In general, credit cards are offered to those who are at least 18 years old, people who pay their taxes and those who can issue proof of income and billing. Most banks roughly have similar requirements for somebody who applies for a standard credit card.

When applying for a credit card nowadays, you usually have three options – either in person, through phone, and online. The least popular is the phone method because of the lack of support for documented interaction, such as signed forms and images. This, however, is the most preferred way of knowing the status of your credit card application.

When applying for a Visa or MasterCard credit card, you can proceed by going directly to their website or through their bank partners’ website. Typically for the ones that allow online credit card application, you are required to provide details via a secured web page. The requirements can then be attached to the electronic form, or sent to the bank or credit card company through fax.

Lastly, among the three, the most preferred way is still to apply for a credit card in person. You have to present yourself to the bank and complete a certain application form. You can attach the requirements with your form. After being checked by a bank representative and if confirmed to have passed all conditions, your credit card application will then be processed.

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Some of the basic items needed when applying for credit cards are stated below. Take note that these are just basic information and may or may not be the same requirements with regards to your chosen credit card.

• Proof of Income. In most cases, the applicant must be a taxpayer or somebody who has a source of income. If the applicant is self-employed or has his or her own business, the usual requirement is recent tax information or proof of business ownership. For employed applicants, a certificate of employment from your company that states your monthly/annual remuneration or a valid copy of your pay slip will suffice.
• Citizenship. An essential requirement for a credit card application is that you must be a citizen or a permanent resident in the country from which you want to apply for a credit card.
• Assets, Liabilities, Credit Status. It will greatly help the application if the applicant can provide details of any proof of assets, savings or investments. Somebody with good credit status is usually favored by banks as compared to those with a bad credit standing. Sometimes the bank will want to know if you have any pending balances or any form of liabilities such as against another credit card.

If you would like to know the detailed information on the credit card application, you would need to inquire specifically to the bank or the credit card company. There might be different requirements depending on the type of cards. Example, a student credit card would need less requirements as compared to a business credit card or a secured credit card. You might even have the chance to know of an instant approval credit card application offered by the bank if any.