What Can You Get Approved For With a 790 Credit Score?

With a 790 credit score, you can likely get approved for premium rewards cards, low-rate personal loans, auto loans, and most mortgages, as long as your income and debts support what you're borrowing. Your score already puts you in the top auto and mortgage pricing tiers, which start at 781 and 780. Exceptional credit starts at 800, 10 points away, but it changes the label more than the price.

Is 790 a good credit score?

Yes. FICO's very good range runs from 740 to 799, and 790 is in the upper half of it. At 800, you'd move into exceptional credit.

A score this high usually reflects a long run of on-time payments, low reported balances, and few recent applications. At 790, the main risk is losing ground. You're 10 points above where Fannie Mae's top fee band starts and 9 points above Experian's super prime cutoff, so a high reported balance, several new hard inquiries, or a missed payment could drop you below either one.

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What can you get approved for with a 790 credit score?

At 790, your score typically isn't what stands between you and approval. Lenders will look harder at your income, your job history, and your debt-to-income ratio (DTI).

Credit cards

Premium travel cards, top-tier cash back cards, large sign-up bonuses, high credit limits, and long 0% intro APR offers are all realistic at 790. You'll likely see more prescreened offers, too.

Since you can choose from most cards, pick the ones you'll actually use. If you travel, look for airfare and hotel rewards or lounge access. If you're planning a large purchase, a long 0% intro APR period can be worth more than points. An intro 0% period helps only if you pay the balance off before it ends.

Each new application triggers a hard inquiry, which can take a few points off for about a year. Before applying, check whether the issuer offers prequalification, which uses a soft credit check that doesn't affect your score. Only open a new card when it serves a financial goal.

Personal loans

Most personal lenders will approve a 790 if your income and DTI support the loan. Expect offers near the low end of a lender's advertised interest rates.

The Federal Reserve's average for a 24-month bank personal loan is 11.86%, and a 790 borrower can often get offers below it.

How much you can borrow still depends on your income and existing debt.

Auto loans

At 790, you're in Experian's super prime tier (781 or above), the top tier for auto loans. Your credit score plays a major role in the interest rate you're offered on a car loan. Super prime borrowers average 4.41% on new cars and 6.29% on used cars. At those rates, a super prime borrower would pay about $1,000 less in interest on a $20,000, 60-month new car loan than a prime borrower. Experian sorts these tiers by VantageScore 4.0, so your FICO score may place you a little differently.

Manufacturer promotions like 0% financing or cash back offers are within reach. Ask the dealer what score a specific promotion requires. Get preapproved by a bank or credit union first, then compare that rate against the dealer's financing and any promotion. A cash rebate can be worth more than a lower rate.

Use an auto loan calculator to check payment amounts before you sign.

Mortgages

At 790, most mortgage types are open to you, and your score already earns Fannie Mae's best pricing. Your down payment is now what matters most.

• Conventional loans. Fannie Mae charges lenders an upfront fee on the loans it buys, based on your score and down payment. For scores of 780 and up, that fee is 0.375% of the loan amount with 20% down and 0% with 25% down or more. On a $200,000 loan, that's $750 versus $0. You'd see the difference in your rate or your closing costs.
• FHA loans. These loans are an option, but they carry their own mortgage insurance premium. Borrowers with scores of 580 or higher can qualify with 3.5% down. Each lender can set higher minimums. At 790, a conventional loan is usually the one to price first. Still, an FHA quote is worth comparing if your down payment is small.
• Jumbo loans. Each lender sets its own score, income, and reserve requirements for loans above conventional limits. A 790 meets many of them, but ask each lender. Income and reserves often decide it.

Small rate differences add up on a mortgage. For example, on a $300,000, 30-year loan, 6.0% instead of 6.5% saves about $98 a month, or about $35,000 over the life of the loan.

Run the numbers >> Use Kikoff's mortgage calculator to estimate your monthly payment and plan your homebuying budget.

What interest rates can you expect with a 790 credit score?

Expect offers near the best a lender advertises. Exact rates still depend on the lender, the loan, and market conditions. The Federal Reserve's averages across all borrowers were 22.15% for card accounts charging interest and 11.86% for 24-month bank personal loans. At 790, you'll typically see offers below both.

Your score already puts you in both top pricing tiers: 780 for Fannie Mae's mortgage fee and 781 for Experian's super prime auto tier. Past that, 800 is 10 points away and mostly changes what your score is called. Lenders are competing for your business, so compare at least two or three offers on any loan.

5 ways to protect or raise a 790 credit score

1. Check your reports before a big application. You can get all three for free every week at AnnualCreditReport.com. If something is wrong, like an account that isn't yours, dispute it with the bureau. Disputing is free.
2. Keep reported balances low. Your issuer usually reports your statement balance, so paying before the statement closes keeps your utilization low even if you pay in full.
3. Automate every payment. Payment history makes up 35% of a FICO Score, and a missed payment stays on your report for seven years.
4. Limit new applications and rate-shop in one window. Each hard inquiry can take a few points off for about a year. FICO counts multiple auto, mortgage, or student loan inquiries made within 14 to 45 days as one, depending on the FICO version. Card and personal loan applications each count separately.
5. Freeze your credit when you're not applying. A credit freeze blocks new accounts from being opened in your name. It's free at Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion, and you can lift it temporarily when you apply.

If your report is thin on accounts, adding one helps. A Kikoff Credit Account reports your payments to all three bureaus.

Read more >> What Is a Good Credit Score in 2026?

Bottom line

A 790 score gets you approved for nearly everything, and it already earns the top auto and mortgage pricing tiers. Reaching 800, 10 points up, would earn the exceptional label but little better pricing. What matters now is staying above 780 and 781, because a high reported balance or an error on your report can cost you a tier before you notice.

Kikoff brings credit building, bill and rent reporting, AI-powered disputes, credit monitoring, and debt negotiation into one place. Sign up with no credit check. Plans start at $5 a month.