Credit Cards for Bad Credit History

So called “bad credit” credit cards are especially designed credit cards for people with bad credit, low credit, or no credit history. They can be easier to obtain compared with other credit cards because they typically offer cards with  limited scrutiny of your finances, debts, and poor credit history.

Some bad credit credit cards require that the cardholder make a payment deposit into their card account which is then used as collateral or security against any charges to the card. This is a standard prepayment process, and you basically set your own credit limit based on how much money you keep in your account. But there are even some that require no security deposit or prepayment – although these cards usually make money from cardholders by charging high interest rates and fees due to the reduced creditworthiness of the cardholder.

For most people, the best credit card for bad credit will be one that charges reasonable fees in exchange for helpful features like online bill paying and financial management tools. Study the menu of fees to see how much you can expect to pay for using the card in the way to which you are accustomed. Another key fact area to consider will be whether or not the credit card company reports to the major credit bureaus on a regular basis. This type of regular reporting is the major building block toward credit report. After taking these aspects into consideration, pick a card that suits you and use it to build up your poor credit score by making on-time payments with all creditors and keeping account balances low relative to the credit limit. This may allow you to later successfully apply for a traditional credit card with a lower rate and fewer monthly fees and charges.

Disclaimer: FICO scores are used to represent the creditworthiness of a person and may be one indicator of the credit type you are eligible for. However, credit score alone does not guarantee or imply approval for any credit card product.