What requirements are needed to apply for a Sam's credit card?

In order to apply for a Sam's Club credit card, one must have a valid social security number and appropriate credit history. The applicant also needs a credit score that meets the minimum requirements of Synchrony Bank, which can change on a regular basis and typically are not made public.

Applying for any credit card can be handled either online, through a paper mail-in form or in a location of the issuing bank. In the case of the Sam's Club credit card, applications can also be filled out in any participating Sam's Club location. The application consists of a basic questionnaire that collects personal information, such as name, date of birth, social security number, driver's license or state-issued identification card number and current address. This information is used to access the applicant's credit history and asses the potential risk of issuing her a line of credit.

When a person is issued a credit card, the backing back analyses her financial and credit history to determine what risk, if any, she poses to the bank. When a person makes a charge on the credit card, the issuing bank pays the charge on behalf of the card holder and bills them for it along with interest. If a cardholder has poor credit, the bank may view them as likely to default on the payment, and thus unable to pay back the extended credit.