Then, just because you apply for a credit card doesn't mean that it will be approved. If your credit card application fails, it will not be issued, and it will have no effect on you.
Finally, if the credit card is approved and successfully issued, after you receive your credit card, if it is not activated, the credit card will not generate any expenses or cause any harm. If you are still worried about this, you can call customer service directly after receiving the credit card (it is on the back of the card) and apply for cancellation of the credit card.