Your options are:

 Capital one

Barclaycard Initial

Vanquis

Aqua.

 One of these four will give you a card. Someone mentioned about capital ones staff being rude, only a problem if you have to speak to them. I never have to speak to my credit card company, just once when i got the card to activate it,. They send me a statement and I pay it. No need to speak to them.

Hi, I wouldn't go to capital one either, try Vanquis, they are very helpful

regards

Hi

 I was in a similar position and needed a credit card, but could not get approval, instead I found that there are now quite a few PAY AS YOU GO debit cards available and all you need do is go to a post office and 'top up' the balance. I've got a visa one and it is accepted anywhere, home or abroad. There is a small monthly fee (usually £5.00).

Hope this helps

Rog 

I wouldnt recommend Capital One. I had a credit card with them for 8 months (8 months too long IMO) and I have always found their staff rude and incompetent.

If you can, get a CC with Barclaycard - their pretty decent over the phone and their online service is very good.

Hi

I was in a similar bad credit rating (not my fault, but the dreaded CSA who totally screwed my finances) so after being denied by a couple of card companies, I wrote personally to Barclaycard explaining my situation and asked for a card with just £250 credit, they were quite sympathetic and after telephoning me to clear up a few questions they gave me a card with a £250 limit, this is all I needed to start again as I order most of my stuff over the internet as I work early in the morning til quite late at night.

Just BEWARE the APR is very steep @ 29.9% but as I pay every month off in full I get no interest charges

I have been with them now for 4 years and my limit is now £600

I say thanks to Barclaycard for giving me another chance to becoming debt-free and repairing my credit score

Kevin
 

Banks can be troublesome if they aren't aware of your credit situation, believe me.

In this case, I'd see if Capital One would give a card, as they tend to bend towards people who can't get credit elsewhere. If they say no though, don't try anywhere else, as these credit checks do show on your credit history.

Thanks (again!), Dave.

The bank does not have any legal right to pull the plug on my current account if they become aware of my IVA do they? That's my only concern here.  

If you are only looking for £250 to help with cashflow, do you not know someone who could lend it to you for 6 months until you get back on your feet?

Alternatively approach your current bank as given your income they might well be sympathetic and allow you it as an overdraft for a few months. 

This is going to be difficult. 

As you are obviously in a good job, can you not explore the option of a corporate card (Amex or Diners Club) underwritten by your employer? 

Due to a prolonged period of unemployment in 2005/06 our finances went to pieces, and we ended up in an IVA. I was earning in excess of 50k pa, and we went from a first class credit rating to what feels like the filth of the universe.

I am now back at work, and earning even more than I was before. The thing is, I now need a credit card which will give me a small amount of credit - say £250 per month. The reason being that I travel the UK and paying up front for my petrol, overnight stays etc is straining my cash-flow, so a card would be ideal. My company (an enormous American firm) will re-imburse these expenses monthly, in effect paying the bill.

Problem being that I don't know who to approach in these circumstances.

Over to you !!??