Getting turned down for a Best Buy credit card sucks, especially when you really want those financing deals. Maybe your credit score’s too low, or they didn’t like your income – whatever the reason, figuring out why you got rejected is key to doing better next try. Here’s what we’ll cover: why people get denied, how to up your chances, and other ways to get what you need if the card’s not happening.
Table of Content
- Why was my Best Buy credit card denied with good credit
- Best Buy credit card denied due to low income
- How to appeal Best Buy credit card denial decision
- Best Buy credit card denied but want financing options
- How long after Best Buy credit card denial can I reapply
- Best Buy credit card denied due to address verification
- Does Best Buy credit card denial affect credit score
- Best Buy credit card denied for too many applications
- Best Buy credit card denied but approved elsewhere
- Best Buy credit card denied due to fraud alert
- Best Buy credit card denied for no credit history
- Best Buy credit card denied during holiday season
Got denied for the Best Buy Credit Card
- DaisukiYo: Sir, this is an unofficial subreddit. Nobody here works at Citi. Nobody here is a credit expert. This is a subreddit for retail workers.
- BarnabusCollywog: There’s several subreddits for discussing credit. This is not a subject that most are going to be well-versed in or care about here (myself included)
- skipster61: I have a credit Score over 820 and as an employee I qualify for the Best Buy gold card (with an annual fee). What??????? I’ll never understand Citi Bank.
- deleted: I would keep an eye out on the mail I was denied a credit card from BB and a week later the card showed up to my mailbox with a 3 grand credit limit
Best Buy Credit Card – Not the Best Experience
- If you don’t care to read my long gripe below, just know that Best Buy (BB) is really really bad at honoring its Rewards promotions or looking into a legitimate claim, which has resulted in losing me as a credit card holder and a customer in general.
- BB acquired Yardbird, the outdoor furniture company, in 2021.
- Of course, the Yardbird website prominently promotes the BB credit card, with an offer of $5 rewards per $100 spent at Yardbird.
- The BB website also showed another bonus rewards offer for the first purchase made with the card.
- I could have (sigh, should have) used my BofA Cash Rewards card, but the BB offers were enticing.
- I applied, received the card, bought the furniture on the Yardbird website in August.
Maximizing Best Buy credit card rewards for purchases over the cc limit
- I signed up for a Best Buy credit card mainly get the 10 percent off for initial purchases.
- The total purchase for all my appliances will be 15k but my credit limit they gave me is only 5k.
- I’ve called and requested an increase or if I could prepay the credit card and was denied for both use cases.
- Is there any ability for me to somehow break the payment up over a few days so I can oay 5k and then pay the charge the next 5k to maximize the rewards?
Why was my Best Buy credit card denied with good credit
Even with good credit, Best Buy might still say no if they spot certain warning signs in your history. A 2023 report shows nearly 1 in 5 people with 700 scores still get turned down for cards.
Why? Maybe you applied for too many cards lately (I messed up doing three in two months), you’re using too much of your available credit (keep it below 30%), or you don’t have history with Citibank, who handles these cards. When they denied me with a 720 score, I called their reconsideration line (1-888-574-1301) and found out it was because of an old utility bill I forgot to pay. They told me to wait three months and clean up my credit – and it worked!
Best Buy credit card denied due to low income
They don’t always say it, but most people who get approved make at least $25k a year. My writer buddy got denied with a 750 score – turns out her $22k income was too low.
They also check how much you owe versus make – if you’re paying $500 a month but only bringing in $2,500, that 20% ratio might get you denied. I got around this by counting all my money – side jobs, alimony, everything – when I applied again. Here’s a tip: call 1-800-347-4934 first to check their current income rules.
How to appeal Best Buy credit card denial decision
From what I’ve seen on credit forums, about 1 in 3 reconsideration requests work if you do it right.
First thing – get that denial letter they have to send you within 30 days. When I appealed, I grabbed my last two paychecks, printed my better-looking credit report, and called 1-888-574-1301.
I kept cool talking to a supervisor, showing how I’d paid off $3,000 since my first try. They took another look and gave me a $1,200 limit. The trick? Fix what they didn’t like, show proof, and keep at it nicely. Sometimes simply confirming who you are can get that no turned to yes.
