Wells Fargo Credit Card Application Rules: What You Need to Know

Wells Fargo has a small lineup of credit cards compared to some of its competitors, but the cards it offers are some of the best on the market. If you're interested in applying for one, make sure you know about the Wells Fargo credit card requirements first to improve your chances of getting approved.

Here are the main Wells Fargo credit card requirements that apply to each of its cards:

• Good credit: A FICO® Score of 670 or higher is suggested when applying for a Wells Fargo card. There isn't a strict minimum credit score with Wells Fargo, but it typically only approves applicants with good credit or excellent credit.
• Stable income: You need a consistent source of income to be approved for any credit cards. Wells Fargo doesn't have a specific minimum income requirement, but it will only approve you if you have a form of income.
• Social Security number: If you don't have one, an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) also works.
• Physical U.S. address: Per federal regulations, you must use a physical mailing address and not a P.O. Box.

It also helps if you have a Wells Fargo bank account, although this isn't required to get a credit card with Wells Fargo.

If you're interested in the requirements for a specific Wells Fargo credit card, you'll find all of them below.

Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card requirements

The Wells Fargo Active Cash Card normally requires a FICO® Score of at least 670. It's even better to apply with a score of 700 or higher. This is one of the top cash back cards, and Wells Fargo can be selective about the applicants it approves.

According to the terms for this card, you may not qualify for it if you've opened another Wells Fargo card within the last six months.

Wells Fargo Autograph℠ Card requirements

The Wells Fargo Autograph Card normally requires a FICO® Score of at least 670. With no annual fee and several bonus categories, it's one of the best values among rewards credit cards. As such, it's intended for consumers with good credit.

In the terms for this card, Wells Fargo states that you may not qualify if you've already opened another Wells Fargo card in the previous six months.

Wells Fargo Reflect® Card requirements

The Wells Fargo Reflect® Card normally requires a FICO® Score of at least 670, and a score of 700 or higher is even better. This credit card has a long 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers, so it's designed for applicants with good to excellent credit.

This card's terms state you may not qualify if you've already opened a Wells Fargo card in the last six months.

Bilt Mastercard® requirements

The Bilt Mastercard® normally requires a FICO® Score of 670, although there can be a bit of flexibility there. Some cardholders have reported approval with scores as low as 650. This is a cobranded credit card that Wells Fargo offers with Bilt, a rewards program for paying rent. The Bilt Mastercard® is unique in that it's the rare rewards card designed for earning points on rent, with no extra transaction fees.

The terms for this card don't say that you may not qualify if you've already opened a Wells Fargo card in the last six months. Based on that, it appears to have more lenient rules than the rest of Wells Fargo's lineup.

Choice Privileges® credit card requirements

Wells Fargo offers two cobranded hotel credit cards with Choice Hotels®:

• Choice Privileges® Mastercard®
• Choice Privileges® Select Mastercard® Credit Card

While features vary between these cards, they both normally require a FICO® Score of 670. The terms of each card also state that you may not qualify if you've already opened a Wells Fargo card in the previous six months.

Unlike many other card issuers, Wells Fargo is light on application rules. The main restriction it has is that you may not qualify for an additional Wells Fargo credit card if you've already opened one within the previous six months. This is mentioned in the terms for most of its credit cards, except the Bilt Mastercard®.

Wells Fargo previously had a rule limiting cardholders to one welcome offer from any of its cards per 15 months. However, this rule is no longer mentioned in the terms and conditions for Wells Fargo credit cards.

Wells Fargo provides a tool on its website that lets you see if you're pre-selected for one of its credit cards. It takes less than a minute to use and doesn't affect your credit score. Here's how to do it:

1. Visit the page to check for prequalified Wells Fargo credit card offers.
2. Provide your name, address, and the last four digits of your Social Security number. If you have a Wells Fargo online account, you can skip this and log in.
3. Click "Continue."

After you submit the form, Wells Fargo will let you know if it has any prequalified card offers for you. A prequalified card offer means that based on your information, you have a high chance of getting approved for that card. It's not a guarantee of an approval, though.

If you don't have any prequalified card offers, that doesn't necessarily mean you're out of luck. You could still apply for a Wells Fargo card and get approved. If you have good credit and there's a Wells Fargo card you like, try applying for it.

COMPARE TOP PICKS: Best Wells Fargo Credit Cards

Your credit score is one of the most important factors in getting a Wells Fargo credit card. If you aren't quite in that good credit range yet, here are a few tips to improve your credit:

• Pay everything on time: Your payment history has the biggest impact on your credit score. Every time you pay a credit card or loan account by the due date, it's good for your credit.
• Reduce credit card debt: Amounts owed is another key part of your credit score. High credit card balances can be bad for your credit utilization ratio, or the ratio of your balances to your credit limits. If you have any credit card debt, work on paying it down, and you should see your credit score start to rise.
• Check your credit report: Request your credit reports online at AnnualCreditReport.com, because any mistakes could negatively affect your credit. You're legally entitled to one free report from each credit bureau per year. If you see any errors, dispute them with the credit bureau that issued the report.

If you don't have any credit cards yet, then you may have a thin credit file, meaning there isn't enough information to calculate a credit score for you. In that case, check out starter credit cards designed for consumers with no credit history. You can use one of these cards to build credit and increase your score.

RAISE YOUR CREDIT SCORE: How to Build Credit Fast

Here are some other questions we've answered:

• Visa vs. Mastercard
• A Guide to Chase's 5/24 Rule
• How to Apply for a Credit Card (and Get Approved)