Our opinions are our own. You can get a credit card with bad credit, but it won't be one of those cards you see advertised with rich rewards or exclusive perks. It will probably be fairly basic.

The average utilization rate for someone with an excellent credit ... employer may pull your credit report and score as part of a background check. What is a bad credit score?

If you don't fall within the excellent credit range, check out our roundup of the best cards for bad credit (scores below 580), fair/average credit (580 to 669) or good credit (670 to 739).

Even if you do, you'll often have higher variable interest rates and less favorable loan terms than applicants with excellent ... your credit line. We also considered which cards for bad credit ...