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For a super-fast credit card application, look no further than instant approval credit cards. If you want to know whether your application was successful right away, this type of credit card is the perfect choice. We've gathered all the best instant approval credit card offers here to help you find the right card.
Great for: Cash back and balance transfers
Fair to Excellent (580-850)
Intro APR N/A
Purchases: N/A
Balance Transfers: 0%, 18 months
Regular APR
19.24% - 29.24% (Variable)
Rewards 2% cash back: 1% when you buy plus 1% as you pay
Up to 2% cash back
Annual Fee
$0
Welcome Offer Earn $200 cash back after you spend $1,500 on purchases in the first 6 months of account opening. This bonus offer will be fulfilled as 20,000 ThankYou® Points, which can be redeemed for $200 cash back.
20,000 ThankYou® Points
This card combines a top-notch balance transfer offer for 18 months with best-in-class unlimited 2% cash back on purchases. There's no introductory APR for purchases, so if you use that long balance transfer offer you'll be charged interest on all new purchases until the full balance is paid off. However, once you conquer that balance transfer, this may become your go-to card thanks to the high cash back rate. Read Full Review
U.S. Bank Visa® Platinum Card
Great for: 0% intro APR for purchases and balance transfers
Good/Excellent (670-850)
Intro APR 0% on purchases and balance transfers for the first 21 billing cycles on purchases billing cycles, and after that 18.74% - 29.74% (Variable).
Purchases: 0%, 21 billing cycles on purchases
Balance Transfers: 0%, 21 billing cycles
Regular APR
18.74% - 29.74% (Variable)
Rewards
N/A
Annual Fee
$0
Welcome Offer
N/A
Got a big purchase to finance over time? Consider this U.S. Bank card, as it'll give you a whopping 21 billing cycles of 0% APR on purchases. This also goes for balance transfers, making this one a great fit if you have some existing debt to pay off. It also comes without an annual fee.
Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express
Great for: U.S. supermarkets and gas
On American Express' Secure Website.
Terms apply
On American Express' Secure Website.
Terms apply
Good/Excellent (670-850)
Intro APR
Purchases: 0%, 12 months
Balance Transfers: 0%, 12 months
Regular APR
19.24%-29.99% Variable
Rewards 6% Cash Back at U.S. supermarkets on up to $6,000 per year in purchases (then 1%). 6% Cash Back on select U.S. streaming subscriptions. 3% Cash Back at U.S. gas stations. 3% Cash Back on transit (including taxis/rideshare, parking, tolls, trains, buses and more). 1% Cash Back on other purchases. Cash Back is received in the form of Reward Dollars that can be redeemed as a statement credit or at Amazon.com checkout.
1%-6% Cash Back
Annual Fee
$0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $95.
Welcome Offer Earn a $250 statement credit after you spend $3,000 in purchases on your new Card within the first 6 months.
$250
This card offers market-leading cash back at U.S. Supermarkets. The welcome bonus and intro APR offer just sweeten the deal. Terms apply. If you spend at least $500 per month on groceries (excluding wholesale clubs and super-stores like Costco and Walmart), this card is worth considering. Read Full Review
U.S. Bank Cash+® Visa Signature® Card
Great for: Bonus cash back versatility
Good/Excellent (670-850)
Intro APR 0% on purchases and balance transfers for the first 15 billing cycles on purchases billing cycles, and after that 19.49% - 29.74% (Variable).
Purchases: 0%, 15 billing cycles on purchases
Balance Transfers: 0%, 15 billing cycles
Regular APR
19.49% - 29.74% (Variable)
Rewards 5% cash back back on up to $2,000 of quarterly spending in two categories of choice and for travel booked directly in U.S. Bank's Rewards Travel Center, unlimited 2% back in one "everyday" category of choice, 1% back on other purchases
1% - 5% back
Annual Fee
$0
Welcome Offer Earn a $200 bonus after spending $1,000 in eligible purchases within the first 120 days of account opening.
$200
You get the power to choose not one, but two bonus 5% cash back categories every quarter with this U.S. Bank card. Plus, you get 5% on travel spending when you book through U.S. Bank. No annual fee, a generous welcome bonus, and 15 billing cycles of 0% APR on purchases and balance transfers round out the perks on this card.
