At Catalogues for Bad Credit, we aim to guide you in the right direction if you are looking to buy something through credit in the UK. Using catalogues to pay for purchases is becoming increasingly popular in the UK.
Catalogues for bad credit are a brilliant way to help you manage your finances, boost your credit score and get the things you want or need at an affordable cost.
Even if you do not have a credit score or have a poor credit score, bad credit catalogues are willing to help you out and welcome you as a customer. Using UK catalogues and spreading the cost allows you to have what you need immediately and not have to save up over time.
However, we suggest that you are responsible for how much you buy from catalogues, whilst buying more than you can afford can be tempting it is not practical. Ensure that you can fit it in with your monthly or weekly budget.
If you fail to repay in time or have late payments, you could end up paying a lot in interest and it can negatively affect your credit score.
Each catalogue has different credit limits. The credit limit is usually worked out based on a questionnaire, which will ask you questions about your salary and residential status. If you prove to the catalogue you can pay it back in time, then the limit will get raised over time.
The Benefits of Catalogues
Using catalogues is a great way to build up low credit scores. So, if you are looking to purchase something larger through credit, like a car or holiday, you will need a decent credit score. Using catalogues will improve your credit score as it shows credit companies you are reliable with repayments.
Catalogues for bad credit can help you afford the things that you need that are expensive yet are essential such as smartphones, appliances, furniture and computers. Most catalogues do not ask for an upfront payment and you can receive the purchase straight away!
Most catalogues offer interest-free repayments if you pay them within a certain time. So if you decide to purchase a smartphone and say you will pay it back within 6 months and all payments are timely, you will not have to pay anything more than the purchase price.
However, if you are late with payments or do not pay the catalogue back within that time, then you will have to pay interest. Interest can add a large sum to the overall cost, so you must be able to pay back in time and not take on more payments than you can afford.
Another benefit of using catalogues to purchase items is that you can browse through them from the comfort of your own home. Shopping in person can often be tiring and stressful, but within a few clicks, you can purchase exactly what you need and then it will arrive straight to your door.
Bad Credit Payment Options
Pay Monthly Catalogues for Bad Credit
Pay monthly catalogues is a great way to manage your repayment. Using this type of catalogue will allow you to spread the cost of your purchase over a few months, and pay it off in fixed monthly instalments. This is an excellent option if you are paid every month from your job or use a monthly budget.
Pay Weekly Catalogues for Bad Credit
Pay weekly catalogues allow you to pay off purchases in weekly instalments. So the overall cost will be spread out throughout how many weeks you choose to pay it off. This is a great option if you are paid weekly or bi-weekly from your job. Also, the instalment costs are a lot less than monthly payments, but it will take more time to pay the purchase off.
Buy Now, Pay Later Catalogues for Bad Credit
Buy now, pay later (BNPL) catalogues are a fantastic way to finance purchases over time to make them more affordable. With many catalogues, you will not have to worry about paying an upfront cost, and you can choose a payment plan that suits your finances.
Best Bad Credit Catalogues 2022
1. Studio
Studio is a great catalogue that sells a huge range of products, including clothing, technology, appliances, toys and much more. Studio allows you to pay off your purchases over the course of a 6, 9 and 12 month basis. If you decide to pay it off within 6 months, then it will be interest free.
Studio offers a BNPL option, which means that you will not have to pay for several months after you have received your purchase.
The credit limit that they offer changes over time. So if you prove that you can reliably pay off your purchases regularly, they will offer you more credit.
2. Very
Very is one of the most popular pay monthly catalogues. This catalogue sells almost everything, from technology to clothes to toys. This is great as you can keep all of your purchases in one place.
A great feature of this catalogue is that they always have offers on their products and sell them for the cheapest price possible. So you could be saving money rather than buying upfront elsewhere.
Very’s credit limit depends on your salary and residential status. However, if you prove that you are a reliable customer then the credit limit will increase over time. A standard starting credit limit for Very is from £500.
You can spread payments across equal monthly instalments. If you decide to pay over 3 months, then you will not be charged interest. However, if you do not pay back within the time set out, then compound interest will be calculated from the day of your purchase and you will have to pay that on top of the purchase price.
