Don't you hate it when big-name credit card companies keep turning down your application for a credit card because of some financial mistakes or missed payments you made early in your career that hurt your credit rating? If only you could talk to the person in charge of new account applications and politely tell him that you have paid off those debts and are now working, so you can handle the responsibilities that come with a credit card, right? Well, you don't have to go to such lengths or pray for a miracle because yes, you can still get a credit card. Even though it's not one of the big ones, it's still a credit card.
People with less-than-perfect credit can still get credit cards from a number of companies. These credit card companies that aren't well-known may have grown because people who didn't meet the strict requirements of the big-name players drove up demand. The credit cards that these companies offer still work like regular credit cards: they have set credit limits, can be used at a variety of stores, give cardholders periodic increases in credit limits (which still depend on how well you use the card and your ability to pay), and may even have some kind of rewards programme. Cardholders get almost all of the same benefits as people with popular credit cards. But the good thing about these non-mainstream cards is that they still report to the three major credit rating bureaus. If you pay on time and keep a good standing, these cards will help your credit score over time if you pay on time and stay in good standing.
If you think that these card companies only have one type of card for all of their customers, you're wrong. Even for people with low credit scores, they have different types of credit cards. Standard cards are for regular customers, and silver, gold, and even platinum cards are for customers who need more to live. These cards have higher credit limits and more security privileges and benefits. If you're worried about how well these credit cards will work abroad, you don't have to be because Mastercard accepts most of them.
If you feel like you really need and deserve a credit card but keep getting turned down by the bigger and more well-known credit card companies, you might want to use one of these less common credit cards for now. They might not be as well-known as the big-name brands, but if the service is the same, does the name even matter? Who knows, once you're used to carrying these cards around, you might not want to give them up for one of the high-profile credit cards you wanted in the first place.
