12 Credit Cards That Use Experian for Approval (Reportedly)

Whenever you apply for a credit card, the bank or financial institution issuing the card will request your FICO credit score from at least one of the three credit reporting bureaus — Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion.^[1]

Applying for credit cards that are more likely to approve your application isn’t a foolproof strategy since creditors accept applicants on a case-by-case basis, but it can improve your approval odds and help you avoid getting dinged for too many credit inquiries.

One way to do this is to apply to card brands that primarily use the credit bureau where you have your highest FICO score.

If your highest credit score is on your Experian credit report, we have the list of cards that primarily use Experian in credit decisions below.

What to Know Before Applying

Before applying to any of the credit cards on the list below, you should know your credit score.

Each credit reporting bureau has its own method of calculating your score, which is why it can differ from one bureau to the next.

You’re entitled to a free copy of your credit report from all three bureaus each year through AnnualCreditReport.com.

Your credit report includes all information reported to the three credit bureaus.

If you notice any discrepancies in your report, it’s important to immediately contact the appropriate credit bureau to dispute the information. Inaccurate information on your report can result in a lower credit score.

If you want to know your exact FICO scores through Experian, TransUnion, or Equifax, you can request them directly from each bureau.^[2][3][4]

Many credit cards and banks also provide customers with credit score monitoring.^[5][6]

Can I Be Guaranteed That the Credit Cards on This List Use Only Experian?

Unfortunately, we can’t guarantee that the credit cards listed here will only and always use Experian when determining creditworthiness for an applicant; there’s no credit card issuer that only relies on one specific bureau.

We also cannot make a claim or guarantee that you’ll be approved for any specific credit card on this list.

Your initial credit check may be done by Experian, Equifax, or TransUnion. Consider taking steps to improve your score with all three agencies to better your chances.

Meanwhile, you can use this information to make decisions about whether to proceed with an application or avoid the hassle.

Although there’s no absolute guarantee that the following banks and financial institutions are going to rely exclusively on Experian reports, this information can improve your odds of getting approved for a credit card if your FICO score is best through Experian.

Comparison Table

Use the following table to compare the credit cards on our list.

You can select the arrows at the top of each column to sort the table.

Follow the link provided in the table for further details about each card.

The List

Based on user reports and our contacts with the issuers, the following credit cards are likely to pull Experian credit scores.

Remember that, as noted above, there’s no guarantee of which bureau the issuer will use for your application.

1. Chase Freedom Unlimited

• Credit needed: Good to Excellent^[7]
• APR: $0 for the first 15 billing months, then about 18% to 26%^[7]
• Annual fee: $0^[7]
• Balance transfer fees: 0% for the first 15 months, then about 18% to 26%^[8]
• Rewards: 1.5% to 5% cash back on purchases; $200 bonus when you spend $500 in the first three months^[7]
• Foreign transaction fees: 3% of each transaction amount in U.S. dollars^[8]
• Apply

2. Chase Sapphire Preferred

• Credit needed: Good to Excellent^[9]
• APR: About 18% to 26%^[9]
• Annual fee: $95^[9]
• Balance transfer fees: $5 or 5% of the transfer amount (whichever is greater)^[10]
• Rewards: 1X to 5X points on purchases and 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 in the first three months^[9]
• Foreign transaction fees: None^[10]
• Apply

3. Chase Slate Edge

• Credit needed: Good to Excellent^[11]
• APR: 0% for the first 18 months, then 18% to 25%^[11]
• Annual fee: $0^[11]
• Balance transfer fees: $5 or 3% for the first 60 days; $5 or 5% thereafter^[12]
• Rewards: None^[11]
• Foreign transaction fees: 3% of the transaction amount in U.S. dollars^[12]
• Apply

4. First Access Visa

• Credit needed: Poor to Fair^[13]
• APR: About 35%^[13]
• Annual fee: $75 for the first year and $48 afterward; $95 one-time processing fee^[13]
• Balance transfer fees: N/A^[13]
• Rewards: None^[13]
• Foreign transaction fees: None; you can’t use the card outside the U.S.^[13]
• Apply

5. First Progress Platinum Elite Mastercard Secured

• Credit needed: None^[14]
• APR: About 23%^[15]
• Annual fee: $29^[15]
• Balance transfer fees: N/A^[15]
• Rewards: None^[14]
• Foreign transaction fees: 3% of each transaction^[15]
• Apply

6. First Progress Platinum Prestige Mastercard Secured

• Credit needed: None^[14]
• APR: About 13%^[16]
• Annual fee: $49^[16]
• Balance transfer fees: N/A^[16]
• Rewards: None^[14]
• Foreign transaction fees: 3% of each transaction^[16]
• Apply

7. First Progress Platinum Select Mastercard Secured

• Credit needed: None^[14]
• APR: About 17%^[17]
• Annual fee: $39^[17]
• Balance transfer fees: N/A^[17]
• Rewards: None^[14]
• Foreign transaction fees: 3% of each transaction^[17]
• Apply

8. JetBlue Mastercard

• Credit needed: Excellent^[18]
• APR: 0% for the first 12 billing cycles, then about 19% to 28%, depending on your creditworthiness^[19]
• Annual fee: $0^[19]
• Balance transfer fees: 5% or $5 for each transfer (whichever is greater)^[19]
• Rewards:
  • 3X points on JetBlue purchases
  • 2X points at restaurants and grocery stores
  • 1X points on other purchases
  • Earn 10,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 in the first 90 days^[19]
• Foreign transaction fees: None^[20]
• Apply

9. JetBlue Plus Mastercard

• Credit needed: Excellent^[18]
• APR: 0% for the first 12 billing cycles, then about 19% to 28%, depending on your creditworthiness^[21]
• Annual fee: $99^[21]
• Balance transfer fees: 5% or $5 for each transfer (whichever is greater)^[21]
• Rewards:
  • 6X points on JetBlue purchases
  • 2X points at restaurants and grocery stores
  • 1X points on other purchases
  • Earn 80,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 and paying the annual fee within the first 90 days^[21]
• Foreign transaction fees: None^[22]
• Apply

10. Merrick Bank Secured Visa

• Credit needed: Poor to Fair^[23]
• APR: About 20%^[24]
• Annual fee: $36 for the first year, billed as $3 per month thereafter^[24]
• Balance transfer fees: N/A^[24]
• Rewards: None^[23]
• Foreign transaction fees: 2% of each transaction^[24]
• Apply

11. Reflex Mastercard

• Credit needed: Poor to Fair^[25]
• APR: About 30%^[26]
• Annual fee: $99; there’s also a $10 per month maintenance fee billed as $120 annually^[26]
• Balance transfer fees: N/A^[26]
• Rewards: None^[25]
• Foreign transaction fees: 3% of each transaction^[25]
• Apply

12. Total Visa

• Credit needed: Poor to Fair^[27]
• APR: About 35%^[28]
• Annual fee: $75 for the first year; $48 afterward; $89 one-time program fee^[28]
• Balance transfer fees: N/A^[28]
• Rewards: None^[29]
• Foreign transaction fees: None; you can’t use the card outside of the U.S.^[28]
• Apply

Interested in which cards are most likely to use the other credit bureaus? See our lists of cards that reportedly use TransUnion or Equifax.