Capital One offers a wide variety of cards and is known for its travel rewards with no blackout dates. It doesn’t matter if you’re new to credit, a heavy consumer, a frequent traveler, or a business owner, Capital One has a card designed for you. If you want to start enjoying it, keep reading, in this article we will explain how to apply for a Capital One credit card.
How to apply for a Capital One credit card application process has been greatly simplified as has approval. For example, you can apply online and receive a decision within 60 seconds.
As you will realize, applying for credit cards is quite simple; after all, banks want consumers to apply for their cards. But even so, you must do it right so that you can complete the application process as soon as possible.
If you are looking for any of the Capital One cards in particular, here we show you how to choose the one that suits you best, what are the requirements to apply for a Capital One card, how to apply for a Capital One card and what to expect once made the request.
How to apply for a Capital One credit card: first choose your card
Capital One has almost any type of credit card you need; however, you must choose correctly. To do so, take into account:
- your credit history
- What credit card benefits are most important to you
Your credit history will determine the cards you qualify for. For example, if you’re building or rebuilding your credit, you may want to start with a secured credit card. With fair credit, the Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card is an option to consider. Once you’ve achieved a good or excellent credit score, your options are broader, as you’ll be more likely to be approved for any Capital One card.
Among the most common benefits consumers expect are travel rewards, rebates, 0% introductory APRs, etc.
Below you can see which is the capital one card that offers you the benefits you need most:
1. Sign-up bonus and great travel rewards
Nothing better than a great signup bonus because it’s like receiving free money. The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card offers a valuable 50,000-mile sign-up bonus.
You’ll earn miles fast if you’re a regular hotel.com user. And if you want to book through Hotels.com, you’ll earn amazing reward miles with hotels.com/venture.
Even better, all other purchases you make with the card will earn reward miles per dollar. There are no limits or special bonus categories to worry about.
The miles you earn are super flexible and can be redeemed for any trip you buy with the card, at a rate of one penny each.
2. Great rewards and no annual fee
If you’d rather not pay a fee for a card, Capital One has you covered. The VentureOne Rewards card has no annual fee and offers a solid sign-up bonus.
The Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card includes a 20,000-mile sign-up bonus. Add to this what you will get as a bonus on your purchases. With this card, you will receive reward miles for every dollar you spend.
Just like the standard Venture Rewards card, the miles you earn with the VentureOne card can be redeemed for any travel purchases you make with your card.
An interesting feature of the VentureOne card is that it comes with a 0% APR on purchases. That’s great if you’re planning to buy an expensive item and need some extra time to pay for it.
3. Earn cash fast
If you’re not a big traveler, the Capital One Quicksilver Card is another great no-fee option that lets you earn direct cashback. The sign-up bonus is a bit less, but you will earn a little more on daily purchases.
The card also comes with 0% APR on both purchases and balance transfers. Therefore, this is a good option if you want to pay off some existing debt, in addition to financing a large purchase without interest.
4. The best Capital One credit card for entrepreneurs
The Spark Miles card is a great option for small business owners and independent contractors who don’t want to keep track of special bonus categories. Like the Venture card, this card earns reward miles for every dollar spent on all purchases.
You’ll also get a cool 20,000-mile sign-up bonus. The card comes with free employee cards and a tool to help you track your business expenses.
If travel isn’t your thing (or part of your business), Capital One also offers a cash-back version of this card, Spark Cash. It is also a good candidate for our list of the best.
5. Best Capital One Credit Card for Bad or No Credit
If you have bad credit or no credit history, it can be difficult to build your credit. Most banks will not give you a credit card. That’s where the Capital One Secured MasterCard comes in, a great tool when you need to improve your credit score. Plus, it offers all the convenience of a standard credit card.
To issue a card to someone who has bad credit or no credit, banks require some form of collateral to protect their investment. This is quite simple with a secured credit card. You just have to provide a cash deposit in the amount of your credit limit.
