Let’s say you’ve compared credit card offers and you’re ready to apply for a new account. Exactly what do you have to do to apply? What kind of information will the issuing bank want to know, and what documents should you have on-hand before you begin the credit card application process?

Most credit cards make it easy to apply — you can access secure online applications. Or, if you prefer, you can probably still send in an application through the post or apply over the phone. But no matter how you apply, you’ll need to provide the same information. Here’s the kind of information you can expect most credit card applications to include or ask for.

1. Personal Information

The credit card company wants to know who you are before they decide if they’re willing to loan you money on a credit card account or not. That means you’ll need to give them information such as your full name, home address, phone number, your marital status, your driver’s licence number, and you’ll have to verify that you’re an Australian citizen or permanent resident.

2. Employment Information

Credit cards generally have minimum income requirements you have to meet to be eligible for approval. That means you’ll need to provide employment information on the credit card application — your annual salary, who you work for, and how long you’ve been employed there.

3. Financial Information

You might also be asked for additional financial information such as how much you have in savings, what assets you have (such as owning a home), and other debts you have. It’s all a part of the credit card company’s effort to determine if you’re financially stable enough to manage another line of credit.

4. Other Information

For some credit cards, you might have to choose between different card options (such as different designs). This could also be on your credit card application. And remember, if you’re applying with a joint cardholder, you’ll need to provide their personal, employment, and financial details in addition to your own.

You can view some example online credit card applications at the links below:

•    ANZ Low Rate Credit Card
•    HSBC Credit Card
•    Suncorp Platinum Credit Card

It might sound like a credit card application is asking for an awful lot of personal information, but be honest. If you were potentially going to loan someone several thousand dollars, wouldn’t you want to know they were creditworthy too? All in all a credit card application probably won’t take you longer than 10 or 15 minutes to fill out as long as you have your records on-hand. And with any luck, you’ll get an approval in a matter of minutes if you apply online (sometimes less)!