How to Check Your Credit Card Application Status

Light bulb icon.

Quick Answer

If you haven’t received a response to your credit card application, visit the card issuer’s website or call their customer service number to check on your application status.

A woman standing outside in an urban environment using her mobile phone to check her credit card application.

Have you recently applied for a new credit card? It's not always easy to be patient when you're eager to find out if your application has been approved. Fortunately, you can usually check the status of your credit card application by calling the issuer or by visiting their website. Here's everything you need to know to check the status of your application with major credit card issuers.

Best credit cards of 2026

Compare cards from our partners with intro bonuses, cash back or points offers, and annual fees as low as $0.

Offers from our partners

Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express

Intro bonus:You may be eligible for as high as $200 cash back after spending $2,000 in purchases on your new Card in the first 6 months. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Cash back is received as Reward Dollars, redeemable for statement credit or at Amazon.com checkout. Terms Apply.

Intro APR:0% on Purchases and Balance Transfers for 15 months

Ongoing APR:19.49%-28.49% Variable

Rewards:1% - 3% (cash back)

Annual Fee:$0

Wells Fargo Reflect® Card

Intro APR:0% intro APR for 21 months from account opening on purchases and qualifying balance transfers

Ongoing APR:17.49%, 23.99%, or 28.24% Variable APR

Rewards:N/A*

Annual Fee:$0

Discover it® Chrome

Intro bonus:INTRO OFFER: Unlimited Cashback Match for all new cardmembers. Discover will automatically match all the cash back you’ve earned at the end of your first year! There’s no minimum spending or maximum rewards.

Intro APR:0% intro APR for 6 Months on Purchases and 0% intro APR for 18 Months on Balance Transfers

Ongoing APR:17.49% - 26.49% Variable APR

Rewards:1% - 2% (cash back)

Annual Fee:$0

Revel® Platinum Mastercard®

Ongoing APR:35.90% Fixed

Rewards:N/A*

Annual Fee:$75 - $125

Citi® Diamond Preferred® Card

Intro APR:0% for 21 months on Balance Transfers and 12 months on Purchases

Ongoing APR:16.49% - 27.24% (Variable)

Rewards:N/A*

Annual Fee:$0

FIT™ Platinum Mastercard® - $400 Credit Limit

Ongoing APR:35.90% Fixed

Rewards:N/A*

Annual Fee:$99 first year; $125 thereafter

The opensky® Secured Visa® Credit Card

Ongoing APR:23.89% Variable

Rewards:10% (cash back)

Annual Fee:$35

Credit One Bank American Express® Card for Rebuilding Credit

Ongoing APR:29.74% Variable

Rewards:1% (cash back)

Annual Fee:$75 First year. $99 thereafter, billed monthly at $8.25

Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express

Intro bonus:You may be eligible for as high as $300 cash back after spending $3,000 in purchases on your new Card in the first 6 months. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Cash back is received as Reward Dollars, redeemable for statement credit or at Amazon.com checkout. Terms Apply.

Intro APR:0% on Purchases and Balance Transfers for 12 months

Ongoing APR:19.49%-28.49% Variable

Rewards:1% - 6% (cash back)

Annual Fee:$0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $95.

American Airlines AAdvantage® MileUp® Card

Intro APR:0% for 15 months on Balance Transfers

Ongoing APR:19.49% - 29.49% (Variable)

Rewards:2x (Miles per dollar)

Annual Fee:$0

Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi

Ongoing APR:18.74% - 26.74% (Variable)

Rewards:1% - 5% (cash back)

Annual Fee:$0

American Express® Gold Card

Intro bonus:You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after spending $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.

Ongoing APR:See Pay Over Time APR

Rewards:1x - 4x (Points per dollar)

Annual Fee:$325

First Latitude Secured Mastercard® Cash Back Rewards

Ongoing APR:27.49% Variable

Rewards:1% - 10% (cash back)

Annual Fee:$0

Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard®

Ongoing APR:19.49% - 29.49% (Variable)

Rewards:2x (Miles per dollar)

Annual Fee:$99, waived for first 12 months

Avant® Cashback Rewards Mastercard® logo.

