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Credit Score Ranges Required for Popular Airline and Travel Credit Cards

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The information related to the The Amex EveryDay® Credit Card from American Express and The Amex EveryDay® Preferred Credit Card from American Express has been collected by LendingTree and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer of this card prior to publication. Terms apply.

If you’re looking for an airline or travel credit card, you may be under the impression that those cards are reserved for people with the highest credit scores.

But many lucrative airline and travel credit cards don’t require anywhere near a “perfect” credit score to qualify. However, it’s difficult to pinpoint the exact credit score requirements of a new card since issuers use different credit bureaus and criteria to determine eligibility.

The data listed below shows the low and high credit score range required by major issuers for a particular card.

Know that some issuers also impose restrictions on the number of cards you can have or apply for. For example, Chase won’t approve you for a new Chase card if you’ve applied for more than five cards from any issuer in the past 24 months (known informally as the Chase 5/24 rule), and American Express limits the number of American Express cards you can carry to five.

Know also that issuers will also look at your income and current debt levels when reviewing your application to determine whether to approve you for a card.

Credit score ranges for popular airline and travel credit cards
	Low score	High score
American Express
The Amex EveryDay® Credit Card from American Express*	Excellent	Excellent
The Amex EveryDay® Preferred Credit Card from American Express*	Good/Excellent	Good/Excellent
American Express^® Business Gold Card	Good/Excellent	Good/Excellent
Delta SkyMiles^® Gold American Express Card	Good/Excellent	Good/Excellent
Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant^® American Express^® Card	Good/Excellent	Good/Excellent
The Platinum Card^® from American Express	Good/Excellent	Good/Excellent
Bank of America
Bank of America^® Travel Rewards credit card	Good/Excellent	Good/Excellent
Chase
British Airways Visa Signature® Card	Good/Excellent	Good/Excellent
Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card	Excellent	Excellent
Marriott Bonvoy Boundless^® Credit Card	Good/Excellent	Good/Excellent
Southwest Rapid Rewards^® Premier Credit Card	Excellent	Excellent
United℠ Explorer Card	Good/Excellent	Good/Excellent
Capital One
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card	Good/Excellent	Good/Excellent
Citi
Citi Premier^® Card	Good/Excellent	Good/Excellent
Citi^® / AAdvantage^® Executive World Elite Mastercard^®	Good/Excellent	Good/Excellent

As expected, the combined average credit score for the cards mentioned above falls in the good-to-excellent range (670-850, according to FICO®). This isn’t a surprise since these cards are often targeted to the banks’ best customers, and people who travel a lot tend to be a bit more well off than average.

What stands out is the lower credit scores for many cards. The credit scores listed above show that you may not need a 700+ credit score to qualify for the best mile and travel credit cards. Some cards like the Bank of America^® Travel Rewards credit card and the United℠ Explorer Card offer wider acceptance beyond just “perfect” credit scores as issuers try to make rewards more accessible.

Credit card approval can also depend on your income or relationship with a bank, or even how many other rewards cards you’ve recently applied for.

How Does LendingTree Get Paid?

LendingTree is compensated by companies on this site and this compensation may impact how and where offers appears on this site (such as the order). LendingTree does not include all lenders, savings products, or loan options available in the marketplace.

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on Chase's secure site

Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card

Highlights

Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $750 when you redeem through Chase Travel℠.
Enjoy beneﬁts such as 5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries, 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases, $50 Annual Chase Travel Hotel Credit, plus more.
Get 25% more value when you redeem for airfare, hotels, car rentals and cruises through Chase Travel℠. For example, 60,000 points are worth $750 toward travel.
Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Lost Luggage Insurance and more.
Get complimentary access to DashPass which unlocks $0 delivery fees and lower service fees for a minimum of one year when you activate by December 31, 2024.
Member FDIC

Recommended Credit

720 850

Excellent

Get my free score

How Does LendingTree Get Paid?

