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It’s fun to learn about travel credit cards. I remember how excited I was to find out there were cards that could get me into airport lounges and help me score cheap business-class tickets. Those are just a few of the perks the best travel rewards cards offer.

Once you have your eye on a few cards, you’ll probably want to know what it takes to get approved. No one wants to spend all that time picking out a card, only to see their application denied. While requirements vary, there is a credit score guideline you can follow for the best travel cards.

The golden number for the best travel cards

The standard recommendation for most travel cards is a FICO® Score of 670 or higher. These cards are aimed at consumers with good or excellent credit. The good credit range is a FICO® Score of 670 to 739.

A FICO® Score is the most widely used type of credit score by lenders. When a credit card company checks your credit, it will probably check your FICO® Score. Many free credit score tools online provide your VantageScore instead, which is sometimes higher. Make sure to use a free tool that has your FICO® Score, such as Experian CreditWorks Basic.

Some travel cards have stricter approval requirements. With these, it helps to have a score of 700 or higher. If you have a specific card in mind, try to find out its specific credit score guidelines.

Looking for a travel card? Check out our curated picks for top travel rewards cards to see what kind of benefits they offer and the credit score guidelines for each one.

Your credit score isn’t all that matters

There’s more to a credit card application than just your credit score. It’s an important factor, and it could make the difference between an approval and a denial. You probably wouldn’t get approved for one of the most highly rated credit cards if you have a 520 credit score, to give you one example.

Your credit score doesn’t guarantee anything, though. Plenty of people have gotten approved for top travel cards with scores of 650 or lower. There have also been card applicants, myself included, who have been denied with an 800 credit score.

When you apply for a credit card, the card issuer takes a thorough look at your credit and financial situation. Here are other factors that could affect your application:

• Income
• Number of credit cards
• Recent credit applications
• History with that specific card issuer
• Delinquencies on your credit history

How to improve your credit score before applying for a travel card

If your credit score doesn’t meet the guidelines for the card you want, it’s a good idea to work on that first. As I mentioned earlier, a high credit score doesn’t guarantee an approval. But in general, having a higher credit score can certainly help.

Here’s the good news: It’s simple enough to raise your credit score, and it often doesn’t take long. Follow these tips to get on the path to excellent credit:

• Check your credit score with a free tool online. Credit score tools also typically provide helpful information on how to improve your credit.
• Pay down credit card debt. This is a fast way to boost your credit, because high credit card balances are bad for your credit score.
• Always pay bills on time. Your payment history is the biggest factor in your credit score. It’s especially important to pay credit cards and loans on time, since these get reported on your credit file.
• Pull your credit report and dispute any errors you find. Your credit report is available free of charge at AnnualCreditReport.com. If there are any mistakes, you can dispute them online with the credit bureau that issued the report.

These are smart habits to adopt, because they’ll help you build and maintain a high credit score. That’s useful in many ways. For example, it could save you money on loans and even on your car insurance in most states. And as you know, it could also help you land some amazing travel cards.

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