Avant® Cashback Rewards Mastercard®

Ongoing APR:35.99%*

Rewards:1% (cash back)

Annual Fee:$75*

Citi® / AAdvantage® Globe™ Mastercard®

Ongoing APR:19.49% - 29.49% (Variable)

Rewards:1x - 6x (Miles per dollar)

Annual Fee:$350

Avant® Cashback Rewards Mastercard® logo.

Avant® Cashback Rewards Mastercard®

Ongoing APR:35.99%*

Rewards:1% (cash back)

Annual Fee:Introductory fee of $75 for the first year. After that, $99 annually.*

Avant® Cashback Rewards Mastercard® logo.

Avant® Cashback Rewards Mastercard®

Ongoing APR:35.99%*

Rewards:1% (cash back)

Annual Fee:$39*

Credit One Bank® Platinum X5 Visa® Metal Card

Ongoing APR:29.74% Variable

Rewards:1% - 5% (cash back)

Annual Fee:$95

First Progress Prestige Secured Mastercard® Cash Back Rewards

Ongoing APR:13.49% Variable

Rewards:1% - 10% (cash back)

Annual Fee:$49

First Progress Select Secured Mastercard® Cash Back Rewards

Ongoing APR:17.49% Variable

Rewards:1% - 10% (cash back)

Annual Fee:$39

Credit One Bank® Premier American Express® Credit Card

Ongoing APR:29.74% Variable

Rewards:1% (cash back)

Annual Fee:$39

Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card

Intro bonus:Earn 200,000 Marriott Bonvoy® bonus points after you use your new Card to make $6,000 in purchases within the first 6 months of Card Membership. Offer Ends 5/13/2026.

Ongoing APR:19.49%-28.49% Variable

Rewards:2x - 6x (Points per dollar)

Annual Fee:$650

Discover it® Miles

Intro bonus:UNLIMITED BONUS: Unlimited Mile-for-Mile match for all new cardmembers. Discover gives you an unlimited match of all the Miles you’ve earned at the end of your first year. There’s no signing up, no minimum spending or maximum rewards. Just a Miles-for-Miles match. You could turn 35,000 Miles into 70,000 Miles.

Intro APR:0% intro APR for 15 months on Purchases and Balance Transfers

Ongoing APR:17.49% - 26.49% Variable APR

Rewards:1.5x (Miles per dollar)

Annual Fee:$0

Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card

Intro bonus:Earn 70,000 Bonus Miles after you spend $3,000 in purchases with your new Card, and an additional 20,000 bonus miles after you make an additional $2,000 in purchases on the Card, both within your first 6 months. Ends 04/01/2026.

Ongoing APR:19.49%-28.49% Variable

Rewards:1x - 2x (Miles per dollar)

Annual Fee:$0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $150.

Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card

Intro bonus:Earn 130,000 Bonus Points plus a Free Night Reward after you spend $3,000 in purchases on the Card in the first 6 months of Card Membership. Offer Ends 4/15/2026.

Ongoing APR:19.49%-28.49% Variable

Rewards:3x - 12x (Points per dollar)

Annual Fee:$150

Delta SkyMiles® Blue American Express Card

Intro bonus:Earn 10,000 bonus miles after you spend $1,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months.

Ongoing APR:19.49%-28.49% Variable

Rewards:1x - 2x (Miles per dollar)

Annual Fee:$0

One Key+™ Card

Intro bonus:Earn $350 in OneKeyCash™ after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months. OneKeyCash is not redeemable for cash and can only be used on Expedia®, Hotels.com® and Vrbo®. To learn more, please refer to the One Key Terms and Conditions at www.expedia.com/one-key-terms.

Ongoing APR:18.49%, 23.49%, or 28.49% Variable APR

Rewards:2x - 3x (Points per dollar)

Annual Fee:$99

Avant® Cashback Rewards Mastercard® - With A Higher Credit Limit logo.

