How long is a credit card?

It can take anywhere from less than a minute to a few weeks to get approved for a credit card. The amount of time depends on how you apply, how good your credit is relative to the requirements of the card, and whether the issuer can immediately verify your information. You could be ... read full answerinstantly approved if you apply online and are obviously qualified. But if you don’t get instant approval, it’ll typically take at least 7-10 business days to hear back.

Here’s what affects how long it takes to get approved for a credit card:

• The way you apply. You can apply for most credit cards by mail, by phone or online. If you apply by mail, that’s going to add an extra 1-7 days just for your application to get there. The other two methods both allow for instant approval.
• Your credit and income. No credit card guarantees instant approval. You’ll only get it if you exceed the issuer’s credit, income and other requirements. If you’re right on the border of qualifying, the issuer will probably take longer to consider your application. The typical wait time is 7-10 business days, which translates to around two weeks.
• Your personal info. You’ll need to enter details like your name, date of birth, address and Social Security number when you apply for any card. That information also is present on your credit reports, which the issuer will check during the approval process. If the information on your application doesn’t match the information on your report, or if it gets flagged as fraudulent, it will hold up the process until the issuer can verify your identity.

So the standard timeframe in which you can expect to be approved for a credit card and receive it by mail is approximately 3-4 weeks. If you’re not approved instantly, count on 7-10 business days for approval and 7-10 business days for delivery. And if you’re itching to get your card faster, don’t forget to ask the issuer about expedited delivery.

A credit card isn’t very big; the standard dimensions are 3.375 inches by 2.125 inches. Credit cards are pretty thin too. They’re only 0.03 inches thick. Debit cards, ATM cards and other types of payment cards also have those same dimensions. You won’t really find any cards that deviate from this because the standards are internationally agreed upon. But you will see cards with varying weights, since credit cards can be made of different materials. For example, most plastic cards weigh around 5 grams, while metal cards can range anywhere from 12 grams (Citi Prestige® Card) to 28 grams (The Ritz-Carlton Credit Card).... read full answer

Here’s how big credit cards are (by weight):

• Standard plastic cards: 5g
• Citi Prestige® Card: 12g
• Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card: 13g
• Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card: 16g
• The Platinum Card® from American Express: 18g
• J.P. Morgan Reserve Credit Card: 27g
• The Ritz-Carlton Credit Card: 28g

But if you think about this question a little less literally, credit cards hold a lot more than their tiny size suggests. They have hundreds or even thousands of dollars’ worth of spending power inside them. Plus, credit cards provide a ton of other benefits too. They’re the best and easiest way to build credit, and a good or excellent credit score can be invaluable. It’ll increase your chances of getting other types of loans like mortgages, and can even improve your employment odds. And on top of all that, credit cards often give you rewards along with supplementary benefits like travel insurance and purchase protection.

In other words, credit cards are tiny enough to fit in a pocket, but they pack a punch that’s way above their weight class.