How to Get Instant Approval on a Credit Card

By responding to online or mail offers, you can get instant approval on a credit card and quick access to an extra infusion of money to cover necessary purchases. There are some limits on which type of consumer qualifies for instant approval on a credit card, so take your credit history into account and learn your credit score before applying in earnest.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

1. Expect that you will get more instant approval credit card offers if you have a strong credit history and a high credit score. You should check your credit score with one of the three major credit reporting bureaus: TransUnion, Equifax or Experian (see Resources below).
2. Look over the offers you receive in the mail. Sometimes, you've been preapproved for a credit card, and all you need to do is fill out the paperwork in a targeted mailing and your card will be on its way.
3. Apply online at a site like CreditCards, which features a dedicated section for instant approval offers (see Resources below). The approval process is generally very fast, taking only a few minutes while the site processes your application and accesses your credit file.
4. Apply anyway, even if you think your spotty credit history may disqualify you--with the competition the credit card companies face nowadays, they're sometimes willing to take on customers they might not otherwise have dealt with. Also, sometimes the system simply breaks down and approves you by default if your credit score is inaccessible for some reason. Be wary, though--any credit card that would allow this probably comes with some pretty heavy strings attached.
5. Don't expect to start spending right away just because you get instant approval on a credit card. You'll still have to wait for the credit card company to process your order and send your new card to you in the mail. Then, you will have to go through the process of activating your new card by phone or online.

Tips & Warnings

• Always use credit cards responsibly. The temptation to fuel a cycle of debt with instant approval credit cards spirals millions of people further into the hole each year. If you're in credit trouble, work to pay off your current cards rather than digging a deeper hole by getting a new one.