| Credit Cards | Our Ratings | Rewards Rate | Regular APR | Recommended Credit Credit scores ranges may vary. Your individual chance at approval may vary due to factors such as creditors using a particular variation at their discretion | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Secured Chime Credit Builder Visa® Credit Card
 Apply Now
on The Bancorp Bank's secure site |
N/A | N/A | Limited / Poor / Fair |
Apply Now
on The Bancorp Bank's secure site |
|
OpenSky® Plus Secured Visa® Credit Card
Apply Now
on Capital Bank, N.A.'s secure site |
10% cash back
Up to 10% cash back rewards
| 28.99% (variable) | Limited / Poor / Fair |
Apply Now
on Capital Bank, N.A.'s secure site |
|
Petal® 2 Cash Back, No Fees Visa® Credit Card*
|
1% - 10% cash back
| 28.99% - 30.99% | N/A | ||
Upgrade Cash Rewards Visa®
Apply Now
on Upgrade's secure site Rates & Fees |
1.5% cash back
1.5% unlimited cash back on card purchases every time you make a payment
| 14.99% - 29.99% APR | Fair |
Apply Now
on Upgrade's secure site Rates & Fees |
|
Apple Credit Card*
|
1% - 3% Daily Cash
| 18.24% to 28.49% variable | N/A |
To bring you this list of soft-pull credit cards, we use an objective rating and ranking system that compares features across a large set of credit cards (over 200 of them from over 50 issuers). We use calculations to estimate the value of each card for the average cardholder, based on LendingTree and U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data.
We calculate how much the average cardholder can save with the card on a yearly basis. If it is a rewards card, we use U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and $300 in monthly spending (the typical starting credit limit for an introductory card) to calculate how much the average cardholder can earn in rewards. We then subtract fees — including annual fees and maintenance fees — from this amount.
We calculate the rewards earned for the average cardholder using Bureau of Labor Statistics data and an annual spend of $20,000, minus the annual fee. This value includes sign-up bonuses and annual bonuses (including annual free night certificates). For travel cards, this value includes travel perks like lounge access and travel credits. We look at the average rewards earned over two years to balance out a card’s ongoing value with its first-year value.
Depending on the category, we also look at the flexibility rewards, foreign transaction fees, features for building credit and how the card’s overall list of benefits compares to other cards.
How LendingTree Rates Credit Cards?
Our experts rate credit cards based on several factors including card benefits, bonus offers and independent research. Credit card issuers do not influence or have a say in our card ratings. Read our credit card methodology here. Apply Now
Apply with no credit check.
The Secured Chime Credit Builder Visa® Credit Card1 is one of the best credit cards without a hard inquiry because it’s one of the few of its kind with a $0 annual fee. Also, its unique structure offers maximum flexibility. Instead of paying a set security deposit, the card allows you to set your own credit limit by opening a checking account and depositing as much or as little as you want.3 Since you can’t carry a monthly balance, you don’t have to worry about building up debt or interest.2 You can even use your deposit to pay your balance.
How LendingTree Rates Credit Cards?
Our experts rate credit cards based on several factors including card benefits, bonus offers and independent research. Credit card issuers do not influence or have a say in our card ratings. Read our credit card methodology here. Apply Now
Apply with no credit check.
The OpenSky® Plus Secured Visa® Credit Card is one of the top soft inquiry credit cards with no credit check because it has a $0 annual fee and allows you to earn rewards as you build your credit and ultimately upgrade to an unsecured card. With free online access to your FICO Score as a perk, you can easily monitor your progress.
How LendingTree Rates Credit Cards?
Our experts rate credit cards based on several factors including card benefits, bonus offers and independent research. Credit card issuers do not influence or have a say in our card ratings. Read our credit card methodology here.See if you’re preapproved with a soft pull to your credit on Petal’s site. (The issuer may run a hard credit check when you submit your application.)
The Petal® 2 Cash Back, No Fees Visa® Credit Card is one of the best soft credit pull credit cards for fair credit because it earns rewards on every purchase at a decent clip with a $0 annual fee. There’s also a chance to boost your earnings by making timely payments. It offers a potentially high credit limit (you’ll get at least $300 and potentially as high as $10,000) with no security deposit. This allows you to build credit without tying up any of your own money, and you may qualify for a credit limit increase in just six months.
How LendingTree Rates Credit Cards?
Our experts rate credit cards based on several factors including card benefits, bonus offers and independent research. Credit card issuers do not influence or have a say in our card ratings. Read our credit card methodology here. Apply Now
See if you’re preapproved with a soft pull to your credit when you apply. (The issuer may run a hard credit check when you submit your application.)
The Upgrade Cash Rewards Visa® is one of the top soft credit check credit cards for fair credit because it has a $0 annual fee and earns rewards on every purchase. Its unusual structure offers plenty of predictability, allowing you to pay off each purchase in installments (and you can pay them off early to reduce interest). This can be a useful tool to help you avoid the minimum payment trap and make on-time payments as you build your credit.
How LendingTree Rates Credit Cards?
Our experts rate credit cards based on several factors including card benefits, bonus offers and independent research. Credit card issuers do not influence or have a say in our card ratings. Read our credit card methodology here.See if you’re approved with just a soft pull to your credit before you accept the offer. (The issuer may run a hard credit check when you accept the offer.)
