Applying for a credit card has never been easier, today all credit card companies from American Express to Discover, have completely digitized their credit card application forms and have made them available online . All it takes for a person to apply for a credit card today, is an ID proof like social security number, and basic details like his name, address etc. Most credit card companies prefer online applications for credit cards, as it makes their task simpler, and cuts down on their operating expenses. For example, earlier procedure required an individual to meet with a customer care executive, who collected all the details and paperwork, and then ran back and forth, between the applicant and the credit card company till all the paper work was complete. By making applications online, credit card companies, save time and effort, as they can channel their efforts towards people who are eligible for the credit card.
Digitization of personal records, and faster access between users and bank servers, has made applying for a credit card a complete joy. Log on to any online credit card site, and one will notice that not just personal credit cards, but business and student credit cards can also be applied for online. A typical online application form usually requires the user to fill out details like, name, date of birth, address, telephone number and of course the most important detail the social security number. The process is even faster if the applicant already has a credit card with the same company, just enter the existing card details and the applicant does not have to fill out even the basic details mentioned earlier. All websites have a minimum of 128 bit cipher strength, meaning that all data transmitted is secure, and once the page is refreshed all data is automatically removed for security.
Once the details have been filled out, the software carries out a few basic steps, it first cross references the social security number with a database to validate it, it then tries to validate the address entered with the social security number mentioned; so if a person has been living at the same address since birth, the records reflect it and this improves the chances of the credit card application being approved. In addition the software also does a soft credit check to ensure a decent credit history. Depending on which company the applicant has applied with, the company then assigns weight age to the different factors mentioned before, and usually within a minute the applicant knows if he or she is eligible for the credit card. Compare this to the older process that required submission of documents, then waiting for approval and then receiving a reply by regular post if the credit card has been accepted or declined. All in all a week long process, has now been compressed into less than a minute online.
What online applications have done, is give the customer choice, earlier applicant’s were usually thwarted from applying with multiple credit card companies, as it was usually too much of a hassle dealing with one credit card company, let alone 4 or 5 of them. All that has changed dramatically, an individual can apply for multiple credit cards online with the same company or with different companies if he so wishes, in fact if a credit card application is rejected, the company usually makes a recommendation as to which card the applicant stands a better chance for! Thereby making the choice of which card to apply for next, simpler.
Computerization of government records has been a boon in disguise, it has meant that credit card companies can now offer applications online, and as mentioned so far, not only does the credit card company benefit; but the biggest benefactor is the consumer. No longer does one have to wait in lines, travel long distances, or get a ton of paper work in place, all that has been simplified, online applications are not just fast, they are much much easier to comprehend. As mentioned above, applying for a credit card online, has meant that an individual can now apply for multiple credit cards without worrying about the hassles involved, something that was not easy to do in the past. The next time you are considering applying for a credit card, make sure you consider an online application.
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