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When applying for a new credit card, the excitement that comes from getting a “Congratulations, you've been approved!” message can be quickly tempered when you realize that you have to wait 7–10 business days for that new card to arrive in the mail.
That waiting time also cuts into the ticking clock for earning your new card's sign-up bonus. Thankfully, some credit cards offer an instant card number, allowing you to start spending right away — even before you receive the physical card. Here's a look at the card issuers that provide an instant card number.
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American Express
American Express is by far the easiest bank when it comes to getting an instant card number. All cardmembers receive immediate access to their card number upon approval, assuming Amex can verify your identity. You can take a screenshot or write down the number to keep it handy, but you should also receive an email with a link to view your card number after being approved.
Interestingly, the rules vary slightly for co-branded Amex cards. In this case, while you'll still receive an instant card number, you might only be able to use it for the brand stamped on the front. For example, your new Hilton credit card might only be usable for Hilton purchases.
It's also important to note that the three-digit security code will likely be different from your physical card, so only use the card for one-time purchases. Your payment may be denied at a future date if you link your new card to ongoing payments with an invalid security code, such as your phone or internet bill.
- You may be eligible for as high as 175,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $8,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you're approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount - all with no credit score impact. If you're approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Get more for your travels with 5X Membership Rewards® points on all flights and prepaid hotel bookings through American Express Travel®, including Fine Hotels + Resorts® and The Hotel Collection bookings. You earn 5X points on flights purchased directly from airlines or through American Express Travel® on up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year.
- More Value! With over 1,550 airport lounges - more than any other credit card company on the market* - enjoy the benefits of the Global Lounge Collection®, over $850 of annual value, with access to Centurion Lounges, 10 complimentary Delta Sky Club® visits when flying on an eligible Delta flight (subject to visit limitations), Priority Pass Select membership (enrollment required), and other select partner lounges. * As of 07/2025.
- More Value! $200 Uber Cash + $120 Uber One Credit: With the Platinum Card® you can receive $15 in Uber Cash each month plus a bonus $20 in December when you add your Platinum Card® to your Uber account to use on rides and orders in the U.S when you select an Amex Card for your transaction. Plus, when you use the Platinum Card® to pay for an auto-renewing Uber One membership, you can get up to $120 in statement credits each calendar year. Terms apply.
- More Value! $300 Digital Entertainment Credit: Get up to $25 in statement credits each month after you pay for eligible purchases with the Platinum Card® at participating partners. Enrollment required.
- More Value! $600 Hotel Credit: Get up to $300 in statement credits semi-annually on prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts® or The Hotel Collection* bookings through American Express Travel® using the Platinum Card®. *The Hotel Collection requires a minimum two-night stay.
- New! $400 Resy Credit + Platinum Nights by Resy: When you use the Platinum Card® to pay at U.S. Resy restaurants and to make other eligible purchases through Resy, you can get up to $100 in statement credits each quarter with the $400 Resy Credit benefit. Plus, with Platinum Nights by Resy, you can get special access to reservations on select nights at participating in demand Resy restaurants with the Platinum Card®. Simply add your eligible Card to your Resy profile to book and discover Platinum Nights reservations near you, enrollment required.
- More Value! $209 CLEAR® Plus Credit: CLEAR® Plus helps get you to your gate faster by using unique facial attributes to verify you are you at 50+ airports nationwide. You can cover the cost of a CLEAR Plus Membership* with up to $209 in statement credits per calendar year after you pay for CLEAR Plus with the Platinum Card®. *Excluding any applicable taxes and fees. Subject to auto-renewal.
- $200 Airline Fee Credit: Select one qualifying airline and then receive up to $200 in statement credits per calendar year when incidental fees, such as checked bags and in-flight refreshments, are charged by the airline to the Platinum Card® Account*. American Express relies on airlines to submit the correct information on airline transactions to identify incidental fee purchases. If you do not see a credit for a qualifying incidental purchase on your eligible Card after 8 weeks, simply call the number on the back of your Card. Qualifying airlines are subject to change. See terms & conditions for more details.
- Start your vacation sooner, and keep it going longer. When you book Fine Hotels + Resorts® through American Express Travel®, enjoy noon check-in upon arrival, when available, and guaranteed 4PM check-out.
- New! $300 lululemon Credit: Enjoy up to $75 in statement credits each quarter when you use the Platinum Card® for eligible purchases at U.S. lululemon retail stores (excluding outlets) and lululemon.com. That's up to $300 in statement credits each calendar year. Enrollment required.
- $155 Walmart+ Credit: Receive a statement credit* for one monthly Walmart+ membership (subject to auto-renewal) after you pay for Walmart+ each month with the Platinum Card®. *Up to $12.95 plus applicable local sales tax. Plus Ups not eligible.
