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Credit Card Questions & Answers

Are there any differences between applying online
or over the telephone or in branch for a credit card?


differences applying credit card online telephone branch

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Get an instant decision when you apply online
Instant decision credit cards make applying for a credit card even easier, offering online application forms and instant decisions when you apply on the Internet.

Q. How do I apply online for a credit card?
A. Applying online for a credit card is an easy and quick process. Most credit card issuers provide online application forms that are straightforward to fill out.

Q. How long will it take to get my credit card?
A. Generally speaking credit card applications can take between 5 and 10 working days for the credit card to reach you once your application has been accepted.

Q. What does an instant decision offer?
A. An instant decision is simply a decision - given instantly - on an online credit card application.

THE main result of any credit card application will be either an acceptance or a decline, and in the first case a new credit card to slot into your wallet.

However, the ways in which your credit card gets to you - and perhaps even the credit card you end up with - can vary depending upon your chosen method of application.

Don't jump for the first offer to hit your doormat

Most of us are well aware just how many credit card applications come through our letterboxes with the morning post.

Remember that a credit card application sent out in the post, while it is an actual application form, it is still nothing more than marketing material.

The danger here is jumping for the first offer that presents itself to you - when you should be shopping around and choosing the best deal for yourself.

Be aware of varying offers

Because there are so many ways of applying for a credit card, there are often a number of varying deals being marketed at any one time by a credit card provider.

The 'pre-approved' credit card application sent to you door may be offering a different deal – labelled as the same credit card - as the one that you'd get if you applied on the issuer website or in person at a branch.

Which is better is impossible to tell - one week there may be a certain promotional offer for postal marketing, the next the best offer may only be available in branch.

The bottom line is the same - shop around and compare the different credit card options.

Which application method is right for you?

The Internet will always win hands down when it comes to ease of use, convenience and speed.

Online credit card applications remove much of the annoyance of visiting your local bank branch or waiting on hold for minutes and hours at a time only to end up being redirected to someone on the opposite side of the world.

Applying for a credit card online also fits in with busy schedules.

Even the technology has improved; while the call centres are outsourced overseas and local branches are shut down.

Nowadays, many online credit card applications actually allow you to electronically sign the credit agreement, speeding up the whole process by days.

Instead of applying and then waiting for the agreement to be sent in the post, signing it, and then posting it back to the credit card issuer - it's all done in the same time of filling out the application form.

Online credit card applications can sometimes also offer the added benefit of an instant decision, letting you know immediately whether you've been accepted for the credit card or not.

Shop around and compare credit cards for the best deal

However you decide to apply for a credit card, the most important thing to do is simply to shop around and compare credit cards to make sure that you've got the best deal for your needs.

Compare instant decision credit cards

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