Improve your credit score with these smart choices
Find your ideal credit card in seconds
Add your details to our eligibility checker
Explore your options from top credit card providers
Choose the right card for your needs
Find your ideal credit card in seconds
Add your details to our eligibility checker
Explore your options from top credit card providers
Choose the right card for your needs
1,065,418 customers have visited Uswitch to explore credit cards this year
21,400 people used our eligibility checker in November 2024
Our experts browse hundreds of products to find the best deals
Uswitch Limited is a credit broker, not a lender, for consumer credit.
Our services are provided at no cost to you. We may receive a commission from the companies we refer you to, but this does not affect what you will pay for the product you choose.
A credit card for bad credit is specifically designed for people who have a poor credit rating. This could be due to late or missed repayments, bankruptcy or no credit history.
This type of credit card typically charges higher interest rates and offers lower credit limits, but if they are used responsibly it can help to build your credit score. This is why this type of credit card is also known as a credit builder.
Once you've improved your credit score, you can then apply for a standard credit card and these are normally cheaper, with more features and benefits.
If you are worried about debt, there are people that can help. StepChange and Citizens Advice offer free debt advice.
In essence, your credit score tells lenders how good you are with money. This score is used when you apply for a loan or a credit card and it can impact whether you are eligible for certain products. If you have a low score, this could be because of a number of reasons.
For example:
Missed payments on your credit cards or loans
Incorrect information on your credit report
Too many applications in a short time
Links with someone who has bad credit
Bankruptcy
County Court Judgements (CCJs)
It's always a good idea to review your credit report regularly and understand what is impacting your score. You can find this report via a credit reference agency like Experian, Equifax and TransUnion.
| Credit agency | Very poor/poor | Fair | Good/very good | Excellent |
| Experian | 0-720 | 721-880 | 881-960 | 961-999 |
| TransUnion | 0-565 | 566-603 | 604-627 | 628-710 |
| Equifax | 0-438 | 439-530 | 531-810 | 811-1000 |
Credit card providers check with one or more of the main credit reference agencies in the UK - Equifax, Experian and TransUnion - before deciding to offer you a deal. The table shows what each agency considers a low or high credit score.
If you have bad credit, an eligibility checker is vital for your search for a credit card. That's because they help you find out which cards you're most likely to be accepted. This saves you from applying for a credit card that you wouldn't be accept for. While rejected applications don't automatically appear on your credit file, every application is recorded. This means that if you have multiple applications on your credit file, future lenders will infer that you've been rejected by other providers and be less willing to offer you credit. An eligibility checker can save you from that, and because it uses a soft credit check, it will have no impact on your credit score. So you can run as many soft credit checks as you like.
Remember, to apply for a credit card you must be a UK resident and aged 18 or over.
See which credit cards you're eligible for in just a few clicks
The more missed repayments you have, the worse your credit rating. And the less likely you are to be offered credit.
If you've missed a repayment in the past, your credit provider will record this and report it to the credit reference agencies.
Next time you want to borrow money from another provider they'll run a credit check. The provider will see that you’ve missed a repayment. And it will use that information to decide how likely you are to make your future repayments.
When you're registered on the electoral roll, it tells your credit provider that you live where you say you do. It helps prove to them that you're not a fraudster.
If you're not on the electoral roll, in the eyes of the lender it increases the chance that your application is fraudulent.
If you've ever taken out a joint credit product with someone else, like a joint bank account this could influence your own credit rating.
The more missed repayments you have, the worse your credit rating. And the less likely you are to be offered credit.
If you've missed a repayment in the past, your credit provider will record this and report it to the credit reference agencies.
Next time you want to borrow money from another provider they'll run a credit check. The provider will see that you’ve missed a repayment. And it will use that information to decide how likely you are to make your future repayments.
When you're registered on the electoral roll, it tells your credit provider that you live where you say you do. It helps prove to them that you're not a fraudster.
If you're not on the electoral roll, in the eyes of the lender it increases the chance that your application is fraudulent.
