Article updated on Sep 30, 2024
Cards that offer instant approval are helpful when you need to put a purchase on a new card immediately -- for rewards, benefits or both.
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Our Experts
Written by Raina He is a contributor to CNET Money. She previously worked as an editor at CNET, focusing on credit cards, banking and loans. She graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a B.A. in Media and Journalism. Before coming to CNET Money, she was an editor at NextAdvisor, a personal finance news site that shared a parent company with CNET Money. Cynthia Paez Bowman is a finance, real estate and international business journalist. Besides Bankrate.com, her work has been featured in Business Jet Traveler, MSN, CheatSheet.com, Freshome.com and SimpleDollar.com. She owns and operates a small digital marketing and public relations firm that works with select startups and women-owned businesses to provide growth and visibility. Cynthia splits her time between Los Angeles, CA and San Sebastian, Spain. She travels to Africa and the Middle East regularly to consult with women's NGOs about small business development. Liliana Hall Associate Writer Liliana Hall is a writer for CNET Money covering banking, credit cards and mortgages. Previously, she wrote about personal credit for Bankrate and CreditCards.com. She is passionate about providing accessible content to enhance financial literacy. She graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a bachelor's degree in journalism, and has worked in the newsrooms of KUT and the Austin Chronicle. When not working, she is probably paddle boarding, hopping on a flight or reading for her book club.
Edited by Courtney Johnston Senior Editor Courtney Johnston is a senior editor leading the CNET Money team. Passionate about financial literacy and inclusion, she has a decade of experience as a freelance journalist covering policy, financial news, real estate and investing. A New Jersey native, she graduated with an M.A. in English Literature and Professional Writing from the University of Indianapolis, where she also worked as a graduate writing instructor.
Reviewed by Julia Menez Credit card expert and host of the Geobreeze Travel Podcast Julia Menez is a points strategy coach, speaker, and host of the Geobreeze Travel Podcast. Through her podcast and social media channels, she distills the strategies from top award travelers around the world and creates step-by-step tutorials for how you can make the most out of your points and miles.
CNET staff -- not advertisers, partners or business interests -- determine how we review the products and services we cover. If you buy through our links, we may get paid.
Reviews ethics statement
Written by
Raina He is a contributor to CNET Money. She previously worked as an editor at CNET, focusing on credit cards, banking and loans. She graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a B.A. in Media and Journalism. Before coming to CNET Money, she was an editor at NextAdvisor, a personal finance news site that shared a parent company with CNET Money.
Cynthia Paez Bowman is a finance, real estate and international business journalist. Besides Bankrate.com, her work has been featured in Business Jet Traveler, MSN, CheatSheet.com, Freshome.com and SimpleDollar.com. She owns and operates a small digital marketing and public relations firm that works with select startups and women-owned businesses to provide growth and visibility. Cynthia splits her time between Los Angeles, CA and San Sebastian, Spain. She travels to Africa and the Middle East regularly to consult with women's NGOs about small business development.
Liliana Hall Associate Writer Liliana Hall is a writer for CNET Money covering banking, credit cards and mortgages. Previously, she wrote about personal credit for Bankrate and CreditCards.com. She is passionate about providing accessible content to enhance financial literacy. She graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a bachelor's degree in journalism, and has worked in the newsrooms of KUT and the Austin Chronicle. When not working, she is probably paddle boarding, hopping on a flight or reading for her book club.
Edited by
Courtney Johnston Senior Editor Courtney Johnston is a senior editor leading the CNET Money team. Passionate about financial literacy and inclusion, she has a decade of experience as a freelance journalist covering policy, financial news, real estate and investing. A New Jersey native, she graduated with an M.A. in English Literature and Professional Writing from the University of Indianapolis, where she also worked as a graduate writing instructor.
Reviewed by:
Julia Menez Credit card expert and host of the Geobreeze Travel Podcast Julia Menez is a points strategy coach, speaker, and host of the Geobreeze Travel Podcast. Through her podcast and social media channels, she distills the strategies from top award travelers around the world and creates step-by-step tutorials for how you can make the most out of your points and miles.
