Discover Credit Card Pre-approval: How To Get It?

When getting a new credit card, you have to be prepared that your credit score will suffer a temporary drop after the associated background checks. Luckily, there is a process called pre-approval that allows you to check whether you qualify for a credit card without a hard pull.

Do you want to check whether you can get a Discover Card? You can do this without worrying that your credit score will hit zero. Keep reading to learn about Discover Card pre-approval and what steps you need to take to get pre-approved.

Pre-approval and Its Main Advantages

Before we proceed to list the Discover Credit Card pre-approval steps, let’s get a good hold of the basics.

Also referred to as pre-qualification, pre-approval is a way to see whether you are likely to get a credit card without any harm to your credit score. The main thing to remember about getting pre-qualified is that this is not a fail-safe way to determine if you will receive a card. The reason is that with such a soft pull, the credit issuer doesn’t see your credit history in full detail. This way, there is no guarantee that when the issuer performs a hard pull later, your data will meet the card’s requirements.

The main advantages of prior approval include the following:

• It doesn’t negatively affect your credit score.
• In most cases, it’s easy to check whether you can be approved online. For instance, the Discover website has a special tool for this exact purpose.
• You can pre-qualify for any number of credit cards before you choose which one to get.
• The pre-approval process allows you to weed out cards that are not suitable for you and compare your options.

What Are the Eligibility Criteria for a Discover Card?

Do you wonder how to get a Discover Credit Card? Just like with a card from any other issuer, there are some eligibility requirements that you have to meet. Here are the main ones to keep in mind:

• Age. To qualify for Discover it Card pre-approval, you have to be at least 18 years old. Additionally, individuals between the ages of 18 and 21 are obliged to prove they have independent income.
• Income level. The main idea is that you need to have a source of income sufficient to cover your bills. For those 21 and above, the income of other people in their household may also be considered.
• Credit score. It is best to know your exact credit score before you submit your data for any type of Discover card. Some cards require only fair or no credit (Discover it Student, Discover it Secured Credit Card), while for others, you’ll need good to excellent rating (Discover it Cash Back, Discover it Miles).
• Low debt. Your existing debt is also assessed when you apply for a credit card. A low credit utilization ratio increases your chances of getting approved. If you have debt that is too high for your income level, it’s better to pay it off before applying for a Discover pre-approval credit card.

While pre-approval doesn’t harm your credit score, it is best to choose only cards that you are eligible for to avoid wasting your time and effort. Remember that cards with 0 percent intro APR and significant rewards have more strict requirements.

How to Get Approved for a Discover Credit Card: Steps to Take

Now that you know about the benefits of the procedure and its eligibility criteria, let’s discuss the steps you should take to get pre-approved for a Discover Card.

Check Your Credit Score

Before proceeding with the Discover it Credit Card pre-approval, it’s wise to check your credit score. This simple step can save you time by helping you identify which cards will be available for you. Most reward program cards require a good to excellent score.

Three major credit bureaus provide credit score information—Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. The good news is that you can get a free annual report for free at annualcreditrepor.com.

Have Necessary Information on Hand

Discover pre-approval doesn’t require anything special, but you need to have basic information for a form. This includes the following:

• Full name;
• Date of birth;
• Monthly rent or housing payment;
• Total annual gross income.

Ensure that any information you provide to the credit issuer is accurate and up-to-date.

Submit Your Pre-approval Request

After you get all the necessary information, you should go to the pre-approval page on the official Discover website. Next, you need to fill out the provided form in full and submit it.

In addition to the personal data fields, the form also includes the “Card Benefit” field where you can choose from several options—cash back, travel rewards, balance transfer, or other.

View Your Pre-approved Card Offers

Once you submit a form, you will receive the list of credit cards that you are pre-approved for. Keep in mind that you have 7 days to apply for a chosen pre-approved offer, as it will expire after this time. However, even if you don’t apply within this period, you can simply repeat the process.

If you are not qualified for any card, you will get a reply with a reason. This way, you can fix the issue and submit the form again once the situation changes, but no sooner than 8 days after the initial request.

Compare Your Options to Make the Right Choice

It’s also important to keep in mind that once you apply for your pre-approved offer, Discover will still perform a hard pull on your credit report, which will inevitably lower your credit score for some time.

You should carefully assess a card’s fee, its APR, balance transfer fees, and any rewards before you take the next step, as it will directly affect your credit score.