Updated
Fact Checked
Nathan Alderman
If you want to get a Discover® credit card, you may be wondering how hard it is to get approved. Your credit score plays an important role here. The best Discover credit cards are aimed at consumers with FICO® Scores of 670 or above. If you have good or excellent credit, that helps quite a bit.
While there's no way to guarantee an approval, there are ways to make it more likely. To help with that, here's a look at whether it's hard to get a Discover card, and the main factors that go into a successful application.
Is it hard to get a Discover card?
It's not hard to get a Discover card. Discover has credit card options for just about everybody, from people who are building or rebuilding credit to those who have a high credit score already.
Make sure to pick a card that matches your financial situation. For example, if you're a student with no credit history, then a student credit card from Discover would be the best choice.
If you're not sure which cards you'll qualify for, check for Discover pre-approval offers. You can do this online on the Discover website to see which credit cards you have a strong chance of getting.
Discover's credit card application rules
Discover has a few firm credit card application rules that determine whether you're eligible for a new card:
- You can have a maximum of two Discover credit card accounts.
- Your first Discover card must be open for at least one year before you can open a second.
- You can only have one student credit card with Discover at any one time.
No matter your credit score, you can't get around these application rules. If you opened a Discover card three months ago, you need to wait another nine months before applying for a new one. And if you have two Discover cards, you can't get a new one. You would need to cancel one to open another.
Easy-approval Discover cards
Some Discover credit cards are designed for consumers with low credit scores or no credit history. Below are three of the easiest credit cards to get from Discover.
As of Apr. 16, 2024
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| Discover it® Secured Credit Card | Discover it® Student Cash Back | Discover it® Student Chrome |
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Rating image, 5.00 out of 5 stars.
5.00/5
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.
5 stars equals Best.
4 stars equals Excellent.
3 stars equals Good.
2 stars equals Fair.
1 star equals Poor.
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
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Rating image, 5.00 out of 5 stars.
5.00/5
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.
5 stars equals Best.
4 stars equals Excellent.
3 stars equals Good.
2 stars equals Fair.
1 star equals Poor.
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
= Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair = Poor |
Rating image, 4.75 out of 5 stars.
4.75/5
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.
5 stars equals Best.
4 stars equals Excellent.
3 stars equals Good.
2 stars equals Fair.
1 star equals Poor.
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
= Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair = Poor |
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Credit Rating Requirement:
Falling within this credit range does not guarantee approval by the issuer. An application must be submitted to the issuer for a potential approval decision. There are different types of credit scores and creditors use a variety of credit scores to make lending decisions.
Recommended Credit Score required for this offer is: New/Rebuilding Under(579)
New/Rebuilding Under(579) |
Credit Rating Requirement:
Falling within this credit range does not guarantee approval by the issuer. An application must be submitted to the issuer for a potential approval decision. There are different types of credit scores and creditors use a variety of credit scores to make lending decisions.
Recommended Credit Score required for this offer is: Fair/New to Credit Under(669)
Fair/New to Credit Under(669) |
Credit Rating Requirement:
Falling within this credit range does not guarantee approval by the issuer. An application must be submitted to the issuer for a potential approval decision. There are different types of credit scores and creditors use a variety of credit scores to make lending decisions.
Recommended Credit Score required for this offer is: Fair/New to Credit Under(669)
Fair/New to Credit Under(669) |
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Welcome Offer: Discover will match all the cash back you’ve earned at the end of your first year. |
Welcome Offer: N/A Discover will match all the cash back you’ve earned at the end of your first year. |
Welcome Offer: N/A Discover will match all the cash back you’ve earned at the end of your first year. |
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Rewards Program: 2% cash back at Gas Stations and Restaurants on up to $1,000 in combined purchases each quarter. 1% unlimited cash back on all other purchases - automatically 1% - 2% Cashback |
Rewards Program: 5% cash back at different places each quarter up to the quarterly maximum when you activate. 1% unlimited cash back on all other purchases - automatically 1% - 5% Cashback |
Rewards Program: 2% cash back at Gas Stations and Restaurants on up to $1,000 in combined purchases each quarter. 1% unlimited cash back on all other purchases - automatically 1% - 2% Cashback |
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Intro APR: Purchases: n/a Balance Transfers: 10.99%, 6 months |
Intro APR: Purchases: 0%, 6 months Balance Transfers: 10.99%, 6 months |
Intro APR: Purchases: 0%, 6 months Balance Transfers: 10.99%, 6 months |
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Regular APR: 28.24% Variable APR |
Regular APR: 18.24% - 27.24% Variable APR |
Regular APR: 18.24% - 27.24% Variable APR |
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Annual Fee: $0 |
Annual Fee: $0 |
Annual Fee: $0 |
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Reasons you could be denied for a Discover card
Your credit score is one factor that Discover looks at when you submit an application. It's far from the only factor though. Here are common examples of other reasons Discover could think twice about approving your application.
