Do You Really Need a Credit Card?

By Alden Wicker, Refinery29

We know you're not a conformist - and that applies to everything from your style to the way you live your life and spend your money. So, who says you have to use a credit card?

Sure, these cards have their advantages. They help you shop online, lend you money in a crunch, and - if you use them responsibly - improve your credit score. But, they also have their drawbacks. They tempt you into high debt compounded by a raised interest rate, can ruin your credit score, and your number could be stolen from a store's website and used by hackers.

It's no wonder, then, that some people refuse to touch credit cards. Others don't qualify for the plastic because of a bad credit history (or a lack of credit history altogether). If you fall into either of these camps - or just want to explore your options - there are some interesting alternatives available to you. A surprising number of them, actually, will serve all of the functions of a typical credit card, from loaning you money to helping you shop online to building your credit history.

So, obviously, we went ahead and did some digging for you, on all fronts. Now, all you have to do is click through and see if there's an appealing option on offer for you. Yep, holiday shopping just got a whole lot more interesting.

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