Prepaid Credit Cards
Some people find that they can’t get accepted for a credit card because of a poor credit score or a sketchy credit history. This severely limits their options when traveling, shopping online and many other things. A major credit card is required to rent a car, check into a motel, make online purchases or buy an airline ticket. A person with poor credit can still do all these things, though, if they have one of the many prepaid credit cards.
Prepaid credit cards are a very smart way to build your credit back up and create a good payment history. All you need to do is make a deposit to the account, much the same way you would with a checking or savings account. Once the money is there, you can use your credit card until you’ve depleted the money you’ve deposited.
There are a lot of advantages when you have prepaid credit cards. You can charge as much as you want as long as you have the funds in the account. You’ll never be in debt because you’re using your own money, not someone else’s and you’ll never pay interest!
On the other hand, prepaid credit cards will cost you some money. There is a fee to set up the account initially, usually about ten dollars. You’ll also be charged a fee whenever you make a deposit to the account. These fees are usually small and not an unreasonable price to pay if you need a credit card.
Another advantage of using a prepaid credit card is privacy. Whatever you purchase isn’t reported to any polls or federal agencies. If your privacy is important to you, a prepaid credit card is a great thing to have. There are also some companies that provide prepaid credit cards and also report monthly to credit agencies, thus building up a positive credit history for you.
Another type of prepaid credit card can be found at grocery stores and pharmacies. Much like a gift card, they come in varying amounts and you won’t be paying a fee like you do when you set up an account. They work just like the prepaid credit cards but you don’t get your activity reported to credit agencies so don’t build a good credit history. Another disadvantage is that every time you buy one, it’s a different account number. If you’re using prepaid credit cards to maintain an internet subscription or some other monthly expense, you’ll have to change that number in their records every time you make a monthly payment.
Some prepaid credit cards allow you to load them with several thousand dollars but some also have rather low limits. Most of them have a limit of how much you can load at one time so depending on what you want to use it for this is a very important item to consider.
Prepaid credit cards are a good way to build a positive credit history, avoid debt and enjoy the convenience of making purchases without having to handle cash.
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Comparison of Top 10 Credit Card Offers
| Credit Card | Card Details | Interest Rate | Cash Advance Rate | Balance Transfer Rate | Annual fee | Interest free days | ||
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![]() Halifax All in One Credit Card |
The Halifax All in One credit card offers a great introductory rate, and is perfect for saving you money now as well as in the future. | 15.9% APR | 27.95% p.a. (variable) | 0% for 9 months | No Annual Fee | 59 Days interest free |
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![]() Virgin Credit Card |
As well as a great rate, the Virgin Credit Card comes with:
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16.6% APR (variable) | 27.9% p.a. (variable) | 0% for 16 Months (2.98% fee on balance transfers) | No Annual Fee | 50 days on card purchases |
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![]() Capital One Classic Visa |
This card is designed for people with bad credit ratings, this is why the rate is quite high. |
Typical 34.9% APR variable | 34.9% APR | 34.9% APR | No Annual Fee | 56 days for purchases. 0 days for balance transfers and cash. |
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As well as earning Flying Club miles which you can spend on brilliant rewards like flights, upgrades, car hire and more, a Virgin Atlantic Credit Card gives you up to 46 days interest free on card purchases. |
17.9% APR typical rate | 20.9% p.a. (variable) | 0% for 6 months (2% handling fee) | No Annual Fee | Up to 46 days on card purchases only. |
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The Virgin Prepaid MasterCard from Virgin Money is a prepaid Mastercard that you can add funds to, and use these funds for normal purchases. |
N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
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5% cashback on purchases in your first three months (up to £4,000 of spend). Thereafter, earn 0.5% on the first £3,500, 1% on £3,501 to £10,000, and 1.5% after £10,001. |
18.9% p.a. | 27.9% p.a. | 18.9% p.a | No Annual Fee | 56 days for purchases. 0 days for balance transfers and cash. |
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Vanquis Visa Card is designed for people with no credit history or who have previously had bad debt. Representative 39.9% APR (variable) |
Representative 39.9% APR (variable) | 39.9% | N/A | No Annual Fee | Up to 56 days on card purchases only |
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The award winning prepaid card with no credit check or bank account needed. | Funds in your Account will not earn interest | Prepaid only - N/A | Prepaid only - N/A | £59.40 p.a. (£4.95/month) | Prepaid only - N/A |
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