How to Ace Your Credit Card Application

As time progresses, more and more people are joining the credit card revolution. Yes, it really is a revolution. These days you no longer have to worry about how much cash you have in your pocket when you go shopping. So long as you have that single plastic card you'll have enough 'money' to buy yourself a treat. You can even use your credit card to order things online from the comfort of your home.

The number of credit card applications is on the rise, but not every application is met with success. Many applications get rejected.

Why would a credit card supplier reject a credit card application after spending so much time, energy and money on wooing and recruiting new customers?

One potential reason for the rejection of your credit card application is simple human error. Perhaps you wrote down the wrong telephone number, incorrectly spelled the name of your street or inputted the wrong postal code. Another possibility is that you forgot to fill in some mandatory information on the credit card application form, or misunderstood what was required of you. It's normal to make mistakes such as these. After all, we are only human.

Your credit card application could also be rejected because of someone else's error. The person processing your application may find your handwriting difficult to understand, resulting in processing errors. Your credit card sales representative may make a mistake while depositing your form or give you incorrect advice regarding how you should fill out your application. Newly hired sales representatives can make such mistakes, and even seasoned representatives can have an off day.

These types of errors are minor and can be easily corrected. Their only impact would be to delay the arrival of your new credit card. The main and more serious cause for rejection of credit card applications is if you have a bad credit history.

If you have other credit cards or have taken out loans or mortgages in the past you will have already built your credit rating. If you have made your payments adequately and on time your credit rating will be in good shape. However, if you have been irregular or have defaulted on payments, you will have developed a bad credit rating.

Your rating is calculated by credit agencies based on information provided by different lenders and financial institutions. Every credit card applicant is examined for his or her credit rating. If yours comes up negative your application will be rejected outright, not just delayed so do not expect a zero balance transfer card. This is the result of more than simple human error, and to fix it requires time, commitment and responsibility. Your best bet is to take this responsibility early, and build a good credit rating from the start.