The rise of digital technology has transformed the credit card process, and nowadays, it’s completely normal to receive a decision on a credit card application in less than five minutes. And the percentage of consumers applying for credit continues to rise. As of June 2017, the New York Federal Reserve Survey of Consumer Expectations found that 43.6% of respondents applied for credit during the previous year, which was the highest level since the survey began in 2013. The good news is that there is a credit card for almost everyone – it’s just a matter of knowing your financial needs and what you can qualify for. The biggest impact on your ability to get approved for a card is your credit score. If you want to increase your odds of getting instant approval, focus on applying to cards that are suitable for your credit history. The higher your credit score is, the more instant approval options there are. Check out the best instant approval credit card offers below.
Instant Approval Credit Cards
Get instantly approved for a credit card that helps build your credit.
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Instant approval credit cards provide you with an approval decision in real time. These types of cards offer high approval odds for anyone with fair to bad credit. Consider an instant approval credit card if you want to build credit and have peace of mind with your finances.
Best Instant Approval Credit Cards in 2020
- OpenSky® Secured Visa® Credit Card : Best for no credit check
- UNITY® Visa Secured Credit Card : Best for balance transfers
- Horizon Gold Credit Card : Best for bad credit
Best for no credit check
OpenSky® Secured Visa® Credit Card
- No credit check necessary to apply. OpenSky believes in giving an opportunity to everyone.
- The refundable* deposit you provide becomes your credit line limit on your Visa card. Choose it yourself, from as low as $200.
- Build credit quickly. OpenSky reports to all 3 major credit bureaus.
- 99% of our customers who started without a credit score earned a credit score record with the credit bureaus in as little as 6 months.
- We have a Facebook community of people just like you; there is a forum for shared experiences, and insights from others on our Facebook Fan page. (Search "OpenSky Card" in Facebook.)
- OpenSky provides credit tips and a dedicated credit education page on our website to support you along the way.
- *View our Cardholder Agreement located at the bottom of the application page for details of the card.
- Issuer: Capital Bank
- Annual Fee: $35
- Balance Transfer Fee: 5% of the amount of each Balance Transfer
- Cash Advance APR: 17.39% (variable)
- Foreign Transaction Fee: 3%
- Introductory APR: N/A
- Introductory APR Period: N/A
- Ongoing APR: 17.39% (variable)
- Penalty APR: None
Our two cents
Some companies check your credit score before issuing you a credit card, which results in a hard inquiry on your credit report that can damage your credit. But luckily, you can apply for cards that have an instant approval process, like the OpenSky® Secured Visa® Credit Card, without any negative impact on your credit score.
- $10 per month fee after a year of inactivity
- $35 annual fee
- No monthly credit score updates
The OpenSky® Secured Visa® Credit Card grows with you, having refundable deposit options from $200 up to $3,000. Additional perks of this card include automated payment reminders and fraud protection.
Start your application now Back to topPro Tip
Pro tip: Try to make at least one small purchase on your OpenSky® Secured Visa® Credit Card each month to avoid the $10 inactivity fee and build your credit.
Best for balance transfers
UNITY® Visa Secured Credit Card
- Unlike your Prepaid Card, UNITY Visa secured card can help you build your credit. Apply online in less than 5 minutes, and you could be approved today!
- No Minimum Credit Score required; low fixed interest rate of 17.99%; Fully refundable FDIC security deposit* required at time of application; if you have a min of $250 to deposit immediately, you can start now!
- No application fee or penalty rate
- Monthly reporting to all 3 major credit bureaus
- 24/7 online access to your account
- *See the Cardholder Agreement for more details.
- Issuer: OneUnitedBank
- Annual Fee: $39
- Balance Transfer Fee: Either $10 or 3% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater (maximum fee: $150)
- Cash Advance APR: 17.99%
- Foreign Transaction Fee: 3% of each transaction in U.S. dollars.
- Ongoing APR: 17.99% (Fixed)
Our two cents
The UNITY® Visa Secured Credit Card is one of the only instant approval credit cards that allows you to make balance transfers and get a low introductory rate on them. For a full months, you’ll pay just on your balance transfers, which is far cheaper than the average APR for credit cards.
- A higher-than-average minimum security deposit of $250
- Annual fee of $39
- Foreign transaction fee is 3% of each transaction in U.S. dollars.
In addition to balance transfers, the UNITY® Visa Secured Credit Card offers a competitive APR of 17.99% (Fixed) on purchases and a high credit limit of $10,000. It’s a great choice for people who need to rebuild their credit and pay down debt.
Start your application now Back to topPro Tip
Pro tip: To take advantage of the intro interest rate, make sure your payments are always on time. If one of your payments is more than 60 days late, you’ll lose the interest rate on balance transfers before the period is up.