Avant® Cashback Rewards Mastercard® - With A Higher Credit Limit

Ongoing APR:35.99%*

Rewards:1% (cash back)

Annual Fee:$125*

Avant® Cashback Rewards Mastercard® logo.

Avant® Cashback Rewards Mastercard®

Ongoing APR:35.99%*

Rewards:1% (cash back)

Annual Fee:$0*

See all our best credit cards for 2026.

How to Check Your Credit Card Application Status

You can check your credit card application status by calling the customer service number for the issuer. Most credit card issuers also let you check your application status online. (In some cases, this is an option only if you applied for the card online.)

To check your application status either online or by phone, you'll generally need to provide personal information, such as:

  • Your name
  • Your birthdate
  • The last four digits of your Social Security number
  • Your ZIP code
  • An application ID or reference number

See the chart below for links to popular credit card issuers' application status pages and customer service numbers. You can also refer to any emails or communications you received from the credit card company for information on how to check your application status.

Credit Card Issuer Customer Service Phone Number
American Express 888-826-3471
Bank of America 866-422-8089
Capital One 800-903-9177
Chase 888-338-2586
Citi 866-606-2787
Discover 800-347-3085
Wells Fargo 800-967-9521
USAA 800-531-8722

How Long Does It Take to Get a Credit Card Application Decision?

You'll often get an answer about your credit card application immediately if you apply online and meet the card issuer's criteria. However, it could take longer to receive an answer if:

  • You applied for a credit card by mail or over the phone
  • The credit card company needs more time to check some information in your application
  • The card issuer is experiencing delays due to a high volume of new applications
  • The card issuer needs additional information from you before making a decision

If your credit card application isn't approved right away, you'll generally receive a message that your application is pending or under review. In this case, it may take seven to 30 days before you get an answer.

What to Do if Your Credit Card Application Is Denied

When your credit card application is rejected, you have several options, depending on the reason for the denial.

  • Become an authorized user on someone else's credit card. Ask a parent or other family member with good credit to add you as an authorized user on their credit card. You can use their account to make purchases; as long as the authorized user account is reported to credit bureaus, your credit score will benefit from the primary cardholder's good credit history.
  • Apply for a secured credit card. Secured credit cards work like any other credit card, but require putting down a security deposit, which typically becomes your credit limit. Using a secured credit card to make small purchases and pay your bill on time can help you build credit, making them a good alternative if you're new to credit.
  • Pay down existing credit card debt. You may be denied a credit card if a card issuer determines your debt-to-income ratio is too high. Paying down high-interest debt, such as credit card balances, could make it easier to qualify for a credit card in the future.
  • Apply for a student credit card. Young adults ages 18 to 21 may be denied credit cards if they don't have sufficient income to make the payments. If you're attending school, consider applying for a student credit card. Used responsibly, it can help you build credit.
  • Apply for a credit card designed for lower credit scores. A fair or even poor credit score doesn't automatically disqualify you from getting credit—if you apply for the right credit card. Cards targeting people with lower credit scores typically charge higher interest rates and fees. You can avoid those costs by paying your bill in full and on time each month, which can also help improve your credit score.

Keep in mind that too many credit card applications in a short period of time can negatively affect your credit because each application generates a hard inquiry that appears on your credit report. To minimize any damage to your credit score, it's best to see if you prequalify before applying and wait six months between credit card applications.

The Bottom Line

Frustrated by playing the waiting game after applying for a credit card? Contact the credit card issuer to check the progress of your application. Before applying for any credit card, check your credit report and credit score, and take steps to improve your credit if necessary.

Don’t apply blindly

Apply for credit cards confidently with personalized offers based on your credit profile. Get started with your FICO® Score for free.

See your offers
Promo icon.

About the author

Karen Axelton is Experian’s in-house senior personal finance writer. She has over 20 years of experience as a journalist and has written or ghostwritten content for a variety of financial services companies.

Read more from Karen

Explore more topics

Share article

Experian app.

Download the free Experian appCarry trusted financial tools with you

Download from the Apple App Store.Get it on Google Play.
Experian's Diversity logo.

Experian’s Inclusion and BelongingLearn more how Experian is committed