Here's how credit cards from Costco, Amazon, Target and Walmart compare (2024)

FAQs

What credit score do you need to get a Costco card? ›

You must have excellent credit to get approved for the Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi. That generally means a credit score of 720 or above. Is the Costco Anywhere Visa the best credit card for gas? If you want rewards that are more flexible than Costco rewards, see our top picks for best gas credit cards.

It's generally recommended that you have two to three credit card accounts at a time, in addition to other types of credit. Remember that your total available credit and your debt to credit ratio can impact your credit scores. If you have more than three credit cards, it may be hard to keep track of monthly payments.

You need a credit score of 640 or higher to qualify for a Capital One Walmart Rewards® Mastercard®. This implies that those with average to exceptional credit are more likely to get approved for the Walmart Credit Card.

Credit bureaus suggest that five or more accounts — which can be a mix of cards and loans — is a reasonable number to build toward over time. Having very few accounts can make it hard for scoring models to render a score for you.

Typically, you can qualify for Synchrony's Amazon store cards with a fair credit score (580 to 669). On the other hand, you'll likely need at least a good credit score (670 to 739) to qualify for one of the Amazon Visa cards from Chase.

Applicants need to have excellent credit to qualify for the Costco Anywhere Visa® Card. The exact credit score required varies, but a very good credit score ranges from 740 to 799 and excellent credit is 800 and higher, according to Experian.

Consumers with 800+ credit scores have an average of 8.3 open accounts. High credit score consumers have an average of 8.3 open accounts — similar to the 7.9 we found in 2021.

It is not bad to have a lot of credit cards with zero balance because positive information will appear on your credit reports each month since all of the accounts are current. Having credit cards with zero balance also results in a low credit utilization ratio, which is good for your credit score, too.

How many credit cards does the average person have? According to the latest figures from Experian, the average American has 3.84 credit cards with an average credit limit of $30,365.

Credit limits for a Walmart credit card can range from $150 to over $5,000. Several factors go into determining your credit limit, including your annual income and credit history. Where can I use a Walmart credit card? The Capital One® Walmart Rewards™ Mastercard® can be used anywhere Mastercard is accepted.

Is it easy to get a Target credit card? ›

It is not hard to get the Target Credit Card, though it's not especially easy, either. The Target Credit Card is available to people with fair credit or better, which means that most people should have a shot at approval but there are also plenty of people who won't qualify.

The Walmart Credit Card credit score requirement is 640 or higher, which means people with fair credit or better have a shot at getting approved for this card. The Walmart® Store Card also requires at least fair credit for approval.

There is no universal number of credit cards that is “too many.” Your credit score won't tank once you hit a certain number. In reality, the point of “too many” credit cards is when you're losing money on annual fees or having trouble keeping up with bills — and that varies from person to person.

Canceling a credit card can shorten the average age of all accounts, which can negatively affect your score. If your score has already dropped due to other negative items, such as late payments or large debt balances, it's probably best to keep the account open instead of closing it.

Credit experts advise against closing credit cards, even when you're not using them, for good reason. “Canceling a credit card has the potential to reduce your score, not increase it,” says Beverly Harzog, credit card expert and consumer finance analyst for U.S. News & World Report.

The Amazon.com Credit Card credit score requirement is 700 or better. That means people with at least good credit have a shot at getting approved for this card. The Amazon.com Store Card, on the other hand, requires a 640+ credit score (fair credit).

The RedCard credit cards (Target Credit Card and Target Mastercard) are issued by TD Bank USA, N.A. The RedCard debit card is issued by Target Corporation. Mastercard is a registered trademark of Mastercard International, Inc. Pat 7,562,048 and 8,117,118.

It's recommended you have a credit score of 620 or higher when you apply for a conventional loan. If your score is below 620, lenders either won't be able to approve your loan or may be required to offer you a higher interest rate, which can result in higher monthly payments.

You can use a Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi immediately after approval if you apply at a Costco store and get approved instantly. Following in-store approval, you can request a temporary card at the service desk, and you can use the card at Costco locations until your new card arrives.

Although ranges vary depending on the credit scoring model, generally credit scores from 580 to 669 are considered fair; 670 to 739 are considered good; 740 to 799 are considered very good; and 800 and up are considered excellent.

Can I get a credit card with a 650 credit score? ›

A 650 credit score is considered “fair” credit, which means you should be able to get a credit card or loan, but a little bit of credit improvement will give you many more options and help you save a lot more money.

The credit limit you can get with a 750 credit score is likely in the $1,000-$15,000 range, but a higher limit is possible. The reason for the big range is that credit limits aren't solely determined by your credit score.

A 900 credit score may be the highest on some scoring models, but this number isn't always possible. Only 1% of the population can achieve a credit score of 850, so there's a certain point where trying to get the highest possible credit score isn't realistic at all.

“In the 700 club, your credit limit will likely be close to the average credit limit for a newly issued card, about $5,000,” says Ted Rossman, senior industry analyst at Bankrate. “That limit can vary based on income and other debt.”

A good guideline is the 30% rule: Use no more than 30% of your credit limit to keep your debt-to-credit ratio strong. Staying under 10% is even better. In a real-life budget, the 30% rule works like this: If you have a card with a $1,000 credit limit, it's best not to have more than a $300 balance at any time.

The lower your balances, the better your score — and a very low balance will keep your financial risks low. But the best way to maintain a high credit score is to pay your balances in full on time, every time.

In general, it's better to leave your credit cards open with a zero balance instead of canceling them. This is true even if they aren't being used as open credit cards allow you to maintain a lower overall credit utilization ratio and will allow your credit history to stay on your report for longer.

Of the four main types of credit cards—Visa, Mastercard, American Express and Discover—Visa is by far the most common, making up 52.8% of cards in circulation.

