
Apply with confidence
When you’re pre-approved, the interest rate, interest-free period and fee (if there is one) are all confirmed. The only thing not guaranteed is your credit limit
Find credit cards for bad credit
Compare credit cards without harming your credit score
Representative 34.9% APR
MoneySuperMarket is a credit broker not a lender. You must be 18 or over and a UK resident.
We work with a wide range of specialist credit card providers including:
Representative 34.9% APR
If you have a poor credit history, we understand you may feel anxious about being approved for a credit card. But there are cards designed for those with bad credit. They can help improve your credit score to unlock better deals.
Credit cards for bad credit work in the same way as standard cards, but usually you can only borrow a small amount to begin with and rates tend to be higher.
MoneySuperMarket can help you find the right card, searching deals you’re eligible for without harming your credit score.
There may be several reasons why you have a poor credit history or your credit score isn’t in the best shape, including:
Helps you pay off debt faster by consolidating existing card balances
You may be able to avoid interest charges for up to two years
You could get a balance transfer deal even without a top credit rating
Designed for shopping, letting you spend and spread the cost
Zero interest for a fixed period
May be difficult to get if you don’t have a strong credit history
When you apply for a balance transfer card, it’s not always clear whether you’ll be accepted. But when you’re pre-approved, you’ll know where you stand with information to help you make the right choice.
When you’re pre-approved, the interest rate, interest-free period and fee (if there is one) are all confirmed. The only thing not guaranteed is your credit limit
You’ll see your personalised chance of approval for all balance transfer credit cards, so you can easily compare your options
Our soft search shows you your chances of approval. This helps protect your credit score as you’re less likely to be rejected when you apply
Poor credit can make it harder to get the best credit cards deals – but it doesn’t mean an instant ‘no’ to credit. Lenders have different criteria and they'll look at information on your credit file. Our credit monitor service uses TransUnion and credit scores range from 0 to 710:
0-550 – Very poor: Chances of getting a card may be limited. While you may find a card, it may be best to work on your score to get a better deal
551-565 – Could be better: If you apply for credit, you have a chance it’ll be approved – but you may face higher interest rates
566-603 – Pretty good: If approved, you should be offered reasonable deals for credit, but they may not be market-leading
604-627 – Very good: You’re likely to be approved for credit, but may not be offered the very best deals
628-710 – Excellent: It’s very likely you’ll be offered the best deals on the market for credit (but there are no guarantees)
Get a free copy of your credit report with Credit Monitor.
Representative 34.9% APR
Whether you have ‘bad credit’ or ‘no credit’ you can take steps to improve your credit rating:
as lenders use this as proof of your address
errors could be affecting your score
shows you can borrow responsibly
as each will leave a mark on your report
or it could indicate unstable finances
many open lines of credit implies instability
If you think a credit card for bad credit could be right for you, the next step is to use our eligibility checker to see what cards are available - and which are most likely to approve you:
We'll ask you a handful of simple questions about you and your financial circumstances, and what you need from a credit card
We'll sift through dozens of credit cards offers from across the market, and show you the cards we think will suit you best
You'll be shown a range of credit cards, which you'll be able to sort according to APR, features and your chances of being approved
MoneySuperMarket is a credit broker – this means we’ll show you products offered by lenders. We never take a fee from customers for this broking service. Instead we are usually paid a fee by the lenders – though the size of that payment doesn’t affect how we show products to customers.
There isn’t a single answer to this question, as different lenders have different criteria for their product, and calculate your overall score in different ways. However the more negative marks on your credit history – such as bankruptcies, county court judgements or missed repayments – the less likely you’ll be accepted if you apply for credit.
It will depend on how you use the card – if you make your payments on time you’ll avoid paying any interest, which means you can focus on other existing debts. However if you don’t use the card responsibly then you’ll end up paying a much higher interest rate – which won’t help at all.
Here are some tips for using your card responsibly that will help you avoid paying more than you have to in interest, so you can improve your credit score:
If you have a limited credit history, rather than ‘bad credit’, you’ll benefit from a credit-builder credit card – these work in much the same way as credit cards for bad credit.
When you’ve improved your credit score, you’ll likely qualify for a bigger range of cards, including:
‘Bad credit’ means you’ve a credit history but you’ve made mistakes in the past, while ‘no credit’ implies that you’re young or have a limited history of taking credit out.
While it might seem unfair, if you haven’t previously had a credit card, loan or mortgage, a lender may not have the confidence that you can handle credit. A credit card for bad credit could be useful here too.
Most credit cards are easy to apply for, but most – especially those with the better terms – will take a few days to approve you. This is because card providers want to check you out before offering you a deal.
There are some so-called ‘instant approval’ credit cards which can give you a decision in as little as 60 seconds, however. If you apply for one of these, you can end up approved, declined or referred for further review.
The best way to help make sure you’re approved at short notice is to have a high credit score.
Everyone’s likelihood of acceptance depends mostly on their credit score. So the higher your score, the more chances you have of being offered a deal on a particular card. However some cards, including credit builder cards, are made for people with lower credit scores and may come with a higher chance of acceptance.
All credit cards can help you build up your credit score to some extent – provided you use them responsibly. If you spend a small amount each month and then pay it all off, you will quickly demonstrate to the credit agencies that you are a sensible borrower. Your credit score can be improved a few times a year in this way.
Find out how to select, and get approved for your first credit card with our helpful guide.
Your credit score is what lenders use to decide whether you can manage debt. Find out about credit checks and scores.
See the pros and cons of credit cards in our guide.
FInd out about cards that could be easier to get if you have bad credit.
Credit cards come in all shapes & sizes, finding one that suits you can make a world of difference to your pocket.
A credit card can be a useful addition to any wallet, purse or pocket. Find out what type of card will suit you best.
Find out more about how balance transfer credit cards work and what’s available.
How can credit card protection help you to recover money?
Can't find what you're looking for? Try looking at our news, views and in-depth credit cards guides
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If you’re applying for a credit card, you might be able to find a better deal if you look through offers from different providers before taking one out. With MoneySuperMarket you’ll be able to search through multiple credit cards and compare them by a range of factors, including their interest rates and any benefits and rewards they come with.
All you need to do is answer a few questions about yourself and your financial situation, and our Eligibility Checker will show your chances of being accepted for different credit cards. This won’t affect your credit score, so you can run a check without any worries.
Once you know which card you want, you can normally apply by phone, online, or in person if the provider has a high street branch. However, when you do apply, the provider will usually run a hard credit check – which will show up on your credit report – to confirm whether they’ll give you the card. If you’re accepted they’ll tell you your credit limit and interest rate, and soon you’ll be ready to start using your credit card.
MoneySuperMarket gives you lots of clever ways to save a lot, by doing very little.
So how do we make our money? In a nutshell, when you use us to buy a product, we get a reward from the company you’re buying from.
But you might have other questions. Do we provide access to all the companies operating in a given market? Do we have commercial relationships or ownership ties that might make us feature one company above another?
We commit to providing you with clear and informative answers on all points such as this, so we have gathered the relevant information on this page.