Applying at the register does not guarantee a single uniform product. Citibank retail services issues two distinct products under the retail partnership: the closed-loop My Best Buy Credit Card, usable exclusively within Best Buy stores and on BestBuy.com, and the co-branded Best Buy Visa card, functional anywhere the Visa network operates. Applicants submit one general application; Citibank determines which tier the applicant qualifies for based on internal underwriting criteria.
Securing the store-only edition generally demands fair-to-good credit score requirements, typically landing in the 640, 660 score bracket. The Best Buy Visa card targets consumers with clean credit profiles, routinely requiring scores north of 690. Applicants cannot choose to apply exclusively for the Visa; if underwriting denies the Visa tier, the applicant frequently gets issued the store-only product instead, which generates a hard inquiry on credit reports without delivering an open-loop credit line.
