A few years back, getting approved for a credit card online took less than a minute. Such is not the case today. Credit card companies are spending more time reviewing credit card applications and instant credit card decisions are essentially a thing of the past. For last minute credit card shoppers, this could prove to be a problem.
On the average, consumers looking to get a 0% credit card in time for the holidays should allow at least 10 business days for their card to arrive in the mail. This unfortunately means that a person who applies for a credit card today is unlikely to get the plastic in hand until the beginning of December. In a best case scenario.
Longer processing times for credit card applications are arising as more lenders inject a human element into the credit card approval process. In the past, most applications were examined using a computer program that spit out approval after approval. Today, more credit card companies are using real people, a change which may add to the time it takes to analyze and accept (or deny) a credit card application.
Ultimately, the best thing way to get a new 0% credit card for the holidays is to apply as soon as possible. With Thanksgiving only days away, consumers who wait into the early days of December run the risk of having their credit card show up on December 26th, if at all.
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