4 Best Credit Cards for bad credit Scores 2023
Are you having issues getting a credit card due to your low credit score? Having poor credit scores can be difficult to improve and doesn’t help you in having a credit card and enjoying the rewards.
However, you can replenish your score in a few ways. Secured credit cards are an easy way to get a credit card and are also ideal for improving your credit score.
To boost your credit score, read 3 Ways to Boost Your Credit Score
The following are some of the best credit cards with a bad credit score in 2023.
4 Best credit cards for Low credit scores
1. SBI Advantage Plus Credit Card:
Customers having a bad credit score can apply for the Advantage Plus credit card, which is a basic card offered by the State Bank of India.
It is available with a minimum annual fee and joining fee, and is specifically curated for all your shopping needs. It is accepted worldwide and offers several other benefits as well.
Key benefits
- Get family and relatives add-on credit cards.
- Worldwide, this credit card is accepted at over 24 million outlets.
- EMIs are available for purchases of Rs.2,500 and more with Flexipay.
- The Advantage Plus credit card offers balance transfers.
- You may be able to use your credit card to borrow up to 85% of the amount of your fixed deposit.
Fees / Charges
Types of Charges | Sum |
Annual Fee | Rs.500 |
Minimum amount due | 5% of the total outstanding amount subject to a minimum of Rs.200 |
Add-on card fee | Nil |
Finance charges | 2.25% per month |
Interest-free credit period | 20-50 days |
Cash advance fee at SBI ATMs or other ATMs | 2.5% of the transaction amount subject to a minimum of Rs.300 |
Payment dishonor fee
|
2% of the payment amount is subjected to a minimum of Rs.350. |
Types of Charges | Sum |
Renewal fee | Rs.500 |
Cash advance limit | Up to 80% of the credit limit |
Charge slip retrieval | Rs.225 per charge slip |
Cheque pickup fee | Rs.90 |
Late payment charges | For a total amount due between Rs.0 and Rs.200 – Nil
Between Rs.200 and Rs.500 – Rs.100
Between Rs.500 and Rs.1,000 – Rs.400
Between Rs.1,000 and Rs.10,000 – Rs.500
More than Rs.10,000 – Rs.750 |
Statement retrieval | Rs.100 per statement |
Foreign currency transaction | 3.5% |
Types of Charges | Sum |
Cash advance fee at international ATMs | 3% of the transaction amount subject to a minimum of Rs.300. |
Card replacement | Rs.100 |
Cash payment fee | Rs.100 |
Railway ticket fee | 1.8% of the transaction cost + GST |
Fuel surcharge | 2.5% of the fuel purchase amount |
Rewards redemption fee | Rs.99 |
Emergency card replacement, when abroad | $175 |
How you can apply for this card:
There are two methods to apply online and offline. You can visit the website of the State Bank of India and tap on ‘Apply’.
To apply offline you have to contact your nearest SBI center or call on SBI Customer Care number.
2. SBI Unnati Credit Card:
In a bid to help make the banking experience more accessible, SBI has launched a new credit card for holders of an SBI bank account that maintains a minimum balance of Rs.25,000 or more.
Named the Unnati card, it offers attractive benefits like its ability to be used at over 24 million outlets and when making payments or shopping.
The app application process is simple to make the purchase process hassle-free.
Key benefits:
- On fuel purchases between Rs.500 and Rs.3,000, cardholders get a 1% fuel surcharge waiver.
- For every Rs.100 spent, you can earn 1 Reward Point.
- If you spend more than Rs.50,000 per year on the card, you will receive a cashback of Rs.500.
- For the first four years, there is no annual fee.
- Reward points can be redeemed against a variety of gifts when the card is used.
- For fuel purchases between Rs.500 and Rs.3000, 1 percent of the fuel surcharge fee is waived.
- Individuals can receive this loan based on the amount of their SBI fixed deposit, which can range between Rs.25,000 and Rs.5 lakh.
