Even hotel reservations and plane tickets are now reserved on-line where a card is necessary in order to make the reservations successful. However, having bad score or lack of credit may give you a hard time obtaining a card. The good news is there are cards that are designed especially for people who are in tight situations such as those described previously. Card issuers have designed this card to have higher rates and some are with additional fees but they are meant to give an opportunity for people to build or improve their score.
One option when applying for a card is to take secured cards. These types of cards are not particular to history. The reason for this is that you are required a security deposit of an amount usually between $100 and $500 before you are allowed to make any purchase with your new line. This security deposit determines your limit. The best thing about this is that if you encounter problems with regards to paying your bill, the deposit will cover your obligation so that your debt is secured.
Having a secured card does not appear like a real line of credit but it does help you establish or rebuild your history because all your activities concerning credit will be reported to the three major bureaus. Some other advantages of having secured cards include: 1. up to 4.5% of the interest may be paid on the deposit; 2. merchants give high regard for cards that have MasterCard or Visa logo on them; 3. some issuers give you double the amount deposited as your limit; and 4. if youve proven your ability to handle your monthly bill, your limit may be increased minus the additional charges.
Your second option is to apply for unsecured cards. This type of card does not require a security deposit and the limit and interest rate are dependent on your history. If you have poor or no history then you will most likely not land an unsecured card. There are cards that are instantly approved through on-line application where no security deposit is required. However, higher interest rates and some additional fees will be asked from you.
Now, if you have bad credit or none at all what you can do is to try the unsecured card first. If your application gets approved, not only will you have avoided shelling out for security deposit but you will also have a “true” line of credit. If you are denied an unsecured card, most issuers will give you the option to apply for a secured line. It is best if you try for an unsecured line before agreeing to take a secured line. That is, you take the latter if there is no other option left to take.