Insufficient income
There are multiple ways your income affects credit card applications. Discover uses your income to determine if it will approve you for a card and, if so, what your credit limit will be. What's especially important is your income compared to the credit you already have. If you make $45,000 per year, that would typically get you approved for a credit card. However, if you already have $50,000 in total credit across other credit cards, that could be an issue that prevents you from getting a Discover card.
Recent accounts opened
Another risk factor that can make card issuers wary is when you've opened multiple new credit cards. Credit card companies could question why you're getting so much credit. If you've opened multiple cards with other card issuers in the last six months to a year, Discover may decide not to issue you a card.
Recent credit inquiries
A high number of credit applications also makes you a riskier applicant. You could have trouble getting a Discover credit card if you've applied for multiple credit cards or loans recently, even if you weren't approved for some of them.
If your Discover credit card application is denied, you'll get a letter in the mail with the reasons for the denial.
What to do if Discover denies your credit card application
In some cases, you can get Discover to reconsider a denial. Whether this is an option depends on why you weren't approved.
If it's because of one of Discover's application rules, you're most likely out of luck. Discover is strict about those, so you can't typically get around them.
For denials due to any other reason, it may be possible to get Discover to change its decision. Here's what to do:
- Call Discover customer service at 1-800-347-2683.
- Ask to speak to the reconsideration line about your recent Discover card application.
- Explain the situation and ask if the representative can approve you for the card you want.
TIP
Getting approved for a credit card
Check credit score requirements before applying for a credit card. Some credit cards only approve people with excellent credit. Others are made especially for people with low or no credit. Here are our favorite credit cards organized by credit score requirements:
- Below 580: Best cards for poor credit
- 580-669: Best cards for fair credit
- 670-739: Best cards for good credit
- 740 or higher: Best cards for excellent credit
It can help to point out reasons you'd be a great cardholder during the conversation. If you have a high credit score, bring that up. If you don't have much of a credit history, but you have always made loan payments on time, that's worth mentioning.
Discover normally isn't too strict, as long as your credit profile is a good fit for the card you want. If so, and you haven't run afoul of Discover's application rules, you should have a strong chance of approval.
Still have questions?
Some other questions we've answered:
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Lyle Daly is a personal finance writer who specializes in credit cards, travel rewards programs, and banking. He writes for The Ascent and The Motley Fool, and his work has appeared in USA Today and Yahoo! Finance. He was born in California but currently lives as a digital nomad with a home base in Colombia.
Fact Checked
Nathan Alderman
Nathan Alderman has worked with The Motley Fool since 2005, making errors his arch-enemies in a variety of roles including a six-year stint as the dedicated fact-checker for The Motley Fool's premium newsletter services. As The Ascent's Compliance Lead, he makes sure that all the site's information is accurate and up to date, which ensures we always steer readers right and keeps various financial partners happy. A graduate of Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism, Nathan spends his spare time volunteering for civic causes, writing and podcasting for fun, adoring his wife, and wrangling his two very large young children.
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Discover Financial Services is an advertising partner of The Ascent, a Motley Fool company. John Mackey, former CEO of Whole Foods Market, an Amazon subsidiary, is a member of The Motley Fool’s board of directors. Lyle Daly has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Amazon and Target. The Motley Fool recommends Discover Financial Services. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.