Before making the decision to get a credit card online, there are a few factors that you may want to take into consideration. Firstly, it is worth researching the type of credit card you want and also researching what you want it for. Credit cards are an increasingly convenient method of handling cash-flow and can be used from anything such as simple purchases to debt-management; used wisely, credit cards can be valuable tools in times when access to extra funds is required. There is also the added benefit of up to 59 days worth of borrowing, interest-free - as well as valuable rights under Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act. Many credit cards also offer incentives such as free air-miles or discounts on certain purchases and services.

In today's consumer society, cash used to be everything. Now, plastic is forcing cash to take a back seat. With associated deals on credit cards such as free car insurance, cash-back or frequent flyer air-miles, the simple convenience of a credit card can make a pocketful of change seem rather unnecessary. Plus, all this talk about 0% interest essentially means you're getting free money, doesn't it?

The answer is, of course, no: there is no such thing as free money. While there are many introductory offers that do indeed include 0% interest on borrowing they are only for a fixed period of time. After that time is up, interest rates will apply and it is these figures that you need to be concerned with. There are those who try to the play the system: keeping an eye out for the best introductory offers with 0% finance and transferring their debts to a new credit card, whilst staying out of trouble with the old one. This can work, but does require a lot of thought and tight financial management. For most of us the better and more practical solution is to think ahead: decide why you want your plastic, find out how your credit score will affect your chances of credit and decide how you'll meet the necessary repayments. After all, if you end up paying 18% interest once an introductory offer has expired, then that's an 18 percent return for getting your balance paid off. In simple terms, if you have borrowed 8,000 at a rate of 18% interest, then you can expect to pay an extra 1,440 per year, each year, for as long as that debt exists. The answer here is to shop around.

This Credit Score - which you can check before you apply for a credit card - means that the information you supply on a credit card application form has to be as accurate as possible. Inaccuracies will be uncovered through the lenders examining your Credit Report and this, again, could have an adverse affect on your potential to borrow money. Another thing you may want to consider is the length of time an application can take to process - particularly important if you are considering a balance transfer of debt from an existing card to a new one. Most credit card issuers offer an instant decision on your potential for credit and, on average, applications are processed between 10 days and 2 weeks, but there are also postal factors to be taken into account - the arrival of PIN numbers, forms and the credit card itself.

Once you have made the decision to do so and have chosen the type of credit card you want to apply for, the process itself is relatively simple, especially if you choose to 'cut out the middle man' and do it online. You can go straight to the website of your chosen card issuer and follow the prompt commands from there, which should be laid out in a simple, user-friendly format or, if you are still a little unsure, you can go to an online comparison site, review your credit card choices and there is usually a direct link from these sites to the application pages of your chosen card. From there, it's merely a case of submitting the relevant information.

However, should you be successful and order your credit card online, it should only be a couple of weeks before you are able to raise your card in anger and reap the benefits that a carefully managed credit card can bring.