Tag Archives: credit card

Instant Approval Credit Cards: The Advantage of Applying Online

Getting instant approval for a credit card – and sometimes getting immediate access to use it – can now be done in less than 60 seconds. No muss, no fuss like the old days when getting a credit card took a month or more. If you weren’t aware of how instant your approval could be, now is the time to find out.

Internet Technology and Security – Behind the Scenes of Instant Approval

How did the instant approval credit card come about? The answer is that the Internet has completely changed the way card-issuing banks can research consumer information and make a decision about an applicant’s credit worthiness. Nearly every major financial institution that issues credit cards – including Chase, CitiBank, American Express, HSBC, and others – now allows you to use the Internet to fill out their application online with complete security, submit it with the click of a button, and then count the seconds while they make their decision. And in most cases, if your credit is good to excellent, you will be approved instantly and a credit card will be on its way to you within days.

Behind the scenes, instant approval credit cards use the speed of the Internet and the sophisticated communication networks created for the banking industry. When you submit your application, banks can now easily verify your identity and check with one or more of the three national credit bureaus – Experian, Equifax, and Trans Union – to ensure that your FICO score meets their application criteria. (Your FICO score is a mathematical calculation performed by each of the credit bureaus that rates your credit history on a scale of 0 to 800.)

The Benefits of Instant Approval

If you’re wondering why you might want to take advantage of this instant approval service to get your next credit card, there are several good reasons:

1. Many banks periodically offer special promotions on their credit cards, such as 0% APR on purchases and/or balance transfers for a specified period of time or bonus travel miles on airlines. These are offers you may not hear about if you don’t browse the Internet looking for instant approval credit cards.

2. There can be a value in knowing quickly if you will be approved for a credit card if you find yourself needing additional credit for your business or personal needs. Using paper applications and the US mail will usually take 4 to 6 weeks before you know if you are approved.

3. You can sometimes get immediate access to a portion of the credit line for which a bank approves you. For example, some banks will offer you $300 to $500 that you can tap into immediately using a code they give you.

4. Applying for a credit card using a secure Internet site can actually be safer than filling out a paper application with your personal information and mailing it. Secure Internet sites use 128-bit encryption which is considered unbreakable in the computer security field. (You can tell when you are at a secure Internet site because your web browser contains a small icon that looks like a lock down at the bottom of the page.)

A Sensible Advantage

So the next time you are pondering your credit card needs and feel that you can benefit from a new credit card, consider looking into an instant approval card. In today’s fast-paced world, you may agree that this new form of getting a credit card makes a great deal of sense for consumers.

How To Use Your Credit Card Intelligently

Credit cards are a true godsend as they provide a safe and effective way to make purchases when one does not wish to carry large sums of money around. Additionally, they provide an effective means of accessing financial resources during an emergency when actual capital might be limited. Yes, credit cards do offer a great number of benefits, but these benefits will be completely turned on their head when a credit card is not used intelligently. If a credit card is used foolishly or irresponsibly, then the results may prove to be downright disastrous. That is to say, if one is buried under a massive mountain of debt, whatever benefits the cards previously possessed will be undermined. As such, it is critical to use a credit card intelligently and here are a few simple guidelines to help you in that regard.

First, what must be understood that “using a credit card” start not with the very first time you make a credit card purchase, but with the actual application process. That is to say, it is critical to select the right card before even attempting to use it. For example, American Express requires that its entire balance be paid off in full every month. If you are unable to do this, then you should not be using an American express card as the potential to ruin your credit from missed payments becomes extremely likely. As such, select the right card that fits your needs off the bat.

This brings us to our next point – select a card that is low in interest. If you are using a card that has a very high interest rate, you are simply not using your card intelligently. If you accept a card with a 19% interest rate when you could have had a card at a 12% interest rate, then you have simply made life much more difficult for yourself as you will be amassing a significant amount of interest payments that could have been completely avoided.

This brings about the next point which is one that most people overlook: credit cards are not gifts; they are loans. When you use a credit card to make a purchase, you have to pay the loan back. Yes, this may seem like a very simple notion, but many, many people do not even think of it! As such, they overspend and overcharge with their card and this can lead to a massive amount of debt in a very short period of time. Often, the debts that are accrued are debts based on needless leisure purchases. This type of reckless spending is probably the most unintelligent manner in which to use a credit card. Of course, everyone needs to spend an entertainment dollar here and there and this is understandable. However, when one is reckless with this type of spending the results can be cataclysmic. So, it is best to stick within a reasonable budget for entertainment purchases and not allow fiscal irresponsibility to cause financial Armageddon.

Here is also another tip that can keep costs low: pay cash whenever possible. That is to say, do not get into the habit of always pulling out the credit card and using it to make purchases when cash is available. This is a surefire way of amassing needless debts so do not get into this habit!

Ultimately, the most intelligent way to use a credit card is to use it with common sense and proper financial decision making. If you follow some basic, simple guidelines of financial responsibility then such credit card errors and problems will be avoided. Credit cards are a good thing to have; don’t turn them into something bad!