There are a lot of comments here pointing out that this was probably triggered by her presumably having no/little income in comparison to her husband, despite a higher credit score... and that this is a mistake on Goldman Sachs' part not taking into account their married status and income sharing.

BUT every credit card I've ever applied for has asked for my self-reported income. Because there's no official source a credit card can use to verify your income. Unlike debts, your income doesn't get reported to any agency. It's private.

And since 2013, a "homemaker" can and should put down their entire household income, not their individual income:

> The Credit Card Act of 2009 requires credit card companies to take “the ability of the consumer to make the required payments” into account when deciding whether to approve an application... A 2013 amendment to the federal regulations surrounding the Card Act expanded the definition of one’s ability to pay so that people 21 and older can include any income to which they have a “reasonable expectation of access.” This can include income from a spouse, partner or other member of your household. [1]

So I'm guessing perhaps she simply made the mistake of not reporting entire household income?

[1] https://www.nerdwallet.com/blog/credit-cards/list-spouses-in...