Credit Cards for People with Bad Credit - Compare deals with TotallyMoney

Max Credit Limit

£3,500

Representative % APR (variable)

23.9% APR

Virgin Money Cashback lets you earn cashback on your credit card spending at participating retailers. Sign up in the mobile app

You are guaranteed to get the APR shown, if accepted

No annual fee

Check my eligibility

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Representative Example

If you spend £1,200 at a purchase interest rate of 23.9% p.a. (variable) your representative APR will be 23.9% APR (variable)

Max Credit Limit

£3,500

Representative % APR (variable)

25.9% APR

Virgin Money Cashback lets you earn cashback on your credit card spending at participating retailers. Sign up in the mobile app

You are guaranteed to get the APR shown, if accepted

No annual fee

Check my eligibility

See more details

Representative Example

If you spend £1,200 at a purchase interest rate of 25.9% p.a. (variable) your representative APR will be 25.9% APR (variable)

Max Credit Limit

£1,500

Representative % APR (variable)

26.5% APR

Low rate for people with lower credit ratings

The rate you see here is the rate you will get, if accepted

Could be accepted with a lower credit rating or limited credit history

Check my eligibility

See more details

Representative Example

If you spend £1,200 at a purchase interest rate of 26.5% p.a. (variable) your representative APR will be 26.5% APR (variable)

Max Credit Limit

£1,000

Representative % APR (variable)

29.3% APR

Guaranteed credit limit of £1000

One interest rate for all transactions

0% on balance transfers for 9 months

Check my eligibility

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Representative Example

If you spend £1,000 at a purchase interest rate of 29.3% p.a. (variable) your representative APR will be 29.3% APR (variable)

Max Credit Limit

£1,200

Representative % APR (variable)

29.3% APR

Low rate for people with lower credit ratings

The rate you see here is the rate you will get, if accepted

Could be accepted with a lower credit rating or limited credit history

Check my eligibility

See more details

Representative Example

If you spend £1,200 at a purchase interest rate of 29.3% p.a. (variable) your representative APR will be 29.3% APR (variable)

Max Credit Limit

£1,200

Representative % APR (variable)

29.5% APR

One interest rate for all transactions

0% on balance transfers for 9 months

Could accept customers with limited credit history

Check my eligibility

See more details

Representative Example

If you spend £1,200 at a purchase interest rate of 29.5% p.a. (variable) your representative APR will be 29.5% APR (variable)

Max Credit Limit

£1,200

Representative % APR (variable)

29.5% APR

One interest rate for all transactions

Guaranteed APR of 29.5%, if accepted

Could accept customers with limited credit history

Check my eligibility

See more details

Representative Example

If you spend £1,200 at a purchase interest rate of 29.5% p.a. (variable) your representative APR will be 29.5% APR (variable)

Max Credit Limit

£1,500

Representative % APR (variable)

29.8% APR

Low rate for people with lower credit ratings

One interest rate for all transactions

Get a response to your application in 60 seconds

Check my eligibility

See more details

Representative Example

If you spend £1,200 at a purchase interest rate of 29.84% p.a. (variable) your representative APR will be 29.8% APR (variable)

Max Credit Limit

£3,500

Representative % APR (variable)

29.9% APR

0% on balance transfers for 16 months

0% on money transfers for 12 months

0% on purchases for 3 months

Check my eligibility

See more details

Representative Example

If you spend £1,200 at a purchase interest rate of 29.9% p.a. (variable) your representative APR will be 29.9% APR (variable)

Max Credit Limit

£3,500

Representative % APR (variable)

29.9% APR

0% on balance transfers for 12 months

0% on money transfers for 12 months

0% on purchases for 12 months

Check my eligibility

See more details

Representative Example

If you spend £1,200 at a purchase interest rate of 29.9% p.a. (variable) your representative APR will be 29.9% APR (variable)

Max Credit Limit

£3,500

Representative % APR (variable)

29.9% APR

0% on balance transfers for 12 months

0% on money transfers for 6 months

0% on purchases for 3 months

Check my eligibility

See more details

Representative Example

If you spend £1,200 at a purchase interest rate of 29.9% p.a. (variable) your representative APR will be 29.9% APR (variable)

Max Credit Limit

£3,500

Representative % APR (variable)

29.9% APR

0% on balance transfers for 12 months

0% on money transfers for 6 months

0% on purchases for 3 months

Check my eligibility

See more details

Representative Example

If you spend £1,200 at a purchase interest rate of 29.9% p.a. (variable) your representative APR will be 29.9% APR (variable)

Max Credit Limit

£3,500

Representative % APR (variable)

29.9% APR

0% on balance transfers for 9 months

0% on money transfers for 9 months

0% on purchases for 9 months

Check my eligibility

See more details

Representative Example

If you spend £1,200 at a purchase interest rate of 29.9% p.a. (variable) your representative APR will be 29.9% APR (variable)

Max Credit Limit

£3,500

Representative % APR (variable)

29.9% APR

0% on balance transfers for 9 months

0% on money transfers for 9 months

0% on purchases for 9 months

Check my eligibility

See more details

Representative Example

If you spend £1,200 at a purchase interest rate of 29.9% p.a. (variable) your representative APR will be 29.9% APR (variable)

Max Credit Limit

£1,500

Representative % APR (variable)

29.9% APR

0% on balance transfers for 3 months and 0% on purchases for 3 months

One interest rate for all transactions

Get a response to your application in 60 seconds

Check my eligibility

See more details

Representative Example

If you spend £1,200 at a purchase interest rate of 29.94% p.a. (variable) your representative APR will be 29.9% APR (variable)

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Showing 15 of 44 Cards

What are the different types of credit card?