Capital One requires an initial security deposit and will issue the card with a valuable credit limit. Also, if you make the first five payments on time, they will increase your credit limit. Make regular payments and your credit will improve. You will be able to switch to another type of card in a very short time.
How to apply for a Capital One credit card: Pre-approval
The next thing to do after finding the card you want is to get pre-approved by Capital One. It will only take a minute and will not affect your credit in any way. It’s a smart, risk-free step to help you find out which credit cards are available to you.
It is important to note that pre-qualification or pre-approval is not the same as being approved for a credit card. It just means that Capital One thinks you might be a good candidate for their credit card.
You still need to complete a Capital One credit card application and submit it for approval. And, unfortunately, there is still a chance that you will not be approved. It’s just a good way to increase your odds.
How to apply for a Capital One credit card: Application
If you found the best card and got pre-approved from Capital One, now you have to apply for a capital one credit card.
You will need the following information before you can complete a capital one credit card application :
- your social security number
- Your physical address (a post office box is not enough)
- Your gross annual income
- Your monthly mortgage or rent payments
- Your checking and/or savings account information
- The estimated amount you could spend on a credit card per month
Once you have gathered all the information you need, go to the Capital One website, specifically the credit card section, find the card you have previously chosen, and click on the “Apply Now” button. You will be ready to complete your application.
Be sure to review the pricing information, terms, and conditions, and confirm the registration offer. You don’t want to incur an unexpected annual fee or miss out on a sign-up bonus for completing the wrong offer. Once you submit your Capital One credit card application, you will not be able to cancel it.
You will see all of this information posted at the top and bottom of the app page. There is even an option to print a copy, and we recommend that you print it to keep it for yourself.
Include all your income
If you receive money from someone regularly to pay for your expenses, Capital One allows you to include it and we encourage you to do so. According to the Capital One website, you can include your income “as long as you are at least 21 years old and the income is regularly used to pay expenses.”
That can also include your spouse’s or partner’s income. In short, if someone in your household earns money that is used to pay part of your living expenses, including bills, rent, or mortgage, you can include them. This could make you seem like a more attractive candidate.
How to Apply for a Capital One Credit Card: Check Application Status
Once you’ve submitted your Capital One credit card application, you’ll receive some type of decision within 60 seconds. The decision could be that it was approved, denied, or that your application is pending and more time is needed.
If approved, you will receive your card in the mail within 7-10 business days.
If you receive a message that your application is pending and more time is needed, someone may need to review the application and/or they may need additional information.
You can check the status of your Capital One credit card application by calling 800-903-9177. You cannot verify your Capital One credit card application by logging into your account.
What to do if you’ve been denied a Capital One card
If you are denied the card, they will send you a letter that will include the reasons for the decision. This is important. You should take note of the reasons and work to improve those aspects of your app.
If your credit score is too low, make sure you pay your bills on time and lower your credit utilization ratio. You must use less than 30 percent of the total available credit. This can be easily calculated by adding all of your card debt and dividing it by your total credit limits.
If it’s too high, lower it. You can also increase your credit limit by calling your current card issuer and requesting an increase or getting another card (perhaps one that doesn’t require a great credit score).
Don’t forget to check your credit report. Credit reporting agencies make mistakes, and you should request corrections if you find any. Look for debts that aren’t yours, including car loans, mortgages, and credit cards. If something seems strange, contact the credit bureau.
Call the reconsideration line
If you’ve been denied the card, you should also call Capital One’s reconsideration line. There you can make your case and explain why you should get the card. Try to come up with a strategy before you call so you’ll be ready to explain to the customer service representative why you’re a great candidate.
Call Capital One’s credit card application services line at 800-625-7866 or Capital One’s customer service number in Spanish.
general customer service line at 800-951-6951.
How to Apply for a Capital One Credit Card: Conclusion
Now that we’ve covered everything you need to know about applying for a Capital One credit card, there’s only one thing left for you to do: Apply! There’s no time like the present to start earning free rides, cashback, and great sign-up bonuses on your everyday purchases.