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Personal and small business cards issued by U.S. Bank are currently not available on CNBC Select and links have been redirected to our credit card marketplace where you can review offers from other issuers like American Express or Chase. You can also check out our list of best credit cards for alternative options.

Terms apply to American Express benefits and offers. Visit americanexpress.com to learn more.

If you need fast access to a new credit card to finance an emergency expense or other large purchase, you can’t wait 10 business days for it to arrive in the mail. Thankfully, some cards give you instant access, which allows you to complete purchases immediately after approval.

Below, CNBC Select lists credit cards that offer instant access or the option to pay with the card before you receive the physical card in the mail, including some alternative options to consider if your credit score needs work.

Credit cards you can use instantly after approval

American Express instant access cards

Nearly all American Express cards offer the ability to receive an instant card number once your identity is validated. If you’re approved for a card and are eligible for instant access, you’ll receive your card number, temporary four-digit card identification number and expiration date that allows you to use the card anywhere American Express is accepted.

American Express® Gold Card

On the American Express site

The American Express® Gold Card is an excellent option for earning travel rewards on dining and grocery expenses. It also has several useful benefits that largely offset its annual fee (see rates and fees). You’ll receive up to $120 in Uber Cash every year ($10 per month), which can be used for Uber rides and Uber Eats orders. You must have downloaded the latest version of the Uber App and your eligible American Express Gold Card must be a method of payment in your Uber account. The Amex Benefit may only be used in the United States. An Amex Card must be selected as the payment method for your Uber or Uber Eats transaction to redeem the Amex Uber Cash benefit.

You can also earn over $200 in food credits every year. You’ll get up to $120 in dining credit each year (up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with your card) at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys (enrollment required). In addition, you’ll receive up to $84 in Dunkin’ credit annually (up to $7 in monthly credits; enrollment required), and up to $100 in Resy statement credits every calendar year (up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually; enrollment required).

Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express

On the American Express site

On the American Express site

Good to Excellent670–850

$0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $95.

Earn a $250 statement credit

Anyone who wants to earn cash back, and lots of it, will love the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express. It earns bonus cash back on a range of categories covering popular expenses, including U.S. streaming subscriptions, transit, U.S. gas stations and U.S. supermarkets. Cash back is received in the form of Reward Dollars that can be redeemed as a statement credit. You’re also able to earn up to $84 in Disney Bundle credit every year ($7 per month after making qualifying purchases of at least $9.99). Enrollment required.

Here are a few other Amex cards that offer the option for an instant card number:

Pro tip: You can pair this card with an Amex bank account

Offers in this section are from affiliate partners and selected based on a combination of engagement, product relevance, compensation, and consistent availability.

Chase instant access cards

You can use certain Chase credit cards before you receive the physical card by linking it to a mobile wallet. As long as the vendor accepts mobile wallet payments from services such as Apple Pay, Google Pay or Samsung Pay, you should be able to use your Chase card immediately after approval. The option to immediately link your card to a digital wallet isn’t available for Mastercards, business credit cards or Amazon cards (though these cards can be used instantly for Amazon purchases).

Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

Anyone interested in earning cash-back rewards and not paying an annual fee will appreciate the Chase Freedom Unlimited® (see rates and fees). It earns a minimum of 1.5% cash back on all purchases, plus bonus cash back at drug stores, restaurants and on travel purchased through Chase TravelSM. With a new Freedom Unlimited account, you can also take advantage of an introductory APR on purchases and balance transfers.

Here are a few other Chase cards that offer the ability to spend with a digital wallet before you receive your physical card:

Pro tip: You can pair this card with a Chase bank account

Offers in this section are from affiliate partners and selected based on a combination of engagement, product relevance, compensation, and consistent availability.

Capital One instant access cards

Capital One may offer you instant access upon approval. You may need to log in to your Capital One account to access your card number, so you’ll need an existing Capital One account to instantly access your new card.

Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

Good to Excellent670–850

Earn $250 in Capital One Travel plus 75,000 bonus miles

With the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card, you’ll earn at least 2X miles on every purchase. This is a great reward rate, especially considering how useful Capital One miles are. You can use these miles to erase travel purchases at a rate of one cent per mile. You can also transfer the miles you earn with your Capital One Venture card to airline and hotel loyalty programs such as Avianca LifeMiles, Wyndham Rewards and Air Canada Aeroplan. The card also has a range of other perks such as Hertz Five Star status (enrollment required), an up to $120 Global Entry or TSA PreCheck credit every 4 years and no foreign transaction fees.

Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card

Wells Fargo instant access cards

Bilt Mastercard®

  • Rewards

    Earn 1x points on rent payments without the transaction fee, up to 100,000 points each calendar year, 3x points on dining, 2x points on travel, and 1x points on other purchases. Use the card 5 times each statement period to earn points.

  • Welcome bonus

  • Annual fee

  • Intro APR

  • Regular APR

  • Balance transfer fee

    Up to 5% for each balance transfer, with a minimum of $5.

  • Foreign transaction fee

  • Credit needed

Pros

  • No annual fee
  • Solid rewards on broad spending categories
  • Ability to pay your rent with no transaction fees
  • Transfer points to leading frequent traveler programs at a 1:1 rate, including United and World of Hyatt®

The Bilt Mastercard® is an excellent no-annual-fee travel credit card that earns especially valuable flexible rewards. What makes it stand out is, it provides the ability to pay rent without additional transaction fees.

Wells Fargo Autograph® Card

Wells Fargo Autograph® Card

  • Rewards

    Earn unlimited 3X points on restaurants, travel, gas stations, transit, popular streaming services and phone plans. Plus earn 1X points on other purchases

  • Welcome bonus

    Earn 20,000 bonus points when you spend $1,000 in purchases in the first 3 months – that’s a $200 cash redemption value.

  • Annual fee

  • Intro APR

    0% intro APR for 12 months from account opening on purchases

  • Regular APR

    19.24%, 24.24%, or 29.24% Variable APR

  • Balance transfer fee

     Intro balance transfer fee of 3% for 120 days from account opening, then up to 5%, min: $5

  • Foreign transaction fee

  • Credit needed

Pros

  • Access to all of the Wells Fargo transfer partners including Flying Blue (Air France/KLM) and Virgin Red
  • No annual fee
  • Excellent bonus spending categories
  • Intro-APR for purchases

Cons

  • No travel credits or other valuable travel perks
  • Lacks key travel protections such as trip delay reimbursement and trip cancellation/interruption coverage

The Wells Fargo Autograph® Card is a rare no-annual-fee credit card that earns transferrable travel rewards. It’s also one of the most rewarding options for common purchases, such as travel, groceries, gas (including EV charging), phone plans and popular streaming services.

Here are a few other Wells Fargo cards that may offer instant access:

Citi instant access cards

The Citi Custom Cash Card is a cash-back card with powerful bonus categories that adjust to your spending patterns. You’ll get 5% cash back on the eligible category where you spend the most each month (up to $500 per billing cycle). The Citi Custom Cash Card has no annual fee and with a new account, you get an intro APR on purchases and balance transfers.

Citi Strata PremierSM Card

Good to Excellent670–850

Earn 60,000 bonus ThankYou® Points

The Citi Strata PremierSM Card is the best Citi travel credit card because it unlocks access to all of Citi’s travel partners (see rates and fees). It’s also an excellent option for earning rewards on travel, groceries, dining and gas purchases.

Here are a few other Citi cards that offer instant access:

U.S. Bank instant access cards

Personal and small business credit cards issued by U.S. Bank are currently not available on CNBC Select. Click “Learn More” to review other credit card offers.

Personal and small business credit cards issued by U.S. Bank are currently not available on CNBC Select. Click “Learn More” to review other credit card offers.

*See rates and fees, terms apply.

Personal and small business credit cards issued by U.S. Bank are currently not available on CNBC Select. Click “Learn More” to review other credit card offers.

Personal and small business credit cards issued by U.S. Bank are currently not available on CNBC Select. Click “Learn More” to review other credit card offers.

*See rates and fees, terms apply.

The U.S. Bank Altitude® Reserve Visa Infinite® Card is a premium credit card with easy-to-use perks that help justify its annual fee. Every year, you’ll get up to $325 in credit for travel and dining purchases, and you’ll earn this credit automatically every time you make an eligible purchase. You can also enroll for a Priority Pass airport lounge membership that grants you eight free visits per year. Every four years, you can get up to $100 in application fee credit for TSA PreCheck or Global Entry. It also has no foreign transaction fees and protections such as lost luggage reimbursement, travel accident protection and roadside dispatch.