Fees / Charges:
Type of charges | Amount to be paid |
Annual Fee (5th Year Onwards) | Rs.499 |
Add-on card | Nil |
Finance Charges |
Up to 3.50% per month
|
Interest-free Credit Period | 20 days to 50 days |
Cash Advance Limit | Up to 80% of credit limit subject to a maximum of Rs.12,000 each day |
Free credit period | Nil |
Cash Advance Fee at SBI ATMs | 2.5% of the transaction amount subject to a minimum value of Rs.500 |
Type of charges | Amount to be paid |
Cash Advance Fee at other bank ATMs | 2.5% of the transaction amount subject to a minimum value of Rs.500 |
Cash Advance Fee at International ATMs | 2.5% of the transaction amount subject to a minimum value of Rs.500 |
Cash Payment Fee | Rs.100 |
Payment Dishonour Fee | 2% of payment amount subject to a minimum amount of Rs.500 |
Cheque Fee | Rs.100 |
Card Replacement Fee | Rs.100 |
Emergency card replacement when abroad | Emergency card replacement when abroad |
Foreign Currency Transaction markup | 3.5% |
Rewards Redemption | Rs.99 |
Over limit Charges | 2.5% of the amount subject to a minimum of Rs.600 |
Railway tickets via ticket counters | Rs.30 plus 2.5% of the transaction amount |
Railway tickets via the official online portal | 1.8% of the transaction amount plus a service charge |
Fuel surcharge waiver |
1% waiver for transactions between Rs.500 to Rs.3,000
|
How to apply for this card?
There are two methods to apply online and offline. You can visit the website of the State Bank of India and tap on ‘Apply’.
To apply offline you have to contact your nearest SBI center or call on SBI Customer Care number.
3. Axis Bank Insta Easy Credit Card
This credit card is considered the best credit card for low CIBIL Scores. You can get this card easily and enjoy its long-term rewards.
Insta Easy card from Axis Bank is one of the few cards with guaranteed approval from the bank. The only criterion for this card is that the applicant must have a fixed deposit with Axis Bank.
A fixed deposit is required to qualify for the card.
Among the features of the card are a 50-day interest-free period, unlimited cash withdrawals, flexible credit limits, dining offers, fuel surcharge waivers, and eDGE loyalty rewards.
Key benefits
Fuel Benefits
- All fuel transactions in India are exempt from the 1% fuel surcharge.
- Your card will be credited with the surcharge amount.
- This offer is only available for transactions between Rs.400 and Rs.4,000.
Dining Offers
- Get a minimum 15% discount under the ‘Dining Delights’ program with the Insta Easy credit card.
- For more information, visit the bank’s website. The offer is available only to partner restaurants.
Global Emergency Assistance
- Visa International Global Card Assistance Services are available worldwide.
- If you lose your card, you can request a replacement card or an emergency cash advance.
Conversion to EMIs
- Purchases over Rs.2,500 can be converted to low-interest EMIs with your credit card.
Latest offers
Shopping Offers
- Amazon offers an instant 5% discount on all purchases.
- Get 5% cashback on Bluestar products when you pay on EMI.
- Sony stores offer up to 5% cashback on EMI options on a wide range of products.
- Flipkart offers EMI payments on a wide range of products.
- Get 10% cashback on Apple products.
- Firstcry is offering a flat 20% discount.
- Rentomojo offers a 15% monthly discount on purchases.
- Get a 25% discount on your first order at PharmEasy.
- Get 20% off your first order at bigbasket.com.
Dining offers:
- Zomato is offering a 20% discount on your first order.
- Swiggy is offering a discount of Rs.100 on your first order above Rs.400.
Travel and Hotel offers
- Take advantage of MakeMyTrip’s 25% instant discount on EMI transactions for your travel bookings.
- On Ixigo, you can save up to Rs.600 on domestic flight bookings.
- Travelyaari is offering a flat discount of Rs.100 on bus bookings above Rs.500.
- Get a 25% discount on hotel bookings with Fabhotels.
- Yatra and Goibibo offer a wide variety of tenure options for EMI payments.
- Thomas Cook offers exciting deals on holiday, flight, and hotel bookings.
- With EaseMyTrip, you can save Rs.400 on your first flight booking.
