How Long Does It Take to Get a Credit Card? (Tips + FAQs) (2024)

In this article, we’ll take you through:

• How long does it take to get approved for a credit card?

• How long does it take for a credit card to come in the mail?

• How does credit card approval work?

• How does the preapproval process work?

• Key factors your issuer considers when approving your card.

• Tips on how to get a credit card faster.

• How long does It take for credit card to arrive & other key FAQs

How long does it take to get a new credit card: timelines for other popular issuers

Here are quick answers on how long it takes to get your hands on some other popular credit cards—

1. How long does it take to get a Merrick Bank credit card in the mail?

It usually takes anywhere between two business days to two weeks to get a new Merrick Bank credit card. (You can get a replacement card within 7–10 business days.)

2. How long does it take to get a Best Buy credit card?

You can get your hands on a Best Buy credit card within seven days to two weeks of applying. (The replacement card typically arrives much faster—between 5–7 business days.)

3. How long does it take to get a Walmart credit card?

You’ll receive your Walmart credit card within 7–10 days of applying for it. (The replacement card can take 4–6 business days to arrive.)

Some tips on how to get a credit card faster

1. Look for instant approval

This is a feature some credit card companies offer—you’ll know if you’re approved for a credit card within minutes of submitting your application.

This instant approval can shave a few days off the process of getting a credit card.

Some credit card companies with instant approval include SoFi, Chase, and American Express.

2. Apply for an instant-use card

Some credit card issuers will give you access to a credit card number immediately after you’re approved.

This way, you don’t have to wait for your physical credit card to arrive before you can start using it. (These credit card numbers can also be added to digital wallets.)

For instance, American Express gives you access to an instant card number when you’re approved for its consumer credit and charge cards.

Other popular issuers that offer instant-use credit cards include:

• Apple

• Bank of America

• Capital One

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• Goldman Sachs

• Synchrony Bank

3. Expedited shipping

You can pay for expedited shipping to speed things up.

Most credit card companies offer expedited delivery—either for free or for a fee:

• Chase and Bank of America can deliver your new card in less than two business days at no charge.

• USAA can ship your card overnight for $8.

• Issuers like Barclays and Capital One can deliver your card within three business days for $15 and $16 respectively (see the beginning of this article for a table of the top issuers’ fees).

1. Why are credit card approvals delayed?

Here are a couple of scenarios where credit card approval is delayed—

• When you forget to lift a freeze on your credit report before applying—stopping your lender from viewing your credit history.

• If the lender wants to verify your identity—they may call you to confirm your information and whether you applied for the card in the first place.

• When you're applying for an unusually large credit limit.

• If the information in your application is different from what's in your credit record.

• When you already have a large credit line with the bank.

2. How can I check on credit card application status?

Most credit card issuers let you check your application status online—some others you’ll have to call.

Here’s a table with the links (and the card service phone numbers) to check application statuses for some top issuers:

3. How long does it take to get a secured credit card?.

If you have funds on hand, the entire process should take about 10 business days.

Secured credit cards are relatively easy to qualify for. They’re for people without a credit history or looking to rebuild their credit—so the credit score requirement is fairly low and the approval is usually quick.

However, accessing the card is a longer process, because you’ll have to pay a security deposit in case you default on the card.

Your credit card application won't be complete—and the card won't be shipped—until you submit the deposit.

4. How long does it take to get a credit card refund?

It typically takes 3–7 business days to get a credit card refund.

This applies to simple refunds, in which the seller agrees to a return.

Once they process your refund, it's up to the card issuer to post the credit to your account.

What happens if a seller doesn’t agree to a refund?

You can dispute the charge with your card company and get your money refunded.

This separate process may take as long as six months to resolve.

Your card issuer will treat any money refunded to your account as account credit—so don’t expect a check for the refund.

5. How long does it take to get a replacement credit card?

It takes on average 3–5 days to get a replacement credit card.

Replacement cards usually arrive faster than brand-new cards, because they’re processed as soon as you make a request—this shaves off the time needed to process a new application.

See our table at the beginning of the article for a breakdown of how long top issuers take to deliver a replacement card.

6. How long does it take to get a credit score after getting a credit card?

It takes up to six months of account activity to give you a credit score with some versions of the FICO® Score.

VantageScore is usually calculated within a month.

Your credit score availability depends on two factors:

• How soon your lender reports your new account information to the credit reporting companies (Experian, TransUnion, and Equifax).

• The credit scoring formula used.

7. How does applying for a credit card impact credit?

The act of applying for a credit card in itself doesn’t affect your credit score. It’s the lender’s inquiry (which is a simply a record that they accessed your credit report).

It's wise to minimize hard inquiries and their impact on your credit.

But what if you want to apply for several credit cards?

Credit bureaus usually treat multiple hard inquiries for the same type of loan as one hard inquiry (as long as the applications come in within a short time of each other). But this courtesy doesn’t extend to credit cards—so you want to avoid going on an application spree.

Find a card with the benefits you want and which you're likely to qualify for—and start there.

Jennifer Streaks, Senior Personal Finance Reporter at Business Insider, explains, “When applying for new credit, the lender will perform a credit check. This results in a hard inquiry which means the lender pulled your credit report from one of the main three credit bureaus—Experian, Equifax, or TransUnion. The drop in your credit score may be roughly five points and the impact decreases over time.”

8. What happens if your credit card application is denied?

If your credit card application is denied, your lender will send you a letter or an email explaining why you weren’t approved.

If they reviewed your credit score, they’ll let you know—you’ll also receive a free credit report so you can dispute any irregularities.

You can also try calling your issuer’s reconsideration department if you’re denied a credit card—you may be able to provide additional documentation or an explanation to get approved.

To get quick access to a credit card, search for instant approval options, apply for an instant-use card, and consider expedited shipping.