Craig Joseph is a NerdWallet credit cards and travel rewards expert. He has degrees in geology from West Virginia University and oceanography from Oregon State University and has published in academic journals, newspapers and blogs. Craig is passionate about personal finance and wants to enhance the financial literacy of everyone he meets. He'll probably also try to convince you why rocks are cool.
Erin Hurd
Credit cards, rewards, personal finance
Erin is a former writer and assigning editor on the NerdWallet Content team who now heads NerdWallet's travel business. She's a credit card and travel rewards expert at NerdWallet, based in Baltimore, Maryland. She has spent nearly two decades showing readers unique ways to maximize their investments and personal finances. Prior to joining NerdWallet, Erin worked on dozens of newsletters and magazines in the areas of investing, health, business and travel with Agora Publishing. Her love of travel led to a passion for credit card and loyalty rewards to subsidize trips, and she thrives on teaching others how to harness the power of credit card rewards. When she's not helping NerdWallet readers find the best travel value, Erin is planning her next adventure for her family of four using points and miles.
Fact Checked Co-written by Stephen Vanderpool Stephen VanderpoolStephen is a former writer for NerdWallet. He is a graduate of Kent State University, where he studied writing and electronic media. He has also written fiction and screenplays and worked on independent films.
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When you submit a credit card application , a complicated algorithm analyzes your credit report and determines whether you meet the issuer’s criteria for approval. It can sting if you don't qualify and the application is declined, but talking to a human through the reconsideration line can help.
The reconsideration process includes a manual review of your credit report by an analyst with the bank or card issuer. This is your opportunity to answer some questions and see if you can turn that denial into an approval. Sometimes it’s as simple as reallocating credit lines or submitting identity verification.
Here’s what you need to know about reconsideration of a declined credit card application.
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If your credit card application is declined due to information on your credit report, you’ll receive an adverse action notice from the card issuer. This notice is legally required under the Fair Credit Reporting Act and will detail the reason(s) the application was rejected. Some issuers provide the notice immediately, while others make you wait up to 10 days for a letter to arrive in the mail. Understanding the reason for denial can help you prepare for the conversation you'll have during the reconsideration process.
Common reasons for having a credit card application declined include, but are not limited to:
Too many recent hard inquiries : You receive a hard inquiry each time a creditor pulls your credit report. Too many hard inquiries over a short period can appear to creditors like you’re searching for a lot of credit fast. Have a reason for the inquiries when you call for reconsideration.
Too many recent new accounts : Each approved application for credit result in a new account that appears on your credit report. Multiple new accounts showing up quickly and over a short span can spook issuers. If you’ve received a lot of new credit fast, be prepared to provide the reason why during reconsideration.
Maximum amount of credit extended : If you have multiple credit cards with one issuer, you may have hit a cap on the maximum amount of credit they’re willing to provide. You can ask to reallocate or shift a portion of an existing credit line from a card you don’t use as frequently to try and get the new account approved.
Debt-to-income ratio is too high : Your debt-to-income ratio is the amount of debt you carry divided by your income. The higher this ratio, the riskier you look to a card issuer.
Delinquent payments : If you failed to pay another loan on time, that will show up on your credit report as a delinquent payment. If there is a specific reason you missed a payment, be prepared to discuss that during reconsideration. However, too many delinquent payments will be tough to explain away.
While you can discuss the contents of your credit file during reconsideration, the process generally won’t help you bypass the specific rules of individual issuers, such as Chase’s 5/24 rule or Citi’s 48-month rule .
There’s a degree of social engineering that comes with the reconsideration process. Remember that they (the bank) have something you want, and you need to appear as a worthwhile credit risk. Have a plan before you call, and understand your credit file and why you were initially declined to help move the conversation.
Here are some things to keep in mind when calling the reconsideration line.
1. Sell yourself as loyal and responsible : Banks want to retain profitable customers. If you've established a solid repayment history, let them know. If you've been a long-time customer, remind them. Make it clear you would like to do, or continue doing, business with the company.
2. Negotiate when necessary : If the conversation isn't going as you'd hoped, you may have room to negotiate. This isn't always possible. If need be, ask if you can transfer credit from an older account to create the new one. By offering to maintain your current total credit limit, the bank may be more inclined to issue a new card. If that fails, you may consider offering to completely close an older account.
3. Be nice : Remember, the bank doesn't owe you anything. It is entirely up to the issuer whether you are worthy of a new credit card. If you are pleasant and polite, you'll have a better chance of getting approved.
The reconsideration line phone numbers for each of the major credit issuers are provided in the table below.
Reconsideration Line Phone Number
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Craig Joseph is a NerdWallet authority on credit cards and travel rewards. His work has been featured by The Associated Press, Washington Post, San Francisco Chronicle, Nasdaq and Yahoo Finance. See full bio.
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