Apply for a credit card (2024)

FAQs

How much money should I say I make when applying for a credit card? ›

If you know your annual salary and have no other sources of income, you can use that number directly as your gross income. You can also refer to your most recent tax return, which should include a gross annual income number. Otherwise, you may need to add up all your sources of income.

Try to keep your applications about three to six months apart. This will give your credit score time to bounce back from hard inquiries and give you time to see if you actually need another new card.

Broadly speaking, there is no minimum income requirement to get approved for a credit card, as long as your income could easily cover the minimum payments on a relatively small credit line.

In addition to your contact information and household bills, credit card applications ask for your annual or monthly income. Card issuers use this information, along with your credit reports and credit scores, to decide whether to approve your application.

Applying for a credit card online is often the quickest option.

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You have high outstanding debt

Having too much debt might hurt your chances of being approved for new credit, especially if your debt-to-income ratio or credit utilization ratio is high. Your debt-to-income ratio measures your debt as it relates to your income, and it may indicate whether you can handle more debt.

Always Make Payments on Time

One of the most essential rules to owning a credit card is paying bills on time. A single late payment within a year of on-time payments might not seem to be much, but it could be a slippery slope that leads to debt and low credit scores and it will impact your credit.

Many card issuers have criteria for who can qualify for new accounts, but Chase is perhaps the most strict. Chase's 5/24 rule means that you can't be approved for most Chase cards if you've opened five or more personal credit cards (from any card issuer) within the past 24 months.

However, multiple accounts may be difficult to track, resulting in missed payments that lower your credit score. You must decide what you can manage and what will make you appear most desirable. Having too many cards with a zero balance will not improve your credit score. In fact, it can actually hurt it.

Should I tell my credit card how much I make? ›

You aren't obligated to provide information about your income to a credit card issuer unless you are applying for a new card or requesting a credit limit increase. Responding to a card issuer's inquiry about your current earnings can have its benefits if your pay has increased.

Annual income is the total amount of money you earn during one year. It includes your salary and other payment sources such as Social Security checks and welfare assistance. In some cases, your annual income might be for a calendar year, which is from January 1 to December 31 of the same year.

A Smart Asset report based on MIT's Living Wage data found that the average salary required to live comfortably in the U.S. is $68,499 after taxes. This is nearly $10,000 higher than what the average salary currently is.

If you're just starting out, a good credit limit for your first card might be around $1,000. If you have built up a solid credit history, a steady income and a good credit score, your credit limit may increase to $5,000 or $10,000 or more — plenty of credit to ensure you can purchase big ticket items.