What credit cards are the easiest to get?

Key takeaways

• Easy-to-get credit cards are useful for young adults without an established credit history, individuals with poor credit, and people looking to rebuild a credit profile after financial difficulty.

• Easy-to-get credit cards may have a low credit limit and higher interest rates, but they can help improve your credit score over time.

• Securing a credit card with low or no credit history is challenging, but not impossible.

• Improving your credit score and demonstrating financial responsibility can enhance your chances of credit card approval.

What is an easy-to-get credit card?

Easy-to-get credit cards are designed for individuals who may not qualify for standard credit cards due to a low credit score or limited credit history.

Every time you apply for a credit card, the lender you’re applying to will check your credit historyscore, which shows how reliable you have been managing loans and other debt in the past.

The higher your score, the more likely you are to be approved for one of the cards with the most competitive terms.

However, if your credit history is less than stellar, you might feel like you're out of options. This is where easy-to-get credit cards come into play.

These cards typically feature:

• Higher interest rates: To offset the risk of lending to individuals with lower credit scores, issuers often charge higher interest rates.

• Lower borrowing limits: These cards may come with lower credit limits, which can help prevent overspending and encourage responsible credit use.

Easy-to-get credit cards may also be called bad credit credit cards, credit-builder credit cards or pre-approved or instant-decision credit cards – all cards typically designed for individuals with less-than-perfect credit scores.

What are the easiest credit cards to get?

Credit cards designed specifically for people with poor credit or no credit history are the easiest to get. These include:

• Credit cards for bad credit: These cards often come with a low credit limit and high interest or APR. But they reward careful spenders, who make their repayments on time and practice good credit habits, by improving their credit scores.

• Credit-builder credit cards: Credit-builder cards are designed to improve your credit rating. They offer a chance to prove to the credit agencies who manage your score that you can use credit responsibly. This means spending low amounts and paying them off in full each month.

• Pre-approved credit cards:While you’ll still need to go through a credit check before the card is confirmed, an initial soft search will reveal so-called pre-approved credit cards that you’re almost guaranteed to get as long as the information you have provided is accurate.

• Student credit cards: Young people haven’t had a chance to prove they can responsibly handle credit, so their credit file often shows little financial history. Student cards can be a first option for a credit card and help teach responsible borrowing.

Steps to take before you apply

Before applying for an easy-to-get credit card it is worth considering the following:

• Review your credit report: Check your credit report for any errors or missing information that could affect your application, and correct anything that's inaccurate. 

• Check eligibility: Use an eligibility checker before you apply to see your chances of being accepted without affecting your credit score.

• Compare the features: Look beyond your chances of being accepted. Check the interest rate, fees, credit limit and any rewards to make sure the card meets your needs.

• Limit applications: Avoid making several credit card applications in a short space of time, as multiple hard searches could reduce your chances of being accepted.

• Borrow responsibly: Only borrow what you need and keep well within your credit limit to help build a positive credit history.

• Plan your repayments: Make sure you can afford the repayments before you apply. Paying your balance in full each month, where possible, helps you avoid interest charges and maintain a healthy credit record.

Alternatives to credit cards

If a credit card isn't the right fit for you, there are other borrowing options available for those with low credit scores:

• Loans for bad credit: Many providers offer personal loans for bad credit, tailored to those with less-than-perfect credit histories.

• Guarantor loans: With a guarantor loan, another individual agrees to cover your debt if you're unable to pay.

• Buy Now, Pay Later: The buy now, pay later option provides a short-term breathing space for payments.

If you're struggling with debt, organisations like National Debtline, StepChange, and Citizens Advice offer free, impartial advice. For those whose mental health is affected by financial concerns, Money Talks provides guidance and support.

Other helpful guides

If you want to find out more about credit cards, including understanding and cutting through the financial jargon, our following guides might help:

• Why was I declined for a credit card?

• What is an APR?

• What are virtual credit cards?

• How can I switch to a new credit card?

Find and compare credit cards with MoneySuperMarket

Whichever type of credit card you want to apply for, you can discover what’s on offer and compare deals on MoneySuperMarket.

All you need to do is tell us a little about your finances, including details about your income and what you want to use your new card for.

We’ll give you a tailored list of credit cards which you can sort by interest rate, any fees and charges, and how likely it is that you’ll be accepted if you apply.

Showing you cards for which you’re pre-approved can help protect your credit score as you can minimise the chance of being rejected and having to apply again for credit.

Once you’ve found the card you want, just click through to the provider to finalise your application.

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.