Monday, November 3, 2008

Improve Credit Score With Prepaid Credit Cards


The prepaid credit card must be secured by the applicant, by paying for the use of the card before actually using it to make a purchase.This type of credit card requires you to deposit or pre-pay a specified amount of money, sometimes called a "security deposit," in the bank of the card issuer.The credit line on the credit card will be limited by the security deposit amount, normally between $200 to $500, which has been prepaid for the use of the card.

With traditional credit cards, you apply for credit and receive approval or you are denied based on your credit rating, then if approved, you are issued a credit card with a specified line of credit.When you do not have the necessary good credit rating already established, the traditional banks will not issue you a credit card.

The issuers of prepaid credit cards may ignore the rigorous credit rating requirements used by traditional lenders and in some instances they may not even do a credit check or make verification of your employment.The security deposit you prepaid to gain access to the line of credit will ensure that the issuer receives repayment if you should happen to default on your credit card’s monthly payments.This is a simple way for people to rebuild their credit or establish a credit rating for the first time, and because these cards are secured by your deposit, almost anyone is eligible to receive one.There may be age restrictions (18 or 21) on these prepaid credit cards or you may have to be a U.S. citizen, but these instant credit approval cards have a high approval rate because the restrictions are minimal.

Every place you can use traditional credit cards such as Visa and MasterCard, your prepaid credit cards will be welcome.You may use these prepaid credit cards in an ATM machine to get the cash you need to shop, or you can use the card to make purchases online or by phone and you can pay bills on the phone or online.

Prepaid credit cards offer can offer such advantages as allowing you to rebuilding credit or establishing credit for the first time and they can help you avoid making late payments.There are some other advantages to prepaid credit cards: eliminate the need of writing checks and money orders and going to the post office to pay bills, and you can also have your paycheck directly deposited onto your card for your convenience.

Some things that are disadvantages of the prepaid credit card are higher interest rates and over the limit fees, and a monthly maintenance fee.Some other disadvantages of prepaid credit cards are the fact that the cards may not be accepted as payment by car rental agencies and the security deposit which has to be paid before you can use the card.

Whether you are rebuilding your credit rating or establishing credit for the first time, it is very important for you to make your payments on time and you must be careful to not exceed your credit line limit.The main reason prepaid credit cards were introduced to the public was to help us learn how to be responsible in our financial matters and develop better spending traits.

The late payment cycle is easy to find ourselves to be trapped in and soon we can be months behind and struggling with all of the late fees.When you have made payments on time and in a consistent manner, most card companies will increase your credit line and may return your deposit with interest.

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