Credit Builder Credit Cards
Do you need credit cards for bad credit? Find out how credit card applications for bad credit credit cards are assessed and compare bad credit cards. All your questions answered by uSwitch.
If you're looking for a credit credit card to rebuild your credit, then don't panic - there are credit cards out there for you, and some can even help you to repair your credit rating. Alternatively using a prepaid card is a good way of managing your finances. Find out more about bad credit, credit cards and pre prepaid cards.
Cards below ordered by interest rate (APR) then prepaid.
Top five cards
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0 Vanquis Bank Aquis Visa(Low Repayment)
Vanquis Bank Aquis Visa(Low Repayment)
29.8% APR
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1 Capital One Classic Visa
Capital One Classic Visa
34.9% APR
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2 Barclaycard Initial Visa
Barclaycard Initial Visa
29.9% APR
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3 aqua MasterCard
aqua MasterCard
35.9% APR
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4 Vanquis Bank Visa
Vanquis Bank Visa
39.9% APR
Compare cards
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features
- You'll start with an easy to manage credit limit up to £1,000 And further increases every 4 months, up to £3,000
rates
- Monthly rate 2.83%, Yearly rate 39.84%
eligibility
- Is not available to existing customers
- Minimum income of £4000
- 18 years minimum age
- Is available to applicants with County Court Judgements
default charges
- Exceeding personal limit subject to a handling fee of £12
- Late payment subject to a handling fee of £12
- Returned payment subject to a handling fee of £12
charges
- Cash withdrawal fee: 39.84% Highest of: 1(i) the balance owing on your Account as at the statement date and (ii) any amount by which your Account balance exceeds your Credit Limit; or 2. Any interest/minimum finance charge, default charges and any account maintenance fees added to your Account since your last statement plus 1.5% of the remaining balance; or 3. £5
- Repayment terms: Where your repayment is not sufficient to pay off the whole of the balance outstanding on your Account, your repayment will be allocated initially to paying off fees, charges and interest/minimum finance charge on your statement and then to the debt bearing the highest interest rate.
Representative example: When you spend £1000 at a rate of 29.84% (variable) per annum, your Representative APR is 29.8% APR (variable).
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features
- Best suited as a first credit card Manageable credit limits from £250 Not recommended if you have missed several payments, or have defaulted or CCJs in the past
rates
- Monthly rate 2.207%, Yearly rate 29.9%
eligibility
- Is not available to existing customers
- Minimum income of £10000
- 18 years minimum age
- Is not available to applicants with County Court Judgements
default charges
- Exceeding personal limit subject to a handling fee of £12
- Late payment subject to a handling fee of £12
- Returned payment subject to a handling fee of £12
charges
- Cash withdrawal fee: 29.9% Or any interest, account fees and default charges that have been added to your account since your last statement plus 1% of the remaining balance.
- Repayment terms: If you don’t pay your statement balance in full each month, we will apply the amount you do pay to reduce higher interest rate balances before lower interest rate balances. Any default charges will be repaid before the rest of the standard balance. If you have more than one promotional balance with the same interest rate, you’ll reduce the balance with the earliest expiry date first.
Representative example: When you spend £1200 at a rate of 29.9% (variable) per annum, your Representative APR is 29.9% APR (variable).
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features
- Granite Rewards gives access to thousands of new and exclusive deals from leading UK retailers. Each reward provides a discount or money off when spend at a participating retailer. Examples: 10% off at The Body Shop and Play.com, 10% off main meals at Pizza Express, 15% off paint at B&Q, 15% off at Sainsbury's and 25% off at Debenhams. Check website for current offers as these can change without notice.
- If you an existing Vanquis customer you will not be accepted
rates
- Monthly rate 3.14%, Yearly rate 44.94%
eligibility
- Is not available to existing customers
- Minimum income of £4000
- 18 years minimum age
- Is not available to applicants with County Court Judgements
default charges
- Exceeding personal limit subject to a handling fee of £12
- Late payment subject to a handling fee of £12
- Returned payment subject to a handling fee of £12
charges
- Cash withdrawal fee: 44.94%
- Repayment terms: Where your repayment is not sufficient to pay off the whole of the balance outstanding on your Account, your repayment will be allocated initially to paying off fees, charges and interest/minimum finance charge on your statement and then to the debt bearing the highest interest rate.
Representative example: When you spend £500 at a rate of 34.95% (variable) per annum, your Representative APR is 34.9% APR (variable).
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features
- APR for all accepted fixed at 34.94% Low, easy-to-manage credit limit from £200 Get a decision online in 60 seconds Choose your own credit card design
rates
- Monthly rate 2.53%, Yearly rate 34.94%
eligibility
- Is not available to existing customers
- Minimum income of £10000
- 18 years minimum age
- Is available to applicants with County Court Judgements
default charges
- Exceeding personal limit subject to a handling fee of £12
- Late payment subject to a handling fee of £12
- Returned payment subject to a handling fee of £12
charges
- Cash withdrawal fee: 34.94% The monthly payment is the full outstanding balance if it is less than £5, but other wise the greater of an amount equal to the total of 1% of the outstanding balance on the account; interest applied to the account in that month; all Default Sums incurred in that month; and one twelfth of the Annual Fee, or £5.