The Apple Credit Card is an easy-to-get store credit card with a soft pull that lets you see if you’re approved for the card before you accept the offer and initiate a hard pull on your credit. It’s easy to use and integrates seamlessly with Apple tools and products. It’s unique because you get elevated cash back earnings every time you use the card with Apple Pay. Plus, you get financing with installment payments on Apple products and can share the card with members of your Apple Family Sharing Group.
A soft pull on credit, also known as a soft inquiry, is a credit check that doesn’t affect your credit score and is typically done for purposes other than extending credit. Common scenarios in which a soft check is done include getting prequalified for a credit card or loan. In some cases, you can apply for a credit card without a hard inquiry.
A hard pull on credit, also called a hard inquiry, can impact your credit score for a year and remain on your credit reports for two years. One hard pull typically only has a small impact on your score. But if you’re planning to apply for a card with a hard pull, you should check to see if you’re prequalified for the card first. This will help you avoid too many hard pulls on your credit, which can add up and drag your score down more than a single inquiry.
→ Learn more: What’s the Difference Between a Hard and Soft Pull?
| Soft credit pulls | Hard credit pulls |
|---|---|
| Performed by creditors to provide preapproved credit offers | Performed by creditors when you apply for a form of credit |
| Previous soft pulls are visible on your credit report to only you | Previous hard pulls may stay on your credit report for any creditor to see for up to two years |
| May be done without your prior approval | Must have your written approval |
| No impact to your credit score | Can cause your FICO Score to drop by up to 5 points |
Many credit card issuers will let you see if you’re prequalified for a credit card with just a soft pull, which doesn’t affect your credit score. And some card companies will let you apply for a credit card without affecting your credit score because they do a soft pull instead of a hard pull to see if you qualify. These no-impact credit cards typically are either secured cards or cards designed for building or rebuilding credit.
Getting credit cards with no hard inquiry isn’t the norm, but it can be done if you choose the right card, usually one that lists “no credit check” as a perk.
→ Learn more: Does Opening a New Credit Card Affect Your Credit Score?
Most banks let you get prequalified for any credit card with just a soft pull, a credit check that doesn’t harm your credit score. Many offer online forms on their websites, where you can submit basic financial information to get a list of prequalified cards. Here are the top credit card issuers that offer prequalification for a card with only a soft pull.
| Issuer | Preapproval offered | Required information |
|---|---|---|
| American Express credit card preapproval | Yes | Name, address, Social Security number and income |
| Bank of America credit card preapproval | Yes | Name, birth date, Social Security number, address and type of credit card you’re interested in |
| Chase credit card preapproval | Yes (online tool is not always available) | Name, address and Social Security number |
| Citi credit card preapproval | Yes | Name, Social Security number and address |
| Discover credit card preapproval | Yes | Name, address, birth date, student status, monthly housing expense, income and type of card benefit you’re interested in |
| Navy Federal credit card preapproval | Yes (only available to Navy Federal members) | Active duty status, income, monthly housing expense |
| U.S. Bank credit card preapproval | Yes (only available to existing customers via mail offers) | Confirmation code that came with offer and ZIP code |
| Wells Fargo credit card preapproval | Yes | Wells Fargo customer status, name, address and Social Security number |
If you have no credit or bad credit, these options can allow you to build or rebuild credit without jumping through a lot of hoops to qualify:
Secured cards can be easier to qualify for, because they require a security deposit that serves as your credit line, reducing the risk to the lender. Most will allow you to see if you’re preapproved before you apply, and some — like the OpenSky® Plus Secured Visa® Credit Card — don’t require a credit check at all.
You can find both secured and unsecured cards that are easier for applicants with bad credit to qualify for.
Credit cards for beginners are designed to help those with no credit profile build credit. For that reason, issuers of beginner credit cards will accept applicants with limited credit and may not require a credit check in some cases.
Store cards
It’s often easy to get approved for a card through a retailer that you frequently shop with. A store representative may even be able to run a prequalification check for you in-store before you apply.
If you apply for a credit card, the card issuer typically does a hard inquiry on your credit in order to make a decision. However, there are some credit cards, such as some cards for beginners or for bad credit, that may only require a soft pull.
A soft pull does not affect your credit. In fact, soft pulls on your credit can’t be seen by anyone except you.
A soft credit check isn’t bad for your credit. This type of credit check doesn’t harm your credit score, and lenders can’t see it on your credit reports.
There are some secured cards that don’t do a hard pull on your credit. All of the secured credit cards we featured above can be obtained with just a soft pull.
There is no limit to the number of soft pulls you can have on your credit. In fact, you really can’t control the number of soft pulls on your credit because a lender can do a soft credit pull without your permission in order to make you an offer for a credit card or loan.
Whether a credit limit increase requires a soft pull or a hard pull will depend on your credit card issuer. The credit card company may perform a hard pull on your credit to see if you’re eligible for a credit limit increase. But if your card issuer offers automatic credit limit increases, it may result in a soft inquiry, which doesn’t affect your credit. For example, Bank of America uses a soft pull before increasing your credit limit.
In a soft credit pull, your credit card issuer will look at how you manage your debt and credit history. This may include late payments, collection activity or other credit pulls.
The information related to the Petal® 2 Cash Back, No Fees Visa® Credit Card, Apple Credit Card and Chase Freedom Rise® Credit Card has been independently collected by LendingTree and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer of this card prior to publication. Terms apply.
The content above is not provided by any issuer. Any opinions expressed are those of LendingTree alone and have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any issuer. The offers and/or promotions mentioned above may have changed, expired, or are no longer available. Check the issuer's website for more details.
