How Hard is it to Get a U.S. Bank Credit Card?

Getting approved for a U.S. Bank credit card can be challenging depending on your credit profile. U.S. Bank is known to be quite stringent with their credit card approval criteria. They tend to favor applicants with excellent credit scores and low inquiries. However, they do offer secured cards for people looking to build or rebuild credit. Here’s an in-depth look at how hard it is to get each type of U.S. Bank credit card.

U.S. Bank’s Credit Card Approval Criteria

US Bank evaluates several factors when reviewing credit card applications, including

• Credit scores – They generally look for scores of 700 or higher for unsecured cards, Excellent credit (750+) is recommended for the best approval odds,

• Income – Stable income of $50,000 or more per year is preferred.

• Debt-to-income ratio – They don’t disclose their approval thresholds, but lower DTI is better.

• Inquiries – Numerous hard inquiries in the past 12 months can lower approval odds 2 or less inquiries is ideal

• Account history – Having too many new accounts opened recently can hurt. 3 or less new accounts in the past year is recommended.

• Existing U.S. Bank accounts – Having a prior relationship with U.S. Bank can help.

As you can see, U.S. Bank prefers established credit profiles with excellent payment history and limited credit seeking activity. Next, let’s look at the credit requirements for specific U.S. Bank credit cards.

Unsecured Credit Card Requirements

U.S. Bank’s unsecured credit cards require good to excellent credit for approval. Here are the recommended minimum credit scores for a few popular options:

• U.S. Bank Altitude Connect Visa Signature® Card – 750+ credit score

• U.S. Bank Cash+® Visa Signature® Card – 700+ credit score

• U.S. Bank FlexPerks® Travel Rewards Visa Signature® Card – 700+ credit score

As you can see, credit scores below 700 will face very low approval odds for unsecured U.S. Bank credit cards. Excellent credit substantially improves your chances.

Secured Credit Card Requirements

The secured credit cards from U.S. Bank only require a refundable deposit and some basic eligibility criteria:

• U.S. Bank Secured Visa® Card – 300+ credit score

• U.S. Bank Core Secured Visa® Card – No minimum credit score

With the secured cards, credit score is not very important. As long as you have the deposit and meet the standard eligibility criteria, approval is likely. This makes them a good option if you have bad credit or no credit history.

Improving Your Approval Odds

Here are some tips to boost your chances of getting approved for a U.S. Bank credit card:

• Check your credit reports – Make sure there are no errors negatively impacting your scores. Dispute any inaccuracies.

• Pay down balances – Try to get credit utilization below 30%, the lower the better.

• Limit credit applications – Avoid applying for other credit in the 6 months preceding your application.

• Ask for a lower limit – This reduces U.S. Bank’s risk if you have a short credit history.

• Apply for a secured card first – After 6 months to a year with the secured account, try upgrading to an unsecured card.

The Bottom Line

While getting approved for an unsecured U.S. Bank credit card can be challenging, excellent credit and a responsible credit profile will significantly improve your odds. There are also easy access options like the secured cards if your credit needs rehabilitation. With a sound application strategy, getting a U.S. Bank credit card approval is very achievable.