Best Instant Approval Credit Cards

The best credit card you can use instantly is the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express. You can access the card number immediately after being approved for an account online, then begin to make purchases until you receive the physical card in the mail.

Blue Cash Preferred offers up to bonus cash back rewards in certain spending categories and a $250 statement credit for spending $3,000 in the first 6 months. It also requires a minimum of good credit for approval. Just remember that you’ll only have a short period of time to write down your card information once you’re approved for this credit card. People who miss this window of opportunity will need to wait until they get the card in the mail.

Best Credit Cards You Can Use Instantly After Approval

Instant approval is always possible when you apply for a credit card online or in person, but credit cards that you can use instantly are uncommon. Some credit card issuers don’t offer any credit cards you can use instantly, while others have only a few.

Credit Cards You Can Use Instantly by Issuer

*Please note, at this time the IHG® Rewards Premier Credit Card, IHG® Rewards Traveler Credit Card, Aeroplan Credit Card, Chase Freedom Flex℠, Amazon.com Credit Card, Disney Premier Credit Card, Disney Rewards Credit Card and Business credit cards cannot be added to a digital wallet upon card approval. However, once you receive your physical card you can add it to a digital wallet.

If you’re not able to get a credit card you can use instantly, don’t worry. Credit cards usually only take 7-10 business days to arrive after you’re approved. And many credit card companies provide expedited delivery for a small fee, or sometimes even for free.

All major banks offer the possibility of instant credit card approval, assuming that you apply for the card online. Instant approval is common with online applications, but credit card issuers are never able to guarantee it. Various things can delay an issuer’s decision, such as incomplete or incorrect information on the application, or an applicant only just barely meeting the card’s requirements.

In order to have a good shot at instant credit card approval, make sure to fill out your application completely and accurately, and check your credit score to confirm you meet the card’s minimum requirement. It’s a good idea to get pre-approved if possible, as well. Below are some major banks whose credit cards you might want to consider.

Banks That Offer the Possibility of Instant Credit Card Approval

• American Express
• Bank of America
• Barclays
• Capital One
• Chase
• Citibank
• PNC
• USAA
• U.S. Bank
• Wells Fargo

If you want to narrow down your search, you can check out the best instant approval credit cards on WalletHub.

The easiest credit cards to get approved for with no credit or bad credit are secured credit cards. These cards have annual fees as low as $0 and report monthly to the 3 major credit bureaus. Some even give rewards of 1% or more. To help people with no credit or bad credit maximize their odds of approval for a credit card, WalletHub’s editors compared the approval requirements for more than 1,500 credit card offers, along with their fees, rates and rewards.

Easiest Credit Cards to Get Approved For

This content is not provided or commissioned by any issuer. Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of an issuer, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by an issuer. Please keep in mind that while some offers may come from WalletHub advertising partners, sponsorship status played no role in card selection. 

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Just about all gas station credit cards can be gas credit cards with instant approval. When you can apply online, it’s almost always possible to receive instant approval (or denial). But issuers never guarantee an instant decision. You’re likely to receive one if you apply for one of the easiest gas cards to get. And in general, your chances for instant approval are high if you apply for a card where your credit score exceeds the minimum required.

But issuers consider many factors on an application, such as income, number of recent credit inquiries, past bankruptcies and more. So it’s always possible an issuer will need more time to come to a decision. And the approval process may take longer if the issuer cannot immediately verify the personal information on the application.

Best Gas Credit Cards for Instant Approval:

• Discover it® Secured Credit Card
• Walmart® Store Card
• Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express
• BP Credit Card
• Shell Credit Card

Again, just about any gas credit card offers instant approval. But that doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll get it. Factors that will increase your likelihood of getting instant approval for any credit card include: a high credit score, a high income, and completely correct and up-to-date information on your credit card application.

Secured business credit cards for bad credit provide the highest odds of instant approval. Most business credit cards actually offer the possibility of instant approval if you apply online, but instant approval is not guaranteed. The issuer of the business credit card may need more time to decide whether an applicant meets their requirements or to simply verify information from the application.

In order to get the best chances of instant approval for a business credit card, your personal credit score should exceed the minimum requirements of the card you apply for. The higher your income, the better your chances are, too.

Best Instant Approval Business Credit Cards

Getting instant approval on business credit cards is not unusual if you apply online. But you shouldn’t expect to receive it, as in some cases approval might take a few weeks. After approval, delivery of a card usually takes 7-10 business days, but many issuers allow you to expedite either for free or for a fee.

The best instant approval store cards are the following:

• Amazon.com Store Card
• Walmart® Store Card
• Target Credit Card
• Sam's Club® Credit Card
• GAP Store Card
• American Eagle Outfitters (AEO) Store Card
• Sears Store Card
• Macy's Store Card

It really depends on what store you like most, as rewards are mainly tailored for purchases made in those stores.

It's also important to mention that while these cards offer instant approval, they do not offer guaranteed approval.

The banks with the easiest credit cards to get include Bank of America and Capital One. Both of these major banks are common choices for first credit cards. That’s because both have credit cards for every level of credit standing.

If you have bad credit or no credit, the best banks are the ones that offer secured credit cards. Capital One, Bank of America, Citibank, and U.S. Bank are some of the major banks that offer this type of cards. Secured credit cards require a deposit, which serves as your credit limit. And in general, you can get a secured credit card with bad credit.

Here are some of the easiest credit cards to get:

Other things to consider before getting a credit card:

It's worth noting that any previously-existing relationships you have with banks may come in handy, too. If the bank you have a checking account with offers a credit card, that will likely be an easy bank to get a credit card from.

Your established relationship with your bank gives them access to your day-to-day deposit account history, which doesn’t show up on your credit report. So, that’s extra potentially good information that’s available to your bank and not to other card issuers you might apply for a credit card with.