There's no such thing as a best bad credit credit card of all, because what makes the best credit card for you will depend on your own financial situation.
However, if you've missed payments in the past, just moved to the UK or haven't used much credit before, you might find yourself struggling to find a traditional card that will accept you.
The good news is there are credit cards that are specifically designed for people who have a poor credit rating. Or who have little or no credit history.
On top of that, using the right type of credit card in the right way can help improve your credit rating - meaning you'll be more likely to be accepted for credit in the future.
Just make sure you can make your monthly repayments before taking out a credit card. If not, you could end up damaging your credit rating even more.
The right card can help you boost you credit rating - as long as you make all your payments on time."
Just because you've had problems with credit in the past, it does not mean that you'll never be able to get a credit card.
A credit card for bad credit is a credit card specifically designed for people who have had problems with credit in the past.
We've got guides to help you build your credit rating and pay off your credit card debt to help out.
Problems with credit could include:
Late or missed repayments
Defaults
County Court Judgements (CCJs)
Bankruptcy
No credit history
If you've never had credit before, there's no way of lenders knowing whether you're a responsible borrower or not.
Credit builder cards can help you build up your credit score and create a positive repayment history. If paid off in full each month, you'll be showing lenders that you can successfully manage debt each month.
But be careful of higher than usual APRs and low credit limits compared to standard credit cards.
Find out more about credit building credit cards.
Paying off a card in full each month means you're not charged interest."
It's important to apply for the right credit card for your credit rating.
If you apply for a credit card that's not suited to your financial situation, the lender might reject your application.
If your application is rejected, this will negatively impact your credit score. And you'll reduce your chances of getting credit in the future.
You can check how likely you are to get a card before you apply using our eligibility checker below.
The eligibility checker works by running a soft credit check. This means you can check your eligibility without impacting your credit rating.
Checking before you apply protects your credit score."
Setting up direct debits to pay for things like household bills or mobile phone contracts shows lenders that you're capable of making regular repayments. Make sure you never miss a payment or this will negatively affect your credit rating
Credit card providers will use information on the electoral roll to confirm that you are who you say you are, so getting registered at your current address boosts your credit score instantly
You've got a statutory right to read your credit report - use it. If you spot a mistake and let them know it could help boost your score almost immediately
The more missed repayments you have, the worse your credit rating. And the less likely you are to be offered credit.
If you've missed a repayment in the past, your credit provider will record this and report it to the credit reference agencies.
Next time you want to borrow money from another provider they'll run a credit check. The provider will see that you’ve missed a repayment. And will use that information to decide how likely you are to make your future repayments.
When you're registered on the electoral roll, it tells your credit provider that you live where you say you do. It helps prove to them that you're not a fraudster.
If you're not on the electoral roll, in the eyes of the lender it increases the chance that your application is fraudulent.
If you've ever taken out a joint credit product with someone else, like a joint bank account this could influence your own credit rating.
The more missed repayments you have, the worse your credit rating. And the less likely you are to be offered credit.
If you've missed a repayment in the past, your credit provider will record this and report it to the credit reference agencies.
Next time you want to borrow money from another provider they'll run a credit check. The provider will see that you’ve missed a repayment. And will use that information to decide how likely you are to make your future repayments.
When you're registered on the electoral roll, it tells your credit provider that you live where you say you do. It helps prove to them that you're not a fraudster.
If you're not on the electoral roll, in the eyes of the lender it increases the chance that your application is fraudulent.
If you've ever taken out a joint credit product with someone else, like a joint bank account this could influence your own credit rating.
If you've been told "no" by a lender, the first thing to so is to stop applying for cards.
Every time you apply for a credit card, the provider will run a credit check. Frequent checks over a short period of time will look bad to providers - and potentially make you look desperate for money.
But there are some things you can do now to help improve your chances of getting a credit card in the future.
Your next step is to check your credit report for errors.
Look for any information you think is wrong or out of date, including basic errors relating to your address or bank details. Or for anything that looks suspicious. If you find an error on your credit report, make any corrections as soon as possible.
