Minimum income requirements for credit cards

The minimum income requirement to get a credit card can be as low as $20,000 per year. But for most cards you'll need to earn at least $35,000.

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Amy Bradney-George

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Richard Whitten

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Key takeaways

  • The minimum income required to get a credit card can be as low as $20,000 a year. The median minimum income requirement for a credit card in Finder's database is an annual income of $35,000 a year.
  • But most credit cards in Finder's database don't specify a required minimum income.
  • You can still get rejected for a credit card if you earn above the minimum income requirement if you spend too much or have bad credit.

What are credit card minimum income requirements?

If a credit card has a minimum income requirement of $35,000 then that's the minimum amount you need to earn in a year if you want to get the credit card.

The minimum income is based on your pre-tax income.

If you apply for a credit card with an income requirement that is higher than what you earn, your application will be rejected.

Examples of different credit card minimum income requirements

  • The Westpac Lite Card requires a minimum income of $30,000.
  • The Bankwest Breeze Platinum Mastercard requires a minimum income of $35,000.
  • The Virgin Australia Velocity High Flyer Card requires a minimum income of $75,000.
  • The ING Orange One Low Rate requires a minimum income of $36,000.

Finder survey: How many times have people applied for a credit card?

ResponseFemaleMale
136.03%32.71%
025.34%16.73%
219.83%23.5%
39.66%11.84%
43.28%5.83%
53.28%4.7%
7 or more2.07%3.76%
60.52%0.94%
Source: Finder survey by Pure Profile of 1113 Australians, December 2023

How can I find the income requirement for a credit card?

If a credit card has a minimum income requirement, you'll see it on the credit card provider's website and on the application page (before you apply).

What if there's no income requirement listed?

Credit card providers don't legally need to list a minimum income requirement, as your annual earnings are only one of the factors used to assess your application. Other factors include your:

  • Employment status
  • Assets and savings
  • Existing debts
  • Your regular expenses.

If you can't find an income requirement, check if you meet the card's other eligibility requirements. You could also try contacting the card company and asking about your eligibility.

The minimum credit limit is also a useful guide

While credit limits are subject to approval, having enough income to service the minimum limit on a card does give you an idea of how appropriate it could be for your circumstances.

If you could only afford to spent $100 a month repaying your card debt, then a credit card with a minimum limit of $6,000 would not be appropriate. If you spent $6,000 on the card and repaid $100 a month it would take over 5 years to pay off the entire balance. And that's not including interest charges.

You'd be better off looking at a card with a $1,000 credit limit. You could pay that off in 10 months (not including interest).

Want to know if you can get approved for a credit card?

Get your credit score via the Finder app and take advantage of our Chance of Approval* feature. Pop in your phone number below to get your download link.

*Finder's Chance of Approval feature provides an indication only. It is not a guarantee of approval. Applications for credit products are always subject to the lender's T&CS and application and lending criteria.

Why do some cards have higher income requirements than others?

Cards with more perks, points and features often have higher credit limits and are aimed at customers with more spending power. These cards have higher minimum income requirements because they're not budget cards, and people with low incomes won't be able to pay them back if they spend too much.

Low rate, low fee cards with fewer perks have lower minimum incomes.

Minimum income is not the only eligibility factor

When you apply for a credit card the card company also looks at:

  • Your spending. You have to provide information about your current income, spending habits and existing debts. These details help issuers determine your eligibility and can include details of regular household bills, loan repayments or even buy now pay later accounts.
  • Your credit score. Your credit history or credit score has details of your current and previous loans, cards and other accounts (such as utilities). Generally, you need to have at least a "Good" credit rating to apply for a credit card. If you don't know what your credit score is, you can get a copy of your credit report for free through Finder.
  • Your residency status. While credit card issuers generally prefer people who are citizens or permanent residents of Australia, there are some credit cards available for people with temporary residency status. These cards may have higher minimum income requirements to help meet lending standards.
  • Your employment status. Credit card issuers typically prefer people to have full-time employment. But you could still be eligible for some cards if you work part-time or casually, are self-employed, are a student or if you have a pension. Usually, you'll just be asked for supporting documentation that's specific to your situation.
Amy Bradney-George's headshot
Editor