- $100 Saks Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits annually for purchases at Saks Fifth Avenue or saks.com on the Platinum Card®. That's up to $50 in statement credits from January through June and up to $50 in statement credits from July through December. No minimum purchase required. Enrollment required.
- Whenever you need us, we're here. Our Member Services team will ensure you are taken care of. From lost Card replacement to statement questions, we are available to help 24/7.
- $895 annual fee.
- Terms Apply.
- Rates & Fees
- Earn 5X points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel® (up to $500,000 in purchases per calendar year).
- Earn 5X points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel®.
- Earn 5X points on Fine Hotels + Resorts® and The Hotel Collection bookings.
Related: All of the Cards That Earn American Express Membership Rewards Points
Bank of America
Generally speaking, the only Bank of America cards that offer an instant card number are the Atmos™ Rewards Ascent Visa Signature® card and Atmos™ Rewards Summit Visa Infinite® Card. These cards allow you to book Alaska Airlines flights right away.
Additionally, if you already have a Bank of America account, you may be able to access your newly-approved credit card number through the Bank of America mobile app. Some cardholders have reported being able to immediately add their new card to their digital wallet. Your results may vary.
Barclays
Barclays offers a variety of co-branded cards. Unfortunately, Barclays doesn't provide an instant card number upon approval for any of these.
However, many Barclays cards let you access your credit line immediately after approval to make reservations with the associated brand — assuming your application occurred on the associated brand's website through an offer during the reservation process. Some examples include:
- FRONTIER Airlines World Mastercard®
- Hawaiian Airlines® World Elite Mastercard®
- JetBlue Card
- Priceline VIP Rewards™ Visa® Card
You can apply for these cards during the checkout process and then use the credit limit to pay for the purchase. You will not be able to use the card for any other purchases until you receive the physical card in the mail. Barclays notes that the Miles & More® World Elite Mastercard® is excluded from this list.
Capital One
Similar to Bank of America, the only way to instantly access your card number is through the Capital One mobile app, provided you already have an existing account. Again, your results may vary.
It's worth pointing out that these instant credit card numbers are different from Capital One offering virtual card numbers as an ongoing benefit for customers.
- Earn 75,000 Miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first 3 months of account opening
- 5X miles on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
- 2X miles on all other purchase
- Fee credit for Global Entry or TSA Pre✔® (up to $120)
- No foreign transaction fees
- $95 annual fee
- 5X miles per dollar on purchases through Capital One Entertainment (through 12/31/2025)
- 5X miles per dollar on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
- 2X miles per dollar on all other purchases
Chase
Chase makes it quite easy for a large number of cardholders to instantly access their new card. This is done through the Chase mobile app by adding a new card to your digital wallet, such as Apple Pay, Google Pay, or PayPal.
This can be done with many popular cards like the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (Rates & Fees) and Chase Sapphire Reserve® (Rates & Fees), as well as co-branded cards like The World of Hyatt Credit Card (Rates & Fees) and United℠ Explorer Card (Rates & Fees).
- 5X points on Lyft rides through September 2027
- 5X points on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠
- 3X points on dining at restaurants worldwide
- 3X points on eligible streaming services
- 3X points on online grocery purchases (excluding Target, Walmart, and wholesale clubs)
- 2X points on all other travel
- 1X point per dollar spent on all other purchases
- 8x points on all purchases through Chase Travel℠
- 4x points on flights and hotels booked directly
- 3x points on dining worldwide
- 1x points on all other purchases
- 2X miles per $1 spent on purchases from United®
- 2X miles per $1 spent on dining and hotel stays when booked with the hotel
- 1X mile per $1 spent on all other purchases
Here's how to do it:
1. First, log on to your Chase account in the mobile app. Then, select the card you'd like to add to your mobile wallet. Next, click “Manage account.”
2. From here, select “Digital wallets.”
3. Finally, select the wallet you'd like to add your card to, then select the card from the list and hit “add.”
There are some card exclusions when adding cards to your digital wallet through the Chase app. Mastercard, Amazon, and business credit cards can't be added to a digital wallet upon card approval, including:
- Aeroplan® Credit Card (Rates & Fees)
- Amazon Visa
- Prime Visa (Rates & Fees)
- Chase Freedom Flex℠
- Disney® Premier Visa® Card
- IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card (Rates & Fees)
- IHG One Rewards Traveler Credit Card (Rates & Fees)
- All Chase small business cards
However, you can manually add these cards to your digital wallet once you have received the physical card and can scan or enter the numbers yourself.
Related: Why the Chase Sapphire Preferred Is the Best Beginner's Travel Rewards Card
Citi
Several Citi cards let you instantly view your card number upon approval, including the Citi Custom Cash and the Costco credit card.
Unfortunately, this feature isn't available with small business cards or American Airlines credit cards. However, we've seen some readers get an instant card number with the Citibusiness Aadvantage card. Note: The instant credit card number is only available if your application is approved instantly and if Citi can verify your identity.
