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What prompts a pre-approval letter?

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Anonymous
Not applicable

What prompts a pre-approval letter?

I've always wondered. Sometimes I get pre-approvals and I get approved and sometimes I don't. I dn't understand why a company would send a pre-approval if they would deny me. Insight would be great!

Message 1 of 5
4 REPLIES 4
crrredit
Established Contributor

Re: What prompts a pre-approval letter?

i wonder what the lag time is between when their list gets generated and when they send out their mailers. During that time things can change on your report that takes you out of their acceptable parameters. Could be one too many inquiries, higher balances on your existing cards, recently updated baddie, etc. My scores have moved into the 700s and I'm starting to get a flood of mailers from loan sharks wanting 46% for personal loans, and offers from companies like Merrick offering me terms that would have been good a year ago, but not now. One wanted me to pay off my high interest car loan using their offer. My car loan is 0.9% and they offered to replace it with a 21% loan.

Message 2 of 5
OmarGB9
Community Leader
Super Contributor

Re: What prompts a pre-approval letter?

Also keep in mind that the marketing department kinda does their own thing and automatically sends out those mailers based on certain parameters, but they have nothing to do with the actual application and approval/denial process.

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Message 3 of 5
bodyboy1
Established Contributor

Re: What prompts a pre-approval letter?


@Anonymous wrote:

I've always wondered. Sometimes I get pre-approvals and I get approved and sometimes I don't. I dn't understand why a company would send a pre-approval if they would deny me. Insight would be great!


>  (IMO)   "Good" approval scores start at 680   Happy new year!

Amazon 5K. AMEX PRG 35kPOT./AMEX MAG 15k. BARNEYS 28.7k. Banana. BAO. CITI Bestbuy/Bloomies 15k/Diamond/Thanku/Macy's 15k. Chase/Freedom. DiscoveriT 13.5K/Chrome. FRONTGATE 4K. Jetblue 5.7K. JCrew 7k. JCPenney 5k. Ring 10k. Sear's MC 11.3k. SAKS 5K SamsClub 10K. Target MC 8.4k. Walmart 6k. Wayfair 4.8k... be good to yourself!
Message 4 of 5
Anonymous
Not applicable

Re: What prompts a pre-approval letter?


@crrredit wrote:

i wonder what the lag time is between when their list gets generated and when they send out their mailers. During that time things can change on your report that takes you out of their acceptable parameters. Could be one too many inquiries, higher balances on your existing cards, recently updated baddie, etc. My scores have moved into the 700s and I'm starting to get a flood of mailers from loan sharks wanting 46% for personal loans, and offers from companies like Merrick offering me terms that would have been good a year ago, but not now. One wanted me to pay off my high interest car loan using their offer. My car loan is 0.9% and they offered to replace it with a 21% loan.


I get those, too.  Ones that are like "You're pre-approved for a $500 credit limit at a low 30.99% APR!"  Um, no thanks.  

Message 5 of 5
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