If you’re one of the many consumers that have never had credit cards, you’re probably finding out that getting new cards with no credit is almost as hard as getting cards with bad credit. You may have low scores because of having no history. Your score can’t be determined if you’ve never had cards or loans. However, all is not lost for you either. There is hope and options available to you.

Many companies offer secured or prepaid cards to individuals that have bad credit. How these secured cards work is that you make a deposit to the bank issuing these cards. The amount of you deposit determines your limit. The card company uses the deposits as security should you not pay your bill. Once you’ve determined that you are a good risk by paying your bill on time each month, you may be eligible for an unsecured card. Unsecured cards do not require a deposit and will give you the chance to continue to change your rating from bad or poor to good.

Even if you have poor credit, you should still try to be selective in choosing cards. Make sure you look for cards, secured or unsecured, that have the lowest possible interest rate so most of your payments won’t be for interest. Cards can open up many opportunities for you financially.