3. Littlewoods
Littlewoods is another very popular monthly catalogue. You can either pay very little over a long time (adding more interest) or pay more over a shorter time (paying none to little interest). You can pause payments if you are having difficulty, but you will be expected to pay interest after your pause time is over.
Littlewoods is a very popular catalogue that sells a huge range of products. They have various options for payments, you can choose to pay over a long period of time (12+ months) which adds interest, or pay less over a shorter period of time which results in paying no to little interest.
If you are struggling to keep up with your payments, you can freeze payments until you can pay them back.
Littlewoods have a great smartphone app, which allows you to check your balance and repayment on the go. This helps customers not forget about payments, and gives them the ability to purchase anywhere!
4. Freemans
Freemans is a very popular clothing catalogue. They have a brilliant repayment process which you can access by setting up a ‘Flexiway’ account. This account allows you to spread payments across a few months without having to pay any interest if you always pay on time.
The credit limit for a Flexiway account usually starts from £100, and you can increase this over time if you prove yourself to be a reliable and loyal customer.
Freemans constantly have fantastic offers on their clothing, and if you are a new customer then you get 25% off your first order with them. Freemans give all of their customers free delivery on their orders, and there are options for next day delivery and click and collect.
5. Sunshine Mobile
Sunshine Mobile is an excellent way to build up your credit score. They do not run any credit checks on their customers, so every purchase is guaranteed. You can buy a brand new mobile phone for the lowest possible price.
Sunshine Mobile has many repayment options, such as paying weekly, monthly or BNPL. So you can pick the option that best suits your financial situation.
6. Argos
Argos offer a massive range of products but are most known for their great range of appliances and technology. Argos runs a soft credit report on you, which you can go through before you submit your application.
The credit limit depends on your salary, but if it starts relatively low it can be increased over time if you prove that you are a reliable customer.
With Argos, you can choose to pay over 3 or 6 months interest free with voluntary payments. However, if you fail to pay it off within that time you will be charged compound interest, which is worked out from the day of your purchase.
7. Next
Next specialises in fashion and homeware, you can purchase their products online or in-store with a Next card. They offer a great interest free repayment plan over a time period that suits you.
Each month your credit limit with Next is worked out, it will increase if you are reliable and consistent with your payments. It ranges from £200 to £1500.
Next are well-known for their fantastic sales, which you can get early access to if you have a credit account with them. Also, on your first credit purchase with them of over £15, you will get £10 off your order!
8. JD Williams
JD Wiliams is a great clothing specialist catalogue for men, women and children. So it is ideal for families looking to get their clothes from one place and improve their credit score.
JD Williams runs a soft credit check on you to determine if you are eligible for an account but if you have a bad credit score you will usually be accepted for a low credit limit. However, the credit limit for JD Williams changes each month and it will appear on your statement, so if you prove you can be reliable with payments it will increase.
If you are a first time user of this site, you can get 20% off your first order, and they always offer discounts on their clothing and discounts if you spend a certain amount of money.
9. Kaleidoscope
Kaleidoscope focuses on fashion and homeware. They offer a Flexiway account, which allows you to pay off your purchases monthly. If you pay off your account balance on time each month, you will not have to pay any interest. A great feature of Kaleidoscope is that you can set up a direct debit for your instalment so you never miss a payment.
With Kaleidoscope, you can work your way up to a credit limit of £1000, and the minimum credit limit is £100. A fantastic benefit of creating a Flexiway account is that you get 25% off your first order!
10. Fashion World
Fashion World focuses on plus-size women’s clothing and accessories. They have a huge selection of brands to choose from. With their credit account, you can spread payments over a period of time that suits you.
Fashion World runs a soft credit check on you to check what your starting credit limit is, and they accept almost everyone, even those with a bad credit score. Over time if you prove you are reliable then your credit limit will increase every 28 days.
If you are late with payments you will be charged an administration fee of £12 and compound interest worked out from the first day of purchase.
