A credit card can offer advantages that ready cash will usually not. With robbery rife, a credit card can keep you from carrying large and dangerous amounts of cash. You also do not have to worry about looking for an ATM if you suddenly run out of money, provided that the merchant you want to purchase products and services from has a credit card machine.

A credit card is certainly convenient, and, despite the fact that some establishments are choosing not to adopt credit cards as payment yet, plastic is growing to be ever more popular. There may come a time when credit cards will replace cash - but can such a day, and its conveniences, come for someone in bad credit standing?

If you are in debt, or if you have a record of unpaid bills in the past, then you may be denied a credit card when you make an application. Credit card companies are now growing ever more wary of identity thieves and piling bills, so their concern is not without its merit. You need not worry, however, as there are ways to obtain a credit card even if you are in bad credit standing.

The secured credit card offers the advantages of both credit and debit cards. A secured credit card, by virtue of its name, is secured because of a deposit made by the cardholder. This deposit determines the amount of credit that the secured card will have. Generally, cardholders should deposit the amount of credit they want, or twice it. For instance, if a cardholder deposits ten thousand dollars, he or she will obtain credit in the range of five thousand to ten thousand dollars.

This money acts as security for the credit card company, as it can take the money in if the cardholder spends too much and does not pay credit card bills. In this way, people who are in bad credit standing, or people who have no credit history, can carry a credit card. A secured credit card is often marketed as a way to rebuild an otherwise unattractive credit standing.

If you are interested in procuring a secured credit card, you may want to take note of the following tips before making your application.

• Due to the considerable leeway secured credit cards give to sometimes inveterate spenders, credit card companies will often charge high service charges or fees than they would for other credit cards.

• A secured credit card is not the way out of debt. As the cardholder, you are still required to pay your secured credit card bills regularly. If you decide to pay less than the bill you are required to pay - that is, if you default on your payment - the credit card company has an option, by law, to deduct the remaining money you owe out of your initial security deposit.

• There are different secured credit card packages available, with some of them granting clemency for late or unpaid bills. In cases of delinquency exceeding five to six months, however, the account may be closed, and the security deposit will be taken by the credit card company in its entirety. The cardholder, moreover, may be in debt, and may have to pay the unpaid portion of the bills, plus interest.

As with all your other conventional credit cards, a secured credit card will require you to manage and discipline your spending habits. As long as you spend wisely, control your buying habits, and monitor your budget to fit your lifestyle, then you will be able to rebuild your credit standing. A secured credit card can assist you in this goal.