We all receive credit card offers via traditional snail mail, and we all know how they work. While many credit card offers claim you’ve been pre-approved, once you apply, you still have to wait weeks to hear anything back. Those days are long gone, though, because the Internet has made everything much easier. With the Internet, you can apply for a credit card online and receive an answer in minutes – instead of waiting weeks.
If you have good credit, you will have absolutely no problem getting approved for a credit card online. Those cards with the best terms and rates are always offered to those with good credit. Therefore, you should know how good your credit is before you apply online. You can always get a free credit report online and check your credit yourself. If you do this at least twice a year, you’ll always know where your credit stands.
If you don’t know your credit score, or if you haven’t looked at your credit report in a long time, now is the time. Review your credit report and fix anything that isn’t giving your report a positive impact. Always keep in mind that even being declined for a credit card online can affect your credit score and play an important role in future credit offers.
Once you’ve looked at your credit report and determined how good your credit is, you can apply online to get an instant answer. Whichever credit card company you visit online, they will ask you for personal information such as your name, phone number, social security number, age, employer, income, and things of that nature.
You should always read the terms and conditions very carefully before you fill out an application for a new card online. You should look at the APR to make sure there are no surprises. Once you apply, the company will pull your credit report using your social security number and use that to determine your credibility and whether you can be approved for the credit card.
When you start filling out the application, you should make sure that the website you are using is encrypted. The standard encryption nowadays is SSL 128-bit, which ensures that the information you send is protected. If the site is less than 128-bit encryption, it is possible for someone else to steal your information – which could lead to identity theft.
Once you have completed filling out the application and sending it, you will get a final decision within a few minutes. If you are using a credit card company with the right technology, the decision will be displayed on the screen. If the decision doesn’t show up on the screen, it will be sent to you via traditional snail mail. If you are not approved, you will be mailed a letter stating why.
If you are approved, you can expect to receive your credit card in the mail within a few days. Applying for a credit card online is always the preferred way to get a credit card because things move much faster. No more waiting weeks to receive an answer because you will know immediately. There are hundreds of online credit card companies looking for your business – which gives you a lot of options when it comes to choosing a credit card – and the company that is best for you.