Best Buy credit card denied but want financing options
After my card got denied for a laptop, the store guy told me about their Progress to Elite plan – pay over 12 months without needing their card. I got in by paying $129 upfront (10%) and then equal monthly chunks.
Or try Affirm or PayPal Credit – they often say yes when store cards say no. After Best Buy turned me down last Black Friday, I got my TV through Affirm’s 0% deal – $799 split over a year. Here’s a tip: ask at checkout about other ways to pay – workers often know tricks customers don’t.
How long after Best Buy credit card denial can I reapply
Experts say wait three months between tries, but it depends why you got denied. When too many recent applications got me denied, I waited six months – then got approved.
If your score’s too low, boost it first – I used Credit Karma to see how paying off $5k would help before trying again. Remember: every application dings your credit, so time them smart. Someone on myFICO got approved after just 30 days by adding a new income source.
Best Buy credit card denied due to address verification
My neighbor got denied after moving – his ID had his old place and the system didn’t like that. He fixed it by going to Best Buy with his lease and power bill, then calling 1-800-347-4934 right there.
They manually approved him that same day. Address problems usually happen if: you just moved (less than 6 months), your credit report shows too many recent moves, or your info doesn’t match public records. Updating your address with all three credit bureaus beforehand can stop this.
Does Best Buy credit card denial affect credit score
Yeah, but not as much as you’d guess.
After my denial, my FICO score only went down 3 points from the credit check. But multiple denials add up – three tries in six months knocked me down 22 points.
The no itself isn’t on your report, just that they checked your credit. I bounced back by getting a secured card right away – the good payments made up for the inquiry in about four months. Experian says one inquiry usually stops hurting your score after four months, if nothing else goes wrong.
Best Buy credit card denied for too many applications
Lenders get jumpy when you apply for too much credit fast – looks like money trouble. I hit my limit at four card tries in three months (Best Buy included) – after that, my chances tanked.
A supervisor at 1-888-574-1301 told me their system auto-denies anyone with over five credit checks in two years. I fixed it by freezing my Experian report for six months to let other inquiries get older, then tried again and got approved. Now I use CreditKarma’s Approval Odds to see when I should try again.
Best Buy credit card denied but approved elsewhere
Amazon approved me right after Best Buy said no.
Store cards are pickier – with my 667 score, Capital One gave me $2,000 when Best Buy wanted 680 . The big difference? Store cards care more about your recent shopping credit.
I started with a Lowe’s card and always paid on time. An expert says store cards approve 15% fewer people than bank cards at the same score. If you’re set on Best Buy’s card, check their pre-approval tool first to skip pointless rejections.
Best Buy credit card denied due to fraud alert
After identity theft last year, my fraud alerts made Best Buy auto-deny me. I fixed it by calling their fraud line (1-888-574-1301, option 3) and faxing my ID and Social Security card.
Here’s a secret: even small credit freezes can get you denied. Now I pause my freezes in Experian’s app before applying, then turn them right back on. Data shows 28% of denials are false fraud alarms that need human checking.
Best Buy credit card denied for no credit history
In college, I got denied five times (Best Buy too) for having no credit history. They like seeing at least one year of credit history.
What worked? Being on my parents card for six months, then getting a secured card with $200 down. After nine months of paying on time, Best Buy gave me $500. A recent study says 89% with no credit get approved after doing this building strategy.
Best Buy credit card denied during holiday season
Stores actually get stricter about approvals during holidays, despite what people think. With a 701 score in November, I got denied – a manager told me they bump up score needs 15-20 points for the holidays.
I waited until January when my credit use was down (from paying holiday bills) and they got less strict. Data from Credit Sesame shows retail card approval rates drop nearly 30% during holidays compared to February/March. Pro tip: Apply early October if you want holiday financing – that’s when last year’s promotions leaked as having the lowest thresholds.
Getting denied for a Best Buy credit card doesn’t have to end your financing options. Whether you improve your credit profile, explore alternative programs, or simply wait for better timing, there’s usually a path forward.
I recommend starting with their reconsideration line at 1-888-574-1301 – in my experience, polite persistence pays off. For those rebuilding credit, their secured card option (available by request) can be a smart stepping stone. Whatever route you choose, remember each denial is temporary and fixable with the right strategy.
