What Credit Score Is Needed for a Kohl’s Card?

There isn’t one credit score requirement for a Kohl’s Card because Capital One can consider you for two different cards. You apply for the Kohl’s Rewards Visa first. If Capital One can’t approve you for that card, it automatically considers you for the store-only Kohl’s Credit Card.

That distinction matters. Capital One positions the Kohl’s Rewards Visa for applicants with good-to-excellent credit, while the store-only card can be within reach for some applicants with fair credit. A credit score around 640 may put you in range for the store card, but Capital One doesn’t publish an official minimum credit score.

Before you apply, it helps to know which card your credit profile may support and what happens if you don’t qualify for the Visa.

There Isn’t One Kohl’s Card Credit Score Requirement

Capital One doesn’t publish a minimum credit score for either Kohl’s card.

Current third-party guidance commonly places the store-only Kohl’s Credit Card around the fair credit range, with a credit score near 640 as a reasonable starting point. That doesn’t make 640 an approval cutoff. Someone with a lower credit score may qualify, while someone with a higher credit score can still be denied.

The Kohl’s Rewards Visa has a higher bar. Capital One currently classifies that card for good-to-excellent credit.

That makes the application different from a standard store card application. You aren’t simply applying for one card with one set of approval standards.

You May Qualify for a Different Kohl’s Card Than You Expected

When you submit the application, Capital One first considers you for the Kohl’s Rewards Visa.

If you qualify, you receive a Visa that works anywhere Visa is accepted. If Capital One can’t approve you for the Visa, it automatically considers you for the Kohl’s Credit Card. The store card can only be used at Kohl’s stores and Kohls.com.

This setup can work in your favor if your credit profile falls between the two approval tiers. You may miss the requirements for the Visa but still qualify for the store card without submitting a second application.

It also explains why a single recommended credit score can be misleading. The credit profile needed for a general-purpose Visa isn’t necessarily the same as the credit profile needed for a card that can only be used at Kohl’s.

What Credit Profile Gives You a Better Chance?

Your credit score gives Capital One one piece of information about your credit history. The rest of your application matters too.

For the store-only Kohl’s Credit Card, fair credit may be enough in some cases. A credit score in the mid-600s or higher can put you in a better position if the rest of your credit profile is stable.

For the Kohl’s Rewards Visa, aim higher. Capital One places the card in its good-to-excellent credit category, so a stronger credit score and cleaner overall credit history can improve your position.

Neither range guarantees approval. Capital One can consider information beyond your credit score before it decides whether to extend credit and which Kohl’s card to offer you.

What Else Can Affect Kohl’s Card Approval?

Capital One doesn’t publish a formula for Kohl’s Card approvals. Several parts of your financial and credit profile can affect a credit card application.

Pay attention to these areas before you apply:

• Payment history: Recent late or missed payments can weaken your application. A consistent record of on-time payments can help your overall credit profile.
• Credit utilization: High credit card balances relative to your available revolving credit can hurt your credit score and make your finances appear stretched.
• Income: Capital One can consider whether your reported income supports your current obligations and another credit account.
• Existing debt: Large monthly debt payments can affect how much additional credit an issuer is willing to extend.
• Recent inquiries: Several recent credit applications can show that you’ve been seeking multiple new accounts.
• Credit history: A longer history of responsible account management gives Capital One more information about how you handle credit.

Your existing relationship with Capital One may also give the issuer more account history to review, but having another Capital One account doesn’t guarantee approval for a Kohl’s Card.

Check Your Eligibility Before Submitting an Application

Capital One currently offers a Check My Eligibility option for the Kohl’s Rewards Visa.

Capital One’s eligibility and pre-approval checks don’t require a hard inquiry, so you can see potential card offers without affecting your credit score. A positive result still doesn’t guarantee final approval.

A formal credit card application is different. It can result in a hard inquiry on your credit report, whether Capital One ultimately approves or denies the application.

Checking eligibility first makes sense if your credit profile is borderline or you simply want more information before you apply.

How to Improve Your Credit Profile Before Applying

You don’t need to wait for a perfect credit score. Focus on problems that can weaken your application and that you can realistically improve.

