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Best Credit Cards for Bad Credit
When it comes to excuses consumers give for their poor credit scores, banks and lenders have heard it all.Â
Maybe you lost your job and couldnât pay your student loan payment for a few months. Or perhaps you thought youâd gotten a deferment but were too busy job hunting to find out for sure.Â
Maybe you thought you paid your credit card bill but itâs actually sitting on your kitchen counter waiting for the mail.
Whatever the reason for your low credit score, one thing is for certain â lenders donât care.
In fact, banks and other lenders lean on your credit score and other factors to determine whether they should approve you for a credit card or a loan â and thatâs about it. Your personal situation is never considered, nor should it be.
It would be wonderful if credit card companies understood that âlife happensâ and made special exceptions to help people out, but that’s not the world we live in. As most of us already know, thatâs not typically how credit works. Credit cards are backed by banks, and banks have rules for a reason.
Now, hereâs the good news: Credit cards can help rebuild your credit, earn cash back for each dollar you spend, make travel easier, and serve as an emergency fund if youâre stuck paying a huge bill at the last minute. This is true even if you have poor credit, although the selection of credit cards you can qualify for may be somewhat limited.Â
Keep reading to learn about the best credit cards for bad credit, how they work, and how you can get approved.
Best Cards for Bad Credit This Year
Before you give up on building credit, you should check out all the credit cards that are available to consumers who need some help. Our list of the best credit cards for bad credit includes some of the top offers with the lowest fees and fair terms.
- Total Visa®
- Discover it® Secured
- Credit One Bank® Visa® Credit Card
- Secured Mastercard® from Capital One®
- Milestone® Gold Mastercard®
- Credit One Bank® Unsecured Visa® with Cash Back Rewards
#1: Total Visa®
The Total Visa® is one of the easiest credit cards to get approved for in today’s market, and itâs easy to use all over the world since itâs a true Visa credit card. However, this card does come with high rates and fees since itâs available to consumers with poor credit or a limited credit history.
Processing your application will cost $89, which is extremely high when you consider the fact that most credit cards donât charge an application fee. Youâll also pay an initial annual fee of $75 and a $48 annual fee for each year thereafter.
Once you sign up, youâll be able to pick your preferred card design and your credit card payments will be reported to all three credit reporting agencies â Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion. This is the main benefit of this card since your on-time payments can easily help boost your credit score over time.Â
For the most part, the Total Visa® is best for consumers who donât mind paying a few fees to access an unsecured line of credit. Since this card doesnât dole out rewards, however, there are few cardholder perks to look forward to.Â
- APR: 35.99% APR
- Fees: Application fee and annual fee
- Minimum Credit Score: Not specified
- Rewards: No
#2: Discover it® Secured
While secured cards donât offer an unsecured line of credit like unsecured credit cards do, they are extremely easy to qualify for. The Discover it® Secured may not be ideal for everyone, but it does offer a simple online application process and the ability to get approved with little to no credit history.
Keep in mind, however, that secured cards do work differently than traditional credit cards. With a secured credit card, youâre required to put down a cash deposit upfront as collateral. However, you will get your cash deposit back when you close your account in good standing.
Amazingly, the Discover it® Secured lets you earn rewards with no annual fee. Youâll start by earning 2% back on up to $1,000 spent each quarter in dining and gas. Youâll also earn an unlimited 1% back on everything else you buy.
The Discover it® Secured doesnât charge an application fee or an annual fee, although youâll need to come up with the cash for your initial deposit upfront. For the most part, this card is best for consumers who have little to no credit and want to build their credit history while earning rewards.
- APR: 24.74%
- Fees: No annual fee or monthly fees
- Minimum Credit Score: Not specified
- Rewards: Yes
#3: Credit One Bank® Visa® Credit Card
The Credit One Bank® Visa® Credit Card is another credit card for bad credit that lets you earn rewards on your everyday spending. Youâll earn a flat 1% cash back for every dollar you spend with this credit card, and since itâs unsecured, you donât have to put down a cash deposit to get started.
Other benefits include the fact you can get pre-qualified for this card online without a hard inquiry on your credit report â and that you get a free copy of your Experian credit score on your online account management page.
You may be required to pay an annual fee up to $95 for this card for the first year, but it depends on your creditworthiness. After that, your annual fee could be between $0 and $99.
