I Got Denied for 2 Credit Cards -- Even With an 820+ Credit Score. Here's Why

I always thought an 820 credit score meant I could pretty much get whatever credit card I want.

Turns out… not so much.

A while back, I applied for two cards -- one from American Express and one from Citi. And both denied me.

As someone who writes about personal finance every day, I was kind of blindsided. But I quickly learned that banks look at way more than just your credit score.

Here's what happened (and how you can avoid the same fate).

Citi denied me because of my account history

Over the years, I've opened and closed quite a few credit cards and bank accounts. Some were for testing out products (part of my job), others were for getting big welcome offers.

Citi likely viewed my application through the lens of my prior account activity. Which honestly shows that I'm probably a "hit-and-run" customer who opens accounts for short-term benefits and then leaves just as fast as I sign up.

Even though technically I haven't done anything wrong (I never left a negative balance and always paid my stuff on time) they probably don't see a good long-term relationship fit with me. At least not for the rewards card I was applying for.

Lesson learned: Even with an excellent credit score, banks still want to see a track record of being a "sticky" customer.

Before hitting submit on your next application, think about how that bank views your history. Are you applying for a card that fits your long-term needs? If not, it might be smarter to look elsewhere.

Browse our list of credit cards that match your spending style and long-term goals here.

Amex rejected me because I didn't prove my income

When I applied for the Amex card, I filled in both my income and my wife's. That's allowed, by the way. Credit card applications let you include any household income that you reasonably have access to.

But here's where I messed up…

Amex wanted documentation to verify our income. My wife is a teacher, and since it was during school holidays, we didn't have quick access to recent pay stubs. I could have figured it out, but just got lazy and didn't pursue the application further.

Lesson learned: Always have your income documents ready when applying for a new card, especially if you're including household earnings.

Credit scores aren't the only thing they look at

Your credit score is important, don't get me wrong.

But each bank has a bunch of other criteria and checkboxes they run your application through before approving. They look at things like:

• How many recent applications you've made (too many can make you look risky)
• Whether your income is stable and well-documented
• How much total available credit you already have
• Your relationship history with the bank (long-term loyalty can help)
• Possible errors on your credit reports (identity mix-ups happen more than you'd think)

In fact, the FTC found that about 20% of Americans have at least one error on their credit report. These mistakes can confuse lenders and lead to rejections, even if your score is excellent.

Pro tip: Check your credit reports at AnnualCreditReport.com before applying for new credit cards to ensure everything is accurate.

Bouncing back from rejections

That first application denial hit me hard. I took it really personally because it's taken me decades to build up my credit score into the 800s.

But the reality is, credit card issuers have their own internal playbooks. And they can deny people for all sorts of reasons.

The good news is denials are temporary setbacks. Since then, I've applied for other credit cards (more carefully this time) with other issuers and have been approved immediately.

If you've been denied, don't stress too much. Review what went wrong, fix what you can, and apply again when you're ready. The right issuer is out there waiting for your application.

Looking for your next credit card approval? Compare top-rated credit cards and find the best fit here.