Article updated on Sep 30, 2024
4.2/5
Rating Breakdown 4.2
Welcome Bonus 5.0
Rewards Program 4.0
Value for Money 3.8
Benefits 4.0
Fees and APR 3.0
Rewards / Travel
We rate credit cards using our Rewards / Travel methodology for cards tailored to earning rewards. We focus on each card's reward potential, the value you get compared to the card's cost, the benefits and the card's rates and fees. Credit card issuers have no say or influence in our ratings. How we rate credit cards
Annual Fee $0
Intro offer available Get a $100 Amazon Gift Card instantly upon approval exclusively for Prime members
Learn More
4.1/5
Rating Breakdown 4.1
Welcome Bonus 3.0
Rewards Program 5.0
Value for Money 5.0
Benefits 3.0
Fees and APR 3.5
Rewards / Travel
We rate credit cards using our Rewards / Travel methodology for cards tailored to earning rewards. We focus on each card's reward potential, the value you get compared to the card's cost, the benefits and the card's rates and fees. Credit card issuers have no say or influence in our ratings. How we rate credit cards
Annual Fee $0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $95.
Intro offer available Earn a $250 statement credit after you spend $3,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card within the first 6 months.
Learn More
4.3/5
Rating Breakdown 4.3
Welcome Bonus 3.5
Rewards Program 5.0
Value for Money 5.0
Benefits 4.0
Fees and APR 3.5
Rewards / Travel
We rate credit cards using our Rewards / Travel methodology for cards tailored to earning rewards. We focus on each card's reward potential, the value you get compared to the card's cost, the benefits and the card's rates and fees. Credit card issuers have no say or influence in our ratings. How we rate credit cards
Annual Fee $95
Intro offer available Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
Learn More
For below-average credit
Capital One Platinum Secured Credit Card
3.3/5
Rating Breakdown 3.3
Accessibility 4.0
Effectiveness 3.0
Cost 4.0
Other Perks 2.0
Fees and APR 2.0
Credit Building
We rate credit cards using our credit-building methodology for cards designed to help grow your credit score. Student credit cards, secured credit cards and credit cards with low or no credit requirements fall into this category. We rank them based on how easy they are to qualify for, credit-building features and how much they cost. Credit card issuers have no say or influence in our ratings. How we rate credit cards
Annual Fee $0
Rewards Rate
N/A This card doesn't offer cash back, miles, or points
No credit check required
OpenSky® Secured Visa® Credit Card
3.3/5
Rating Breakdown 3.3
Accessibility 4.0
Effectiveness 3.0
Cost 3.0
Other Perks 3.5
Fees and APR 3.0
Credit Building
We rate credit cards using our credit-building methodology for cards designed to help grow your credit score. Student credit cards, secured credit cards and credit cards with low or no credit requirements fall into this category. We rank them based on how easy they are to qualify for, credit-building features and how much they cost. Credit card issuers have no say or influence in our ratings. How we rate credit cards
Annual Fee $35
Rewards Rate
up to 10% Up to 10% cash back rewards on purchases at over 40,000 retailers
Best for iPhone users
Apple Card
2.7/5
Rating Breakdown 2.7
Welcome Bonus 1.0
Rewards Program 4.0
Value for Money 3.5
Benefits 2.0
Fees and APR 3.0
Rewards / Travel
We rate credit cards using our Rewards / Travel methodology for cards tailored to earning rewards. We focus on each card's reward potential, the value you get compared to the card's cost, the benefits and the card's rates and fees. Credit card issuers have no say or influence in our ratings. How we rate credit cards
Annual Fee $0
Rewards Rate
1% - 3% 3% cash back with Apple and select merchants when you use Apple Card with Apple Pay.; 2% cash back when you use Apple Pay.; 1% cash back when you use the titanium card or your virtual card number wherever Mastercard is accepted.
Build credit and earn rewards
Discover it® Secured Credit Card
4.0/5
Rating Breakdown 4.0
Accessibility 4.0
Effectiveness 4.0
Cost 4.0
Other Perks 5.0
Fees and APR 3.0
Credit Building
We rate credit cards using our credit-building methodology for cards designed to help grow your credit score. Student credit cards, secured credit cards and credit cards with low or no credit requirements fall into this category. We rank them based on how easy they are to qualify for, credit-building features and how much they cost. Credit card issuers have no say or influence in our ratings. How we rate credit cards
Annual Fee $0
Rewards Rate
1% - 2% Earn 2% cash back at Gas Stations and Restaurants on up to $1,000 in combined purchases each quarter, automatically.; Earn unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases.
