Need a Credit Card For Gifts? Apply Soon

If you are a last minute shopper for a credit card, time is running very short if you want to have that credit card in time to purchase holiday gifts.  A few years ago, it was possible to apply online and get instant access to your account and credit limit.  Today, the vast majority of credit card companies do not provide instant access to new credit card accounts.  Ultimately, this means you won’t have access to your credit card until it arrives in the mail.   This can be five to seven days, if not more during the busy holiday mail season.

Credit card applicants with good and excellent credit will likely see their credit cards arrive in the mail first.  Many companies review and make decisions on credit card applications in 24-48 hours.  Once the decision is made, however, the card must still travel via regular mail.  This adds anywhere from three to five days to the process, which means it can take anywhere from five to seven days to get access to a new credit card.  And this is for easy to process approvals.  Applicants whose applications need more intense review can take significantly longer to be processed.

Because it will take at least five days to get a credit card through the mail, people looking to use a new credit card for holiday gifts should apply no later than the 14th of December if they want to allow any time to shop before Christmas.  Waiting to the 14th may, in fact, be cutting it very close and you might end up without a credit card in time to shop if something delays your application.  However, there are a few things you can do after applying for a credit card that will give you a better sense of when your card will arrive.

First, many credit card companies provide you with a way to check your application status online, often through a confirmation number.  Use this tool to check on your credit card application status.  If your status is approved, you can safely assume your card will arrive in five seven postal days, which would give you access to your credit card by 21st or 22nd-a bit too late to shop online, but still enough time to hit the stores.

If you are not approved in 48-72 hours, you may want to call the company to see if there is any additional information needed to complete your application.  By this time, however, there is a significant risk that you may not get your card in time for Christmas.  Some companies may be able to expdite shipment, but this is not particularly common.

Hopefully, this article will find you before it is too late to get a credit card.  Happy Holidays.