A few steps can put you in a better position:

• Review your credit reports: Check your credit reports from Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion for incorrect balances, unfamiliar accounts, inaccurate late payments, and other errors.
• Lower credit card balances: Paying down revolving debt can reduce your credit utilization and may help your credit score after the new balances reach the credit bureaus.
• Keep payments current: Make every required payment by its due date. A new late payment can hurt progress elsewhere in your credit profile.
• Limit new applications: Avoid unnecessary credit applications before you apply if your credit reports already contain several recent hard inquiries.
• Dispute inaccurate information: File a dispute with each credit bureau that displays information you believe is inaccurate or incomplete.
• Check eligibility first: Use Capital One’s eligibility check before the full application if you aren’t confident about your approval chances.

You don’t need to carry balances or pay interest to strengthen your credit history.

How Kohl’s Card Rewards Work

The Kohl’s Card is more than a discount card now. Cardholders earn a higher Kohl’s Rewards rate when they use the card for eligible Kohl’s purchases.

Kohl’s Rewards members normally earn 5% in rewards on qualifying purchases. When you pay with a Kohl’s Card and use your Kohl’s Rewards account, that rate increases to 7.5%.

If you qualify for the Kohl’s Rewards Visa, you can also earn rewards outside Kohl’s:

• Kohl’s purchases: Earn 7.5% in Kohl’s Rewards on qualifying Kohl’s purchases.
• Gas purchases: Earn 3% in rewards.
• Grocery purchases: Earn 2% in rewards at grocery stores.
• Other purchases: Earn 1% in rewards everywhere else Visa is accepted.

The store-only Kohl’s Credit Card still earns 7.5% on qualifying Kohl’s purchases, but you can’t use it outside Kohl’s.

Kohl’s Rewards and Kohl’s Cash Aren’t Exactly the Same Thing

This distinction can be confusing because Kohl’s Rewards eventually become Kohl’s Cash.

Your Kohl’s Rewards balance converts into Kohl’s Cash in $5 increments on the first day of the following month. That Kohl’s Cash is generally valid for 30 days.

Kohl’s also runs separate Kohl’s Cash earning periods. During those promotions, shoppers can earn promotional Kohl’s Cash based on qualifying purchases.

The two systems can work together, but they aren’t the same program. Your ongoing Kohl’s Card rewards and a limited-time Kohl’s Cash promotion follow different earning rules.

New Cardholders Can Get an Extra Discount

Kohl’s currently offers approved new cardholders a 40% discount on one qualifying purchase made within 30 days of credit availability.

The discount has exclusions, so it won’t apply to every item sold at Kohl’s. Kohl’s also applies dollar-off coupons, such as Kohl’s Cash, before percentage-off coupons.

That first-purchase discount can be valuable if you already have a larger qualifying purchase planned. It isn’t a reason to open the card if you expect to carry the balance and pay substantial interest.

Watch the Interest Rate if You Carry a Balance

The Kohl’s Rewards Visa has no annual fee, but the current purchase APR is high. The card agreement lists a 29.49% variable purchase APR for current offers as of March 31, 2026.

That can quickly offset the value of cardholder discounts and rewards if you carry a balance from month to month.

The strongest use case is straightforward. Use the Kohl’s Card for purchases you already planned to make, collect the available rewards or discounts, and pay the statement balance in full by the due date.

Is a Kohl’s Card Worth Applying For?

The store-only Kohl’s Credit Card can be an option for frequent Kohl’s shoppers with fair credit who want access to the higher 7.5% Kohl’s Rewards rate and cardholder promotions.

The Kohl’s Rewards Visa offers more flexibility if your credit profile qualifies. You can use it outside Kohl’s and earn additional rewards on gas, grocery purchases, and other spending.

The two-card approval process also gives applicants an unusual fallback. You can apply with the Visa in mind and still be considered for the store card if Capital One can’t approve you for the Visa.

Don’t treat 640 as a guaranteed approval number. Capital One doesn’t publish a minimum credit score. Check your credit profile, use the eligibility check first, and apply when the rest of your finances support another credit account.