How To Get Approved For An Apple Card If You Were Declined Or Have Poor Credit

If you're deep in the Apple ecosystem, it would make sense to pick up an Apple Card to take advantage of features like Apple Pay. However, not everybody gets approved for an Apple Card after they apply, but don't fret if that happened to you. No matter the case, Apple will give you a checklist to complete as part of the Path to Apple Card program that'll open the door for you to reapply if you aren't approved. Finishing these steps doesn't guarantee an acceptance for an Apple Card, but you'll be in much better shape than you would be otherwise.

There are many reasons people get declined for credit cards, and the list includes having a poor credit score, too low an income, unpaid bills, a tax lien, bankruptcy, or foreclosure on your record. More factors can come into play, but the big thing for most people is to just make sure you're on top of your monthly bills and make sure you don't carry a lot of debt as those things will negatively impact your credit score and make it harder to get an Apple Card. Checking your credit score on a website like Credit Karma beforehand isn't a bad idea if you're looking into applying for a card. 

If you're accepted into the Path to Apple Card program, you'll receive a personalized list of steps that have to be completed based on why you were declined. While these steps vary from person to person, it often boils down to three simple things — make your required payments on time, lower your credit card and personal loan debt, and resolve past due balances. Doing this will give you a 14-day window to reapply with the Path to Apple Card program; if you miss this window, you'll still be able to reapply but you may not have any of the steps you completed during it considered.

Filing for bankruptcy, a charge-off, getting your vehicle repossessed, having your house go into foreclosure, or having an account go into collections will all end your Path to Apple Card eligibility. To put it simply, if you're making enough money that allows you to pay your bills on time and you don't have any big red flags show up in a credit check, your chances of being approved a exponentially higher than somebody who doesn't meet that criteria.