Credit Card Reconsideration: Everything You Need To Know (2024)

While major rules from card issuers are usually pretty cut and dried, there are times when people are seemingly denied for no reason. There are also situations where a denial may seem like a mistake. In that case, you can always reach out to the card issuer that denied you one of their products to see if anything can be done.

It’s important to note that under the Equal Credit Opportunity Act, you have the legal right to know why your credit card application was denied. You’ll receive this statement in the mail in the form of a formal notice, so you can use this information as a starting point in your negotiations.

When a consumer reaches out to inquire about a denied credit application, this process is known as credit card reconsideration. If the bank or issuer you’re looking to contact doesn’t have a published credit reconsideration phone line, we’d recommend contacting their card services or application line and ask for reconsideration to avoid calling a scam number. There’s no guarantee that calling a credit card reconsideration line will work, but it’s always worth a try if you believe you are eligible for a card that you really want.

Plus, what do you have to lose at that point? No matter what, the worst thing a card issuer can say is “no.” Since you already submitted an application and the hard inquiry on your credit report is already there, calling to ask why you were denied—and for the card issuer to reconsider—won’t have any further implications on your credit score.

If you applied for a credit card and didn’t get the answer you wanted to hear, you can wait until you receive your legally required letter from the bank with the reason for your credit card denial. These letters often contain a customer service number to call for reconsideration.

Alternatively, you can call the bank and request reconsideration. The numbers below are verified customer service phone numbers from banks that offer a reconsideration option, although they are only for those in the United States.

According to Experian, one of the three main credit bureaus, common reasons for credit card denials include:

• You have a low credit score
• You have a limited credit history
• You have insufficient income
• You have a history of late payments
• You have too much debt
• You’re too young
• Your credit report is frozen
• You have too many recent credit inquiries
• You didn’t fill the application correctly

While some of these issues are pretty non-negotiable and will probably prevent you from being reconsidered for the card you want, others might be easily overlooked. If you have had too many credit cards in the recent past but you can provide the card issuer with an explanation, for example, they might be willing to give your application another look. Similarly, if you have too much credit extended to you already, you may be able to transfer part of the credit line from an old card to your new one.

If the card issuer has insufficient information to approve you, then calling in to provide more details on your application could help push you over the edge as well.

When you call your card issuer, you should have an arsenal of information ready and be prepared to make your case. At the very least, you should be willing to explain why you deserve a second chance and be willing to answer any questions they ask you as truthfully as you possibly can.

Here’s a script you may want to use to get the conversation going.

“Hello there. My name is {list name here} and I was recently denied for the {credit card name here}. I applied on {date of application} and I received a credit card denial {online or by mail or phone}.”

If there is an obvious reason why you might have been denied, such as you mistyped your income information on the form, you recently moved or you forgot that you had your credit report frozen, you should mention that.

The representative will then review your application and may ask you additional questions. If a bank has already extended you a large amount of credit, it might ask if you’re willing to reallocate some of your credit lines. In every case, make sure that you answer questions truthfully. Many times, all an application needs is a human review to be approved.

Online Chat

If you are nervous on the phone or just want to see if you can get reconsideration while doing other tasks, online chat might be a more convenient contact option for you. Some banks offer an online chat option to prospective customers. For example, with Bank of America a chat option is available once you navigate to a credit card application page.

Not all banks offer online chat, but if you are an existing customer, there is a chance that online chat will be available once you log into your bank’s website. Some banks, like American Express, will give you the option to open a chat window from every page with a chat button in the bottom corner of your screen. Other banks may offer online chat as a customer support contact option. Search for your bank’s “contact us” or “customer support” pages to find any available chat options.

Credit Card Reconsideration Letter

If your credit card application is denied, you will usually get a notification shortly after submitting your application that you’ll receive a letter within some time period (usually less than 30 days, but up to 60 days) with either a reason for your denial or more information. The letter contains an address and a telephone number of the credit reporting company used, and will also usually include a way to contact the lender for reconsideration. You can either call the number on the letter to inquire regarding reconsideration options or reply to the credit card denial letter via mail.

• Review your credit reports. If your credit card was denied for reasons that seem unusual, like your loan balances are too high when they really aren’t, then you should review your credit reports to make sure you aren’t a victim of fraud. Fortunately, you can get a free copy of your credit reports from each of the credit bureaus—Experian, Equifax and TransUnion—through the website AnnualCreditReport.com once per year. Make sure to look over your credit reports in their entirety to check for errors that might hurt your chances at getting a new credit card—or even signal you’re the victim of identity fraud.
• Have a reconsideration angle in mind before you call the card issuer. If you know why you were denied in the first place, then you can work on coming up with an angle that might get the card issuer to change their mind. For example, maybe you had more debt on other credit cards when you applied but you just made a large payment that reduced your credit utilization.
• Be as polite and helpful as you can be. Make sure you’re as polite as possible to the person who answers your inquiry. They may be more inclined to help you and to expedite reconsideration of your credit card application if you’re calm and level-headed during the process.
• Be willing to negotiate. Also be willing to negotiate on other lines of credit you might have with the issuer. In some cases in the past, consumers have been allowed to open new credit card accounts when they were willing to lower their credit limits on other cards they have with the same bank.
• Make sure your reason for wanting a new account is acceptable to the bank. Often there are multiple reasons why you might have opened a new credit account. Some of these reasons are better to mention on your reconsideration call. For example, if you apply for an airline credit card with a generous welcome bonus and benefits like checked bags, priority boarding and increased mileage earning with the airline, you’re probably best mentioning the benefits you’ll receive from the card and leaving the welcome bonus out of the discussion.

If you are leaning against calling a credit card reconsideration line or you called and were given a definitive “no” on your application, you still have options to consider. For example, you may want to look into upgrading or downgrading an existing card you have with the same issuer.

Let’s say, for example, you have the Chase Freedom Unlimited®, which earns 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards®, 3% cash back on eligible dining and drugstores and 1.5% on all other purchases. You applied for the Chase Sapphire Reserve® because you want access to travel perks like airport lounge membership and a credit for Global Entry or TSA Precheck, but you were denied for the Reserve. In that case, you could consider calling Chase to see if it will let you exchange one credit card for another in the form of an upgrade. Upgrading means you won’t be able to earn the welcome bonus, but you would gain access to all the perks this card offers right away.

The opposite situation is also a possibility. If you have the Chase Sapphire Reserve® and applied for the Chase Freedom Unlimited® because you wanted a new Chase credit card with no annual fee, you could also call Chase about downgrading your card, though you would lose the perks associated with the Sapphire Reserve in this case.

Another option to consider is just waiting it out. If you were denied a credit card due to too many new accounts, too much debt or some other reason, you could give yourself some time to remedy the situation. Wait six or 12 months until some hard inquiries are no longer considered on new credit card applications, or pay down some debt in order to decrease your credit utilization and improve your credit score.

While waiting to apply for a new credit card can mean missing out on lucrative bonus offers for a while, this might be the best move to make over the long-term.

If you faced a denial for a credit card you really wanted, don’t be discouraged. You may be able to change the credit card issuer’s mind if you call into its reconsideration line, but it’s also possible that waiting it out is your best bet.

If you don’t qualify for the credit card you want right now, you might also be able to get approved later on. In the meantime, you can look for other ways to maximize the rewards and travel credit cards you already have.