Credit Cards for Bad Credit: Improving Your Credit Card Terms
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by: barrywaters
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Word Count: 434
The least charming facet of credit cards for bad credit is the high interest rate that almost inevitably comes with them. However, the high interest rate is not necessarily permanent. Regardless of whether you have store cards, student cards, credit cards for bad credit, or any other kind of credit card that is saddled with an inconveniently high interest rate, there are ways to negotiate better credit card terms.
The first and best trick to try is merely to call your credit card issuer and ask them for a better interest rate. A national survey found that 56 percent of the time, credit card companies offered lower rates to customers as an incentive to not switch credit card companies if the customers telephoned to say that they had gotten a better offer and were planning to leave. Customers lowered their annual interest rate by an average of five to six points, and some companies offered them perks like no interest for half a year. One customer more than halved her exorbitantly high interest rate, an important consideration if you have a credit card for bad credit. Customers suffered no penalties if their credit card issuer refused to lower their interest rates. As long as you are polite to the credit card representatives, asking for a reduction in your interest rate is risk free and has an exceptionally high success rate.
You can use the same method to ask the credit card company to waive your annual fee. If you want to change your due date or move to a better rewards program, you do not even need to threaten to leave. Just ask politely.
Even if you originally got your card under terms designed for credit cards for bad credit, you can improve the terms substantially, perhaps even to the level enjoyed by premium credit cards. This is especially likely if you have had your credit card for a while (two or three years on average; four years or more is ideal), if you have made most of your payments on time for the past year or two, and if you are using a relatively small percentage of your line of credit. Even if you have had a credit card with your issuer for under a year, though, or have made late payments or used much of your line of credit, you may be able to convince your credit card company to improve your terms. A little civil persistence can do wonders for your credit card terms. It will not hurt you to ask.
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