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Apply Now

on American Express's secure site

Rates & Fees

| Terms Apply

American Express^® Business Gold Card

Intro Purchase APR N/A

Regular Purchase APR 19.49% - 28.49% Variable

Annual Fee $375

Rewards Rate Get 4X Membership Rewards® points on the 2 select categories where your business spent the most each month on the first $150,000 in combined purchases each calendar year (then 1X thereafter). Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights and prepaid hotels booked on amextravel.com using your Business Gold Card. Earn up to $20 in statement credits monthly after you use the Business Gold Card for eligible U.S. purchases at FedEx, Grubhub, and Office Supply Stores. This can be an annual savings of up to $240. Enrollment required.

Highlights

Welcome Offer: Earn 70,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $10,000 on eligible purchases with the Business Gold Card within the first 3 months of Card Membership.*
Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points on the 2 categories where your business spends the most each billing cycle from 6 eligible categories. While your top 2 categories may change, you will earn 4X points on the first $150,000 in combined purchases from these categories each calendar year (then 1X thereafter). Only the top 2 categories each billing cycle will count towards the $150,000 cap.
Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights and prepaid hotels booked on amextravel.com using your Business Gold Card.
Earn up to $20 in statement credits monthly after you use the Business Gold Card for eligible U.S. purchases at FedEx, Grubhub, and Office Supply Stores. This can be an annual savings of up to $240. Enrollment required.
Get $12.95 back in statement credits each month when you pay for a monthly Walmart+ membership (subject to auto-renewal) with your Business Gold Card. $12.95 plus applicable taxes.
Your Card – Your Choice. Choose from Gold or Rose Gold.
*Terms Apply

Recommended Credit

660 720 850

Good/Excellent

Get my free score

How Does LendingTree Get Paid?

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Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card

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on American Express's secure site

Rates & Fees

| Terms Apply

Delta SkyMiles^® Gold American Express Card

Highlights

Earn 40,000 Bonus Miles after you spend $2,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership.
Enjoy a $0 introductory Annual Fee for the first year, then $150.
Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card Members get 15% off when using miles to book Award Travel on Delta flights through delta.com and the Fly Delta app. Discount not applicable to partner-operated flights or to taxes and fees.
$200 Delta Flight Credit: After you spend $10,000 in purchases in a year, you can receive a $200 Delta Flight Credit to use toward future travel.
Earn 2X Miles on Delta purchases, at U.S. Supermarkets and at restaurants worldwide, including takeout and delivery in the U.S. Earn 1X Miles on all other eligible purchases.
You can check your first bag free on Delta flights, saving up to $60 on a round-trip Delta flight per person. For a family of four that’s a potential savings of up to $240 per round-trip flight.
Receive Main Cabin 1 Priority Boarding on Delta flights; board early, stow your carry-on bag and settle in sooner.
$100 Delta Stays Credit: Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card Members can earn up to $100 back annually on eligible prepaid Delta Stays bookings on delta.com.
Take up to $50 off the cost of your flight for every 5,000 miles you redeem with Pay with Miles when you book on delta.com.
Receive a 20% savings in the form of a statement credit on eligible Delta in-flight purchases after using your Card.
No Foreign Transaction Fees.
With Send & Split®, you can send money and split your Card purchases with any other Venmo or PayPal user, directly from the Amex App. Enroll today.
Terms Apply.

Recommended Credit

660 720 850

Good/Excellent

Get my free score

How Does LendingTree Get Paid?