The average U.S. household has $6,473 in credit card debt

Many Americans use credit cards to pay for purchases, and it turns out many have outstanding account balances. According to data from Experian, the average American's credit card balance in the third quarter of 2021 was $5,221.

Millionaires are more likely to have multiple credit cards compared to the average American. Seventy percent of Americans with a net worth over $1 million have two or more credit cards, compared to 41% of Americans with a net worth under $1 million.

What credit card has a $100000 limit? ›

On our list, the card with the highest reported limit is the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, which some say offers a $100,000 limit. We've also seen an advertised maximum credit limit of $100,000 on the First Tech Odyssey Rewards™ World Elite Mastercard®, a credit union rewards card.

We've seen reports that Walmart usually approves most requests for a credit limit increase after about 6 months of regular/successful payments; some have seen approvals earlier.

Automatic credit limit increase to $500 after making your first 5 monthly payments on time is for card holders that are on the capital one credit steps program.

The credit limit for the Target RedCard™ generally ranges from $200 to $2,500 or more. Credit limits tend to start low, but cardholders who consistently pay on time can receive sizable credit limit increases.

It's not hard to get approved for the Target Credit Card as it requires fair credit or better. But make sure you qualify for it. An application will result in a hard pull on your credit report, lowering your credit score for a short period of time.

There is no minimum credit score needed for a credit card. Even borrowers with poor credit (a score of 300) or no credit card at all can qualify for some credit cards. However, options for bad-credit borrowers are limited and usually come with a high annual percentage rate (APR) and fees.

The Walmart Credit Card credit score requirement is 640 or higher, which means people with fair credit or better have a shot at getting approved for this card. The Walmart® Store Card also requires at least fair credit for approval.

The credit score that you need for the Lowe's Store Card is 640, at a minimum. That means people with at least fair credit have a shot at getting approved for this card.

Closing a credit card with a high limit could hurt your credit score, especially if your other cards have high balances, low limits or both. A gradual approach is best when you have multiple accounts to close. Close no more than one credit card every six months, McClary says.

Does opening a credit card hurt your credit? ›

Applying for a new credit card can trigger a hard inquiry, which involves a lender looking at your credit reports. According to credit-scoring company FICO®, hard inquiries can cause a slight drop in your credit scores. Keep in mind: Hard inquiries usually stay on your credit reports for two years.

It's best to apply for a credit card about once a year, assuming you need or want a card in the first place. And you shouldn't apply for more than one card at the same time. If you apply more often, the repeated hard inquiries on your credit history will hurt your credit score.

One of the most common reasons for canceling a credit card is if the card has an annual fee that's no longer worth it. If the yearly fee isn't worth the positive impact of keeping an open credit account, you might want to cancel it.

If you don't use your credit card, the card issuer may close your account., You are also more susceptible to fraud if you aren't vigilant about checking up on the inactive card, and fraudulent charges can affect your credit rating and finances.

Credit bureaus suggest that five or more accounts — which can be a mix of cards and loans — is a reasonable number to build toward over time. Having very few accounts can make it hard for scoring models to render a score for you.

LPT: Closing a credit card actually hurts your credit score because it effects your credit utilization ratio, making getting new debt in the future more challenging. Leaving $0 annual fee cards open with a zero balance is better than closing them. *This is only true if you do not have lots of open credit cards.

How does this affect my credit history? A credit card canceled for inactivity may impact you in the following ways: The cancellation may affect your debt to credit utilization ratio, which is the amount of credit you're using as compared to the amount of credit available to you.

The Costco Credit Card credit score requirement is 750 or higher, which means applicants with excellent credit should have good odds of approval.

Bottom line. To get approved for the Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi you'll typically need a FICO® score of 800 or higher. This cash-back card doesn't have an annual fee, but you'll need a Costco membership to apply. There are two levels of Costco membership which cost $60 or $120.

Membership is available to all qualifying individuals 18 years of age and over. Costco reserves the right to refuse membership to any applicant, and membership may be terminated at Costco's discretion and without cause.

How to go from 650 to 750 credit score? ›

Although ranges vary depending on the credit scoring model, generally credit scores from 580 to 669 are considered fair; 670 to 739 are considered good; 740 to 799 are considered very good; and 800 and up are considered excellent.

Costco Credit Card Review Summary

The Costco Credit Card is worth applying for if you have a Costco membership and an excellent credit score. The Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi has a $0 annual fee and offers 1 - 4% cash back, giving its bonus rates on gas, travel, dining and Costco purchases.

The majority of people with 850 credit scores are above the age of 57, according to Experian's report. About 70% of people with perfect credit scores are baby boomers (defined by Experian as people age 57 to 75) and members of the silent generation (ages 75 and above).

Still, it's useful to consider the wallets of people with great credit. In a recent analysis, FICO found that cardholders with scores above 800 — the excellent range is 750 to 850 — had an average of three open cards, according to Dornhelm. If you include both open and closed accounts, they'd had six cards in total.

It might also be hard to achieve an 800 credit score until you have a mix of credit under your name. We're not saying you should take out a mortgage or a car loan just to get your credit score over 800, but if the only credit accounts on your file are credit cards, you might struggle to reach that 800 credit score.

The main Costco Credit Card requirements are that an applicant must be at least 18 years old with a valid Social Security number or Individual Taxpayer Identification number.

Costco doesn't offer free or discounted memberships, but rest assured that the cost of membership can be recovered quickly thanks to massive price savings once you start shopping.

The Costco membership card is non-transferable, but there are several ways to share the experience with family and friends. Anyone with a card can bring up to two guests to the Warehouse during each visit. Keep in mind that purchasing items is exclusive to Costco members.