A credit application is a standardized form that a customer or borrower uses to request credit. The form contains requests for such information as:

* The amount of credit requested
* The identification of the applicant
* The financial status of the applicant
* The names of credit references
* Standard boilerplate terms and conditions

The credit application form is issued by a supplier or lender with the intent of standardizing the information it uses to make credit decisions. Additional information may be used in making a credit decision, such as a credit report from a credit rating agency and information received from the credit references supplied by the applicant.

Based on the information in a completed form, a credit analyst may elect to grant or deny credit, or may impose additional conditions, such as a personal guarantee or collateral. The granting of credit through an online form is highly automated, so that the entire process may only require a few minutes to complete.