- APR: 19.99% to 25.99%
- Fees: Annual fee up to $95 the first year depending on creditworthiness; after that $0 to $99
- Minimum Credit Score: Not specified
- Rewards: Yes
#4: Secured Mastercard® from Capital One®
The Secured Mastercard® from Capital One® is another secured credit card that extends a line of credit to consumers who can put down a cash deposit as collateral. This card is geared to people with bad credit or no credit history, so itâs easy to get approved for. One downside, however, is that your initial line of credit will likely be just $200 â and that doesn’t give you much to work with.Â
On the upside, this card doesnât charge an annual fee or any application fees. That makes it a good option if you donât want to pay any fees you wonât get back.
Youâll also get access to 24/7 customer service, $0 fraud liability, and other cardholder perks.
- APR: 26.49%
- Fees: No ongoing fees
- Minimum Credit Score: Not specified
- Rewards: No
#5: Milestone® Gold Mastercard®
The Milestone® Gold Mastercard® is an unsecured credit card that lets you get pre-qualified online without a hard inquiry on your credit report. You wonât earn any rewards on your purchases, but you do get benefits like the ability to select your cardâs design, chip and pin technology, and easy online account access.
You will have to pay a one-time fee of $25 to open your account, and thereâs an annual fee of $50 the first year and $99 for each year after that.
- APR: 24.90%
- Fees: Account opening fee and annual fees
- Minimum Credit Score: Not specified
- Rewards: No
#6: Credit One Bank® Unsecured Visa® with Cash Back Rewards
The Credit One Bank® Unsecured Visa® with Cash Back Rewards lets you earn 1% back on every purchase you make with no limits or exclusions. Thereâs no annual fee or application fee either, which makes this card a winner for consumers who donât want to get hit with a lot of out-of-pocket costs.
As a cardholder, youâll get free access to your Experian credit score, zero fraud liability, and access to a mobile app that makes tracking your purchases and rewards a breeze. You can also get pre-qualified online without a hard inquiry on your credit report.
- APR: 25.99%
- Fees: No annual fee or application fee
- Minimum Credit Score: Not specified
- Rewards: Yes
The Downside of Credit Cards with Bad Credit
While your odds of getting approved for one of the credit cards for bad credit listed above are high, you should be aware that there are plenty of pitfalls to be aware of. Here are the major downsides youâll find with these credit cards for bad credit and others comparable cards:
- Higher fees: While someone with excellent credit can shop around for credit cards without any fees, this isnât the case of you have bad credit. If your credit score is poor or you have a thin credit profile, you should expect to pay higher fees and more of them.
- Higher interest rates: While some credit cards come with 0% interest for a limited time or lower interest rates overall, consumers with poor credit typically have to pay the highest interest rates available today. Some credit cards for bad credit even come with APRs as high as 35%.
- No perks: Looking for cardholder benefits like cash back on purchases or points toward airfare or movie tickets? Youâll need to wait until your credit score climbs back into âgoodâ or âgreatâ territory. Even if you can find a card for applicants with bad credit that offers cash back, your rewards may not make up for the higher fees.
- No balance transfers: If youâre looking for relief from other out-of-control credit card balances, look elsewhere. Credit cards for bad credit typically donât offer balance transfers. If they do, the terms make them cost-prohibitive.
- Low credit limits: Credit cards for bad credit tend to offer initial credit limits in the $300 to $500 range with the possibility of increasing to $2,000 after a year of on-time monthly payments. If you need to borrow a lot more than that, youâll have to consider other options.
- Security deposit requirement: Secured credit cards require you to put down a cash deposit to secure your line of credit. While this shouldnât necessarily be a deal-breaker â and it may be required if you canât get approved for an unsecured credit card â youâll need to come up with a few hundred dollars before you apply.
- Checking account requirement: Most new credit card accounts now require cardholders to pay bills online, which means youâll need a checking account. If youâre mostly âunbanked,â you may need to open a traditional bank account before you apply.
Benefits of Improving Your Credit Score
People with bad credit often consider their personal finances a lost cause. The road to better credit can seem long and stressful, and itâs sometimes easier to give up then it is to try to fix credit mistakes youâve made in the past.
But, there are some real advantages that come with having at least âgoodâ credit, which typically means any FICO score of 670 or above. Here are some of the real-life benefits better credit can mean for your life and your lifestyle:
- Higher credit limits: The higher your credit score goes, the more money banks are typically willing to lend. With good credit, youâll have a better chance at qualifying for a car loan, taking out a personal loan, or getting a credit card with a reasonable limit.
- Lower interest rates: A higher credit score tells lenders youâre not as risky as a borrower âa sign that typically translates into lower interest rates. When you pay a lower APR each time you borrow, you can save huge amounts of money on interest over time.
