When you think of a credit card, you probably think of making all of the purchases you need and worrying about paying the bill later. That’s how unsecured credit cards work – the most common type of credit card.

However, that’s not how all credit cards work.

For millions of people who have credit that’s less than stellar, unsecured credit cards simply aren’t an option. If your credit score is too low, unsecured credit card issuers won’t be willing to take a chance on you. After all, they don’t want to run the risk of you racking up a huge bill and not being able to pay it off!

So, what do you do when getting unsecured credit cards aren’t an option?

Take advantage of these 3 things:

1. Credit cards for bad credit

For lots of people, getting credit cards for bad credit simply isn’t an option. If you plan on making any purchases that require a credit card – like booking a hotel room or buying an airline ticket – you will need one of the credit cards for bad credit. While they may come with some extra rules that you have to follow, these cards will still give you all of the purchasing power of plastic.

2. Auto loans for bad credit

If you have car bills that are piling up – and don’t have a credit card to put them on – you may have no choice but to opt for auto loans for bad credit. Luckily, there are plenty of reputable companies out there that offer them. The key is to find one that offers reasonable interest rates and conditions, even if your credit score isn’t what it should be.

3. A student credit card

Maybe your problem isn’t that you have bad credit; maybe your problem is that you don’t have any credit to begin with! That’s OK. It’s actually a common issue for most students who are away from home for the first time.
If your complete lack of credit is stopping you from qualifying for unsecured credit cards – or you’re afraid that you may not be able to spend wisely if you have an unsecured credit card – get a student credit card.

A student credit card is specially-designed to help you pay for things like books and tuition fees, without a huge spending limit. That way, you won’t be tempted to buy more than you can afford – since your card will max out before you get there!

As you start to pay off the bills on your student credit card on time, you will start to build good credit. And, if you want, you can increase your spending limit as you get more comfortable!