Discover it® Secured Credit Card
Great for: Building credit
New/Rebuilding Under(579)
Intro APR
Purchases: n/a
Balance Transfers: 10.99%, 6 months
Regular APR
28.24% Variable APR
Rewards 2% cash back at Gas Stations and Restaurants on up to $1,000 in combined purchases each quarter. 1% unlimited cash back on all other purchases - automatically
1% - 2% Cashback
Annual Fee
$0
Welcome Offer
Discover will match all the cash back you’ve earned at the end of your first year.
We think this card has among the highest cash back potential for a secured card with no annual fee. The key is the Unlimited Cashback Match — Discover automatically matches the cash back new cardholders earn at the end of the first year. This card could be perfect for you if you're new to credit, or rebuilding after past troubles. Read Full Review
Discover it® Student Cash Back
Great for: Students
Fair/New to Credit Under(669)
Intro APR
Purchases: 0%, 6 months
Balance Transfers: 10.99%, 6 months
Regular APR
18.24% - 27.24% Variable APR
Rewards 5% cash back at different places each quarter up to the quarterly maximum when you activate. 1% unlimited cash back on all other purchases - automatically
1% - 5% Cashback
Annual Fee
$0
Welcome Offer N/A
Discover will match all the cash back you’ve earned at the end of your first year.
Student credit cards are sometimes light on perks, but this Discover one might surprise you. You can earn 5% cash back on up to $1,500 of spending in rotating bonus categories -- just opt in every quarter. And earning 1% back on other purchases plus an innovative Unlimited Cashback Match welcome bonus makes this one worth considering for college students. Read Full Review
Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
Great for: Small businesses
On Chase's Secure Website.
On Chase's Secure Website.
Good/Excellent (670-850)
Intro APR N/A
Purchases: N/A
Balance Transfers: N/A
Regular APR
21.24%-26.24% Variable
Rewards Earn 3 points per $1 on the first $150,000 spent in combined purchases on travel, shipping purchases, Internet, cable and phone services, advertising purchases made with social media sites and search engines each account anniversary year. Earn 1 point per $1 on all other purchases-with no limit to the amount you can earn.
Earn 3 points per $1 in select business categories
Annual Fee N/A
$95
Welcome Offer Earn 100,000 bonus points after you spend $8,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
Earn 100,000 bonus points
This business card gets you access to the Chase Ultimate Rewards ecosystem, and you'll start with 100,000 Ultimate Rewards points by qualifying for its eye-popping welcome bonus. Earning 3x points per $1 on popular business expenses means you can cover your bills and be generously rewarded in the process. Read Full Review
The most stressful part of a credit card application is often waiting for an answer. With instant approval credit cards, you don't need to wait long. Not everyone knows how this type of credit card works -- here's a complete look at what makes it different.
An instant approval credit card is a card that can be approved for use immediately. You can submit your application to the card issuer and get a response within seconds.
To clarify, instant approval credit card offers only mean that approval can happen instantly. It's not a guarantee. The card issuer may need more time to review your application and credit history. If so, you'll receive a message stating that your application is under review or pending. You'll then get the decision by mail (possibly also by email).
It's also possible to be denied for an instant approval credit card. Should that happen, you'll receive a letter explaining the reasons for the denial.
When you apply for an instant approval credit card, the card issuer conducts a preliminary credit check. Based on the results, it can then give you a conditional approval for the new card and credit line. Your approval odds will be much higher if you have a good credit score.
If you get a conditional approval, then the card issuer moves on to a more in-depth look at your credit file, a process that can affect your credit score. The card issuer can change its decision, so a conditional approval could later turn into a denial. Fortunately, this doesn't happen often.
The easiest credit card to get approved for is the OpenSky® Secured Visa® Credit Card. There's no credit check when you apply, so you can get the card even if you're rebuilding your credit. You also don't need a bank account to open this card. It does require a security deposit of at least $200 and it charges a $35 annual fee.
Secured credit cards are the easiest type of credit card to get. You need to pay a security deposit to open this type of card, and your credit limit is usually equal to your deposit. That protects the card issuer in case cardholders don't pay their credit card bills. If you've been having trouble getting approved for a credit card, then a secured credit card could help.
