What credit bureau does discover card use

When it comes to finding the right credit card for your lifestyle, you'll want to find one that you're likely to qualify for. Credit card issuers will look at your credit score as well as income and length of credit history when applying for a new card.

This means that people with a credit score above the recommended score can be rejected and those with a lower score can be accepted because of other factors. For example, a person who has never had a credit card may be rejected even if their credit score is excellent from having been an authorized user on a parent's card. This may happen because the person's own credit history is too short.

Below, Select looks at what credit scores you'll need to qualify for various Discover it cards. However, note that whether you're approved or not depends on other criteria too.

What credit score do you need for Discover it cards?

There are many Discover it cards available — from those that offer travel rewards to ones that are geared toward students. Since there are different types of cards, each card has a different recommended credit score. None of the cards have a minimum credit score required for approval. 

Discover also offers a pre-approval form, so people can see whether they would be approved for a credit card and what APR they would receive before they apply. Being pre-approved for a Discover credit card does not affect your credit score unless you decide to submit an application.

If you do apply for a credit card and get rejected, credit card issuers are, by law, required to inform applicants of why they've been rejected within 60 days of their decision. You may also try to give the Discover customer service line a call to see if they'll approve your application. You could point to your continued loyalty to Discover or your history of on-time payments to boost your chances of approval.

Before applying, take a look at your FICO® Score and see what range your score falls in, that way you can have a good idea of what your approval odds are for each card. FICO® Scores are based on five factors: payment history, length of credit history, amounts owed, credit mix and new credit. If you want to improve your credit score, make your payments on-time and in full and keep your credit utilization ratio (the ratio of credit used to credit extended) low.

*Experian Boost® is a free service that uses people's on-time utility and subscription payments in the calculation of their credit scores.

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Credit score needed for Discover it® Cash Back Card

The Discover it® Cash Back Card is a no-annual fee cash-back card with rotating categories. This means that cardholders will earn higher rewards rates on spending categories that change every quarter. 

For the Discover it Cash Back Card, cardholders will earn 5% cash back on up to $1,500 in quarterly purchases after you activate the rotating bonus categories throughout the year (then 1% ), and 1% cash back on all other eligible purchases. Discover also offers a unique bonus — new cardholders receive a welcome bonus equivalent to the amount of rewards they earned on the card in the first year of membership. 

For this card, you generally need a good to excellent credit score to qualify. According to FICO, a 'good' credit score is a score between 670 and 739. FICO credit scores range from 300 to 850, with higher scores indicating greater creditworthiness. 

If you want the best shot of approval for the Discover it Cashback Card, you'll probably want a score of at least 670 or above.

Credit score needed for Discover it® Secured Credit Card

Since the card is secured, cardholders will have to put down a minimum deposit of $200. With a secured card, the deposit acts as collateral if you're unable to make your credit card payments. The deposit is equal to the credit line that's extended to you. 

Starting at seven months from account opening, Discover will automatically review your credit card account to see if they can transition you to an unsecured line of credit and return your deposit. If you've made your payments on-time, the issuer will transfer you to an unsecured card and return your deposit. 

This card isn't known for its rewards or perks, but cardholders will still earn 2% cash back at restaurants and gas stations (up to $1,000 in combined purchases per quarter) and 1% back on all other eligible purchases. Like other Discover cards, cardholders will receive a welcome bonus that's equal to the amount of rewards that they received from spending on the card in their first year of card membership.

Credit score needed for Discover it® Miles Card

The Discover it Miles Card is a travel rewards credit card that earns 1.5X miles on every dollar spent. Generally, the redemption rate is one cent per one mile. The card does not charge foreign transaction fees. This card does not offer some of the frills and perks that other travel credit cards provide like airport lounge access or statement credits for travel or hotel stays.

The welcome bonus is equal to the amount of rewards you earn from spending on the card in the first year of membership. With the welcome bonus, you're essentially earning 3X miles on all spending in the first year.

In order to qualify for the Discover it miles card, you'll need a good or excellent credit score. Like the Discover it Cashback card, this means you'll want a credit score of 670 or above. However, a greater credit score usually means a greater likelihood of getting approved.

Credit score needed for Discover it Student Cards

There are two Discover it Student cards: the Discover it® Student chrome and the Discover it® Student Cash Back cards. You don't need a credit score in order to qualify for either card. This card is a good option if you're a college student who doesn't have credit history of your own. However, in order to get a student card, you'll need to be at least 18 years old, have a Social Security number and provide proof of education.

The Discover it Student chrome and Discover it Student Cash Back vary in the rewards categories they provide. With the Discover It student chrome card, cardholders receive 2% cash back at gas stations and restaurants on up to $1,000 worth of combined quarterly purchases each quarter and 1% cash back on all other purchases.

If you're willing to put in more work to earn rewards, you can opt for the Discover It Student Cash Back which provides 5% cashback (on up to $1,500 worth of combined purchases) on rotating quarterly categories and 1% back on all other purchases. You will have to take the time to activate these categories.

The cards have the same welcome bonus though. Discover will match the amount of rewards that you earn in the first year of card membership.

Read more

For rates and fees of the Discover it® Cash Back Card, click here.

For rates and fees of the Discover it® Secured Credit Card, click here.

For rates and fees of the Discover it® Miles Card, click here.

For rates and fees of the Discover It® Student Chrome, click here.

For rates and fees of the Discover It® Student Cash Back, click here.

*Results may vary. Some may not see improved scores or approval odds. Not all lenders use Experian credit files, and not all lenders use scores impacted by Experian Boost.

Editorial Note: Opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the Select editorial staff’s alone, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any third party.

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