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Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card

Apply Now

on American Express's secure site

Rates & Fees

| Terms Apply

Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant^® American Express^® Card

Highlights

Earn 185,000 Marriott Bonvoy bonus points after you use your new Card to make $6,000 in purchases within the first 6 months of Card Membership.
$300 Brilliant Dining Credit: Each calendar year, get up to $300 (up to $25 per month) in statement credits for eligible purchases made on the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card at restaurants worldwide.
With Marriott Bonvoy Platinum Elite status, you can receive room upgrades, including enhanced views or suites, when available at select properties and booked with a Qualifying Rate.
Earn 6X Marriott Bonvoy points for each dollar of eligible purchases at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy®. 3X points at restaurants worldwide and on flights booked directly with airlines. 2X points on all other eligible purchases.
Free Night Award: Receive 1 Free Night Award every year after your Card renewal month. Award can be used for one night (redemption level at or under 85,000 Marriott Bonvoy points) at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy®. Certain hotels have resort fees.
Each calendar year after spending $60,000 on eligible purchases on your Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card, you will be eligible to select a Brilliant Earned Choice Award benefit. You can only earn one Earned Choice Award per calendar year. See https://www.choice-benefit.marriott.com/brilliant for Award options.
$100 Marriott Bonvoy Property Credit: Enjoy your stay. Receive up to a $100 property credit for qualifying charges at The Ritz-Carlton® or St. Regis® when you book direct using a special rate for a two-night minimum stay using your Card.
Fee Credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®: Receive either a statement credit every 4 years after you apply for Global Entry ($100) or a statement credit every 4.5 years after you apply for a five-year membership for TSA PreCheck® (up to $85 through a TSA PreCheck official enrollment provider) and pay the application fee with your Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card. If approved for Global Entry, at no additional charge, you will receive access to TSA PreCheck.
Each calendar year with your Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card you can receive 25 Elite Night Credits toward the next level of Marriott Bonvoy® Elite status. Limitations apply per Marriott Bonvoy member account. Benefit is not exclusive to Cards offered by American Express. Terms apply.
Enroll in Priority Pass™ Select, which offers unlimited airport lounge visits to over 1,200 lounges in over 130 countries, regardless of which carrier or class you are flying. This allows you to relax before or between flights. You can enjoy snacks, drinks, and internet access in a quiet, comfortable location.
No Foreign Transaction Fees on international purchases.
With Cell Phone Protection, you can be reimbursed, the lesser of, your repair or replacement costs following damage, such as a cracked screen, or theft for a maximum of $800 per claim when your cell phone line is listed on a wireless bill and the prior month's wireless bill was paid by an Eligible Card Account. A $50 deductible will apply to each approved claim with a limit of 2 approved claims per 12-month period. Additional terms and conditions apply. Coverage is provided by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company.
$650 Annual Fee.
Terms Apply.

Recommended Credit

660 720 850

Good/Excellent

Get my free score

How Does LendingTree Get Paid?

