How to Apply for a Credit Card Without Affecting Your Credit Score

When you're ready to apply for a new credit card, you might be concerned about the potential impact on your credit score. While it's true that most credit card applications will trigger what's called a "hard inquiry," which can temporarily affect your credit score, there are strategies you can use to minimize this impact and make decisions about when and how to apply. ^[1]

In this post, we'll break down exactly how credit inquiries work, when they affect your score, and the steps you can take to apply for credit cards while protecting your credit health.

Key points

• Pre-qualification and pre-approval processes use soft inquiries that don't impact your credit score, allowing you to see potential card offers and eligibility before submitting a formal application that triggers a hard inquiry.
• Secured credit cards with no credit check requirements are available for individuals who want to avoid hard inquiries entirely.
• Strategic application timing can minimize the impact by taking advantage of rate-shopping windows and only applying for credit when truly necessary to avoid multiple hard inquiries within a short period.

Does applying for a credit card impact your credit?

Applying for a credit card can impact your credit score, but the effect is typically minimal and temporary. When you apply for a new credit card, the lender will conduct what's called a "hard inquiry" or "hard pull" to review your credit history as part of the approval process. ^[1]

For most people, one additional credit inquiry will take less than five points off their FICO® scores, and this score impact may only last a few months. Even though hard inquiries stay on your credit reports for up to two years, FICO scores only consider inquiries from the past 12 months. In most cases, a single hard inquiry is unlikely to play a huge role in whether you're approved for a new card or loan. ^[2]

The actual impact on your credit score depends on your overall credit profile and application habits. Multiple hard inquiries in a short period of different types of credit could lead lenders and credit card issuers to consider you a higher-risk customer, as it suggests you may be relying on credit.

Can rate shopping impact your credit score?

For loans like auto, mortgage, and student loans that often involve shopping around for different rates, FICO scores will ignore inquiries made in the 30 days before scoring. If you find a loan within 30 days, the rate shopping inquiries won’t impact your scores. This applies to rate shopping if you’re applying for the same type of credit multiple times during a short period. If, however, you applied for a mortgage, an auto loan, and a personal loan all very closely together, this would be viewed as three separate hard inquiries and could have a negative impact on your credit score.

The rate shopping rule won’t always apply to shopping around for credit cards, but many lenders offer the option of preapproval using a soft inquiry for credit cards. Be aware that the exact impact on your credit score will vary depending on the scoring model and the lender. ^[2]

Credit card prequalification and preapproval

Credit card prequalification and preapproval processes are designed to help consumers determine their likelihood of approval before submitting a formal application, and they don't impact your credit score because they use "soft inquiries." Soft inquiries differ from hard inquiries in a few ways; both show up on your credit report, but a soft inquiry won’t impact your credit score.

The difference between prequalification and preapproval

The prequalification and preapproval processes both look at your basic credit information and run a soft credit check to determine your likelihood of approval.

Prequalification and preapproval can sometimes be used interchangeably, but card issuers might have different criteria for them. Typically, prequalification means a card issuer may have done a basic review of your credit reports and found that you might qualify for a card. Pre-approval typically involves a prescreening by a credit card issuer. If you receive a pre-approval offer that you didn’t initiate, the card issuer may have worked with a credit bureau to target people who are likely to qualify for a certain card. The criteria for pre-approval may be more rigorous than for pre-qualification. ^[3]

Is it possible to apply for a credit card with no credit check?

While most traditional credit cards require a credit check as part of the application process, there are limited options that do not require this review of your credit history. The secured Self Visa® Credit Card requires no hard credit check or minimum score and is designed to help consumers establish credit.

However, some cards with no credit check requirements can come with conditional requirements compared to traditional credit cards. These no-credit-check options are primarily secured cards, meaning you must provide upfront funds to use as security for the card.

How secured credit cards work

One way to apply for a credit card without it affecting your credit score is to apply for a secured credit card. Keep in mind that if you are approved for the card, it will impact your new credit and your average age of credit history, both of which can affect your credit score. Secured credit cards function similarly to traditional credit cards but require a refundable security deposit that typically becomes your credit limit.

These types of credit cards can be a good option if you have never used credit before or if you have a poor credit score. They can help you build credit, making it easier for you to be approved for other types of credit cards in the future.

Upfront security deposit

The security deposit on a secured credit card acts as collateral for the lender, significantly reducing their risk and making approval much more likely.

