They are printed out and processed the same way a mailed application would be. Applicants may hear in a couple of days or a couple of weeks. And though it is certainly quick and easy to apply online for a card, experts encourage people to take their time and shop carefully. People who fly right by the rate and fee information may be in for a surprise when that first bill arrives. It varies widely.
Some sites serve as little more than bulletin boards for their credit cards.
An 800 number must be called to apply for any of those cards. Others sites allow cardholders to check everything from transactions that have yet to be billed to rewards points. There are card sites that are chock full of personal finance information. The questions range from where to send a payment to who to contact in case of a billing dispute. We've tried to make it as painless as possible.