If you’re thinking about applying for a new credit card, you have several options. For example, you can fill out an application at the issuing bank. You could apply over the phone. You can even apply for credit cards online. Applying for credit cards online offers some of the same perks of other application methods, and some unique benefits.

Here are some of the reasons you should consider applying for credit cards online as opposed to in-bank or over the phone:

1. Fast Approvals

Some credit card companies can approve or reject a credit card application online in a matter of seconds. If you’re not the patient type, applying for credit cards online can be a good option for you.

While phone credit card applications can also result in fast approvals, they lack some of the other benefits of applying for credit cards online, covered below.

2. Security

Unlike applying for credit cards over the phone or in-person at a bank, you don’t have to give your personal information to an actual person (where there’s always the possibility of human error or even inappropriate behaviour like harvesting that info). Instead, you’ll enter and verify your own information through a secure online application form.

There’s also less of a question of security, because on the Web there are easy ways to tell if an application site is secure (look for the little lock icon at the bottom of your browser or a URL starting with https instead of just http for example).

3. Credit Card Comparisons

One of the biggest perks of applying for credit cards online is that you can often easily compare different potential credit cards side by side.

Want to know the differences between the Citibank Platinum credit card and the Citibank Clear Platinum credit card? Online credit card comparison and application sites can help you research those differences before you get suckered into applying for a credit card that isn’t really right for you (and remember, credit card applications and enquiries stay on your credit file for five years).

Don’t end up using the wrong credit card, worrying about your private information, or finding yourself stuck waiting seemingly forever to find out if you’re approved for a new credit card. Apply for credit cards online instead of in-person or over the phone, and you’ll benefit in ways those other methods can’t offer.