If you've ever taken out a joint credit product with someone else, like a joint bank account this could influence your own credit rating.
If you've been told "no" by a lender, the first thing to do is to stop applying for cards.
Every time you apply for a credit card, the provider will run a credit check. Frequent checks over a short period of time will look bad to providers - and potentially make you look desperate for money.
But there are some things you can do now to help improve your chances of getting a credit card in the future.
Your next step is to check your credit report for errors.
Look for any information you think is wrong or out of date, including basic errors relating to your address or bank details. Or for anything that looks suspicious. If you find an error on your credit report, make any corrections as soon as possible.
Knowing what's on your credit report will also help you see what credit card providers look at when you apply for a credit card.
It will show you:
Address details
Credit history
Repayments, missed and late payments
Bankruptcy and CCJs
People who have a financial connection with you
Find out more in our credit report guide.
A credit card can play an important role in your finances, but it must be used responsibly as otherwise you experience high-interest payments, late fees and increased debt. Here are some golden rules that will help you to use your credit card effectively:
This rule has to be first as it is probably the most important one of them all. Late payments can result in fees and will negatively impact your credit score, so you must be stick to the payment deadlines. You could set up automatic payments for the full monthly balance - or at least the minimum payment - to stay on track.
If you can, try and pay more than the minimum payment as this will mean you pay off the debt quicker and you'll have peace of mind that you won't incur any fees.
Speaking of fees - it's essential you understand what fees are involved before you apply for a new credit card. Take time to read all the terms and conditions and make sure you can follow the specific rules. The cardholder agreement will include this information. You don't want any nasty surprises when you start using the card.
Once you have your card, it's a good idea to review your monthly credit card statement to understand your spending and make sure there are no errors. If you see any issues, it's important to speak with your provider as soon as possible.
As with any financial product, remember to protect your details by keeping documentation in a safe place and ensuring you have strong passwords on any online accounts.
No credit check is needed with a prepaid card. They work by loading money onto the card, similar to topping up a pay-as-you-go mobile phone.
A prepaid card can help with budgeting and limiting your chances of getting into debt as you’re unable to spend more than you have loaded on the card.
Find out more about prepaid cards
This completely depends on your financial situation and whether you are able to use a new credit card responsibly. If the answer is yes, then a credit card for bad credit can help you to build up your credit score so that you can get access to better credit cards in the future.
Yes, it is possible, but there won't be as many options and the cards you're eligible for might have higher interest rates. If you don't have a credit history, lenders will look at your bank statements to determine your affordability.
APR stands for "annual percentage rate" - it's the interest rate charged on money borrowed on your credit card.
It reflects the costs you'll pay over the course of a year and includes any standard fees associated with the card.
In most cases, you can avoid paying interest by paying off your credit card balance in full by the due date of every billing cycle.
The exact APR you'll get will also depend on your individual circumstances, so it's worth checking this before applying.
Providers typically decide credit limits on a per application basis. For bad credit credit cards, limit tend to be lower. Typically they can range from £500 and go up to £1200, but this can vary.
This may vary, but if you've been using your credit builder card and regularly paying it off in full every month, you could see an improvement in your credit in three to six months.
When we use the term ‘most popular or ‘popularity’ on Uswitch in reference to credit cards, these cards are ranked by the number of clicks they have received on the site in the past 30 days.
The most clicked on cards are at the top, with the least at the bottom. This reflects how popular they are with visitors to Uswitch.com. Consequently, this is a good table to look at if you’re interested in seeing which cards most people think are worth getting.
We compare over 100 credit cards from all of the major banks and credit card providers.
However, we do not compare all the credit cards that are available in the UK.
This is because some credit card providers have offers that are only available exclusively through their own website or branch, or through other comparison websites - in the same way some credit cards are exclusively available through Uswitch.
There are also many credit cards that are only available to people in member organisations and clubs.
Our best deals on a range of credit card categories by use:
Our top credit cards by type, most popular deals and business cards
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