Let’s face it… most people don’t have credit reports and scores that are blemish-free. If you have gotten into a bit of money trouble – and your credit reports and scores aren’t as high as they could be – you may not be able to get a traditional, unsecured credit card.

That’s OK, though, because bad credit credit cards are a great alternative!

Designed specifically for people with bad credit, these credit cards are also called “secured credit cards”. With them, all of your purchases will have to be paid for in advance – meaning that you’ll have to deposit money onto them before you can buy anything.

So, what makes these credit cards so great?

1.You can have a name-brand credit card

Most of the companies that issue traditional credit cards also have a line of bad credit credit cards. If you want the “status” of having a Visa card or a MasterCard, bad credit credit cards give you that option! That way, when you put your credit card down to pay, no one will be able to tell whether or not you’ve got an unsecured credit card, or one of the cards that’s for people with bad credit.

As an added benefit, by having a card from one of the bigger companies, you get to take advantage of all of the same purchasing power as the people who have unsecured credit cards. Your card will be accepted worldwide, and you’ll be able to use it at any ATM where your brand is accepted.

2. You can get rewards

Think that those cash back credit cards or those credit cards that offer travel miles are a luxury that only people with great credit get?

Think again! Many of the bad credit credit cards on the market offer perks that “regular” customers get.

After all, there are so many bad credit credit cards to choose from that companies have to do something to stay competitive! The result? Plenty of cash back credit cards to choose from.

3. You can often get “extra” opportunities through them
If you already have a company in place to provide you with a bad credit credit card, you may be able to take advantage of other opportunities, too – like being able to get personal loans. Apply online for a bad credit credit card, and you may also get loan offers! As an added benefit, with these types of personal loans, when you apply online, it only takes a short time to get approved!