If you paid an upfront security deposit of $300, this would typically give you a credit limit of $300 on your secured credit card, though this might vary depending on the card. ^[3]

Credit utilization

Your credit utilization ratio is the percentage of your available credit that you are using. Some experts suggest that keeping your credit utilization ratio below 30% can help build your credit score. It’s important to keep in mind that there is no set figure where you will start to see your credit utilization ratio negatively or positively impact your credit score, but a lower ratio is generally considered better.

The key to success with secured cards is making on-time payments and keeping your credit utilization low, just as you would with a traditional credit card. If you have a credit limit of $300, you would need to keep your spending under $100 to stay around 30% credit utilization. ^[4]

More about the Self Visa® secured credit card

The Self Visa® Credit Card is a secured credit card designed specifically for individuals looking to build or rebuild their credit history, requiring no hard credit check or minimum score requirement. The card requires a minimum security deposit of $100, which becomes your initial credit limit, and reports to all three major credit bureaus – Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion.

What makes the card unique is that you can secure it either with a traditional cash deposit or by opening a Self Credit Builder Account. The Self Credit Builder Account allows you to build the deposit over time. Once you have built up the $100 minimum in your credit builder account, you can use this to fund the security deposit for the card.* Self offers different Credit Builder Account plans to meet most people’s budgets.

Typical requirements for no-credit-check cards

Even though these cards don't require credit checks, they still have basic eligibility requirements. You have to be at least 18 years old, and you’ll need to provide information like your monthly or annual income, your address, and your Social Security number. If you are under 21, issuers may require proof of your income or a cosigner. If you’re applying for a secured credit card, you’ll need enough money for the refundable security deposit and show you have the ability to make your monthly payments. ^[5]

How to establish credit and build your score

If you have no credit history or a low credit score, you might find it difficult to qualify for a credit card. There are ways you can build your credit and give yourself a better chance of being accepted for different types of credit, including more traditional credit cards.

• Try a credit builder loan - These allow people with little or no credit history to build credit from scratch. If approved for the loan, the loan amount you borrow is set aside in a certificate of deposit (CD) or savings account, and you begin making your monthly payments. You receive the funds once you’ve made all of the payments (minus interest and fees).
• Become an authorized user - This involves a family member or friend adding you to their credit card account, enabling you to use their account and build your credit score. Be aware that the primary account holder will need to make regular payments and keep the account in good standing, or your credit could be negatively impacted.
• Report rent payments - Services like Self’s free rent reporting tool** report your on-time rent payments to the credit bureaus, helping you build credit.
• Consider a student credit card - If you’re a college student, this type of credit card can be a good option if you’ve never used credit before, and you may not need a security deposit to open one. [6]

Bottom line

Although applying for most credit cards will impact your credit, you can use options like prequalification to give you a better indication of whether you will be approved for a specific credit card. This could limit the number of hard credit checks and, therefore, minimize the impact on your credit score.

The most important factor for long-term credit health is using any credit you obtain responsibly—making payments on time, keeping balances low, and avoiding unnecessary debt. With the right approach and careful planning, you can access the credit you need while maintaining and even improving your credit score over time.

*Qualification for the secured Self Visa® Credit Card is based on meeting eligibility requirements, including income and expense requirements and establishment of security interest. Criteria subject to change.

**Results vary. You may not receive an improved credit score. Not all lenders use scores impacted by rent/utility payments.

Sources

1. Experian, “What is a Hard Inquiry?” https://www.experian.com/blogs/ask-experian/what-is-a-hard-inquiry/ Accessed September 15, 2025
2. Experian, “Do Multiple Hard Loan Inquiries Affect Your Credit Score?” https://www.experian.com/blogs/ask-experian/do-multiple-loan-inquiries-affect-your-credit-score/ Accessed September 15, 2025
3. Capital One, “Credit Card Pre-approval and Pre-qualification” https://www.capitalone.com/learn-grow/money-management/credit-card-pre-approval-pre-qualification/ Accessed September 15, 2025
4. MyFICO, “What Should My Credit Utilization Be?” https://www.myfico.com/credit-education/blog/credit-utilization-be Accessed September 15, 2025
5. Experian, “How to Get a Credit Card if You Don’t Have a Credit History?” https://www.experian.com/blogs/ask-experian/how-to-get-a-credit-card-if-you-dont-have-a-credit-history/ Accessed September 15, 2025
6. Investopedia, “What is a Student Credit Card?” https://www.investopedia.com/what-is-a-student-credit-card-5191388 Accessed September 15, 2025

About the author

Becca has over 10 years of experience as a content writer, working across various industries including finance, digital marketing, education, travel, and technology. Her work has been featured in publications including Forbes, Business Insider, AOL, Yahoo, GOBankingRates, and more.

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