Here are a few other U.S. Bank cards that may offer instant access:

Instant access co-branded or store cards

If you open a co-branded credit card or store credit card at checkout (online or in-store) you can usually begin using your card right away. You’ll typically receive a temporary card number or barcode on your receipt that allows you to use the card at the retailer.

Store cards can only be used at the retailer, but co-branded cards generally can be used anywhere the card is accepted. However, a temporary co-branded store card might only be accepted at that store, which is what reports suggest with the Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi and Prime Visa (see rates and fees). If you applied in-store, you may have to wait to use the card elsewhere until it arrives in the mail.

Prime Visa

The Prime Visa is available to Amazon Prime members and offers 5% cash back at Amazon, Amazon Fresh and Whole Foods. These high cash-back rates make it a top card for Amazon spending and are in addition to bonus cash back at gas stations, restaurants and local transit. It also provides a variety of built-in protections, including purchase protection, extended warranty protection, travel accident insurance and rental car collision coverage. You can access your Prime Visa through your Amazon account and use it for Amazon purchases instantly but you’ll need to receive the card to use it at other retailers.

Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi

Alternative instant access cards if you don’t have great credit

If you’re working to rebuild your credit or don’t have any credit history, you may need to open a credit card that’s easier to get. These cards usually offer fewer rewards but can help you build credit if you consistently pay your bill on time and in full.

U.S. Bank Cash+® Visa® Secured Card

The U.S. Bank Cash+® Visa® Secured Card is a secured credit card, which means you’ll need to make an upfront refundable deposit ($300 minimum) that your credit limit is based on. However, because you’re making a deposit, it’s easier to get approved for. This card also earns cash-back rewards, which is less common for this type of credit card. Once approved, you may be able to use your card before it arrives. However, some reports online suggest that you may have to wait a few days before being able to access your card.

Personal and small business credit cards issued by U.S. Bank are currently not available on CNBC Select. Click “Learn More” to review other credit card offers.

Personal and small business credit cards issued by U.S. Bank are currently not available on CNBC Select. Click “Learn More” to review other credit card offers.

*See rates and fees, terms apply.

Capital One Platinum Credit Card

The Capital One Platinum Credit Card doesn’t offer rewards or a welcome bonus. However, it is an unsecured credit card, which means there is no upfront deposit required and it’s available if you have fair or higher. This makes it a strong credit card for building credit. It also has no annual fee and no foreign transaction fee. Capital One sometimes offers instant access to your card number through the app, but not always.

What to do if your credit card doesn’t offer instant access

As you’ll notice from the cards mentioned above, instant card numbers primarily come from issuers such as Capital One, American Express and co-branded or store cards. That leaves out many major card issuers, such as Discover, so you’ll have to wait roughly 10 business days to receive those cards in the mail before being able to use them.

However, you may be able to get your new card sooner if you’re approved for a premium card. Many issuers provide expedited shipping for high-end cards or upon request for any card.

Keep in mind, if you request faster shipment, you may have to pay a fee. Before submitting your request, consider whether you really need the card ASAP and whether the fee is worthwhile. If not, you can simply wait for it to arrive in the mail.

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Why trust CNBC Select?

For rates and fees of the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express, click here.

For rates and fees of the American Express® Gold Card, click here.

For rates and fees of The Platinum Card® from American Express, click here.

For rates and fees of the Delta SkyMiles® Blue American Express Card, click here.

For rates and fees of the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card, click here.

Information about the Capital One Spark Cash Plus, Apple Card, Bloomingdale’s Credit Card, Target Cricle™ Card, Amazon Visa, Amazon Prime Store Card and Amazon Store Card, U.S. Bank Altitude® Connect Visa Signature® Card, U.S. Bank Triple Cash Rewards Visa® Business Card, U.S. Bank Cash+® Visa Signature® Card has been collected independently by CNBC Select and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer of the card prior to publication. If you purchase something through the Amazon credit card links, we may earn a commission.

Editorial Note: Opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the Select editorial staff’s alone, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any third party.





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