- Repayment terms: Unless you pay the outstanding balance in full, we will allocate your payments to balances which attract the highest interest rate first. We will always allocate your payments to any amounts which have already appeared on a statement before allocating your payments to any amounts subsequently applied to your account.
Representative example: When you spend £1200 at a rate of 34.94% (variable) per annum, your Representative APR is 34.9% APR (variable).
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features
- A Mastercard with no annual fee A credit limit of up to £1,600 No interest on purchases if balance is paid in full & on time each month
rates
- Monthly rate 2.84%, Yearly rate 39.95%
eligibility
- Is not available to existing customers
- Minimum income of £0
- 18 years minimum age
- Is available to applicants with County Court Judgements
default charges
- Exceeding personal limit subject to a handling fee of £12
- Late payment subject to a handling fee of £12
- Returned payment subject to a handling fee of £12
charges
- Cash withdrawal fee: 39.95%
- Repayment terms: If you do not pay off your balance in full we will allocate your payments to balances with the highest interest rate before balances with lower interest rates.
Representative example: When you spend £1200 at a rate of 35.95% (variable) per annum, your Representative APR is 35.9% APR (variable).
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features
- Good for building your credit rating Get a credit limit increase every 4 months, up to £3,000
rates
- Monthly rate 3.43%, Yearly rate 49.94%
eligibility
- Is not available to existing customers
- Minimum income of £4000
- 18 years minimum age
- Is available to applicants with County Court Judgements
default charges
- Exceeding personal limit subject to a handling fee of £12
- Late payment subject to a handling fee of £12
- Returned payment subject to a handling fee of £12
charges
- Cash withdrawal fee: 49.94%
- Repayment terms: Where your repayment is not sufficient to pay off the whole of the balance outstanding on your Account, your repayment will be allocated initially to paying off fees, charges and interest/minimum finance charge on your statement and then to the debt bearing the highest interest rate.
Representative example: When you spend £1000 at a rate of 39.94% (variable) per annum, your Representative APR is 39.9% APR (variable).
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Escape Travel Money MasterCard Escape
- Cost of card £9.99 which is paid back if you load £100 or more in the first 90 day
features
- Free international ATM withdrawals
- Free to load cash at all phones4u stores
- Free to make purchases worldwide
charges
- Currency conversion: Escape's own determined rate
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features
- No bank account needed
- No credit check
- Discounts at Virgin companies
- Easy and secure online shopping
charges
- £1.50 fee for ATM withdrawals
- 2.95% fee on overseas transactions
- £1.50 fee for ATM withdrawals overseas
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features
- Free card
- No commission
- Mastercard - supported worldwide
charges
- ATM Fee: EU €1.25 or $1.50
- FX Rate: MyTravelCash own rate
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features
- No fee for spending abroad
- Top up online or over the phone
- Pin and signature protected
- Supported by Global Emergency Assistance available 24/7
charges
- ATM Fee: UK £2.50, USA $4.50, EU €3.75, International $4.50
- Currency conversion: Travelex's own rate determined daily
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features
- Apply through uSwitch and get a FREE card normally worth £9.95 (minimum load $20).
charges
- ATM Fee: FX Fee: $2.00
- FX Rate: $1.5750
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features
- Contactless technology
- No credit checks
- Earn Orange cash rewards with each spend
charges
- Free to load in Orange shops
- Free to load by bank transfer/debit card
- Load elsewhere £1.50 per load
- ATM withdrawal 2.95%
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features
- Free to top-up at phones4u and from your handset
- For teenagers aged 13 and over
- Earn up to 20% cashback for selected online shops
charges
- ATM Fee: £0.99 in the UK, £2 abroad
- Purchase Fee: Free in the UK
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features
- No bank account needed
- No credit check
- Discounts at Virgin companies
- Easy and secure online shopping
charges
- 2.95% fee for ATM withdrawals
- 3.5% fee on overseas transactions
- 3.5% fee for ATM withdrawals overseas
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features
- No purchase transaction fee
- No monthly management fee
- No load fee for bank transfer
- No card replacement fee
charges
- £1.75 ATM withdrawal fee
- £2.25 ATM international withdrawal fee
- 2.75% foreign exchange fee
- 1.95% load fee from Visa/Mastercard/Maestro
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CashPlus Prepaid Gold Mastercard CashPlus
- Cost of card Free when you top up £20 with Credit Builder
- Monthly Fee £4.95
features
- Exclusive through uSwitch.com
- Earn up to 27% cashback
- No UK purchase fee
- Guaranteed Approval
- No credit checks
- Improve your Credit Rating by up to 40%
charges
- £2.00 ATM withdrawal fee
- £3.00 ATM non-UK withdrawal fee
- £10.00 Bank withdrawal fee
- 2.99% foreign transaction fee
- £4.95 additional or new card fee
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features
- Get a FREE FairFX Prepaid Mastercard (worth £9.95). You must put a minimum load of €10
charges
- ATM Fee: €1.50
- FX Rate: €1.50
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features
