All of us receive offers for credit cards in our mail box, and we are all familiar with how these offers work. Credit card companies will tell you that you have already been pre-approved to receive their credit card, yet you still wait for weeks or even months after you fill out the form before you hear anything back from them. Now that we have the Internet these methods of obtaining a credit card are long gone. When you apply for a credit card online you will get a response within minutes or even a few seconds after submitting your information.

If you have a good credit rating you wont have any trouble getting approved for a credit card. Credit cards that offer the best APR and terms are readily available to an applicant with a good credit history. For this reason it is vital that you know how good your credit rating is. There are many places online where you can check your credit for free. You should take advantage of that and check your credit at least once or twice a year so you will always know where you stand.

If it has been a long time since you checked your credit, or if you have never done so, now would be a good time to do it. Look at your credit report and try to correct anything that affects your credit rating negatively. Remember that if you apply for a credit card and you are turned down it can affect your credit rating and will affect the outcome of future applications for credit.

Once you have examined your credit rating report and you know how good your credit is it is time to apply online for a credit card. Keep in mind that whichever credit card company you choose to apply to will require that you provide personal information such as you social security number, income, birthdate, occupation, etc.

Before completing the online application for your new credit card read through the terms and conditions carefully. Be sure that you thoroughly understand the rates and any fees, including the APR, so there wont be any surprises later. Also be sure to verify that the website you are using is encrypted. Look for https in the url instead of http. The standard encryption for a secure website is SSL 128-bit. If you submit personal information to a website that is not secured with 128-bit encryption you will risk having your information intercepted and stolen by a third party which could make you a victim of identity theft.

Once you agree with and are satisfied with the terms and the security of the website you may complete the application and submit it for approval. In most cases you will receive your response on screen in a matter of a few moments. If your application is approved you should expect to receive your new credit card in the mail within just a few days.

Applying for a credit card has never been easier. There is no longer a need to wait around for weeks or months waiting for an answer, now you can get your response almost instantly. There are many hundreds of credit card companies that are competing for your business. Be sure to compare what different companies have to offer so that you can get the best terms.

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