Depending on the bank or lender, there would be some more specific eligibility requirements for a credit card. You can check them out on the respective bank’s official website.

Let us now look at some important factors that affect your eligibility for a new credit card.

1. Age:

The usual age requirement for a credit card is 18. Some banks, however, have an eligibility requirement of at least 21 years. The higher age limit is generally 60 years, but can be a few years more or less for each specific bank.

2. Salary:

Although the lowest eligible salary requirement is usually around 3 lakhs p.a., it can differ according to the type of credit card you’re applying for.

3. Residential status:

Residents, non-residents, and citizens can usually apply for a new credit card. There are some cards which are also available to NRIs.

4. Credit score:

A good credit score is one of the primary requirements for a credit card. That’s because your credit score reflects your credit history, defaults on payment, and payment history along with other details. A good credit score is generally considered to be one between 750 to 900.

5. Credit utilization ratio:

Your existing credit utilization habits will be a key factor in getting a new credit card. Credit utilization ratio is a ratio of your credit card bill to the credit card limit. If you spend more, you would have a lesser credit utilization ratio. This would make banks perceive you a bad candidate and lower your probability of credit card approval.

6. Other loan applications:

A person applying for multiple loans or credit cards at once can make a bad impression in front of all lenders. Ensure that there is an interval of minimum 6 months between 2 loan/credit applications.

7. Employment status:

It isn’t just being employed that’s important, lenders could also take stability into account. If you stick to your job for longer than one year, your probability of acquiring a credit card can increase.

8. Location:

A new credit card might be available to you depending on your residence in a particular city. Such requirements usually differ from one bank to another.

Here are the basic documentation requirements for a credit card application, to which additional requirements could be added by the bank.

If you are a self-employed professional, you will have to produce the following:

If you are a student, you can apply for a student credit card by submitting your student ID along with other basic documents.

Conclusion

As mentioned before, a credit card has become indispensable to a lot of working-class people and youngsters these days, and you should not worry about getting one. As long as you keep your records updated and maintain your credit score, you will always be in a good position and it could also help you present a good record while applying for loans.

RBL Bank offers a wide range of credit cards suited to different people and different lifestyles. You can do everything from applying for your credit card to checking out credit card settings online, with a simple and convenient process.