N
The Daily Insight Hub

How much will my credit score go down if I apply for a credit card?

Author

William Jenkins

Updated on February 17, 2026

about five points
While the exact impact might vary from case to case, generally speaking, you can expect your score to drop by about five points each time you apply for a new credit card.

What happens to my credit if I don’t get approved for a credit card?

If you don’t get approved for a credit card, you obviously won’t reap the long-term credit score benefits of having a new account and the additional available credit that comes with it (assuming you use the account responsibly), but the denial itself won’t cause any more damage than if you were to get approved for a …

Does applying for a credit card hurt your credit if you have no credit?

It’s true that inquiries can have an effect on your credit scores, but in most cases the effect of applying for credit cards is minimal, and any effect they do have is temporary. Experian will not know whether you are approved or declined, so being denied credit will not affect your credit scores.

Does declined credit card hurt your score?

Remember: A credit card application might be rejected for a variety of reasons. But a rejection doesn’t directly hurt your credit scores. However, applying may lower your credit scores by just a few points since it will trigger a hard inquiry.

What happens if I get denied for a credit card?

Lenders must provide you with what’s called an adverse action letter explaining why they denied your application. In addition, the lender should include instructions for requesting a free credit report. If they don’t, you can request your free credit report from Experian.

What to do if your credit card application is declined?

Just because your initial credit card application was declined, that doesn’t mean “no” is necessarily the final answer. You can call the card issuer’s reconsideration line and possibly change the outcome of your application.

What happens to your credit when you get a credit card?

Any time you apply for a new line of credit, whether it’s a mortgage, car loan or credit card, the company will pull your credit report. These “hard inquiries” usually ding your credit score by about five points, and overall, your new credit history accounts for about 10% of your FICO score.

What should I do if I get rejected for credit?

For that reason, it’s also helpful to get a credit score that isn’t customized for that particular lender, so you can see where your credit stands overall. You can get two free credit scores at Credit.com. When you do, pay particular attention to how your score compares to others, and what factors influence it the most. 3.