Having bad credit can dampen your lifestyle, denying you the finer things in life. It can be even more frustrating to need credit for emergencies, such as medical expenses or car repair, but find that there is no way to get financial help due to a bad credit history.
Credit cards are particularly helpful for such instances, but with bad credit you may discover that you are not qualified to obtain them because you are now considered a high risk borrower.
Available Credit Card Options
If you do find a lender who is willing to forward you a high risk credit card, you will find that the interest rate and associated fees are much higher. This can present a problem for those who are experiencing financial difficulty as the additional amounts charged to your account can keep you in the financial quagmire of which you are trying to escape. This vicious cycle often leads to deeper credit problems, or can push you to the brink of bankruptcy.
A prepaid or guaranteed acceptance credit card may be a more viable alternative. These vary slightly from bad credit history credit cards in that no interest is charged because they are based on a principle amount which you place in a bank account specially designed for such transactions. A fee is simply charged for using or recharging the card. 
Credit Card Discipline
The only way to repair bad credit is to responsibly use credit cards once you have obtained them. It can be quite easy to rely on old habits of purchasing an item which is on sale or grabbing a frivolous service when the urge hits.
However, if you only use your new cards for items and services which are strictly needed and you make your payments on time every month then credit cards, either high risk or prepaid, can raise your credit score back up to respectable levels. Credit card transactions are reported directly to credit agencies so their responsible use can elevate credit scores often within six to nine months.