Then you might need a pre-approved, or a pre-paid credit card.It all depends on the purpose you intend to use the credit card for.Should you get one with lots of rewards, or look for the lowest APR?

Are you a person who has no credit history, and you want to begin building it?

Take steps to lower your household bills; refinance your mortgage to get a lower interest rate; or, if you have a good payment history, ask your credit card company to lower the interest rate you're charged. If you get a big tax refund every year, that means you're having too much withheld from your paycheck. Next, make a list of all your debt obligations and the interest you're charged for each. You might consider moving some of your high-interest credit-card balances to a card with a lower interest rate.

If that's the case, you can reduce your withholding by changing your W-4 at work. Put them in order of interest rate, from highest to lowest. But read the fine print on any invitation to transfer balances. Once the debt with the highest rate is wiped out, put your money toward paying the debt with the next-highest rate.

Did you want your purchases to earn you some airline miles?

If your job requires you to travel by airplane, you might need a business, or professional credit card.