Turned down for a card? Read your letter in plain English.
Tick the reasons printed on your letter. We explain each one, what you can do this week and the rights the law gives you. No sign-up, and nothing you tick is saved.
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Faster than ticking boxes. We read the reasons off the page and nothing else.
Bureau named on the letter: Experian
Your letter, in plain English
0 reasons from Experian. Nothing you ticked is saved.
Tick at least one reason on the left to see what it means.
On your letter: Credit application incomplete
Something the lender needed was missing, such as income, an address or an ID detail.
What you can do: Call the number on the letter and ask what was missing. Some lenders let you finish the application instead of starting over.
On your letter: Insufficient number of credit references provided
The lender wanted more accounts or references to judge you by.
What you can do: Ask which references count. On-time accounts that report to the credit bureaus add references over time.
On your letter: Unacceptable type of credit references provided
The references you gave aren't the kind this lender uses.
What you can do: Ask the lender which types it accepts before you apply again.
On your letter: Unable to verify credit references
The lender couldn't confirm the references you listed.
What you can do: Check the names and numbers you gave, then ask whether the lender can try again.
On your letter: Temporary or irregular employment
Your work history looked short-term or uneven to this lender.
What you can do: Ask what proof of steady income it accepts.
On your letter: Unable to verify employment
The lender couldn't confirm where you work.
What you can do: Check that your employer's name and phone were right, and ask what proof the lender takes.
On your letter: Length of employment
You haven't been at your current job as long as this lender wants.
What you can do: This one changes with time. Ask how long the lender looks for.
On your letter: Income insufficient for amount of credit requested
Your income looked low for the amount of credit you asked for.
What you can do: Check that you listed all the income you're allowed to include. A card with a lower limit may fit better.
On your letter: Excessive obligations in relation to income
Your monthly debt payments are high compared with your income.
What you can do: Paying balances down lowers this. The debt-to-income calculator shows where you stand.
Open the debt-to-income calculatorOn your letter: Unable to verify income
The lender couldn't confirm the income you reported.
What you can do: Ask which documents it accepts, such as pay stubs or tax returns.
On your letter: Length of residence
You haven't lived at your address as long as this lender wants.
What you can do: This one changes with time. Ask how long the lender looks for.
On your letter: Temporary residence
Your address looked temporary to this lender.
What you can do: Ask what proof of address it accepts.
On your letter: Unable to verify residence
The lender couldn't confirm your address.
What you can do: Check that the address matches your ID and your credit report.
On your letter: No credit file
The credit bureau had no report for you, or not enough to make one.
What you can do: Get your free report to check. A file can also go missing when a name or Social Security number doesn't match.
Get your free reportsOn your letter: Limited credit experience
Your credit history is short or has few accounts.
What you can do: On-time payments on an account that reports to the bureaus build history. Cards made for building credit are one way to start.
See cards for building creditOn your letter: Poor credit performance with us
Past accounts with this same lender had problems, such as late payments.
What you can do: Ask the lender what it found. Bringing an old account current can help later.
On your letter: Delinquent past or present credit obligations with others
Your report shows late or missed payments with other lenders.
What you can do: Check the report for mistakes and dispute any you find. From here, paying every bill on time matters most.
How to dispute an errorOn your letter: Collection action or judgment
Your report shows a debt sent to collections or a court judgment.
What you can do: Check that the debt is yours and the amount is right. If it isn't, dispute it with the bureau.
On your letter: Garnishment or attachment
A court let a creditor take money from your pay or your accounts.
What you can do: Ask the lender where it found this, and check your reports.
On your letter: Foreclosure or repossession
Your report shows a foreclosure, or a car or other item taken back.
What you can do: Check the dates. Most negative items can stay on a report for up to 7 years.
On your letter: Bankruptcy
Your report shows a bankruptcy.
What you can do: Check the dates. A bankruptcy can stay on a report for up to 10 years.
On your letter: Number of recent inquiries on credit bureau report
You applied for several cards or loans in a short time.
What you can do: Space out applications. Checking your own score is not an inquiry that lenders see.
On your letter: Value or type of collateral not sufficient
What would have secured the credit wasn't worth enough, or wasn't the kind this lender takes.
What you can do: Ask the lender what it needs.
On your letter: Other, specify
The lender wrote its own reason.
What you can do: Read the exact words. If they're unclear, ask for the specific reasons within 60 days.
- 1Ask why. If the letter doesn't list the reasons, ask within 60 days. The lender then has 30 days to answer.
- 2Get your free Experian report. Ask within 60 days of the letter, then check every account and inquiry.
- 2No bureau named? The decision may not have used a credit report. You can still see all three reports free every week at AnnualCreditReport.com.
- 3Dispute mistakes. Send them to the bureau. It generally has 30 days to look into them.
- 4See the score they used. If a credit score was part of the decision, the letter has to show it with the key factors behind it.
- 5No discrimination. A lender can't turn you down because of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, marital status or age, or because your income comes from public assistance.
