Waiting patiently for your new credit card to arrive in the mail is increasingly a thing of the past. Thanks to mobile wallets and virtual account numbers, it’s now possible to start using your card instantly after approval.
Although not all cards offer this feature, it’s become increasingly popular as more people use their mobile devices for spending. In addition to the convenience, it’s a nice way to start earning rewards and using benefits shortly after you’re approved.
We’ve highlighted a few of our favorite cards with instant access, along with tips to help you earn rewards, use benefits and maximize value immediately after approval.
- Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express: Start earning on everyday spending
- Chase Freedom Unlimited®: Spend instantly for cash back
- Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card: Spend instantly to earn your sign-up bonus
- Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card: Earn miles after approval
- Apple Card: Maximize your value with Apple Pay
Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express: Start earning on everyday spending
Upon approval, you may be able to take advantage of its stellar rewards rate on groceries the same day.
You’ll earn 6% cash back on up to $6,000 in purchases at U.S. supermarkets (then 1%), 6% back on select U.S. streaming subscriptions, 3% back on transit, 3% back on gas at U.S. gas stations and 1% back on all other purchases.
American Express doesn’t guarantee a card number will be given to all approved applicants instantly, but the feature is available on the majority of the issuer’s cards, including coveted rewards cards like the Platinum Card® from American Express. If eligible, you’ll receive your card number immediately following approval or via a link in your introductory email.
Shop for available American Express cards on Credit Karma to see more options.
Chase Freedom Unlimited®: Spend instantly for cash back
One of our favorite cash back cards allows you to start earning rewards instantly.
Chase Freedom Unlimited® offers cash back in several useful categories, including 5% back on travel purchased through Chase Travel, 3% back on dining at restaurants (including takeout and eligible delivery services), 3% back at drug stores and 1.5% back on all other purchases. Better yet, it has a $0 annual fee.
If this card doesn’t stand out to you, keep in mind that Chase allows many of its popular cards to be added to services like Apple Pay, Google Pay and Samsung Pay immediately after approval via their mobile app.
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card: Get a headstart on your sign-up bonus
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card offers excellent rewards-earning rates, but perhaps the best reason to use it right after approval is to start qualifying for the valuable sign-up bonus.
With this card, you’ll earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months after your account opens. Those points are worth $750 when redeemed through Chase Travel, and potentially more if you transfer your points to one of Chase’s travel partners. Not bad for the $95 annual fee.
Check out more Chase card options on Credit Karma to take a closer look.
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card: Earn miles after approval
The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card has a $95 annual fee and offers two miles per $1 spent on all eligible purchases. That means you can use its virtual card number to start building up your rewards balance the same day you’re approved.
While Capital One doesn’t offer the ability to add your card to a mobile wallet right after approval, the issuer allows cardholders to create numerous virtual cards for online shopping via its Eno browser extension.
To start, you’ll need to download Eno and sign in with your account info. Once downloaded, Eno will pop up on payment screens with a virtual credit card number for online purchases. You can also access Eno any time by clicking on the browser extension.
Shop for more Capital One cards on Credit Karma.
Apple Card: Maximize your value with Apple Pay
If you’re interested in instant card usage via Apple Pay, you could maximize your value with Apple Card.
The card offers 2% Daily Cash back on all purchases made with the card via Apple Pay, plus 3% back on Apple Pay purchases with Apple and other select merchants. All other non-Apple Pay purchases earn 1% back. There’s also no annual fee.
Unlike some of the other cards in this article, using Apple Card instantly requires little work from you. The card exists primarily in the Wallet app on iPhone, so you can use it as soon as your approval is processed.
See if you have an offer for Apple Card on the Credit Karma app on iOS.
More cards with instant-use features
While all the cards on our list offer a mix of strong rewards and the potential for instant use, there are other options available if you’re looking for a card you can use right after approval.
Instant-use cards are available from several notable issuers we haven’t mentioned, like Citi and Bank of America, but they typically make the availability of this feature less clear to applicants or available only via select methods of application.
If you prefer cards from these issuers, not knowing if you’ll be able to use them instantly doesn’t have to stop you from applying. Even if you can’t use your card right away, it’ll likely be worth the wait to get the card that best fits your needs.