In some situations, you'll only have one chance to view your temporary card details, so be sure to take a screenshot or write it down. However, when I was approved for the Citi Strata Elite℠ Card in September 2025, I received an email allowing me to access my card information for immediate use. Note that when you receive a temporary card number, you won't have access to your full credit line.
- For a limited time, earn 100,000 bonus Points after spending $6,000 in the first 3 months of account opening.
- Earn 12 Points per $1 spent on Hotels, Car Rentals, and Attractions booked on cititravel.com and 6 Points per $1 spent on Air Travel booked on cititravel.com
- Earn 6 Points per $1 spent at Restaurants including Restaurant Delivery Services on CitiNights℠ purchases, every Friday and Saturday from 6 PM to 6 AM ET. Earn 3 Points per $1 spent any other time
- Earn 1.5 Points per $1 spent on All Other Purchases
- Up to $300 Annual Hotel Benefit: Each calendar year, enjoy up to $300 off a hotel stay of two nights or more when booked through cititravel.com.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees
- 12X – Earn 12 Points per $1 spent on Hotels, Car Rentals, and Attractions booked on cititravel.com.
- 6X – Earn 6 Points per $1 spent on Air Travel booked on cititravel.com.
- 6X – Earn 6 Points per $1 spent at Restaurants including Restaurant Delivery Services on CitiNights℠ purchases, every Friday and Saturday from 6 PM to 6 AM ET. Earn 3 Points per $1 spent any other time.
- 1.5X – Earn 1.5 Points per $1 spent on All Other Purchases.
Readers have also noted that they were limited to only using a travel card's numbers for travel purchases until they got their physical card in the mail. One caveat, though: The Citi Costco Visa Card gives you a temporary barcode to use in-store, and this gives you full access to your card when making purchases at Costco.
Discover
Discover offers instant card numbers for a few of its cards, as long as your application does not include a balance transfer or require additional documentation for verification. If you are eligible, you will receive your card information once you have been approved.
Two credit cards do not offer instant credit card numbers — the Discover it® Miles and Discover it® Secured Credit Card. You'll need to wait for your physical card to arrive before accessing your account.
Goldman Sachs
The Apple Card from Goldman Sachs can be used immediately in Apple Pay upon card approval. To earn the most rewards, you'll want to continue using the card through Apple Pay, rather than taking out the physical card at checkout.
Synchrony
Synchrony issues both the PayPal Cashback Mastercard® and Venmo Credit Card. These cards can be used immediately upon approval through their respective apps. You will have to wait for the cards to arrive in the mail to use them elsewhere.
U.S. Bank
U.S. Bank offers instant card numbers for its credit cards, as long as your identity can be verified by the bank. This applies across the board, from the premium U.S. Bank Altitude™ Reserve Visa Infinite® Card to the $0-annual-fee U.S. Bank Cash+® Visa Signature® Card.
Here are the steps to view your instant card number. First, choose the credit card you’d like to view. Next, for online banking, select “Card number;” in the mobile app, select “Manage.” From here, choose “View card number.” Finally, choose “Show card number.” You then have the option to hide the card number after viewing it or to copy the number if you'd like to paste it into an online checkout process.
Wells Fargo
Wells Fargo does not offer instant card numbers.
The one exception was The Bilt Mastercard® (Rates & Fees). However, this card is no longer open to new applicants.
Why Would You Want an Instant Credit Card Number?
There are a few reasons why you might want to access your card number immediately after approval.
First, immediate purchasing power. Most credit cards offer some kind of sign-up bonus, and this bonus has a time limit. It's usually something like, “Spend X in the first three months from account opening.” This time window starts the day the account is approved — not the day you receive your card. Understandably, you do not want to lose those days waiting for your card to arrive.
Second, virtual card numbers can be safer for online purchases. Oftentimes, the instant card number you receive will be different from the physical card number or will have a different security code. This adds a layer of protection when you make purchases online.
Third, emergency funds. Instant card numbers are handy when unexpected expenses pop up. Open a new card (ideally with a 0% introductory APR in this situation), and you can instantly cover the expense without waiting for a card to arrive in the mail.
Final Thoughts
There are multiple reasons why you may want an instant number from your credit cards. Thankfully, there are quite a few options between most of the popular banks. Whether adding it to your digital wallet or writing down the number you're given upon opening the card, there's sure to be an option that works for you.
For rates and fees of the cards mentioned in this post, please visit the following links: American Express Platinum Card® (Rates & Fees), Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (Rates & Fees), Chase Sapphire Reserve® (Rates & Fees), The World of Hyatt Credit Card (Rates & Fees), United℠ Explorer Card (Rates & Fees), Aeroplan® Credit Card (Rates & Fees), Prime Visa (Rates & Fees), IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card (Rates & Fees), IHG One Rewards Traveler Credit Card (Rates & Fees), and Citi Strata Elite℠ Card (Rates & Fees)
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