Credit Card Application For People With Bad Credit History

When you apply for a credit card, the card issuers will review your credit record history before approving your application. What happen if you have a credit history that is marked with bad records such as late payments?

In such cases, the chance of your application being rejected is quite high. However, all is not lost. There are credit cards that are specially designed for these people.

Secured credit card is probably one of the better solution for people who need a credit card but have bad credit history. What the applicant has to do is to open a saving account or a cash deposit account with the bank that issue the secured credit card. You will deposit an initial amount of cash in tot he account which will be used as collateral. In the event that you miss payment, the cash from this account will be deducted as payment towards your credit card balance.

The cash deposited cannot be withdraw unless you cancel the credit card. In this case, any outstanding balance become due immediately. So make sure you pay off any outstanding balance before you cancel the credit card.

There is one advantage of using a secured credit card. It can be used to rebuild your credit history. Check with eh card issuers that your credit records will be updated in the three credit bureaus.

A good credit history will qualify you for the lowest interest rate available when you apply for a loan for your house or car purchase. This can save you thousands of dollars of saving in interest. Thus it make sense to start building up a good credit history as early as possible.

There are also unsecured credit cards for people with bad credit. These cards do not require collateral but the cost of owning such credit cards is rather high. These costs include account setup fee, program fee, annual fee and monthly servicing fee. The credit limit will likely be low and some of the card issuers will charged a fee for credit limit increase.

A third alternative is to get a debit card. This type of card is link to your bank account and there is no credit limit. You are only limited to spend whatever you have in your bank account. Unlike a secured credit card, your credit history is not affected by the use of debit card. This means you can rebuild your credit history. If you can't get a secured or unsecured credit card, a debit card is probably your only choice for the time being.

Regardless of which card you get, you should focus on cultivating good money habits such as saving and making repayment on time. At the same time, you should also continue to build up a good credit history which will benefit you tremendously in the long run.

About the Author

Stephen Chua is the founder of CreditFavors.com, where you can compare and apply for major credit cards online easily. Visit his credit card blog to get your free copy of the Mini Credit Secrets book and other useful credit tips that can help you save money.

Author Profile: stephenchua

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