The tough competition among issuers has made credit cards for people with bad credit easily accessible. Those with low credit scores can still get approved without much difficulty.
Secured credit cards enable consumers to open a new credit card account regardless of his credit history.
In this article, let’s talk about how credit cards for people with bad credit can become a disadvantage for people who are stuck in bad debt.
Choosing the wrong bad credit credit card.
Not all credit cards for bad credit are worth taking. All the ads may say that a bad credit credit card is just the thing you need to rebuild your credit history. But if you’ll get one with high rates and fees, it’s very unlikely that you can get out of debt by getting a new card.
Never make decisions in a hurry. Don’t sign up or submit an application without first examining the Terms and Conditions of your chosen bad credit credit card.
Check out our infographics about
how even responsible people can have bad credit scores
Choosing a credit card that does not report to the credit bureaus.
Again, not all credit cards for bad credit are tools for rebuilding credit. If your chosen card does not report your payments to the credit bureaus, your credit history will not be updated. You will remain to have a poor credit rating despite your timely payments. Therefore, make sure that the card you pick is one that regularly reports to the credit bureaus.
It is also a good idea to choose a card that offers to upgrade your account automatically after a period of time. If you were consistent with your payments for the whole 12 months, you should be offered an upgrade to a regular credit card. This way, you can claim your security deposit without closing your account.
Pay attention to the length of grace period that a credit card offers. Ideally, you’ll want to get a card that has at least 20-30 days grace period. This will give you more time to submit your payments without interest.
Not exercising control on the use of bad credit credit card.
Ultimately, even if you have a new credit card, using it to rebuild your credit history still depends on you. Even if your card reports to the credit bureaus, if you’re often late in submitting repayments, you will not be making any improvement in your credit.
Before getting a bad credit credit card, be determined to use it only for important expenses. More importantly, pay off your balances in full each month and avoid delays with your payments.
