application fee

Definition: A credit card application fee is the fee charged by a credit card company or bank for processing your application for credit. Not all creditors and lenders charge an application fee. You can typically expect an application fee with secured credit cards and charge cards. You may be able to avoid a credit card application fee by asking the creditor to waive the fee. You might also consider avoiding credit cards that require application fee and applying only for credit cards that don't charge an application fee.