How To Meet Credit Card Requirements

By Bjoern Noth

Applying for a a new card is relatively easy, especially with the Internet. But getting approved is a different thing altogether. Many credit card companies are now placing more stringent requirements from their applicants. One of these requirements is a good credit rating or a high credit score.

Unfortunately, a good credit standing does not come instantly. It has to be worked on with determination and persistence. But hard work usually pays off. Once a person has established a good credit standing, getting approval for an application becomes far easier.

Establishing a good credit rating is the best initial step to meeting all credit card application requirements. But how can you get a good credit rating? Here are three suggestions that have been found effective.

First, pay your bills on time. The companies always check a person's credit score before approving a credit card application. To prevent that credit score from taking a nose dive, all bills must be paid on time.

Problems happen and sometimes the bills are paid late. This does not mean that a credit card is way out of your reach. All that is needed is to start paying bills on time. After several months of paying on time, the credit score will significantly increase.

Second, keep your current "plastic money". With bills that don't seem to decrease, the most logical thing to do, it seems, is to cancel the card. But this is an unwise move. The presence of a credit card contributes to the credit score. A card implies that there are funds that can be made available to the credit card holder.

The recommended thing to do with the credit card is to keep it but not use it, while still paying the large bills. Once bills are paid, the credit standing becomes better. It also becomes possible to get approved for another card, which will further increase the credit score.

And third, avoid maxing out the credit limit of the current plastic. Credit scores are known to decrease if the credit card is charged with more than 50% of its limit. By keeping way below the credit card limit, the bills are more manageable. If the bills are more manageable, the credit standing becomes better. And if the credit standing is excellent, it will be easy to meet the requirements for a new credit card.