Can I still apply for credit cards if I have bad credit?

If you have bad or poor credits and want to reestablish your credit, there are many special cards designed just for you. No one wants to have bad credit. Due to the shrinking economy, many people lost jobs, foreclosed their house, and default their credit card payment. Those are have a credit score or 600 or lower are considered bad or poor credit. And in recently years, financial institutions are tightening their underwriting standard to reduce the risk of default. So fewer people are being approved for credit card applications today.

So can I still apply for a credit card if you have bad credit? If you know you have a major blemish on you credit score you should not consider applying for any Diamond or Platinum credit cards that requires excellent credit. I know these cards offer perks like 0% intro APR and up to 5% cash back. But you will have 0% chance of getting it approved. Instead, since your credit history is poor, you should apply for a secured credit card. These cards don’t offer reward points or cash back, neither do they give you a credit line without your making a deposit first. Usually the credit line is the same as or a few hundred dollars higher than the amount you deposit. The credit is not an issue anymore since the card issuers can take the money from you deposit in case you don’t pay the balance due.

In addition to deposit to secure the credit line, you will have to pay a higher interest rate than that of regular credit cards. But if you are determined to get your credit back to good standing, apply for one of those credit cards and always make the minimum monthly payment, or even better – pay off the balance every month. Your credit lender will be willing to low the interest rate. And it will become easier for you to borrow more money and apply for a mortgage later.

Student Credit Cards

Getting a student credit card while in college is the first step to start building your credit history. Credit card companies offer some sort of incentives on campus when you apply – such free t-shirts and mugs. And most of the student credit cards now carry cash back or reward points programs. Since these cards are targeting college students and they are easy to qualify. Credit lines are usually low since most students are not yet working, but many offer 0 or low introductory APRs for purchases.

Student Credit CardsSome card issuers offer $25 cash back when you sign up and make your first purchase within 3 month. Although that’s not a huge amount compared to $100 to $200 cash back you will earn on cards that require excellent credit, this can pay for some of your school supplies (or party supplies depending on how you use it). Just charge everything from meal, books, and computers. Just be careful that your credit line can really limit your purchase. If you do need to buy more stuff, call the credit card company and request a credit increase. They are usually generous enough to bump up the credit line to $1000 – good for 2 iPads or a couple of iPhones for now. To help to encourage you to pay your bill on time, some card issuers like Capital One offers 25% bonus on cash back you already earn each month.

Don’t let the freebie lure you into applying for more cards than you really need. Sure at the beginning of every semester you might feel you need to buy a lot of stuff, let your parents take care of the essentials first – like new laptops or TV. You should use the student credit card to buy textbooks and other school supplies. One card should be sufficient to handle all these. If you have enough credit, you can pay your tuition bills and meal plans with these credit cards and start building your A+ credit.

Although the standard APR is generally lower than other creditcards you should always pay off the entire balance on time each month. Having a credit card doesn’t mean you can spend on whatever item you want. Learn to be responsible for your purchase. If you can’t afford buying a new computer just don’t purchase it even though your credit line is can cover the price. Remember you still have to pay off the bill at the end of the month or billing cycle. Leaving a balance on will incur unnecessary financial charges that will eventually add up to more than your original purchase price.

College StudentOne question many students ask – when should I cancel my college student credit card? You don’t. It’s really the same credit card as others. They are just made for students when you are still in school. Once you graduate – somehow the card issuers know or predict based on your original application, they will send you an upgraded card that offer even more benefits and certainly a higher credit line based on your income. There is nothing you need to do unless you have a particular you really like to upgrade to.

Apply for Business Credit Cards

Business Credit CardsIf you own a business – it doesn’t matter how small it is and how many employees you have, you should always apply for a business credit card. What if I only have myself working in the company? Isn’t my personal credit card good enough since it has high credit line? You should always separate your personal and business credit cards, just like personal expenses and business related expenses. Messing two types of expenses together could create potential tax and money management problems.

One big advantage of using a business credit card is that you can separate personal and business transactions. Most of the business credit cards now offer you the option to summarize expenses at the end of each year. The purchases you made are categorized and itemized. With all the expenses by month, quarter, and by year, you can easily identify the trends and increase or decrease certain purchases to maximize your profit.

