How Can You Get A Credit Card With A Bad Credit Rating?

By Author: Michael Strauss
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Nothing is more frustrating than having such bad credit that you can't even qualify for a credit card. Without a credit card it can be almost impossible to do even basic things like renting a car or even renting a hotel room. So how can you get a credit card if you don't have the most impeccable credit?

First off you need to come up with a plan of action. Unfortunately you can't send an application to every credit card company on the face of the earth without having a real negative impact on your credit score. Credit bureaus watch very carefully how many lines of credit you apply to at a time. Applying to too many card companies at once will be a red flag to the credit report companies, who will subsequently lower your credit rating. Potential lenders will also have access to how many lines of credit you have recently applied to. Too many recent applications will be an almost automatic rejection for a line of credit with their company.

Your first option for credit cards is to look at rebuilding your credit through store credit cards. Many stores offer their shopping cards to those with less than perfect credit. ...
... Remember that the goal is to continue to put your credit on the right track, so be sure and pay at least the minimum on your card.

Your next option is to look at cards that are specifically marketed to those with bad credit. Keep in mind that since you have a bad credit score you are a risk to the company issuing the card. This means that in exchange for giving you a card regardless of your credit score, they will charge you an incredibly high interest rate, much higher than if you were to have even ok credit.

Your final option, and probably the most recommended, is to start with a secured credit card. Secured cards work by you putting down a deposit to secure the line of credit you will be given. So for example, if you were to put a deposit of $300 dollars down, your credit line would be $300 dollars. If you fail to pay your bills on time, the credit card company will just take what you owe them from your deposit and refund whatever is left. The great thing about secured credit cards is that if you prove yourself to the credit card company, most of them offer unsecured cards that will eventually be offered to you as a reward for doing so well with your secured card.

As long as you stay vigilant on your finances, only use less than half of your credit limits, and pay your bills on time, you will be on your way to having a normal credit card, as well as a normal credit score, in no time.

About the author: Michael writes for http://www.cardsense.co.uk/ and you can read more about bad credit at http://www.cardsense.co.uk/credit-cards-bad-credit.html