Getting your first credit card can be a challenge - you need to choose a credit card issuer and a credit card that is appropriate for someone without a credit history. The dilemma is that traditional banks look at your credit history and score to decide if you should be given a credit card. And how do you show a strong credit history when it’s your first time applying for a credit card!

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Most banks also have long procedures for credit card approval and go to great lengths to assess your creditworthiness based on factors like income, employment, and bank account information. But what if you don’t earn an income or have a bank account? Other reasons could be that you’re new in the country or under-age, so do not qualify for a bank card yet.  

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One might argue about the need for a credit card. With credit cards, you enjoy the freedom to shop and spend as you like. Carrying credit cards is safer than carrying cash, and they provide better fraud protection than debit cards.Without altering your buying patterns, you can earn substantial rewards. And credit cards let you keep better track of your spending.

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So, what do you do to get a credit card if the bank isn’t ready to give it to you? You could try one of these routes.

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1.    Improve your credit score

Taking a loan for any big expense like a new home or a car will help to build a credit history. Follow it up with timely repayment and your credibility improves. Experts recommend that you to opt for multiple installments and do not repay prematurely. A longer period of credit history is always considered better. If you keep making regular payments for a long time-period, your credit score will get better. If you’re shopping for a big-ticket item like a household appliance or a hi-end smartphone, you could even choose a buy-now-pay-later payment option for building your credit history.

2.    Use alternatives

If you are without a credit card and need to make an emergency payment, you can use the debit card linked to your bank account or your overdraft. But be ready to pay the interest that incurs on your overdraft. Most international and local banks, including Mastercard and VISA ,also offer prepaid debit cards that can be reloaded easily as you go along. While you do have the option of making a cash payment if you’re shopping offline, but you will need a digital alternative to a bank card if you’re spending online.

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3.    Ask a friend to Xare

There are several means of payment that by-pass a credit card. But there is one that does not incur interest, does not require a bank account, gives you full fraud protection and allows you to earn the entitlement sand rewards that come with a typical credit card. You ask a friend or family member to Xare.

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Xare is a user-generated finance platform that enables a user to share access to his credit card or debit card with a loved one. If your friend is a bank card owner, the Xare mobile app allows him to create a virtual card and send it to you, in a home or across borders – all in an instant and for free.

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With a virtual Xare card, you get to use your friend’s credit card like your own. You can shop online or offline, make emergency payments, pay utility bills, book medical services, make travel or hotel bookings, recharge a phone, and do much more. You also get access to there wards on his credit card – free movie tickets, airport lounge access, cashback on shopping, etc.

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While your friend shares the access to his money with you, Xare allows him to stay in control. He can set spend limits, approve every transaction and monitor your expenses. Xare gives you the freedom to shop on a virtual credit card, while your friend gets to keep an eye on the spending.

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So, the next time you feel the need fora credit card, don’t stress about pleasing the bank. Reach out to a friend and bank on him.

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Learn how to use the Xare app.

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Download the Xare App for Android or iOS

Connect with Xare on  LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram 

Or visit https://www.xare.co/

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