You can find out more information about the different types of credit card in our guide

What does ’pre-approved’ mean?

If you are pre-approved, this means that you will get the card or loan, at the rate advertised, providing the information you give us in accurate and you pass the lender’s final checks, which include fraud and responsible lending safeguards

Exclusive Offer

Exclusive to the TotallyMoney comparison platform. This offer may appear on sites that we power or advertise through.

Pre-population

When you click to go to a lender we may pass over your details to help speed up the application process

Can’t see a particular card?

We frequently update our product offering meaning the cards shown on this table may change. If you can’t find what you are looking for, this may be because we have recently updated our table and removed a particular product.

Understanding credit cards for poor credit

Poor credit credit cards, also called bad credit credit cards, are designed to help you if you have a poor, or non-existent, credit record. These cards accept people who would be rejected for a mainstream credit card.

They are an excellent way of building up a good credit record. If you get one, use it sensibly and pay your balance off in full each month.

However, they carry very high interest rates – typically 29–35%APR – so NEVER spend more than you can afford to pay back.

Stop the cycle of credit card rejection

If you’ve applied and been rejected for a credit card, read this before applying again.

Being rejected is not only a waste of time, it can damage your credit rating, making it even harder to obtain credit and create a vicious circle of rejection.

So, stop and assess why you’ve been turned down and then find the card most likely to accept you. Every card company has their own criteria for lending, so even if one has rejected you, it doesn’t mean that they all will.

Before you apply again, find out which cards are most likely to accept you. Our eligibility check will tell you which credit cards you are most likely to be accepted for, without casting a shadow on your credit record – using it will not affect your credit rating.

How does the eligibility check work?

The eligibility check can help you decide on which card to apply for. Enter a few details and we’ll show you the cards you’re more likely to be approved for – and those that might reject you.

Acceptance isn’t guaranteed, but we use a soft search – you’ll see it on your file, but lenders don’t, so there’s no impact on your credit rating – to show your chance of acceptance for each card.

Don’t assume you’ll only get a ‘bad credit’ credit card, you may be pleasantly surprised. But whatever result you get, use your new credit card to improve your credit rating.

What is a poor credit credit card?

Bad credit credit cards are designed for people who have had credit problems in the past or have little or no history of borrowing. If you fall into either category you represent an above-average risk to the lender, so you pay for that risk with higher interest rates and fewer special offers.

As these cards are expensive they’re not great for new borrowing. But, if used sensibly &nsdash; that means paying the balance off in full each month – they can help you build up a good credit score.

You’re likely to fall into the poor credit category if you have:

A limited or non-existent credit history

Past issues such as repeated missed payments

Prior County Court Judgements

Been declined by several other credit card providers

What are bad credit credit cards good for?

They’re a great way to build or rebuild your credit rating.

In some circumstances they can be a cheaper alternative to other forms of borrowing, such as payday loans or unauthorised overdrafts.

Some poor credit cards feature 0% introductory rates and can be used carefully for low-cost, short-term borrowing.

All bad credit credit cards come with useful free Section 75 purchase protection benefits.

How to improve your credit rating

Here’s how you can use a credit card to improve your credit rating and, in time, gain access to better rates and products:

Use the card. An unused card sitting in a drawer won’t help your credit score, you need to flex the plastic, even if it is only to spend a few pounds each month.

Stay within your credit limit.

Repay your balance in full every month – set up a direct debit to ensure you don’t miss a payment.

Never miss a monthly payment.

Never take on debt you can’t afford to pay off in full – bad credit credit cards tend to have high APRs and expensive interest costs could lead to you missing a repayment.

Compare credit cards for poor credit

Virgin Money Credit Builder Card - Guaranteed 23.9% APR

£3,500

23.9% APR

Virgin Money Credit Builder Card - Guaranteed 25.9% APR

£3,500

25.9% APR

Vanquis Chrome 26.5% APR

£1,500

26.5% APR

Vanquis Chrome Balance Transfer Credit Card

£1,000

29.3% APR

Vanquis Chrome Credit Card

£1,200

29.3% APR

thimbl. 9 Month Balance Transfer Card

£1,200

29.5% APR

thimbl. 29.5% APR

£1,200

29.5% APR

Capital One Classic Platinum

£1,500

29.8% APR

Virgin Money 16 Month BT Card - Guaranteed 29.9% APR

£3,500

29.9% APR

Virgin Money 12 Month All Round Credit Card - Guaranteed 29.9% APR

£3,500

29.9% APR

Virgin Money 12 Month BT Card - Guaranteed 29.9% APR

£3,500

29.9% APR

Virgin Money 12 Month BT Credit Card - Guaranteed 29.9% APR

£3,500

29.9% APR

Virgin Money 9 Month All Round Card - Guaranteed 29.9% APR

£3,500

29.9% APR

Virgin Money 9 Month All Round Credit Card - Guaranteed 29.9% APR

£3,500

29.9% APR

Ocean 3 month 0% Credit Card

£1,500

29.9% APR

What are the different types of credit card?

What does ’pre-approved’ mean?

Exclusive Offer

Pre-population

Can’t see a particular card?

Understanding credit cards for poor credit

Stop the cycle of credit card rejection

How does the eligibility check work?

What is a poor credit credit card?

What are bad credit credit cards good for?

How to improve your credit rating