| Disclosures

The Platinum Card® from American Express

Apply Now

on American Express's secure site

Rates & Fees

| Terms Apply

The Platinum Card^® from American Express

Highlights

Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $8,000 on purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Apply and select your preferred metal Card design: classic Platinum Card®, Platinum x Kehinde Wiley, or Platinum x Julie Mehretu.
Earn 5X Membership Rewards® Points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year and earn 5X Membership Rewards® Points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel.
$200 Hotel Credit: Get up to $200 back in statement credits each year on prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts® or The Hotel Collection bookings with American Express Travel when you pay with your Platinum Card®. The Hotel Collection requires a minimum two-night stay.
$240 Digital Entertainment Credit: Get up to $20 back in statement credits each month on eligible purchases made with your Platinum Card® on one or more of the following: Disney+, a Disney Bundle, ESPN+, Hulu, The New York Times, Peacock, and The Wall Street Journal. Enrollment required.
$155 Walmart+ Credit: Cover the cost of a $12.95 monthly Walmart+ membership (subject to auto-renewal) with a statement credit after you pay for Walmart+ each month with your Platinum Card®. Cost includes $12.95 plus applicable local sales tax. Plus Up Benefits are excluded.
$200 Airline Fee Credit: Select one qualifying airline and then receive up to $200 in statement credits per calendar year when incidental fees are charged by the airline to your Platinum Card®.
$200 Uber Cash: Enjoy Uber VIP status and up to $200 in Uber savings on rides or eats orders in the US annually. Uber Cash and Uber VIP status is available to Basic Card Member only. Terms Apply.
$300 Equinox Credit: Get up to $300 back in statement credits per calendar year on an Equinox membership, or an Equinox club membership (subject to auto-renewal) when you pay with your Platinum Card®. Enrollment required. Visit https://platinum.equinox.com/ to enroll.
$189 CLEAR® Plus Credit: Breeze through security with CLEAR Plus at 100+ airports, stadiums, and entertainment venues nationwide and get up to $189 back per calendar year on your Membership (subject to auto-renewal) when you use your Platinum Card®. Learn more.
$100 Global Entry Credit: Receive either a $100 statement credit every 4 years for a Global Entry application fee or a statement credit up to $85 every 4.5 years for a TSA PreCheck® (through a TSA official enrollment provider) application fee, when charged to your Platinum Card®. Card Members approved for Global Entry will also receive access to TSA PreCheck at no additional cost.
Shop Saks with Platinum: Get up to $100 in statement credits annually for purchases in Saks Fifth Avenue stores or at saks.com on your Platinum Card®. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
$300 SoulCycle At-Home Bike Credit: Get a $300 statement credit for the purchase of a SoulCycle at-home bike with your Platinum Card®. An Equinox+ subscription is required to purchase a SoulCycle at-home bike and access SoulCycle content. Must charge full price of bike in one transaction. Shipping available in the contiguous U.S. only. Enrollment Required.
Unlock access to exclusive reservations and special dining experiences with Global Dining Access by Resy when you add your Platinum Card® to your Resy profile.
$695 annual fee.
Terms Apply.

Recommended Credit

660 720 850

Good/Excellent

Get my free score

What to know before applying

If your credit score is below 700 and you’re looking to open a miles or travel credit card, keep a few things in mind:

Consider an airline-branded credit card. It’s not clear why, but co-branded airline cards from the major airlines, including American, Delta, Southwest and United, tend to have some of the lowest typical credit scores approved. That means if you have just good or fair credit, you may have a better shot at getting approved for an airline card.

Consider checking prequalified offers. See if you’re prequalified for a card before you apply. Many major travel rewards card issuers, including Capital One, Discover, Citi and American Express, have pre-qualification tools that allow you to see if you have a good chance of being approved before you fill out an application. Pre-qualification helps you shop around for the best card offers without hurting your credit score. While pre-qualification isn’t a guarantee of approval, it can help you narrow down your choices.

Review your credit report. Before you apply for a credit card, review your credit report from all three bureaus so you can make sure everything that’s on there is correct. Credit card issuers can pull one or all three reports from the major credit bureaus (Experian, Equifax and TransUnion). Applicant comments on CreditBoards.com show which credit bureaus the most reports were pulled from for each issuer:

Amex: Experian
Bank of America: Experian
Barclays: TransUnion
Capital One: Tends to pull all three
Chase: Experian
Citi: Experian
Discover: Mix of the three

Once approved for a card, make sure you pay off your balance on time and in full each month. Any earned miles aren’t worth the interest charges and late fees that you’ll incur if you carry a balance month to month or pay late.

Other than that, you shouldn’t be too afraid of rejection. If you have a steady income, aren’t carrying a lot of other debt and a solid credit history, you could be eligible for that coveted miles or travel card.

How Does LendingTree Get Paid?

