Can I get a credit card with 555 credit score?
With an 555 credit score, you're unlikely to get approved for a traditional credit card. Credit cards are unsecured forms of debt, so banks tend to be a bit more cautious compared to loans backed by specific assets, like mortgages and auto loans. Having said that, there are a couple of options.
The best type of credit card for a 555 credit score is a secured credit card. Secured cards give people with bad credit high approval odds and have low fees because cardholders are required to place a refundable security deposit. The amount you put down usually becomes your credit limit.
Yes, it's possible to get an unsecured credit card with bad credit, including a score of 550. Yet the higher your score, the better the options available to you — especially in terms of rewards rates, interest rates and annual fees.
Your score falls within the range of scores, from 300 to 579, considered Very Poor. A 555 FICO® Score is significantly below the average credit score. Many lenders choose not to do business with borrowers whose scores fall in the Very Poor range, on grounds they have unfavorable credit.
Chip Lupo, Credit Card Writer
You need a credit score of 550 to 750 to be approved for an unsecured credit card, depending on the card.
You can borrow anywhere from a few thousand dollars to $100,000+ with a 550 credit score. The exact amount of money you will get depends on other factors besides your credit score, such as your income, your employment status, the type of loan you get, and even the lender.
Some lenders even offer FHA loans with a credit score as low as 500, though this is far less common. With a credit score above 600, your options open up even more. Conventional mortgages require only a 620 score to qualify. And with a credit score of 680 or higher, you could apply for just about any home loan.
Although ranges vary depending on the credit scoring model, generally credit scores from 580 to 669 are considered fair; 670 to 739 are considered good; 740 to 799 are considered very good; and 800 and up are considered excellent.
A perfect FICO credit score is 850, but experts tell CNBC Select you don't need to hit that target to qualify for the best credit cards, loans or interest rates.
Which card is easiest to get approved for?
- Best for students: Discover it® Student Cash Back.
- Best for no annual fee: Citi Double Cash® Card.
- Best secured credit card: Discover it® Secured Credit Card.
- Best for cash back: U.S. Bank Cash+® Visa® Secured Card.
- Best for no credit: Petal® 2 “Cash Back, No Fees” Visa® Credit Card.
The easiest Chase credit card to get is the Chase Freedom Rise℠, as applicants can get approved for this card with limited credit. This means the odds of approval are good even for people who are new to credit, making the Chase Freedom Rise℠ much easier to get than other Chase credit cards.
The minimum credit score needed to get most Discover credit cards is 700 or above. There are a few Discover cards for which there's no minimum credit score requirement, such as the Discover it® Secured Credit Card which you can get with a bad credit score (below 640).
Some of the easiest unsecured cards to get approved for are the Indigo® Mastercard®, Mission Lane Visa® Credit Card and Milestone® Mastercard®.
One of the best credit cards for a 550 credit score is the OpenSky® Plus Secured Visa® Credit Card because it has a $0 annual fee and there's no credit check when you apply, so approval is almost guaranteed.
| Card name | Credit score |
|---|---|
| OpenSky® Secured Visa® Credit Card | credit_score_needed |
| Capital One Quicksilver Secured Cash Rewards Credit Card | credit_score_needed |
| Capital One Platinum Secured Credit Card | credit_score_needed |
| Revenued Business Card | credit_score_needed |
For instance, going from a poor credit score of around 500 to a fair credit score (in the 580-669 range) takes around 12 to 18 months of responsible credit use. Once you've made it to the good credit zone (670-739), don't expect your credit to continue rising as steadily.
A 555 credit score can be a sign of past credit difficulties or a lack of credit history. Whether you're looking for a personal loan, a mortgage or a credit card, credit scores in this range can make it challenging to get approved for unsecured credit, which doesn't require collateral or a security deposit.
Your score falls within the range of scores, from 300 to 579, considered Very Poor. A 550 FICO® Score is significantly below the average credit score. Many lenders choose not to do business with borrowers whose scores fall in the Very Poor range, on grounds they have unfavorable credit.
You can likely borrow anywhere from a few hundred dollars to $50,000 with a 500 credit score. The exact amount of money you will get depends on other factors besides your credit score, such as your income, your employment status, the type of loan you get, and even the lender.
What credit score is needed to buy a $200 000 house?
Most conventional loans are backed by mortgage companies Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Fannie Mae says that conventional loans typically require a minimum credit score of 620.
TransUnion rates your credit score out of 710 and the ratings for each scoreband are as follows: Scores 565 and below are considered Needs Work. Scores between 566-603 are considered Fair. Scores between 604-627 are considered Good.
A target credit score of 661 or above should get you a new-car loan with an annual percentage rate of around 7.01% or better, or a used-car loan around 9.73% or lower. Superprime: 781-850.
| Average FICO 8 Score by Generation | ||
|---|---|---|
| Generation | 2022 | 2023 |
| Generation Z (ages 18-26) | 679 - Good | 680 - Good |
| Millennials (27-42) | 687 - Good | 690 - Good |
| Generation X (43-58) | 707 - Good | 709 - Good |
While older models of credit scores used to go as high as 900, you can no longer achieve a 900 credit score. The highest score you can receive today is 850. Anything above 800 is considered an excellent credit score.