Fees / Charges
Types of charges | Amount to be paid |
Standard Joining Fee | Nil |
Standard Annual Fee | Nil |
Interest | 2.50% per month |
Add-on Card Joining Fee |
Nil
|
Cash Withdrawal Fees | 2.5% (minimum Rs. 250) |
Card Replacement | Waived |
Fee for Cash Payment |
Rs. 100
|
Types of charges | Amount to be paid |
Duplicate Statement Fee | Waived |
Overdue Penalty or Late Payment Fee | Nil if the Total Payment due is up to Rs. 100
Total Payment due is between Rs. 101 – Rs. 300 – Rs.100 Total Payment due is between Rs. 301 – Rs. 1,000 – Rs.300 Total Payment due is between Rs. 1,001 – Rs. 5,000 – Rs.500 Total Payment due is between Rs. 5,001 – Rs. 20000 – Rs.600 Total Payment due is Rs. 20,001 and above – Rs.700
|
Over Limit Penalty |
3% of the over-limit amount (Minimum of Rs.500)
|
Charge-slip Retrieval Fee or Copy Request Fee |
Waived
|
Cheque return or dishonor Fee | Rs.300 |
Outstation Cheque Fee |
Waived
|
Fuel Transaction Surcharge | 1% of transaction amount (Refunded for fuel transactions between Rs.400 and Rs.4,000) |
Mobile Alerts for Transactions |
Waived
|
Foreign Currency Transaction Fee |
3.50% of the transaction value
|
Hotlisting Charges |
Nil
|
Balance Enquiry Charges | Waived |
4. HDFC Money-Back Credit Card
HDFC MoneyBack Credit Card is one of the most commonly used reputed credit cards for bad credit in India.
For every spend you make with this card, you will receive a certain percentage of money back at the end of the credit cycle.
HDFC Bank has specially curated the Moneyback Credit Card for its customers. There is a joining fee of Rs.500 and a 3.39 % interest rate.
Key features
- An annual fee-free cash-back credit card.
- A waiver of the joining fee and annual fee when applying through BankBazaar (terms and conditions apply).
- Online purchases earn reward points faster.
- Rewards points can be redeemed for cash against outstanding card balances.
Additional benefits
Welcome gift
- Join MoneyBack and earn 500 reward points as a joining bonus. You’ll get 500 more reward points if you renew your card.
Milestone gift
- Spend Rs.50,000 on retail purchases in a quarter and get an e-voucher worth Rs.500. There is a 60-day validity period on the voucher.
Cashback benefits
- Retail purchases earn 2 reward points. Online purchases earn 2 times as many points.
- You can redeem reward points for cash (100 reward points = Rs.20).
Save on fuel purchases
- Save up to Rs.1,800 every year on your fuel purchases at stations across India with the fuel surcharge waiver facility. Offer valid on transactions of at least Rs.400.
Zero liability on the lost card
- If you report the loss of your credit card, you are not liable for any fraudulent transactions.
Reward points program
- Spend Rs.150 on the card and earn 2 reward points.
- Spending online earns you 2X more reward points.
- Earn reward points and redeem them for cash back (100 reward points = Rs. 20).
- Redeemable for air miles and gifts from the exclusive rewards catalog as well.
- A minimum of 2,500 points is required for redemption. There is a two-year validity period for accumulated points.
Fees and amounts
Types of charges | Amount to be paid |
Joining fee |
Rs.500
|
Annual fee |
Rs.500
|
Interest rate | 3.49% per month |
Cash withdrawal fee | 2.5% of the withdrawn amount (Minimum Rs.500) |
Cash advance limit | 40% of the credit limit |
Rewards redemption fee |
Rs.99 per request
|
Late payment charges | · Less than Rs.100 – None
· Rs.100 to Rs.500 – Rs.100 · Rs.501 to Rs.5,000 – Rs.400 · Rs.5,001 to Rs.10,000 – Rs.500 · Rs.10,001 and above – Rs.750
|
Types of charges | Amount to be paid |
Over limit charges |
2.5% of the over-limit amount (minimum Rs.500)
|
Payment return charges | 2% of the payment amount (minimum Rs.450) |
Cash processing fee | Rs.100 |
Reissue of lost, stolen, or damaged card | Rs.100 |
Foreign currency transaction fee |
3.5%
|
An outstation cheque processing charge | Up to Rs.5,000 – Rs.25,000 in cheque value
More than Rs.5,000 – Rs.50 in the value of the check |
How to apply for HDFC Money-Back Credit Card
Visit the official website of HDFC bank to apply online. You can contact your nearest HDFC branch or call on HDFC customer care number to apply offline.
Steps to apply online:
- Go to the top of the page where you will find the ‘Check Eligibility’ option.
- Tap on it and provide the mentioned details.
- After this, you will find applications for the card option.
- Finally, provide the mentioned details and tap on ‘Submit’.
Conclusion
These are the guaranteed approval credit cards for bad credit scores in 2023 for those users who are looking to get credit cards quickly for their personal or business purposes.
Visit the official site of the respective banks or credit card (which you want) to apply online now to avail of amazing offers and rewards.
Sushant Raj is a freelance B2B and Finance content writer. I want to share the ideas which worked for me.