Best for bad credit
Horizon Gold Credit Card
- Guaranteed Approval
- Bad Credit Accepted
- No Employment Check
- Reports to a Major Bureau
- Issuer: Horizon Card Services
- Annual Fee: $24.95
- Ongoing APR: N/A*
Our two cents
The Horizon Gold Card is an instant approval credit card geared toward anyone with bad credit. It has no annual fees, requires no credit or employment check and offers 0% interest on purchases indefinitely.
- Limited to make purchases through Horizon’s website
- Monthly membership fee of $24.95
- No rewards
This no-frills card comes with everything you need to rebuild your credit – no credit check, an initial $500 credit line and fast online approval.
Start your application now Back to topPro Tip
Pro tip: Any activity on the card is reported to at least one major credit bureau, which may help your credit score over time if used responsibly.
Best Instant Approval Credit Cards in 2020: summed up
| Best for... | Credit Card | |
|---|---|---|
| No Credit Check |
|
Apply Now |
| Balance Transfers |
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| Bad Credit |
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Apply Now |
Compare the Best Instant Approval Credit Cards of 2020
| Card | Annual Fee | Minimum Deposit Required | Application Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best for no credit check: OpenSky® Secured Visa® Credit Card | $35 | $200 | 5 minutes |
| Best for balance transfers: UNITY® Visa Secured Credit Card</td> | $39 | $250 | 10 minutes |
| Best for bad credit: Horizon Gold Credit Card | $24.95 | None | 5 minutes |
What is instant credit?
Instant credit is short for an instant credit card, which is a credit card that gives instant approval to qualified applicants who apply online and can be used to make purchases immediately before the card arrives in the mail. But instant credit can mean other things, too, as it’s a pretty general term. For example, people often use it to reference instant approval credit cards that don’t necessarily allow instant use.
Can you get a credit card the same day you apply for it?
Most online credit card applications take less than five minutes to complete and then receive a decision. But, in some cases, the online platform is unable to make a decision, adding days or weeks to receive a response. Your credit score rating can also have a big impact on your ability to be approved for a card — and the speed with which your application gets a response. You can improve your chances of a quick credit card application approval by choosing cards that approve applicants with credit profiles that are similar to your own.
Can I get my new credit card number before the card comes in the mail?
Even though your credit card application process may provide you with an instant decision, some credit card issuers will have you wait to receive the card in the mail before you can start using it. It often takes 5-7 business days for a new card to arrive. However, some issuers will allow you to access your credit card number right after approval so you can begin using it instantly.
Which issuers give card numbers immediately when you apply?
The following issuers give card numbers immediately when you apply:
American Express
An instant card number upon approval of an account is available on all American Express cards. American Express is the most convenient option to gain access to your new credit card number immediately.
Bank of America
Customers who apply and receive approval for credit cards via the Bank of America mobile app can upload them immediately to their digital wallets. However, for those who apply through the web, the Alaska Airlines Visa Signature® credit card is the only card that provides an instant card number.
Barclays
Several Barclays co-branded credit cards offer instant card numbers and credit available for purchases made through the co-branded website. They are as follows:
- Frontier Airlines World Mastercard® — instant credit toward purchases made through the Frontier website
- Hawaiian Airlines® World Elite Mastercard® — instant credit toward travel purchases made through the Hawaiian Airlines website
- The JetBlue Card — instant credit toward purchases through the JetBlue website
- Priceline Rewards™ Visa® Card — offers instant credit toward purchases through the Priceline website
- Princess Cruises® Rewards Visa® Card — offers instant credit when used to purchase a cruise with Princess Cruises
- Uber Credit Card — offers instant credit upon approval when you add it as the primary method of payment to your Uber account
Chase
Chase does not offer instant credit card numbers to new account holders. However, at times, those who receive approval for a co-branded card may use the card for a purchase made with the retailer.
Citi
Citi will allow those who are approved for one of their co-branded American Airlines cards, like the Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite™ Mastercard®, or those approved for one of the AT&T cards, to receive their card numbers right away.
Goldman Sachs
The Apple credit card will allow cardholders to use the card instantly upon approval via the Wallet app on your iPhone.
HSBC
HSBC will provide you with your credit card number after approval, but not the CVV or your card’s expiration date.
Synchrony
The only cards offered from Synchrony that gives instant access to your card number are: Rakuten Cash Back Visa® Credit Card eBay Mastercard® PayPal Cashback Mastercard® For PayPal or eBay cards, you can make an online purchase of up to $250 via PayPal.
USAA
USAA will give you an instant card number to use, along with the expiration date and 3-digit code. This has a maximum credit limit of $1,000, which is increased to your approved credit limit when the physical card arrives.
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