It’s also important to start building business credit which will make it easy for you to take loans and credit lines as you business grow. Just like many small businesses you never know when it will become a multibillion dollar corporate. And when you need capital or a loan to expend you business you company’s credit history will play a major role in determining the amount you can get. A business credit card can help you mange cash flow better too. Depending on the type of vendors you are dealing with, some require payments upfront. You can do that with a credit card payment and pay only the end of the billing cycle. Better yet, take advantage of some intro 0% APR on purchase – you don’t have to pay off the entire balance until 9 months later. That’s basically like having some extra cash to work with so you can invest more into your business today.

Some business credit cards even offer reward points and cash back. You can earn cash back or redeem reward points for travels, hotels, and merchandise. Rent, materials, shipping, computer hardware and software, papers and pens, they can all earn rewards for you and your business.

Applying For Credit Cards Online

Credit Card ApplicationWhat do you need to know when applying for a credit card online? How do you know you are getting the best deals overall? Credit card companies these days offer tons of incentives when you sign up for a new credit card. From free pens, t-shirts, to free cash deposited directly to your checking account. What make them so eager to offer you all these freebies and cash rewards?

First, ask yourself – do I need a credit card? In most cases you do. Owning a credit card is the first step to build up your credit history, especially you have little or no credit history at all. Before you are able to take a car loan or apply for mortgage you will have to have excellent or good credit. Having a credit card on your hand can make life much easier even though you don’t plan to make any big purchases like a car or a house. It’s a secure way to make buy small and big items without having to carry a lot of cash. If you lose the credit card, you simply lost a piece of plastic. Call the customer service and you will not be responsible for any unauthorized purchases.

From time to time you may receive pre-approval letters from various card issuers telling you that you are qualified for a new credit card. You can fill the forms and wait a couple weeks to get card mailed to you. Applying for credit cards online is much easier and more secured. Not only can you compare types of credit cards by issuers, reward programs, interest rates, credit history requirements you can also apply directly online and get approved in 60 seconds or less. There are way too many cards to choose from and I am sure you will be confused about what types you should apply. Cash back, reward points, travel reward, Visa, MasterCard, and Discover? You can select the criteria and select the right card for yourself. Another advantage of applying online is that you get notified of your application status and know exactly when the card will arrive.

Can everyone apply for a credit online? No matter what your credit score is, there is always one card that fits your needs. No credit or bad credit? Get a secured card. Excellent credit and want more rewards? Get a cash back card. Frequent travelers? Redeem points for travel promotions. If you already own couple of credit cards and want to explore advantages of what other cards offer, there are tremendous amount of free information online that offers you tips and tricks of applying for a credit card online.

Discover Cash Back Bonus Cards

Discover Cash Back Bonus CardsIf you are searching for cash back credit cards and haven’t sign up with Discovercard.com, you are missing the best cash back credit card deals ever. Every now and then, Discovercard offers up to 5% cash back on almost everything you buy in a period. Especially during holiday season, the offers extend to even more items. Every Discover cash back bonus cards give you 0% intro rate for purchase or balance transfer, you don’t need to full off the entire balance until a year later.

Most the cash back cards only give you maximum 5% at grocery and gas stations. When you sign in your Discover account online you will be able to select from a wide range of merchants and get up to 15% cash back through the shopping portal. For example, if you are looking to buy a new TV for $1,000 on bestbuy.com you can visit discovercard.com first and then buy through their shopping portal. You will bet getting 10% cash back with 8 weeks. The saving is huge – spending $1000 will get $100 back, $2000 will get you back $200. Even with small purchase like a DVD movie or a new monitor will give you a generous rebate check. The electronics retailers are just one of many merchants available at disocovercard.com. Toys, books, flowers, software, wireless, travel, restaurant certificates, and many more discounts available just for Discover card customers. Earning rewards is easier than ever. You can either redeem for cash or gift cards for use at your favorite stores.

Discover is the first credit card issuer to offer cashback rewards in America. And now there are currently over 50 million Discover card members and it’s growing. Many use the card every day for every purchase for a simple reason – more cashback rewards. Discover has expand the cashback offer to a number of specialized cards. If you travel a lot, Miles by Discover will rewards you miles for every dollar you spend. You can even get bonus mile redeemable for flight tickets when you sign up.

Update: For 2011 holiday season you get $150 cashback bonus when you spend $100 in the first 90 days. That’s a great news for holiday shoppers. That’s mean your $1000 worth of gifts will only cost you $850. Excellent deal. If that’s not enough, make sure to shop through discover.com shopping mall to take advantage of 5% 6to 20% cashbonus back. There are more ways to claim your rewards too – choose from Partner gift cards, merchandise, Discover gift cards, Charity, or Cash.