Always use an eligibility checker
When you apply for a card, it leaves a mark on your credit report that can be seen by another provider. If you get too many of these marks you may find it difficult to apply for more credit. When you use an eligibility checker you’ll find out if you’ll be accepted for a credit card without affecting your credit score.
Some eligibility checkers can only tell you how likely you are to be accepted. But Capital One's QuickCheck tool gives you a definite yes or no in 60 seconds. So you can be 100% sure that you'll be accepted if you apply for one of our credit cards online.
Check your credit score
A healthy credit score can improve your chances of being accepted for a credit card and could mean you’re eligible for a wider range of credit card deals. We created CreditWise to give you a simple way to check and track the progress of your credit score. It’s free to use and uses data from
Equifax opens in a new tab
one of the three main UK credit reference agencies.
It’s also a good idea to check your credit report from time to time in case there are any errors that could hurt your chances of being accepted for credit in the future. If you find anything that’s wrong you can ask for it to be changed.
Check the APR
APR is short for Annual Percentage Rate. It’s a useful way to compare credit cards because it's a quick way of checking how much the card might cost you in the long run. Credit card companies calculate a card’s APR based on the interest rate charged for purchases and any fees you could possibly be charged.
It's a good idea to double check a card’s APR when applying, as some providers don’t guarantee the APR that they advertise. At Capital One, we’re a bit different. The APR you see when you apply is the APR you’ll get.
What personal details do I need to apply?
If you decide to apply for a Capital One credit card online, the first step is to use QuickCheck – our free eligibility checker. Once you’ve put in your details you’ll get a response in 60 seconds so you’ll be 100% sure if you’ll be accepted or not before you apply. Simply tell us when you were born, your current address, work situation and finances. If you’ve only lived at your current address for a short time, you’ll also need to let us know your previous addresses from the past three years.