- Lower payments: Borrowing money with a lower interest rate typically means you can usually get lower payments all your loans, including a home loan or a car loan.
- Ability to shop around: When youâre an ideal candidate for a loan, you can shop around to get the best deals on credit cards, mortgages, personal loans, and more.
- Ability to help others: If your kid wants to buy a car but doesnât have any credit history, better credit puts you in the position to help him or her out. If your credit is poor, you wonât be in the position to help anyone.
- More options in life: Your credit score can also impact your ability to open a bank account or rent a new apartment. Since employers can request to see a modified version of your credit report before they hire you, excellent credit can also give you a leg up when it comes to beating out other candidates for a job.Â
In addition to the benefits listed above, most insurance companies now consider your credit score when you apply for coverage. For that reason, life, auto, and home insurance rates tend to be lower for people with higher credit scores.
This may seem unfair, but you have to remember that research has shown people with high credit scores tend to file fewer insurance claims.
How to Improve Your Credit: Slow and Steady
When you have a low credit score, there are two ways to handle it. If you don’t mind the consequences of poor credit enough to do anything about it, you can wait a decade until the bad marks age off your credit report. Depending on when your creditors give up and write off your debt, you may not even need to wait that long.
If you donât like the idea of letting your credit decay while you wait it out, you can also try to fix your past credit mistakes. This typically means paying off debt â and especially delinquent debts â but it can also mean applying for new loan products that are geared to people who need to repair their credit.
If you decide to take actionable steps to build credit fast, the credit cards on this page can help. Theyâll give you an opportunity to show the credit bureaus that youâve changed your ways.
Before you take steps to improve your credit score, however, keep in mind all the different factors used to determine your standing in the first place. The FICO scoring method considers the following factors when assigning your score:
- On-time payments: Paying all your bills on time, including credit cards, makes up 35% of your FICO score. For that reason, paying all your bills early or on time is absolutely essential.
- Outstanding debts: How much you owe matters, which is why paying off your credit cards each month or as often as possible helps your score. According to myFICO.com, the amounts you owe in relation to your credit limits make up another 30% of your FICO score.
- New credit: Apply for too many new cards or accounts at once can impact your score in a negative way. In fact, this determinant makes up another 10% of your FICO score.
- Credit mix: Having a variety of open accounts impresses the credit bureau algorithm Gods. If all you have are personal loans right now, mixing in a credit card can help. If you already have four or five credit cards, it may be wise to back off a little.
- Length of credit history: The length of your credit history also plays a role in your score. The longer your credit history, the better off you are.
If you want to improve your credit score, consider all the factors above and how you can change your behavior to score higher in each category. Itâs pretty easy to see how paying all your bills early or on time and paying off debt could make a big positive impact on your credit score when you consider that these two factors alone make up 65% of your FICO score.
If you want a way to track your progress, also look into an app like Credit Karma, one of my favorite tools. This app lets you monitor your credit progress over time and even receive notifications when your score has changed. Best of all, itâs free.
Should You Use a Credit Card to Rebuild Your Credit Score?
If youâre on the fence about picking up a credit card for bad credit, your first step should be thinking over your goals. What exactly are you trying to accomplish?
If youâre looking for spending power, the cards on this list probably wonât help. Some are secured cards, meaning you need a cash deposit to put down as collateral. Others offer low credit limits and high fees and interest rates, making them costly to use over the long-term.
If you really want to start over from scratch and repair credit mistakes made in the past, on the other hand, one of these cards may be exactly what you need. If youâre determined to improve your score, they can speed things along.
You may pay higher fees and interest rates along the way, but itâs important to remember that none of the cards on this list need to be your top card forever. Ideally, youâll use a credit card for poor credit to rebuild your credit and boost your score. Once youâve reached your goal, you can upgrade to a new card with better benefits and terms.
The post Best Credit Cards for Bad Credit appeared first on Good Financial Cents®.
Source: goodfinancialcents.com
Credit card expiration date: What it does, and where to find it
In the era of lockdowns and social distancing, you’re probably relying most heavily on your credit card, as you shop online for many of your purchases.
But you might run into a snag and not be able to complete your transaction if you’re trying to use your card after its expiration date.
Here are some things to keep in mind if you want to keep those purchases coming all year long.
See related: How do credit cards work?
Wear and tear
While your credit card account itself doesn’t expire at a certain time, the piece of plastic associated with it does.
That’s because “magnetic stripes wear out, cards bend,” says Nessa Feddis, a senior vice president at the American Bankers Association.
