If you have bad credit or no credit, you might not qualify for most credit card offers. In this case, you may need to consider using a prepaid credit card or a secured credit card as an alternative.

Secured credit cards were designed for people who need to repair their credit history or establish a credit history. Once you are approved, the secure credit card issuer requests a deposit which then becomes your credit limit – that is, you can only spend up to the total amount of your initial deposit, much like a bank account. When selecting a secured credit card, make sure that the card issuer reports to the major credit bureaus. Paying off your credit card balance on time will help you to improve your credit history.

Alternately, you could apply for a prepaid card. Prepaid credit cards can be used just as any other credit card and approval is guaranteed. Prepaid cards also require you to pre-deposit a balance. The disadvantage of prepaid credit cards is that they generally do not report your activity to credit bureaus, and thus you will not be able to improve (or diminish) your credit score.