- Available in Dollars and Euro's
- No commission fees
- Visa - supported worldwide
charges
- 3.5% fee for transactions not in your card currency
- ATM withdrawals in your cards currency; $2 or €4
- ATM withdrawals not in your cards currency; $1.50 plus 3.5% or €2 plus 3.5%
- 2.5% charge for topping up your card by credit card
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features
- No booking fee's with Ryan Air
- No bank account required
- Pay wages to your card
- Mobile banking
charges
- 3% Paypoint load fee
- ATM fee1.5% UK, £2 International
- Transaction fee £0.66 UK, £1 International
- Free payment protection insurance for 3 months then £1.49 per month
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features
- No credit checks
- One to one account manager and secure internet banking
- A specific bank account for you
charges
- ATM Fee: £1 in the UK, 2.75%+ International
- Purchase Fee: Free
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features
- No booking fee's with Ryan Air
- Free credit booster
- No bank account required
- Pay wages to your card
- Mobile banking
charges
- £4.45 monthly fee
- £1 international transactions fee
- ATM fee £0.99 UK, £2 International
- Free payment protection for 3 months then £0.99 per month
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features
- An accompanying bank account with direct debits
- No charge for bounced direct debits
- Never be overdrawn
- No credit checks necessary
- Pay cash into your account at Payzone outlets
- Member of the FSA Compensation scheme
charges
- £5 for additional card
- £0.50 ATM Withdrawal
- 2.75% per overseas transaction
- £2.25 per overseas ATM Withdrawal
- £25 Account setup fee - first months fee inclusive.
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features
- 100% Acceptance
- Free purchase protection insurance
- Budgeting tools
- No credit check
charges
- No charge for purchases
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features
- Free to top up at phones4u
- Top up from your PAYG mobile
- Earn up to 20% cashback from shopping online
- If you load £100 or more in the first 90 days receive £5 back
charges
- ATM Fee: £0.99 UK, £2 International
- Purchase Fee: Free in the UK
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features
- Personalised card
- No credit check
- Budgeting tools
charges
- 2.5% charge on purchases
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features
- perfect if you are looking for a solution to safely manage, control and spend your money abroad, available in three different currencies (€, $ £)
charges
- 2.95% (min £0.50 max £1.50) in UK and Free with Euro and Dollar cards
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features
- perfect option if you are looking for an easy solution to budget or a great alternative to a bank account or credit card
charges
- £4.99 per month
- £0.50 ATM fee
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features
- perfect option for those everyday purchases, or to use as a tool to help you manage your money
charges
- £0.99 or 1.50% ATM fee
- £0.50 or 2.95% transaction fee
Looking for a bad credit credit card?
Do you have bad credit or difficulty getting a credit card for all kinds of reasons. Your credit report contains the information lenders see when they are deciding whether or not to accept your credit card application, so if you're confused about why you're getting turned down for credit, looking at your credit report could cast some light on the situation. You can see your credit report online with a free trial of Credit Expert* or for more information, read our background guide to credit reports.
Reasons for bad credit
A bad credit rating can be the result of one or more of the following:
- Failure to pay household bills, credit card bills, loan repayments or rent on time
- County Court Judgments (CCJs)
- Not being on the electoral register
Improving your credit rating with a bad credit credit card
Perhaps the best way to improve your credit rating is to be realistic about what you can afford. This means not taking on more payments than you can manage. Make sure that whatever you agree to pay with your lender, it is something you can manage consistently over a period of time until you repay the amount in full. This way you will be able to establish a better credit history to impress future lenders. Don't forget to make sure the credit card's billing address matches the address you're registered to vote at, as any anomalies will look bad on your credit file.
The disadvantages of a bad credit credit card
It's not impossible to get a credit card when you have a bad credit history, but it will cost you. In offering bad credit credit cards, lenders generally target people who have a history of not meeting their repayments, so they need to insure themselves against this happening. This means that they charge higher standard interest rates than most lenders.
Turn over a new leaf with uSwitch.com
However, if you can demonstrate financial responsibility by meeting your monthly repayments you can expect to be offered a better card with a better rate in the future. But bear in mind that if you fail to meet your bad credit credit card's repayments your credit rating will become even worse.
Get the best deal with uSwitch.com
Bear in mind that if you pay off your bills as soon as you receive them, you'll never pay any interest regardless of the rate. However, you should search for the lowest rate possible just in case. Just because you've got bad credit doesn't mean you deserve to be ripped off.
The uSwitch credit card comparison service allows you to look specifically for credit cards which can help you to strengthen your credit rating. Compare bad credit credit cards now.