Bad credit credit cards

If you're looking for a bad credit credit card, you need to be aware of what's out there and how you can repair your credit rating. If you've had financial troubles in the past, you should try to consider all your options. Here are uSwitch.com's suggestions for choosing the right bad credit credit card and making borrowing work for you.

You can 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.

Perhaps the best way to improve your credit rating is be realistic about what you can afford. This means not taking on more payments than you can manage. Make sure whatever you agree to pay with your lender, it is something you can manage consistently over a period of time until you re-pay 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.

One credit card that could help you to get back on track and improve a bad credit rating is the Capital One Bank Classic Visa.  It's open to people who might find it hard to get credit elsewhere, has a credit limit of up to £2,500 and 34.9% APR typical variable.

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.

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.

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 and find a better deal

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