Amy Bradney-George was the senior writer for credit cards at Finder, and editorial lead for Finder Green. She has over 16 years of editorial experience and has been featured in publications including ABC News, Money Magazine and The Sydney Morning Herald. See full bio

Amy's expertise
Amy has written 565 Finder guides across topics including:
  • Credit cards
  • Frequent flyer
  • Credit score
  • BNPL
  • Money management
  • Sustainability
Richard Whitten's headshot
Co-written by

Editor

Richard Whitten is a money editor at Finder, and has been covering home loans, property and personal finance for 6+ years. He has written for Yahoo Finance, Money Magazine and Homely; and has appeared on various radio shows nationwide. He holds a Certificate IV in mortgage broking and finance (RG 206), a Tier 1 Generic Knowledge certification and a Tier 2 General Advice Deposit Products (RG 146) certification. See full bio

Richard's expertise
Richard has written 554 Finder guides across topics including:
  • Home loans
  • Property
  • Personal finance
  • Money-saving tips
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50 Responses

    Default Gravatar
    GulshanSeptember 18, 2016

    My salary is 18000 per month am I able to get a credit card and how? my bank account in yes bank.

      AvatarFinder
      MaySeptember 18, 2016Finder

      Hi Gulshan,

      Thanks for your question.

      Aside from your income source, there are also other eligibility requirements that you have to meet to be approved for a credit card such as but not limited to employment stability and credit rating. However, these criteria/requirements differ from bank to bank and the type of credit card, so you may need to check the details of the card first or contact the issuer before applying to verify if you meet them.

      Hope this helps.

      Cheers,
      May

    Default Gravatar
    akbarSeptember 14, 2016

    how much p.a. income in rupees for credit card

      AvatarFinder
      DeeSeptember 14, 2016Finder

      Hi Akbar,

      Thanks for your question.

      The income requirement for the credit cards we feature on finder.com.au are only in AUD and these credit cards are also available for Australian residents.

      Cheers,
      Anndy

    Default Gravatar
    shainazFebruary 27, 2015

    minimum salary to apply for credit card and wt is age limit

      AvatarFinder
      JonathanMarch 2, 2015Finder

      Hi Shainaz, thanks for your inquiry!

      The minimum income requirements for a credit card vary depending on the lender but is generally around the $15,000 mark. The minimum age for a credit card in Australia is 18 years old.

      Cheers,

      Jonathan

    Default Gravatar
    AjayFebruary 21, 2015

    Hi , I want credit card for online shopping , my monthly income is 10,000 so plz help how can get

      AvatarFinder
      JonathanFebruary 23, 2015Finder

      Hi Ajay,

      Thanks for your inquiry.

      You may refer to a range of 0% Purchase credit cards and take advantage of the interest-free offer. We also have broken down the components and features of 0% Purchase Credit Cards for you. You can press the “Go to Site” button of your preferred credit card to proceed with your application. You can also contact the provider if you have specific questions. A gentle reminder, please ensure to read through the relevant product disclosure statement and terms and conditions to ensure that you got everything covered before you apply.

      Cheers,
      Jonathan

    Default Gravatar
    morgieNovember 30, 2014

    I earn about R3000 a month.what credit card can I get.

      AvatarFinder
      ElizabethDecember 1, 2014Finder

      Hi Morgie,

      Thanks for your question.

      From the Australian credit cards available on finder.com.au, you’ll need to be earning a minimum income of about $15,000 AUD which is about R11731.16 a month. You might want to consider a prepaid card, but keep in mind you’ll only be able to load Australian dollars onto this.

      I hope this has helped.

      Thanks,

      Elizabeth

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