THESE CREDIT CARD OFFERS ARE THE PERFECT FOR PEOPLE WHO NEED TO BUILD OR REBUILD THEIR CREDIT
UNSECURED BAD CREDIT CREDIT CARDS
- $400 credit limit doubles to $800! (Simply make your first 6 monthly minimum payments on time)
- All credit types welcome to apply
- Monthly reporting to the three major credit bureaus
- Initial Credit Limit of $400.00* (Subject to available credit)
- Fast and easy application process; results in seconds
- Use your card at locations everywhere Mastercard® is accepted
- Free access to your Vantage 3.0 score from Experian* (When you sign up for e-statements)
- Checking Account Required
| Regular APR | Annual Fee | Return Payment Fee | Late Payment Fee | Credit Recommended |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
29.99%
|
See Terms
|
Up to $41.00
|
Up to $41.00
|
Fair/Poor/Bad |
- Up to $1,000 credit limit doubles up to $2,000! (Simply make your first 6 monthly minimum payments on time)
- See if you’re Pre-Qualified with no impact to your credit score
- All credit types welcome to apply
- Free access to your Vantage 3.0 score from Experian* (When you sign up for e-statements)
- Initial Credit Limit of $300 – $1,000* (subject to available credit)
- Monthly reporting to the three major credit bureaus
- Fast and easy application process; results in seconds
- Use your card at locations everywhere Mastercard® is accepted
- Checking Account Required
| Regular APR | Late Payment Fee | Return Payment Fee | Annual Fee | Credit Recommended |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
29.99% APR (Variable)
|
Up to $41.00
|
Up to $41.00
|
See Terms |
Fair/Poor/
Bad/Limited |
- Earn 1% cash back rewards on payments made to your First Access Credit Card
- Checking Account Required
- $300 credit limit (subject to available credit)
- No security deposit, simply pay a one-time $95 program fee to open your account.*
- User friendly Mobile App.
- *See Rates, Fees, Costs & Limitations for complete offer details
- See First Access Rewards Programs Terms & Conditions for details
| INTRO RATE | CREDIT LINE | REGULAR APR | ANNUAL FEE | CREDIT RECOMMENDED |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
N/A |
N/A |
35.99% |
$75.00 1st year, $48.00 after* |
Fair |
- Earn 1% cash back rewards on payments made to your Total Credit Card
- Checking Account Required
- $300 credit limit (subject to available credit)
- No security deposit, simply pay a one-time $95 program fee to open your account.*
- User friendly Mobile App.
- *See Rates, Fees, Costs & Limitations for complete offer details
- See Total Card Visa Rewards Programs Terms & Conditions for details
| INTRO RATE | CREDIT LINE | REGULAR APR | ANNUAL FEE | CREDIT NEEDED |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
N/A |
N/A |
35.99% |
$75.00 1st year, $48.00 after* |
Fair/Bad Credit |
Advertiser Disclosure: See the online credit card applications for details about terms and conditions of credit card offers. Reasonable efforts are made to maintain accurate information. However all credit card information is presented without warranty. When you click on the “Apply Now ” button you can review the credit card terms and conditions on the credit card issuer’s web site.
STRATEGIES FOR BUILDING CREDIT USING BAD CREDIT CREDIT CARDS
- Request a credit limit increase every 6 months. As long as you have been making on time payments the credit card company should agree to increase your limit. You want to show future creditors that you can handle large lines of credit.
- Add your rent to your credit report. There are companies like RentReporter (add link) that will report your rent on your credit report.
- Ask a friend or family member to add you as an authorized signer to one of their credit cards (something with a high credit limit and on time payments). The good credit history they have built will show up on your credit report.
- Apply for the credit builder account from Fingerhut. It will show up on your credit as a loan, not a credit card. That will add some much needed tradeline diversity.
- Apply only for credit card offers that will report your payments to at least one credit bureau. Ideally, they should submit to all 3. That way, the time, effort, and money you have invested in rebuilding your credit history won’t be in vain.
- Don’t sign up for the first program you will stumble upon. Instead, we suggest you take the time to compare the rates of interest, fees and charges, credit limits and other features imposed on various programs. In so doing, you will most likely end up with a bad credit-credit card that will match your needs, spending habits and of course, your budget.
- Don’t forget to sign up for automatic payment. Even if you just schedule that the minimum payment be made. That way you never make a late payment. If you don’t want to set up automatic payments then sign up for either an email or text alert so that you never miss a payment.
- Don’t max out your credit cards. Make it your goal to pay off your credit cards at the end of the month. Not only will you save money on paying interest payments, but you will avoid accumulating debt. Remember credit card debt is one of the biggest reasons why people are forced to file for bankruptcy.
- To attain your target credit score, use just a reasonable percentage of your credit limit. Use at most 30% of your spending limit or cap to maintain a low debt-to-limit ratio.