Because of their propensity to show wear and tear, “issuers want to make sure to get working cards into customers’ hands,” says Ted Rossman, industry analyst for CreditCards.com.
Cards with magnetic stripes typically wear out faster, so they usually expire after three years, Rossman says.
EMV cards, which contain computer chips embedded in them, tend to show less wear than those with magnetic stripes, Rossman says. As a result, many issuers are extending the expiration date on those cards to five years.
Sending you a new card periodically also allows issuers to implement design upgrades and technology updates, according to a spokeswoman for Discover.
Credit cards for retailers such as Macy’s can be an exception and there may be no expiration date on such cards.
Safety and security
Expiration dates also serve as a security measure. If you’re making a purchase online or by phone, you’ll typically be asked to provide your account number, the three- or four-digit security code on the card and the credit card expiration date.
The expiration date helps to verify that your transaction is valid, Feddis says. “It’s another data point to match up.”
For the card issuer, putting an expiration on a credit card helps the company manage its credit card portfolio, Rossman says. About 20% to 30% of credit cards that are issued are never activated.
Having an expiration date on a card serves as a “mechanism for re-evaluating a customer’s standing and potentially clearing dormant cards off the books,” Rossman says.
According to the American Bankers Association, Americans held 373 million credit card accounts in the second quarter of 2020. But that was down from 374 million in the second quarter of 2019. It was the first time the number of accounts has fallen since 2012, no doubt tied to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Meanwhile, credit card debt fell by $74 billion from the third quarter of 2019 to the third quarter of 2020, according to the New York Federal Reserve. The drop was driven by the economic recession caused by the pandemic.
See related: Many Americans say they’ll spend less after the pandemic than before
Where to look
If you want to check your credit card’s expiration date, you’ll often find it embossed on the front of your card, under your account number and above your name.
It will be embossed with the two-digit month and two-digit year, such as 02/21.
In the past, the raised numbers were needed on the front of a credit card because merchants would use a machine to make an imprint of the numbers on a receipt, and customers would have to sign the receipt. Now those machines are few and far between.
Today you may have a newer chip credit card that has no raised numbers on the front, and the account number is printed on the back.
With those cards, you’ll also find the expiration date on the back of the card, below your account number.
The expiration date is listed as a month and year, so your card is valid through the last day of that month, the Discover spokeswoman says.
Your new card should be sent to you well in advance of the expiration date. Once the new card arrives, be sure to activate it using your computer or by calling in to the number listed on the sticker placed on your card. Sign your card and be sure to destroy your old one.
See related: What do the numbers on your credit card mean?
Recurring payments
If you use your credit card to make recurring payments, you’ll need to update your card information with the merchant to make sure your payments continue to go through, the Discover spokeswoman says.
However, many merchants subscribe to credit card issuers’ account updater services. If you get a credit card with a new expiration date, or you receive a card with a new account number, the service updates that information to the merchant, so your credit card payment will continue to be processed.
If your account information doesn’t automatically update, you may receive an email from the merchant, asking you to go to the company’s website and update your information.
Paying attention to your credit card expiration date can help keep your transactions on track throughout the year.
Source: creditcards.com
How to add an authorized user to a Capital One credit card
Do you know a family member or trusted friend who is struggling with a low credit score? Maybe your college-student children don’t have enough credit to even have a score. You can help these friends or family members by adding them as authorized users on your Capital One credit card. Plus, you might earn some extra rewards for yourself along the way.
Just be careful. You as the primary cardholder are responsible for any debt authorized users added to your Capital One card. If they run up too much debt each month and don’t pay you? You’ll have to foot the bill. It’s why you should only add authorized users whom you trust.
Adding an authorized user to a Capital One card
- What is an authorized user?
- Authorized user eligibility requirements
- How to add an authorized user to your Capital One account
- Pros and cons of adding an authorized user
What is an authorized user?
An authorized user can use your credit card to make purchases. When you add a user to your Capital One credit card, this user receives their own card in the mail – which they can then use to make purchases, both online and in-person.
The charges that authorized users make are added to your credit card bill just like yours. When the bill comes due, though, you are responsible for paying off these charges as the primary cardholder. It’s important, then, to reach an agreement with any authorized users before you add them to your account; set limits on how much these users can spend each month and a date when users must pay you for the charges they’ve made.
If authorized users don’t follow your rules? You can remove them from your Capital One account whenever you’d like. You also have the option of temporarily freezing their card so that they can’t use it.
So with the risk that additional users might abuse your credit, why would you ever add an authorized user? There’s one main reason: to provide family members or friends with a bit of financial help.