11. Jacamo
Jacamo sells a range of men’s clothing and accessories in a variety of sizes (from medium to 5 extra large). You can sign up for their credit account which allows you to pay off your purchases monthly.
Jacamo will run a soft credit check on you to check what your starting credit limit is, but even if your credit score is low, you will likely be accepted for a low credit limit (usually around £100). Over time if you prove you are reliable then your credit limit will increase every 28 days.
It is important to be timely with your payments because if you are late to pay off your purchases then you are charged an administration fee of £12 as well as compound interest.
12. Curvissa
Curvissa is a plus-size women’s online clothing company that sells a huge range of brands and clothes for all budgets. Curvissa offers a Flexiway account, and they allow you to pay off your purchase (of over £100) over 12 months without having to pay interest if you have been with Flexiway for over 3 months.
Curvissa runs a credit check on you but accepts people with low credit scores for the minimum credit limit of £100. You can build up your credit limit if you prove reliability with payments.
Catalogues for Bad Credit FAQs
What are credit catalogues?
Credit catalogues are essentially just another name for shopping catalogues that accept credit as a form of payment. For example, Very and LittleWoods – they both offer credit accounts where you can pay monthly, weekly or buy now pay later, and they accept people with relatively poor credit.
Who can use catalogues for bad credit?
Often times when companies state a product or service is for people with bad credit, it actually means decent credit. There’s a huge difference. The catalogues listed on this site, however, are actually accepting people with bad and poor credit, who won’t usually be accepted elsewhere.
What kind of credit limit can I get with a catalogue?
Every UK catalogue company is different, but in our experience the most common starting point for a new credit account for somebody with relatively poor credit is in the region of £150 to £250 which is pretty good.
What information do I need to provide to qualify for credit?
Whilst every catalogue is different, all will ask you for the following information:
- Full name
- Date of birth
- Address
Some catalogues may ask for your residential status, employment and salary on top of basic information.
How is my credit limit determined?
Your credit limit is determined by your credit score, employment and if you have any debts that have not been paid. All of those factors are combined to give you a credit limit. Even if you start with the minimum amount, you can build it up by being reliable with your payments to the catalogue.
With most companies, your credit limit is increased every 28 days if you have been reliable with your payments and successfully paid off any purchases.
On average, the credit limit for most catalogues is between £100 and £1500.
Do I need to apply for a credit limit increase?
Usually, when you are signing up for a catalogue, it will ask you if you want your credit limit to be automatically increased or if you would prefer the company to let you know you are eligible for a credit limit increase and for you to apply manually.
What happens if I can not pay back the purchase?
Each catalogue has different consequences for not paying back the purchase. On the ‘nicer’ side, they might let you freeze payments until you can repay, although this might come at a fee. On the ‘harsher’ side you might face high interest rates and intimidating phone calls.
Can catalogues send bailiffs to my house?
The short answer to this question is no. Catalogues do not have the power to send bailiffs to your house.
Can I return items if I buy them through credit?
You can return items if you are unhappy with them. So if you order clothes on credit and they do not fit, you can return them.
Different terms and conditions will apply to each website. A general rule of thumb is you can return items as long as they are in good condition and tags are still attached.
Why is it important to improve my credit score?
The higher your credit score, then the more likely you are to be accepted for large loans and credit cards at a better rate. For example, if you have a poor credit score then you are unlikely to be accepted for a mortgage or a credit card with a high limit.
What information is used to create a credit score?
Credit scores are based on:
- Payment history works out to around 35% of your credit score and this shows if you have paid back payments on time. This takes up the majority of your score as it is the most important to companies, as it shows them how reliable you are with payments.
- Total amount owed works out to around 30% of your credit score, this shows how much of your current credit is being used.
- Length of credit history works out to around 15% of your credit score, so if you have a long credit history this factor will play in your favour. Usually, this factor negatively affects young people, as they will not have a long credit history.
- Types of credit you have work out to around 10% of your credit score, so if you have a good mix of different types of credit you use it will improve your score.
- New credit works out to around 10% of your credit score, and this takes into consideration how many new accounts you have and how many credit accounts you have recently applied for.