Most would-be credit card owners these days have a bruise or two on their credit report and feel they may not qualify for low interest credit cards. Depending on the problem that appears on their bureau they very well may be right. However, a large section of the people with fair credit will qualify for credit cards with low interest rates regardless of their credit discrepancies if they can show certain attributes on the credit card application.
Believe it or not, some of the lowest rate credit cards on the market only require "average" credit to qualify for. Knowing which cards, where to apply and how to accent the "positives" on you application is the key to obtaining these cards. We have listed an explanation for these three tips below.
1) Which Credit Cards to Apply for - Credit card issuers offer credit cards these days that come with all types of bells and whistles on them. Leave these credit cards alone. What you are looking for is the plain old fashion credit cards. This means no cash back credit cards, no reward benefits, travel cards and so on. These cards rarely benefit the "average" user and carry a higher default rate than regular credit cards.
The plain or regular credit cards can usually be found at the end of each credit card sections on most credit card websites. This is because they carry a lower profit margin than the cards with bells and whistles attached to them.
2) Where to Get Credit cards for Average Credit - Low interest rate credit cards are rarely sent to your home in the mail. The credit card offers sent to your mail box are usually less attractive clones of the real cards that have lower rates. We suggest that you use these applications to start your fireplace or back yard grill.
The best place to go to get the low interest credit cards is directly into the bank that offers the card. The problem with this is some of the banks that offer the best rates and terms aren't national banks and may not have a branch where you are.
The next best place to look for low interest rate credit cards is well established online credit card websites. They usually carry a large selection of credit cards that are exactly like the cards you can get directly at the bank.
3) How to Apply for Credit Cards - The credit card issuers aren't necessarily looking for a high credit score. They are looking for people with a fairly good track record of making payments and the capacity to pay them back.
Let's assume that I applied for a card having a 720 credit score and a mountain of debt. Let's assume that and you applied for the same card with only a 620 credit score but with very little debt, you would be the more attractive applicant in many credit card issuers' eyes.
Details on the application are a key factor when you fill out a low interest rate credit card application. If you have been on your job 3 years and nine months don't just put 3 years. List your checking account and your savings account if it asks, most people only list their checking. Finally, look at your credit report before you apply with any credit issuers.
The U.S. Public Interest Research Group reports that as many as 25% of consumer credit bureaus are reporting inaccurate information that can cause you to be declined. If you see any errors dispute them immediately, it may take a month or more to get them corrected.
Have the credit bureau add a comment to your bureau that says "consumer disputes this information" immediately. This will not help your score but will tell prospective creditors why your score is low.
Aubrey Clark is an author and editor for DirectBanc.com. He has been writing on financial issues that range from credit cards for Fair credit to Where to Find Low Interest Rate Credit Cards.