If you use your Capital One card responsibly, you’ll give your authorized users a steady credit boost. Every time you make an on-time credit card payment, it will be reported to the national credit bureaus of Experian, Equifax and TransUnion not only in your name, but in the names of your authorized users as well.
And for those authorized users who haven’t yet built a credit score, these regular reports to the bureaus can help them establish enough credit to finally generate one. That’s why parents often add their children as authorized users: It’s a way for parents to help their children build or improve their own credit scores.
There is one other benefit for primary cardholders, too. If you have a Capital One card that generates rewards, like the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card, you’ll earn miles for every purchase your authorized users make. This can help you earn rewards at a faster pace.
See related: Cards that reward you for adding an authorized user
Authorized user eligibility requirements
You can add as many authorized users as you’d like to your Capital One account. And these authorized users don’t have to be related to you. You can add your spouse, children or other family members, of course, but you can also add friends or employees to your account.
You don’t even have to provide much information to add authorized users. Capital One asks just for the names, phone numbers, Social Security numbers and dates of birth of authorized users. Of course, you’ll have to provide an address so that Capital One can send these users their own credit card.
How to add an authorized user to your Capital One account
Adding an authorized user to your Capital One account is a simple process.
- Log onto your account
- Click “Services”
- Select “Manage Authorized Users”
- Then click “Add New User”
When adding a user, you’ll have to provide Capital One with that user’s name, birth date and SSN.
Fee for adding an authorized user
Capital One charges no fees for adding an authorized user. You can add as many authorized users as you’d like.
Managing authorized user access
You have limited control over authorized users with a Capital One credit card. You can’t set spending limits for your authorized users, so they can spend as much as they’d like. But if authorized users do spend too much, you have the option of instantly locking their card. This will prevent them from using the card until you unlock it.
If authorized users aren’t following the spending and payback rules you’ve created, you can also remove them from your account. You can do this by logging onto your account, clicking “Services” and selecting “Manage Authorized Users.” Click on the name of the user whom you’d like to remove and check the “remove user” option.
Capital One says that authorized users receive their own card number. This way, you can track exactly how much they spend. Additionally, authorized users won’t be allowed to cash in your rewards points.
Pros and cons of adding an authorized user
Adding an authorized user comes with both risks and rewards. Most of the rewards, though, go to authorized users, while most of the risk falls to primary cardholders.
Pros
- Credit boost: When you add an authorized user, you’ll provide a boost to that user’s credit score. Whenever your on-time credit card payments and account history are reported to the credit bureaus, your users will also receive a bump to their score.
- Building a credit score from scratch: You’ll also help authorized users build credit scores if they don’t have one. This is why many parents add their children as authorized users. These children might not have borrowed money to buy a car or be making regular payments on their own credit cards. Because of this, they don’t have enough of a credit history to generate a credit score. Adding them as authorized users will give them that needed credit history.
- Generate more rewards points: Whenever an authorized user makes a purchase with your card, that purchase will generate rewards points or cash-back bonuses if you have a rewards card. This can help you build points and earn cash back at a quicker pace.
Cons
- Too many charges: You can’t set a spending limit on your Capital One authorized users. There’s nothing stopping them, then, from charging as much as they’d like each month, even if you’ve agreed on specific spending limits. You’re on the hook for any purchases authorized users make, so a reckless user can damage your budget.
- Potential credit score hit: If you pay your credit card bill 30 days or more late, this late payment will be reported to credit bureaus. This will hurt your credit score, but it will also cause the scores of your authorized users to drop.
- Higher credit-utilization ratio: Using less of your available credit is better for your credit score. If you use too much of your available credit, your credit score will fall. If your authorized users run up too many purchases each month, it could increase your credit utilization ratio, which could hurt your credit score.
- Interest charges: If you don’t carry a balance each month on your credit cards, you won’t have to worry about paying interest. But if you do, you will. If your authorized users charge so much that you can’t pay off your bill in full each month, you’ll be hit with high interest charges.
Should you add an authorized user to your Capital One card?
Adding authorized users to your credit card can help family members and friends who need a boost to their credit scores. The risk to you, though, is high. Only add authorized users whom you trust. And before you add any, make sure you and the authorized users have an agreement on how much they can spend and when they must pay you for the purchases they make.
And if your authorized users aren’t abiding by these rules? Don’t hesitate to turn off their Capital One cards. If you need further protection, you can contact Capital One to remove any authorized users who refuse to follow your spending rules.
Source: creditcards.com