How long.....

If you have been approved, you should hear back from the company in two to three weeks. A good company will contact you by phone, but some banks will send you the card directly, which may take slightly longer.
If you have been denied credit, you may have to wait three to five weeks to receive a denial letter in the mail.
The fastest way to get credit is to either apply for your card online, or call the company's 800 number and apply directly. Either way the company can usually approve you almost immeadiately.

 

- Yes, I'm sorry, but I have to smile at that one. I too have received many mailings that claim I was "Pre-Approved" for a credit card. However, that is not usually true. I have also been rejected many times by these same companies, even after I was told that I had already been approved for a card. The credit companies send those mailings out to just about everybody, for the sole purpose of getting people to apply for their cards. If you really were "pre-approved," why would the company need more information from you?
I suggest you throw out those mailings when you receive them. Most of the time you will end up being disappointed when you find out that there really is no card waiting for you with the company. It's all just advertising, plain and simple. The next time you recieve one of those mailings, look at the upper-right corner of the envelope. If you see the words "Bulk Rate Postage Paid," then it is an advertisement and most likely not true.
The best way to get credit is to apply directly to a company. Choose one that you see a in a commercial or magazine ad. They usually offer competitive rates and good customer service. I have been quite satisfied with MBNA America (www.mbna.com). They offer hundreds of different cards and services, and they are very good at getting cards to students or people with little or no credit.

 

Yes, some companies will actually send you a card before you even apply for one. However, be cautious, because sometimes if you do not call an 800 number included in the approval letter, your card will be activated regardless if you wanted it or not. You will then be charged any fees associated with that card.
If you receive a card in the mail unsolicited, and you do not want it, cut it in half and contact the company ASAP to make sure they know you do not want the card. Never throw away an envelope with a card in it without cutting the card in half. Otherwise, someone could steal the card, activate it, and then use it.
Remember, any credit company creating an unsolicited account in your name is illeagal. If you find you have been issued a credit card when you did not apply for one, contact the credit provider. If they are unwilling to assist you, contact a credit fraud bureau in your area for help.

 

Pre selected really doesn't mean much at all, sorry to say. It just means you met their general requirements ( like no bankruptcy) etc. They will run a credit report and go from there. believe I have been preaproved for many things and have been denied many too. I was preapproved for discover and they denied me, since then I have received 2 more preapprovals from them. Sorry but preapproval is just a wasted inquiry if you don't have good credit.

 

First of all, don't get me wrong - you still have a chance of getting a card. I am not a credit company, nor do I work for one, so I have no way of telling you if you will or will not get a card. I just wanted to let you know not to get to excited about something which you might not get. I also wanted to let you know there are better, quicker ways of getting credit, such as calling the issuing bank directly or applying online.

Secondly, "Presorted" actually means the same thing as "Bulk Rate." And, like you quoted from the letter, "Pre-Approved" really means that you have just been selected to receive their mailing, but not neccesarily guaranteed to receive a card.

Finally, there are a few ways to improve your chances of being approved for a credit card. Do you have a good credit history? Most banks will only give credit to people who have had a card for one or more years. Some banks will give cards to new users, especially if they are a student in college or if they can get someone else who does have credit to co-sign on the account. Under these circumstances, you may be given a lower credit limit to allow you to generate a credit history. After a few months of holding the card, you can then apply for a higher limit.

Do you have a regular income? In other words, do you have a job or are you receiving educational financial aid? Credit companies want to make sure you have enough money to cover any purchases you will be making.

Have you ever bought a car or rented an apartment? While both of these will effect your credit report, they also show credit companies that you have the ability to finance a large purchase without deferring on the payments.

How many credit cards have you applyed for recently? Believe it or not, every time you apply for a credit card, a notation is made on your credit report. If a credit company sees that you have applyed for several cards (usually 10 or more) within the past year, they may think you are desperate for credit and will be weary of issuing you a card.

 

Congratulations. If this is your first card, remember that your credit history is extremely important right now. Try not to charge too much and make sure you make regular payments every month for at least the minimum amount due. Raise a good credit rating now, so you won't have to worry about it later in life.