A journalist for nearly 20 years, Brooklyn has published work on a broad range of topics including personal finance and business as well as travel and human interest pieces. As a finance expert, she has provided commentary on credit cards, card rewards and personal finance for outlets including Forbes, Fox Business and many others. Her own wanderlust and travel experiences led to her interest in maximizing credit card rewards and benefits and motivate her to provide easy-to-understand advice and resources designed to help everyday people best match their credit cards to their lifestyle, finances and goals.
Jennifer Doss is a credit card analyst and the executive editor of CardRatings.com. She has worked as both a print and online journalist and has over a decade of experience in the media industry. Her published work has covered a broad range of topics, from finance and technology to travel and dining. Through extensive travel experiences and her personal interest in food, she has come to appreciate the unique rewards and benefits of responsible credit card use, and enjoys helping people understand the ins and outs of the industry. As a finance expert, she strives to provide user-friendly online resources that help everyday people get the most out of their credit cards.
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You might think that having bad credit would preclude you from qualifying for a cash back credit card.
Not so.
There is a classification of credit cards tailored to consumers with no credit and those whose credit history is, shall we say, less than stellar. Some of these are called “secured” credit cards, meaning that you must put forth a deposit in order to secure your credit limit. Others are unsecured cards with generally lower spending limits.
It’s certainly true that rewards shouldn’t be your first goal if you’re working to build or rebuild your credit, but if you’re being responsible AND can earn some rewards, what’s not to like?
Our editors have compiled a list of the cash back credit card options for people with a “Poor” credit score (a 580 and under FICO score). These cards serve two primary purposes. First, they give you an opportunity to build or rebuild your credit score with responsible use since all these options report your activity to the credit bureaus. Some of the secured cards will even give you the opportunity to graduate to an unsecured card if you make on-time payments over a set period of time, proving your creditworthiness.
The second purpose of the cards on the list our editors have compiled is to help you earn cash back each time you make a purchase. And we can all use some extra money in our wallets.
A journalist for nearly 20 years, Brooklyn has published work on a broad range of topics including personal finance and business as well as travel and human interest pieces. As a finance expert, she has provided commentary on credit cards, card rewards and personal finance...Read more
The information in this article is believed to be accurate as of the date it was written. Please keep in mind that credit card offers change frequently. Therefore, we cannot guarantee the accuracy of the information in this article. Reasonable efforts are made to maintain accurate information. See the online credit card application for full terms and conditions on offers and rewards. Please verify all terms and conditions of any credit card prior to applying.
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