Knowing what's on your credit report will also help you see what credit card providers look at when you apply for a credit card.
It will show you:
Address details
Credit history
Repayments, missed and late payments
Bankruptcy and CCJs
People who have a financial connection with you
Find out more in our credit report guide.
"Knowing your credit score is the first step to improving it."
| Credit agency | Very poor/poor | Fair | Good/very good | Excellent |
| Experian | 0-720 | 721-880 | 881-960 | 961-999 |
| TransUnion | 0-565 | 566-603 | 604-627 | 628-710 |
| Equifax | 0-438 | 439-530 | 531-810 | 811-1000 |
Credit card providers check with one or more of the main credit reference agencies in the UK - Equifax, Experian and TransUnion - before deciding to offer you a deal. The table shows what each agency considers a low or high credit score.
No credit check is needed with a prepaid card. They work by loading money onto the card, similar to topping up a pay-as-you-go mobile phone.
A prepaid card can help with budgeting and limiting your chances of getting into debt as you’re unable to spend more than you have loaded on the card.
Find out more about prepaid cards
If you have a poor credit history, or not enough of a credit history, credit providers are likely to reject your application.
When you apply for credit, either a credit card, loan or mortgage, your credit provider will run a credit check to check your history of repayments. They'll be looking for evidence that you're a responsible borrower who'll be able to make their repayments.
Any information is usually held for between 5 and 6 years. But items like court or bankruptcy rulings might stay on your file for longer.
Providers are generally unwilling to take risks on people who do not have proof of a good credit history.
There are several reasons you might have been refused credit.
The more missed repayments you have, the worse your credit rating. And the less likely you are to be offered credit.
If you've missed a repayment in the past, your credit provider will record this and report it to the credit reference agencies.
Next time you want to borrow money from another provider they'll run a credit check. The provider will see that you’ve missed a repayment. And will use that information to decide how likely you are to make your future repayments.
When you're registered on the electoral roll, it tells your credit provider that you live where you say you do. It helps prove to them that you're not a fraudster.
If you're not on the electoral roll, in the eyes of the lender it increases the chance that your application is fraudulent.
If you've ever taken out a joint credit product with someone else, like a joint bank account this could influence your own credit rating.
You should avoid immediately applying for another credit card if you're recently had a credit card application rejected.
Every time you apply for a credit card, the provider will run a credit check. Frequent checks over a short period of time will look bad to providers, and could negatively affect your credit rating.
But there are some things you can do now to help improve your chances of getting a credit card in the future.
Knowing what's on your credit report will help you see what credit card providers see when you apply for a credit card.
It will show you:
Address details
Credit history
Repayments, missed and late payments
Bankruptcy and CCJs
People who have a financial connection with you
Find out more in our credit report guide
Look for any information you think is wrong or out of date, including basic errors relating to your address or bank details. Or for anything that looks suspicious. If you find an error on your credit report, make any corrections as soon as possible.
Find out more about reporting an error on your credit report
APR stands for "annual percentage rate" - it's the interest rate charged on money borrowed on your credit card.
It reflects the costs you'll pay over the course of a year and includes any standard fees associated with the card.
So if you borrow £100 at 20% APR you'll pay £20 interest on that loan over a year.
In most cases you can avoid paying interest by paying off your credit card balance in full by the due date of every billing cycle.
When we use the term ‘most popular or ‘popularity’ on Uswitch in reference to credit cards, these cards are ranked by the number of clicks they have received on the site in the past 30 days.
The most clicked on cards are at the top, with the least at the bottom. This reflects how popular they are with visitors to Uswitch.com. Consequently, this is a good table to look at if you’re interested in seeing which cards most people think are worth getting.
We compare over 100 credit cards from all of the major banks and credit card providers.
However, we do not compare all the credit cards that are available in the UK.
This is because some credit card providers have offers that are only available exclusively through their own website or branch, or through other comparison websites - in the same way some credit cards are exclusively available through Uswitch.
There are also many credit cards that are only available to people in member organisations and clubs.
Our best deals on a range of credit card categories by use:
Our top credit cards by type, most popular deals and business cards
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