How to Apply for a Capital One Credit Card

There are Capital One credit cards available for just about everyone, whether you're looking for a rewards card, a 0% intro APR, or to build your credit. If you want to apply for a Capital One credit card, here's how to do it.

How to apply for a Capital One credit card

There are only a few steps to apply for a Capital One credit card.

Go to the credit card's page and click "Apply Now."
Enter the required information. You'll need to have the following information available to fill out the application:

Personal information: Full name, date of birth, and Social Security number
Contact information: Residential address (PO boxes aren't valid as a residential address for credit card applications, but you can add one as your mailing address by clicking "Add mailing address"), email address, and phone number
Financial information: Employment status, annual income, monthly home payment (rent or mortgage), the types of bank accounts you have, and optional questions about your credit card spending habits

Add an authorized user if you want to do so now. If not, you can skip this step.
Submit the application.

Ideally, you'll get an answer right away -- or at least, within the minute or so that it takes for the credit card issuer to process your information. The results could, however, take longer than that.

What happens after you apply for a Capital One credit card?

There are three potential outcomes after you apply for a Capital One credit card:

Instant approval
Instant denial
Under review

If it's an approval, then you're good to go. The credit card company will send you the card in the mail. The letter you receive will include activation instructions and your credit limit.

A denial is the worst-case scenario, but it doesn't always mean you're out of luck. You can call Capital One's reconsideration line. They can tell you why you were denied (you'll also get a letter in the mail with this information), and you can explain why they should reconsider your application. It's possible a representative may overturn the original decision and approve your Capital One credit card application.

Finally, there's application purgatory. When Capital One says it needs more time to review your application, you should receive a letter within seven to 10 business days on whether you were approved or denied. But you can also call Capital One as early as the next day to check your application's status. The benefit of doing that is if you were denied, you can attempt to get a reconsideration immediately.

Choosing a Capital One credit card

Before you apply for a Capital One credit card, you need to pick one. If you're not sure which card is right for you, consider your credit score and the credit card benefits you're looking for.

Your credit history and credit score determine which cards you can get. The best Capital One credit cards are usually only an option if you have good or excellent credit. Fortunately, Capital One includes recommended credit levels with each of its cards. You can click the credit level to see what the qualification requirements are for that Capital One credit card.

As far as card benefits go, you'll need to decide what perks matter most to you. That could be cash back, travel rewards, zero-interest financing, or something different. It's also important to look at any fees a card has, such as an annual fee or foreign transaction fees.

Here are Capital One credit card recommendations that will cover most financial situations and goals:

Earn travel rewards: Capital One® Venture® Rewards Credit Card
Earn flat-rate cash back: Capital One® Quicksilver® Cash Rewards Credit Card
Earn bonus cash back: Capital One® Savor® Cash Rewards Credit Card
Finance purchases at a 0% intro APR: Capital One® SavorOne® Cash Rewards Credit Card
Improve bad credit: Capital One® Secured Mastercard®
Improve fair credit: Capital One® Platinum Credit Card
Build credit as a student: Journey® Student Rewards from Capital One®

Getting your Capital One credit card

It's not difficult to apply for a Capital One credit card. What's most important is finding the right card. When you can figure out the best credit cards for you, you'll maximize your value. Once you know what you want, the application itself should only take about five to 10 minutes.

About the Author

Lyle Daly

Lyle Daly is a personal finance writer who specializes in credit cards, travel rewards programs, and banking. He writes for The Ascent and The Motley Fool, and his work has appeared in USA Today and Yahoo! Finance. He was born in California but currently lives as a digital nomad with a home base in Colombia.