Bad-Credit Credit Cards: Are They Right For You?

Posted by Nick Niesen on October 29th, 2010

Copyright 2006 Edward Vegliante

Do you think you have bad credit and that you should apply for bad credit credit cards? Before you begin filling out bad-credit credit card applications, there are a few things you should consider. To determine if bad-credit credit cards are right for you, you will need to take a detailed look at your credit situation.

No Credit

If you are thinking about applying for bad-credit credit cards because you have no credit history, think again. Just because you have not established a credit history it does not mean that you need to apply for bad-credit credit cards. In fact, there is a clear difference between having no credit and having bad credit.

There are a number of credit cards that exist that can help you establish your credit. Additionally, if you have no credit, some credit card suppliers will allow you to have a cosigner on a credit card. Thus, if you know of someone willing to cosign for a credit card, you can establish your credit with a regular credit card instead of a bad-credit credit card.

You can begin to establish your credit without having to apply for a secured credit card. In fact, you may find that both department stores and gasoline companies will approve you for their credit cards and you can establish a credit history through their use. Later, after you have made purchases with your department store or gasoline credit cards in a timely fashion, regular credit card companies will be more willing to approve you for a line of credit.

Rebuild Your Credit

To determine if you have bad credit, you may want to view your credit report. Further, if you are considering rebuilding your credit, there are several bad-credit credit cards that can assist you in your endeavor. Bad-credit credit card suppliers help you reestablish your credit by reporting your payments to credit agencies on a regular basis. With bad-credit credit cards, if you maintain regular and timely payments, you can successfully reestablish your credit.

With bad-credit credit cards however, it is important to keep a few things in mind. You should make at least one attempt to get a regular credit card or a gasoline credit card. After you have made an attempt to get a credit card and you have been declined by the card issuing company, you will frequently be supplied with the opportunity to view your credit report for free. Take the time to partake in the offer and get a free copy of your credit report and see what your credit history says about you.

If your credit rating is extremely poor, you can apply for bad-credit credit cards that can help you reestablish your credit. Nevertheless, such credit cards vary in terms and conditions and you should familiarize yourself with all of the conditions set forth by the credit card issuing company before you apply for any bad-credit credit cards.