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In today’s day and age, unless you’ve got a high number of recent credit card inquiries, issuers will typically give you an instant response when applying for credit cards. And if they don’t, you can always call and ask for a decision over the phone. However, one thing that they don’t all do is instantly provide you with your card number when you’re approved.
Having instant access to your new card number is extremely beneficial since it means that you can begin maximizing your purchases and working towards meeting the minimum spend requirement of a card’s welcome bonus right away. After all, the clock on welcome bonuses typically starts the day your account is approved — not on your statement closing date or when your card is activated. So, let’s take a look at which major credit card issuers offer instant card numbers upon approval and which don’t.
In This Post American ExpressAmerican Express leads the pack when it comes to offering instant card numbers. Regardless which card you apply for, you will always have the option of getting the account number immediately after being approved online — assuming the issuer is able to validate your identity instantly. This means those who just got approved for a card like The Platinum Card® from American Express could begin earning 5x points on airfare right away and get instant access to Centurion Lounges.
Just remember to take a screenshot or write down your card number since you can’t request it again later. The number will typically be the same as the one you’ll get in the mail, but the CID (card identification number — on Amex cards it’s the four-digit number on the front) will be different so you might want to hold off on using it to set up recurring payments. Note, the instant card number of some co-branded cards, such as the Hilton Honors Aspire Card from American Express and the Gold Delta SkyMiles® Credit Card from American Express may only be used with the co-branded company.
Even if you’re not interested in getting your card number right away, you should still request it when prompted by the system. There have been numerous cases where Amex’s system was unable to issue card numbers. The silver lining with this is that if you’re lucky, Amex may give you a statement credit as high as $315 to compensate.
Bank of AmericaThe only Bank of America card that consistently offers an instant card number is the Alaska Airlines Visa Signature credit card. There have been some reports of other cards offering instant card numbers, but it’s more sporadic and I wouldn’t necessarily count on it.
BarclaysBarclays never offers instant card numbers. However, if you apply for the Uber Visa Card directly through the Uber app, you’ll be able to start using it immediately to pay for Uber purchases.
Capital OneIt doesn’t matter if you applied for the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card, the Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card or a different Capital One card, the issuer will let you instantly gain access to your card number and expiration date immediately after being approved. To do so, you must download the Capital One app on your phone and set up your online account. If the card details don’t show right away, try signing out and then back in to your account.
Although Chase will often give you an instant decision on whether you’ve been approved, it will never issue card numbers before your physical card arrives.
CitiAs with Bank of America, Citi has some co-branded cards, including American Airlines card like the Citi / AAdvantage Platinum Select World Elite Mastercard, which issue instant card numbers. Citi will issue a temporary card for the Costco Anywhere Visa Card by Citi, but only if you apply in person at a Costco location and you’ll only be able use it in-store. ThankYou Rewards-earning cards like the Citi Premier Card don’t offer instant card numbers, but hopefully that will change when the new Citi Prestige card becomes available in January 2019.
As with Barclays and Chase, Discover will often give you an instant decision on whether you’ve been approved, but it will never issue card numbers before your physical card arrives.
Bottom LineWhile some issuers will allow you to request expedited shipping for your card, in most cases, you’ll typically have to wait 5-7 business days for your new piece of plastic (or metal) to arrive in the mail so having instant access to your new card number can make a big difference. If you’re in immediate need for a new credit card, you can almost always depend on Amex to offer an instant card number, though there are some other issuers which will often do so as well. Just remember that this perk is not guaranteed and there’s no hard set rule on the compensation offered when not available. As the saying goes, your mileage may vary, so feel free to share your experiences in the comments below.
Featured photo by Prykhodov / Getty Images.
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