How Long Does It Take to Get a Credit Card? Credit Cards are an amazing way for you to build credit while also making it easier for you to pay bills or even make purchases. Some Credit cards are even offering rewards, like a mile or point on the things that you would like to purchase.
How Long Does It Take to Get a Credit Card?
If you are a newcomer when it comes to applying for a credit card, then you probably must be wondering How long it takes for you to get one. In some situations, you can apply for a credit card and get it within just minutes, but some other credit cards actually take even longer for it to arrive.
Each of the card issuers actually is different when it comes to how long it takes for you to deliver a physical credit card to new customers. Understanding just how the whole process can help you gauge how quickly you would be able to start making use of your new card once you have been approved.
Getting Approved for a Credit Card
Nowadays, tons of credit card companies have made it a lot easier for you to apply for a credit card by doing it online. All you have to do is simply complete the application and then submit it to have your information reviewed. It is not uncommon for credit card companies to actually return an approval decision within minutes of you receiving your application and then checking your credit score.
There are several instances where you actually might have to wait a bit longer to be approved for a credit card. Let’s say you filled out a paper application and mailed it in. In that situation, you would have to wait for the credit card company to receive your application, review the details, and then an approval decision right back to you.
Going via the snail mail route means that you actually could be waiting for a credit card decision versus a few minutes. Also, you could be in for quite a long wait if you apply for a credit card that requires excellent credit and your application is flagged for a manual review.
If you are faced with this situation, this means that your credit card has to be reviewed by somebody at the credit card company and manually processed. This sometimes slows things down by a few days or weeks, depending on the review policy of the credit card company. If you have yet to hear from the company after applying, you might want to contact customer service to find out what is happening with your application.
How Long It Takes to Receive a Credit Card in the Mail
Once your card has been approved, the credit card company will mail the physical card to you. Once you receive it, you can make use of it for purchases or pay bills. It is really important that you keep in mind that mailing times sometimes vary greatly from one Card issuer to the next.
Here are some Credit card issuers and their Credit Card Mail Time.
| Card Issuer | New Card | Replacement Card |
| American Express | 7 to 10 business days | Within 3 business days |
| Bank of America | Within 10 business days | Within 3 business days |
| Barclays | 7 to 10 business days | 7 to 10 business days |
| Capital One | 7 to 10 business days | 3 to 6 business days |
| Chase | 7 to 10 business days | 3 to 5 business days |
| Citi | 7 to 10 business days | 5 to 7 business days |
| Discover | 5 to 7 business days | 5 to 7 business days |
| U.S. Bank | 7 to 10 business days | 7 to 10 business days |
| Wells Fargo | 7 to 10 business days | 7 to 10 business days |