These things suggest that you know how to handle your money. If your monthly expenses all but wipe out your income, the creditor will figure that you don t have enough cushion to make monthly payments on a credit card debt. But if you have a healthy cash flow, little or no debt, and evidence of good money management habits, you re their kind of customer. If you re not their kind of customer, they ll send you a rejection letter. But don t send out a bunch of applications or apply for cards you think you have little chance of getting.
Some card issuers submit the rejection information to the credit bureaus.
Should you strike out in your attempts to get a major unsecured credit card, you might consider applying for a secured card. Another way to get your first card is to apply at a department store. These cards are often easier to get. Building a Reputation As I mentioned, credit card issuers send regular reports of your account activity to the credit bureaus. If you don t use the card, they ve got nothing to report.