chances for the easiest credit card, you’ve got to look at what banks and card issuers actually check. Some cards are picky, while others are just looking for the basics. They all look at your credit report, but some care if you’ve run into trouble in the past, while others don’t mind giving you a shot if you can put down a deposit or just have a steady income.

Here’s what makes a card an easier "yes" for most people:

• Low Credit Score Requirements: Cards for beginners or those rebuilding credit typically don’t need a high credit score. Some don’t require any score at all.
• Secured Deposit: Secured credit cards ask for a cash deposit—usually $200 or more—as a safety net. The bank uses that deposit if you don’t pay, so they’re way more likely to approve you.
• Basic Income Rules: Most easy-approval cards just want to see you have some regular income. This could be a job, or even regular student aid if you’re in school.
• Simpler Application: Many of these cards have quick, online applications. Some even give you an answer in seconds.
• Few ‘Hard’ Checks: Some cards—especially store cards or certain secured options—don’t dig too deep. If you haven’t been bankrupt recently, or don’t have a bunch of late payments, you’re likely good.

Check out how approval odds break down for different card types:

The biggest factor? If you can put down a deposit, your chances shoot way up. Always read the fine print—some "easy" cards come with high fees or sky-high rates, which can trip you up down the road.

Top Picks for Easy Approval

If you’re aiming for the easiest credit card to get approved for, a few options stand out. These aren’t picked at random—each one has a proven track record of accepting folks with limited, damaged, or no credit history.

• Discover it® Secured Credit Card: This is almost always at the top for easy approval. Discover checks your credit but approves people with credit scores as low as the mid-500s. If you’ve had trouble getting approved elsewhere, Discover’s secured card is worth a shot. You’ll need a deposit starting at $200, but you get real card benefits—like 2% cash back at gas stations and restaurants, plus Discover matches your first year’s cash back. On-time payments here also help build your score fast.
• Capital One Platinum Secured: Capital One is notorious for approving folks who are just starting out. Some lucky applicants only have to put down $49 or $99 (though the standard is $200) to unlock a $200 credit line. There’s no annual fee, and you can graduate to a regular unsecured card after building your history. Reviews from 2024 say approvals came even for people with recent delinquencies and thin credit files.
• OpenSky® Secured Visa® Credit Card: Unlike most cards, OpenSky doesn’t check your credit at all. That’s a big relief if your score is in the dumps. As long as you can swing a $200 deposit, you’re almost guaranteed approval—they mostly just check your identity and income. No hard pull means no ding to your credit when you apply.
• Petal® 1 "No Annual Fee" Visa® Credit Card: This one is technically unsecured, but it’s designed for people with less-than-perfect or no credit. Petal looks at things like your banking history and income, so even if your credit score is thin, you’ve still got a shot. Approval odds are higher if you have steady cash flow, even if you’ve never had another card.
• Store Credit Cards (like Fingerhut Credit Account): Stores like Fingerhut and some department chains give out cards to rebuilders and beginners—even folks after bankruptcy. Watch out for high interest and limited places to use them, but if you need a foot in the door, these often work.

Remember, easy approval doesn't mean every card is right for you. Look out for annual fees, sky-high interest, or any "setup" charges that can sneak up. If a card doesn’t list a minimum score to apply, chances are it’s aiming at those just getting started or starting over.

Tips to Boost Your Odds

Getting approved for a credit card, especially if you're going for the easiest credit card out there, still takes a bit of planning. If you want to see that "approved" pop up instead of a rejection, here’s how to stack the decks in your favor.

• Know your credit score before you apply. You can check your score for free with sites like Credit Karma or your bank’s app. Cards for no credit or bad credit usually work for scores below 600, but if you’re above 650, your choices grow fast.
• Never submit a bunch of applications at once. Every time you apply, the bank runs a hard check on your credit, which can drop your score by a few points. Too many applications at once look desperate and will almost always work against you.
• Fix any errors on your credit report. About 1 in 5 credit reports have mistakes, according to the FTC. Even a small error, like a wrong address or outdated debt, can hurt your odds. You can get free copies of your reports from AnnualCreditReport.com and dispute wrong info online.
• Start with secured cards if your history is thin or your score is low. Secured cards rarely say no, and your deposit acts as training wheels. Cards backed by major banks, like Discover or Capital One, can even help you upgrade to an unsecured card after just 6–8 months of responsible use.
• Pay down any balances before you apply. If you’re using more than 30% of your credit limit on other cards or loans, banks see that as risky. Paying down debts—even just a couple hundred bucks—can boost your odds within a month.

Some banks are stricter than others. For example, Chase will usually deny you if you’ve opened 5+ accounts in the last 24 months (the famous 5/24 rule). Capital One and Discover are way more flexible for beginners.

Double-check the requirements before you apply. Some secured cards—like OpenSky—don’t even do a credit check, so almost anyone with a bad score can get one. But read the fees and check if the card will report your payments to all three major credit bureaus. If it doesn't report, it won't help you build or rebuild credit at all.

Common Misconceptions About Easy Approval Cards

Lots of people think that getting the easiest credit card means you’re automatically in the clear. Not so. There are a bunch of myths out there that can mess with your expectations and hit your wallet if you aren’t careful. Let’s bust a few of them.

Myth 1: "Any card I can get approved for will help my credit score fast." It can help, sure, but only if you use it right. If you run up a balance or miss a payment, that easy-approval card can tank your score even lower. Plus, some cards don’t report to all three credit bureaus, so you might not see much benefit at all. Cards like the Discover it® Secured do, but some smaller brands or store cards only tell one or two bureaus.

Myth 2: "Every easy approval card is a good deal." Banks don’t hand out “easy” for free. You’ll usually get a higher interest rate, lower credit limit, or fees that sneak up on you. Here’s what some of the most common cards charge, as of early 2025:

Myth 3: "Store cards are always the easiest credit cards to get approved for." While Target RedCard or Kohl’s Card have easy approvals, not all store cards play along. Some require a regular credit score, and plenty come with sky-high interest rates (over 32% APR!) that wipe out any discounts if you don’t pay your bill in full.

Myth 4: "Getting multiple easy-approval cards at once builds credit faster." Actually, applying for several cards quickly drops your score a little each time, thanks to hard inquiries. Too many new accounts in a short stretch can also make lenders nervous next time you try for a big loan, like a car or mortgage.

If you want to pick a card that’s actually right for your situation, skip the hype and check the terms. Always watch the annual fee, and check if the card reports to all three bureaus. If you’re not sure, look up reviews online where people talk about their real experiences with these cards, not just the shiny features the banks advertise.