These days it is hard to get by without a credit card, and it is frustrating if you have been denied one or more credit cards in the past because you have below average credit or no credit at all.

But you can get a credit card with bad or no credit! You just need to know where to look, and what to expect.

The same credit cards marketed to consumers with average credit may not be available to you if you have been late on more than a couple payments in the last few years, have defaulted on a loan, or have no credit at all.

There are certain cards, however, designed for borrowers with less-than-perfect credit. Some of these include the Horizon Gold Card, the Tribute MasterCard, and the Continental Finance Visa.

These cards work just like any credit card. The only difference is you will be asked to accept less favorable terms such as a higher interest rate and lower credit limit. This is because with no credit or poor credit, you are a higher risk to the credit card company.

The good news is once you have your card, use it regularly, and make on-time payments, your credit limit will go up and your interest rate may even come down.

Plus, once you have had a card for a year you have probably improved your credit score and can apply for a new credit card with better terms.

If you are overextended with credit card debt but still need a new credit card to manage your finances, you may also want to consider a secured credit card.

Secured credit cards work like regular credit cards but have one important difference. Basically, you pay first.

That is, you make a deposit into a bank account and the amount of that deposit becomes your credit line. Deposit $500 and you can charge $500 on your card.

If it sounds like an debit card or pre-paid card, you’re right. However secured credit cards has an important feature that debit and pre-paid cards don’t, and that’s the ability to reserve a portion of your credit line when making hotel or rental car reservations. This cannot be done with a pre-paid credit card and only works with some bank debit cards.

Browse our top rated bad credit credit cards now or learn more about the difference between secured and unsecured cards.