Credit Building > How does the Marbles credit card work?

How does the Marbles credit card work?

Wollit Team3 minute read · Updated 30th June 2024

The Marbles credit card is a UK credit-builder card designed for individuals with poor credit or no credit history.

Marbles is owned by Newday, the same company behind Aqua and Opal credit cards – two other credit-building cards. NewDay is a financial services company in the UK that specialises in providing many kinds of credit products, especially to consumers with poor or limited credit.

What is the interest rate for a Marbles credit card?

The card’s representative Annual Percentage Rate (APR) is 34.9%. This is “variable,” meaning it can go lower or even higher in the future based on how the Bank of England base rate changes.

This high rate is typical for credit-builder cards for people with poor or no credit history. However, if you pay your total card balance by the due date each month, you won’t be charged any interest.

Also, remember that “representative” APR means that at least 51% of people who accept this card get this rate or lower. Your actual APR, though, may vary based on your circumstances.

What is the Marbles card credit limit?

The Marbles credit card has an initial credit limit of £250 to £1,500 based on your credit profile and Marble’s assessment of your riskiness.

The good news is that with Marbles, you may be eligible for a credit limit increase after three months of making on-time payments.

Does Marbles charge an annual fee?

The Marbles credit card doesn’t have an annual fee.

However, it does have other fees:

If you use it at an ATM, it charges a 5% cash advance fee (minimum £4).
And it also charges a 2.95% foreign exchange fee, which might be an issue if you travel often.

It also doesn’t have a balance transfer fee, but that’s only because Marbles does not currently offer a 0% balance transfer period.

How can I apply for the Marbles credit card?

Here is how to get your own Marbles credit card:

See if you meet the criteria. You must be at least 18 years old and a UK resident. Marbles accepts applicants with poor credit, but you’re unlikely to get it if you are bankrupt, have an IVA, or have recent CCJs.
Check if you’re eligible. Before applying, use the Marbles eligibility checker to see if you will likely be approved. This does a soft credit check that won’t affect your credit score. You’ll only need to provide some basic details, like address history, employment status, and annual salary.
Complete the application. If the eligibility checker shows you will be accepted, you can complete the entire online application form.
Go through the credit check. Once you submit the full application, you’ll go through a hard credit check. This will stay on your credit record for two years, be visible to other lenders, and may lower your credit score for a while.
That’s it. If approved, you’ll get a confirmation email and your card in the post in the next 5-7 days.

How fast will the Marbles credit card help me improve my credit score?

It depends on how you use your new Marbles card. The key is to use it responsibly by keeping your balance low and making all your payments on time. Over several months of doing this, you should see your credit score gradually increase as you build up a positive credit history.

That being said, Marbles is a credit builder card, which means that it comes with some risks:

Much higher interest rates and fees than regular credit cards. If you don’t pay your bill on time, you might be charged additional costs, and your credit score will suffer.
Low credit limit. This might make it hard for you to keep your credit utilisation (how much you use of your total credit limit) low, which again can lower your credit score.
It can also make your debt problem worse, if you have one.

Because of these reasons, you might want to consider downloading a credit-building app instead.

One such app is Wollit. Unlike the Marbles credit building card, which requires you to make purchases and repay them over time in order to build a history of timely bill payments, Wollit reports a monthly fixed-fee subscription as a loan repayment.

This directly builds your credit history and allows you to improve your credit score while keeping you safe from the unexpected fees and high-interest charges that credit-building cards come with.

And as your score improves, you will eventually become eligible for much better cards and deals as your score improves.