Credit score requirements by product
Every product publishes a number and none of them treat it as absolute. Here is what each type typically asks for, what else is being weighed alongside it, and what to do when the answer comes back no.
General guidance, not a product page. Where Kovo products are mentioned, 0% APR and no-credit-check refer to the Credit Builder. Partner loans are priced by the lender.
What each type typically asks for
These are common industry thresholds, not rules. Every lender sets its own, and score is only one of the inputs.
| Product | Typical minimum | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Credit builder account | No minimum | Designed for thin or damaged files. Kovo requires no score and runs no inquiry |
| Secured credit card | No minimum, or very low | The deposit carries the risk rather than the score |
| Store card | Around 600 | Often more lenient than general-purpose cards |
| Personal loan | Around 620 | Best pricing usually from 720. Partner lenders set their own thresholds |
| Auto loan | Around 600 | Subprime tiers exist below this at markedly higher rates |
| Unsecured credit card | Around 670 | Rewards cards typically higher |
| Conventional mortgage | Around 620 | FHA programmes can go lower with a larger deposit |
Thresholds are common industry conventions as of August 2026 and vary by lender, by state and by product. Treat them as orientation, not eligibility.
A score is one input, not the decision
People often conclude a decline was about their score when it was not. These carry real weight alongside it.
Income and stabilityWhether repayment is plausible from what you earn
WeightedDebt-to-income ratioExisting obligations against income — often decisive
WeightedLength of banking relationshipYour own bank may approve where others decline
WeightedRecent applicationsSeveral inquiries in a short span reads as distress
Counts againstWhich scoring model was pulledA 30-point spread between models is ordinary
VariesWhat to do when the answer is no
A decline is information about a threshold, not a verdict on you. There are only three sensible responses.
In order of usefulness
- Find out why. Under the Equal Credit Opportunity Act a lender must give you the specific reasons for a denial, or tell you how to request them. Ask.
- Fix the cheap thing first. If utilisation caused it, paying a balance down can move the number within one cycle. If it was an error on your report, dispute it — that is free.
- Build, then reapply. Six months of reported payments changes which thresholds you clear. A credit builder has no score requirement, which is the point of it.
Score requirements — the questions we get asked
Start where there is no threshold to clear
The Credit Builder has no minimum score and runs no credit inquiry, because it exists for people the score-based market has already turned away.
Check eligibility