How Long Does It Take to Get a Credit Card?

How Long Does It Take to Get Approved for a Credit Card?

How long it takes to get approved for a credit card depends on several factors, including how you submit your credit application. You can apply for most credit cards online, over the phone, or through the mail.

Whichever method you choose, you'll be asked for personal information, such as your:

• Full name
• Address
• Social Security number
• Income
• Employment status

The fastest way to get a new credit card is to apply online. In some cases, you could get approved instantly; some card issuers automatically approve applicants who meet their credit requirements. On the other hand, if you're on the borderline for qualification, the card issuer may manually review your application, which can take a week or so.

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Applications submitted by phone or mail will typically take longer to be processed. If getting your new card quickly is a priority, you're better off applying online.

Learn more: How to Apply for a Credit Card

How Long Does It Take to Receive Your New Credit Card?

After your application is approved, you'll need to wait to receive your new credit card in the mail. This could take around seven to 10 business days, depending on the issuer.

Tip: Some issuers offer expedited delivery of your new credit card, but you may be required to pay a fee for express shipping.

How Long Does It Take to Get a Replacement Credit Card?

Getting a lost or stolen card replaced can take up to seven business days, depending on the issuer. Your credit card company might be able to expedite shipping of a replacement card in one to six business days, either for a fee or free.

How to Get Your Credit Card Faster

You can also get your new credit card faster in a couple other ways.

Get Preapproved

Credit card offers you get in the mail are preapproved offers from card issuers who have determined you fit their qualification criteria. You can also apply for preapproval (also called prequalification) by providing some basic information on the card issuer's website. Another option is to conveniently view credit cards matched to your credit profile in one place, which makes it easier to browse cards for which you may be preapproved.

Preapproval results in a soft inquiry on your credit report, which won't affect your credit score. Preapproval doesn't guarantee final approval; it just means you're more likely to get approved.

After you settle on a card and go through preapproval, you'll need to submit a formal credit application. When you submit a credit application, the issuer reviews factors not considered during prequalification, such as income, and performs a hard inquiry on your credit report. This can temporarily lower your credit score by a few points.

Choose a Card That Offers Instant Access to Credit

You can use some credit cards immediately upon approval, even without the card in hand. Many major credit card issuers allow you to access an instant credit card number that you can add to your phone's digital wallet to use right away (after approval for the card). You can then use your card anywhere that mobile payments are accepted.

On the other hand, some credit card issuers give you instant access to a virtual credit card that can only be used for online purchases. If you need to use the card for an in-person purchase, be sure you know the credit card company's policies first.

Be aware: Some stores offer credit cards that you can apply for right at the register. If you're approved, you can often use the account to pay on the spot. But, store credit cards often come with higher rates, lower limits and fewer perks than other cards, so they may not be your best option.

How to Get Approved for a Credit Card

You're more likely to be approved for a credit card for which you're already preapproved. Issuers often indicate the credit score range required for a particular credit card, so knowing your credit score helps you choose cards for which you're likely to qualify. You can check your credit scores for free through Experian for more insight into what you might be able to qualify for.

Beyond just your score, credit issuers will look for other indicators of your ability to repay your balance. For instance, they'll check your income. They'll also review your credit report for any red flags, such as delinquencies, bankruptcies or late payments—any of which can suggest that you could struggle to make payments. Check your Experian credit report for free to see what information credit issuers will see when they review your application.

If you have good credit: If your credit is excellent, you'll likely have your pick of credit cards, and qualify for favorable terms and high credit limits. Look for cards with the features you want, like cash back, travel rewards, introductory low annual percentage rate (APR) offers or other perks.

If your credit needs improvement: If you have fair or poor credit, your choices will be more limited. That said, there are several credit cards for those with bad credit. To boost your chances of approval, seek cards designed for your credit score range, such as secured credit cards.

Learn more: Why You Should Apply for a Credit Card Based on Your Credit Score

How Does Applying for a Credit Card Impact Credit?

When you apply for a credit card and the lender does a hard inquiry into your credit report, your credit score can temporarily dip by a few points. Although this generally lasts only a few months, it's wise to minimize hard inquiries and their impact on your credit. Getting denied for a credit card won't affect your credit score.

What if you want to apply for several credit cards? Credit bureaus typically treat multiple hard inquiries due to applications for the same type of loan—such as a mortgage, car loan or student loan—as one hard inquiry, as long as the applications occur within a short time of each other. However, you usually won't get that same benefit when you apply for multiple credit cards. To be safe, it's best to find a card with the benefits you want and which you're likely to qualify for, and start there.

Learn more: Does Applying for Credit Cards Hurt Your Credit?

Using Your New Credit Card

Play your cards right by getting prequalified, and applying for a new credit card may not dramatically affect your credit. However, the way you use the card could. Using the card responsibly by paying on time and maintaining a low balance can help improve your credit score, potentially making it easier to get credit in the future.