Our Experts
Written by Raina He is a contributor to CNET Money. She previously worked as an editor at CNET, focusing on credit cards, banking and loans. She graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a B.A. in Media and Journalism. Before coming to CNET Money, she was an editor at NextAdvisor, a personal finance news site that shared a parent company with CNET Money. Cynthia Paez Bowman is a finance, real estate and international business journalist. Besides Bankrate.com, her work has been featured in Business Jet Traveler, MSN, CheatSheet.com, Freshome.com and SimpleDollar.com. She owns and operates a small digital marketing and public relations firm that works with select startups and women-owned businesses to provide growth and visibility. Cynthia splits her time between Los Angeles, CA and San Sebastian, Spain. She travels to Africa and the Middle East regularly to consult with women's NGOs about small business development. Liliana Hall Associate Writer Liliana Hall is a writer for CNET Money covering banking, credit cards and mortgages. Previously, she wrote about personal credit for Bankrate and CreditCards.com. She is passionate about providing accessible content to enhance financial literacy. She graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a bachelor's degree in journalism, and has worked in the newsrooms of KUT and the Austin Chronicle. When not working, she is probably paddle boarding, hopping on a flight or reading for her book club.
Edited by Courtney Johnston Senior Editor Courtney Johnston is a senior editor leading the CNET Money team. Passionate about financial literacy and inclusion, she has a decade of experience as a freelance journalist covering policy, financial news, real estate and investing. A New Jersey native, she graduated with an M.A. in English Literature and Professional Writing from the University of Indianapolis, where she also worked as a graduate writing instructor.
Reviewed by Julia Menez Credit card expert and host of the Geobreeze Travel Podcast Julia Menez is a points strategy coach, speaker, and host of the Geobreeze Travel Podcast. Through her podcast and social media channels, she distills the strategies from top award travelers around the world and creates step-by-step tutorials for how you can make the most out of your points and miles.
CNET staff -- not advertisers, partners or business interests -- determine how we review the products and services we cover. If you buy through our links, we may get paid.
Reviews ethics statementWhy You Can Trust CNET Money
Credit cards with instant approval immediately let you know if you’re approved for a line of credit. You usually find out if you’re approved within minutes, and in many cases, you can start using your card right away. Some issuers provide a virtual credit card number or your card number immediately upon approval.
Although you may have access to an instant approval credit card right away, you shouldn’t apply for one of these cards simply because it offers a quick turnaround on approval. As with any credit card, decipher whether it complements your financial goals and fits into your budget to see if it’s the right choice for you. Consider rewards rates, annual fees, welcome bonuses, introductory offers, and additional perks and fees when comparing credit card options.
Table of Contents
- Best credit cards for instant approval
- What is an instant approval card?
- What are the benefits of a card with instant approval?
- How to choose the best instant approval credit card
- How to maximize your instant approval credit card
- FAQs
- Other credit cards we researched
- Our methodology
- More credit card advice
Written by
Raina He
Contributor
Raina He is a contributor to CNET Money. She previously worked as an editor at CNET, focusing on credit cards, banking and loans. She graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a B.A. in Media and Journalism. Before coming to CNET Money, she was an editor at NextAdvisor, a personal finance news site that shared a parent company with CNET Money.
Written by
Cynthia Paez Bowman
Cynthia Paez Bowman is a finance, real estate and international business journalist. Besides Bankrate.com, her work has been featured in Business Jet Traveler, MSN, CheatSheet.com, Freshome.com and SimpleDollar.com. She owns and operates a small digital marketing and public relations firm that works with select startups and women-owned businesses to provide growth and visibility. Cynthia splits her time between Los Angeles, CA and San Sebastian, Spain. She travels to Africa and the Middle East regularly to consult with women's NGOs about small business development.
Written by
Liliana Hall
Associate Writer
Liliana Hall is a writer for CNET Money covering banking, credit cards and mortgages. Previously, she wrote about personal credit for Bankrate and CreditCards.com. She is passionate about providing accessible content to enhance financial literacy. She graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a bachelor's degree in journalism, and has worked in the newsrooms of KUT and the Austin Chronicle. When not working, she is probably paddle boarding, hopping on a flight or reading for her book club.