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Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card

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on Bank Of America's secure site

Bank of America^® Travel Rewards credit card

Highlights

Earn unlimited 1.5 points per $1 spent on all purchases, with no annual fee and no foreign transaction fees and your points don't expire as long as your account remains open.
25,000 online bonus points after you make at least $1,000 in purchases in the first 90 days of account opening - that can be a $250 statement credit toward travel purchases.
Use your card to book your trip how and where you want - you're not limited to specific websites with blackout dates or restrictions.
Redeem points for a statement credit to pay for travel or dining purchases, such as flights, hotel stays, car and vacation rentals, baggage fees, and also at restaurants including takeout.
0% Intro APR for 15 billing cycles for purchases, and for any balance transfers made in the first 60 days. After the Intro APR offer ends, a Variable APR that’s currently 18.24% - 28.24% will apply. A 3% Intro balance transfer fee will apply for the first 60 days your account is open. After the Intro balance transfer fee offer ends, the fee for future balance transfers is 4%.
If you're a Bank of America Preferred Rewards® member, you can earn 25%-75% more points on every purchase. That means instead of earning an unlimited 1.5 points for every $1, you could earn 1.87-2.62 points for every $1 you spend on purchases.
Contactless Cards - The security of a chip card, with the convenience of a tap.
This online only offer may not be available if you leave this page or if you visit a Bank of America financial center. You can take advantage of this offer when you apply now.

Recommended Credit

660 720 850

Good/Excellent

Get my free score

How Does LendingTree Get Paid?

| Disclosures

Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card

Learn More

on Chase's secure site

Southwest Rapid Rewards^® Premier Credit Card*

Highlights

Earn 50,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
6,000 anniversary points each year.
Earn 3X points on Southwest® purchases.
Earn 2X points on local transit and commuting, including rideshare.
Earn 2X points on internet, cable, and phone services; select streaming.
2 EarlyBird Check-In® each year.
No foreign transaction fees.
Member FDIC

Recommended Credit

720 850

Excellent

Get my free score

*The information related to the Southwest Rapid Rewards^® Premier Credit Card has been collected by LendingTree and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer of this card prior to publication. Terms apply

How Does LendingTree Get Paid?

| Disclosures

Apply Now

on Chase's secure site

United℠ Explorer Card

Highlights

Earn 50,000 bonus miles after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open.
$0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $95.
Earn 2 miles per $1 spent on dining, hotel stays, and United^® purchases
Up to $100 Global Entry, TSA PreCheck^® or NEXUS fee credit
25% back as a statement credit on purchases of food, beverages and Wi-Fi on board United-operated flights and on Club premium drinks when you pay with your Explorer Card
Free first checked bag - a savings of up to $140 per roundtrip. Terms Apply.
Enjoy priority boarding privileges and visit the United Club℠ with 2 one-time passes each year for your anniversary
Member FDIC

Recommended Credit

660 720 850

Good/Excellent

Get my free score

How Does LendingTree Get Paid?

| Disclosures

Apply Now

on Capital One's secure site

Rates & Fees

Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

Highlights

Enjoy a one-time bonus of 75,000 miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel
Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, every day
Earn 5X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, where you'll get Capital One's best prices on thousands of trip options
Miles won't expire for the life of the account and there's no limit to how many you can earn
Receive up to a $100 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®
Use your miles to get reimbursed for any travel purchase—or redeem by booking a trip through Capital One Travel
Enrich every hotel stay from the Lifestyle Collection with a suite of cardholder benefits, like a $50 experience credit, room upgrades, and more
Transfer your miles to your choice of 15+ travel loyalty programs
For Capital One products listed on this page, some of the 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

Recommended Credit

660 720 850

Good/Excellent

Get my free score

*The information related to British Airways Visa Signature® Card, Marriott Bonvoy Boundless^® Credit Card and Citi^® / AAdvantage^® Executive World Elite Mastercard^® have been independently collected by LendingTree and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer of this card prior to publication.

Terms apply to American Express credit card offers. See americanexpress.com for more information.

*To see rates & fees for American Express^® Business Gold Card, please click here.

*To see rates & fees for Delta SkyMiles^® Gold American Express Card please click here.

*To see rates & fees for The Platinum Card^® from American Express, please click here.

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