The process of applying for a credit card can lead to many questions, especially for those looking for their first credit card or those with bad credit. There are many different factors that can influence your ability to get approved for a new account.

ClearScore is a credit broker, not a lender.

How to Get a Credit Card

There are four main ways to apply for a credit card: online, over the phone, in branch, and through a targeted offer. In most cases, the credit card offers are quite consistent no matter how you apply. The only real exception to this is targeted offers you may receive by post or email.

Targeted offers have the potential to be the most or least rewarding, depending on what the issuer presents you with. For example, some individuals receive offers from certain rewards cards with extra welcome bonus points (or miles). When you get a targeted offer through the mail, it’s important to also check whether better deals are available online or in the general marketplace.

The advantage of applying for a credit card at a bank’s brick and mortar location is that a banker may help your application. And having a pre-existing relationship via a current or savings account with the institution can help. If you have a previous relationship with the bank, but have been denied, a banker may contact an appeals line on your behalf and make the case for why you should be approved for a card. This can especially make the difference for a consumer with bad credit or little credit history.

Pre-Approval Eligibility Checks

The risk of applying for a credit card is that all applications - whether successful or not - carry out a hard credit search which leaves a mark on your credit file. Too many credit card applications in a short period can signal financial strain to potential lenders. Many banks now offer a pre-application eligibility check, that only uses a soft credit search. These soft searches will be visible to you when you check your own credit score, but they are not visible to potential lenders.

Those new to credit or with a low credit score can use these issuers' eligibility checkers to see their chances of approval before applying. Eligibility and acceptance are decided by each lender and depend on its own criteria and checks — checking your eligibility does not guarantee that you'll be accepted, and other factors such as fraud checks or ID verification can still result in a declined application even after a positive eligibility result.

What do you Need to get Approved for a Credit Card?

Lenders consider information in your credit report alongside income, affordability and their own eligibility criteria. Additionally, you need to show proof of address and identification (e.g., being on the electoral roll) and most applicants need to be above the age of 18. Your credit score is an indicator and lenders may assess applicants differently. Before applying for a new card, you can check your credit score to understand if you have a strong or weak rating.

Student and Credit-Builder Cards

Student and credit-builder credit cards typically have less stringent credit score and income requirements. Both of these credit card types typically come with lower credit limits and higher interest rates compared to standard cards. As of September 2026, representative APRs on credit-builder cards generally range from around 34% to 43%, with initial credit limits typically starting as low as £50 and going up to around £2,500, depending on the individual card and applicant. Rates, limits and card names change over time, so see our best credit cards for bad credit guide for current options.

Credit-builder cards are broadly targeted at two demographics: those working to improve a bad credit history and those new to credit who haven't yet established a credit history. This last group includes both young people who haven't had their own bank accounts or credit cards yet and also those who have recently moved to the UK (even if they had an established credit history in their previous country of residence).

Pre-paid credit cards are another option as they don't generally perform a credit check or have income requirements, since the issuer isn't lending you any money. However, most pre-paid cards don't report back to the credit agencies, so responsible use of one won't help build your credit history.

Secondary Credit Card

If you can't qualify for a card on your own, an option is to become a secondary user on another person's credit card account. As a secondary cardholder you will usually have access to all the benefits of the credit card. While becoming a secondary cardholder is useful for getting a working credit card in your wallet, being a secondary cardholder will not help your credit score. The primary cardholder is still the responsible party, liable for payments on the account.

The credit card issuers will only report back to the credit agencies regarding this primary cardholder, which means that a secondary cardholder will not see any boost to their credit file, even if the account is managed well. Becoming a secondary cardholder can provide access to a working credit card, but it won't improve the secondary holder's own ability to qualify for a credit card account in future.

What To Do When You Get Denied A Credit Card

Even if you are declined for a particular credit card, you can try to get the decision reversed. To do this, you must call the bank and ask for the reconsideration or appeals department. There you will speak with an agent and can find out why you were rejected for the card, and whether anything can be done to change the decision. In this situation, it can help if you already have a relationship with a bricks and mortar bank, so that you can go into a branch and enquire in person. You may be advised to write an appeals letter, which you then post to the bank with any supporting or missing documentation.

Also, it is important to be aware that after you are rejected for a credit card, your credit score takes a temporary hit. And while other potential lenders won't see that you've been rejected, they will see that recent application, which may make them wary of a subsequent application from you. As a result, the odds of approval tend to decrease with each additional application made in a short space of time.

Note: As of 2026, it is now standard practice for nearly all major UK issuers to offer 'soft' search eligibility checks, allowing you to see your chances of approval without impacting your credit score.

ClearScore is a credit broker, not a lender.

Details correct as of 08 September 2026. Terms, rates and features are subject to change — always verify current details before applying. This article is for general information only and does not constitute financial advice.