Here are the best instant approval store credit cards:
When you're ready, here's how to apply for an instant approval credit card:
Card | Rating | Great For |
---|---|---|
Rating image, 4.50 out of 5 stars.
4.50/5
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.
5 stars equals Best.
4 stars equals Excellent.
3 stars equals Good.
2 stars equals Fair.
1 star equals Poor.
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
= Best = Excellent = Good = Fair = Poor |
Great For: Cash back and balance transfers |
|
Rating image, 4.50 out of 5 stars.
4.50/5
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.
5 stars equals Best.
4 stars equals Excellent.
3 stars equals Good.
2 stars equals Fair.
1 star equals Poor.
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
= Best = Excellent = Good = Fair = Poor |
Great For: 0% intro APR for purchases and balance transfers |
|
2024 Award Winner
|
Rating image, 4.50 out of 5 stars.
4.50/5
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.
5 stars equals Best.
4 stars equals Excellent.
3 stars equals Good.
2 stars equals Fair.
1 star equals Poor.
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
= Best = Excellent = Good = Fair = Poor |
Great For: U.S. supermarkets and gas |
Rating image, 4.50 out of 5 stars.
4.50/5
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.
5 stars equals Best.
4 stars equals Excellent.
3 stars equals Good.
2 stars equals Fair.
1 star equals Poor.
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
= Best = Excellent = Good = Fair = Poor |
Great For: Bonus cash back versatility |
|
Rating image, 5.00 out of 5 stars.
5.00/5
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.
5 stars equals Best.
4 stars equals Excellent.
3 stars equals Good.
2 stars equals Fair.
1 star equals Poor.
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
= Best = Excellent = Good = Fair = Poor |
Great For: Building credit |
|
2024 Award Winner
|
Rating image, 5.00 out of 5 stars.
5.00/5
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.
5 stars equals Best.
4 stars equals Excellent.
3 stars equals Good.
2 stars equals Fair.
1 star equals Poor.
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
= Best = Excellent = Good = Fair = Poor |
Great For: Students |
Rating image, 4.50 out of 5 stars.
4.50/5
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.
5 stars equals Best.
4 stars equals Excellent.
3 stars equals Good.
2 stars equals Fair.
1 star equals Poor.
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
= Best = Excellent = Good = Fair = Poor |
Great For: Small businesses |
At The Motley Fool Ascent, we rate credit cards on a five-star scale (1 = poor, 5 = best). Our rating criteria includes rewards rates, welcome bonuses, fees, and perks like travel credits and 0% intro APR offers to evaluate our ratings.
Our highest-rated credit cards have:
We combine these factors with an evaluation of brand reputation and customer satisfaction to ensure you're getting the best card recommendations. Learn more about how The Ascent rates credit cards.
An instant approval credit card is one that can give you an immediate decision when you apply. Once you submit the application, the card issuer can do a preliminary check on your credit and possibly approve you for the card.
Despite the name, instant approval credit cards don't guarantee an instant approval. The card issuer can still deny your application or put it under review and take more time to make its decision.
To apply for an instant approval credit card, choose the card that you want online and click "Apply Now" on its web page. Fill out the application with the required information, submit it, and wait for the card issuer's decision. You'll receive one of three responses: an instant approval, a denial, or a message stating that your application is under further review.
You'll typically have to apply online to get an instant approval, which is the best way to get a decision as soon as possible. Some credit cards also offer instant approvals on phone applications.
There's no required credit score for an instant approval credit card. However, you have much better odds of success with a good or excellent credit score.
Your credit score will also determine which instant approval credit cards you can get. If you have a bad credit score, then you should look at secured credit cards. A higher credit score, on the other hand, can get you instantly approved for much better credit cards.
Our Credit Cards Experts
We're firm believers in the Golden Rule, which is why editorial opinions are ours alone and have not been previously reviewed, approved, or endorsed by included advertisers. The Ascent does not cover all offers on the market. Editorial content from The Ascent is separate from The Motley Fool editorial content and is created by a different analyst team.
The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Mastercard and Visa. The Motley Fool recommends Amex.