Can I get a credit card?!...

James_james

Hello this is my first post so pls excuse me if it's in the wrong forum.
Ok, I am unemployed and at the moment signed on to receive jobseekers.
My credit rating/history is non existent and/or bad, and so I'd like to get a credit card (whatever the %interest charges) to get my credit rating up again. I would simply put a small purchase on the card every month and pay off straight away - as advised by many to be the safest way of getting good credit.
So in a nutshell can I get a credit card despite being unemployed? Thanks!

evanjonesaber

Right your best bet would be a sub-prime credit card.

Try Vanquis or Capital One. They are both for people with poor or no credit, and are a good way of getting a foothold in the door. They come with high interest mind so be careful

seeya23

try

auqa card http://www.aquacard.co.uk/
Capital One https://www.capitalone.co.uk/creditcards/secure/application.jsf
Vanquis Visa http://www.vanquis.co.uk/home/home.aspx

James_james

thanks evanjonesaber and seeya23! applied for a capitalone card - in post.

Could i speed up the improvement of my credit rating by getting another card (or two!) and carfeully making sure to put a small amount on each month and paying in full straight away?

Thanks in advance
james

Dabooka

Why risk having more than one and getting into bother. Why do you need to boost your credit rating quickly anyway? Sorry, but if you're not working the temptation to leave a little on each month could easily get out of hand.

James_james

I completely understand the risks of one let alone several credit cards, but i'm keen to boost my rating to at least a positive one asap. There is no temptation whatsoever to leave any balances on my card, i'm talking a purchase every month of say £5!
My girlfriend fortunately has a very generous 0% credit card limit should I ever want/need to buy something I can't pay in full for straight away. But thank you anyway.

My question therefore still stands; will getting another card further speed up my credit rating?

Thanks

Dabooka

I understand your plan and acceptance of not building up a balance, but you are still to say why you are in need to build up your credit quickly.

James_james

Well a good credit rating is important for all sorts of things, so surely the sooner the better? There is no rush so I accept that the one card I have applied for will do the job, but if two cards can do it twice as quickly (noted at double the risk) then why not?

Whilst I am trying everything I can to find a job again, i'd like to know that my credit rating is still improving.
It's a horrible position being unemployed, and any sensible way of climbing up the ratings seems a good thing to do right now.

Dabooka

Well if I was in your position, I'd be happy with the one and build up your score that way. Remember having a load of credit available but unused could block other stuff, and having lots of credit applications in quick succession will affect it too.

Just a thought, but I'd stick with what you've got.

msmorrisonspeaks

Pay off your credit card debt. It's usually the debt with the most interest. So pay it off first. Better yet, don't accumulate it in the first place. ~Deb

wrangler5

James_james wrote: »

Well a good credit rating is important for all sorts of things, so surely the sooner the better? There is no rush so I accept that the one card I have applied for will do the job, but if two cards can do it twice as quickly (noted at double the risk) then why not?

Whilst I am trying everything I can to find a job again, i'd like to know that my credit rating is still improving.
It's a horrible position being unemployed, and any sensible way of climbing up the ratings seems a good thing to do right now.

It isn't about how quickly you can build up your credit rating. It takes time to build up a good history of managing credit sensibly and that has nothing to do with how many cards you have, it's how you manage the accounts that matters. It can take many month and sometimes years to buil a credit rating ~ the clue is in the word 'Build' because you have to build it over time.