When it comes to credit cards, there are two inescapable realities.

First, it’s very hard to function in society without them.  If you want to make a purchase online, you need a card.  You can’t make a hotel reservation without a credit card.  Trying to lock down tickets for travel?  Get your plastic ready.  Even something as simple as setting up cable television or Internet access for your home may require having a credit card number on file.  There are many very good reasons to have a card.  There’s no way around it–you need to have those magic numbers in order to live a “normal” life.

Second, it’s not as easy to find credit if you have a poor history of managing your accounts.  If you have a checkered past with respect to making your payments on time or have experienced some other financial crisis that makes you seem like a poor credit risk, securing the card you need can be a challenge.  All of those headlines about a “credit freeze” over the past several months apply to consumer credit, too.  Lenders aren’t as keen about taking a risk as they once were.

So, what’s the solution for those who need credit access but who aren’t eligible for “platinum card” status?

One obvious choice is a secured credit card.  Banks will issue these cards to those who make a deposit securing their credit line.  In other words, you get a functioning credit card that’s backed by your own deposit.  This creates a virtual “no risk” scenario for lenders, allowing them to put plastic into the hands of those who might not otherwise qualify.  If you’re prepared to make a deposit and to pay the fees sometimes associated with cards for bad credit, these can be a great option.

Not everyone will want to do that, though.  There are the aforementioned fees to consider.  Additionally, in order to maintain the card, one will need to make payments on his or her balance while that deposit remains in place.  That’s not always the best solution.  The secured cards for no credit borrowers have their place, but they aren’t perfect for every situation.

An alternative may be gift credit cards.  Originally designed as an alternative to giving people cash, these prepaid cards allow recipients to make convenient purchases anywhere a major credit card is accepted.  The concept is simple.  You buy a gift card, which has a set balance, and spending on the “account” is limited to that balance.  Many prepaid gift credit cards (which are probably better understood as prepaid debit cards) will allow the holders to add money to the account or to reload them.

If you purchase a gift card for yourself, it will allow you to access many of the advantages of credit card possession.  You can make online purchases with the card, as well as traditional retail purchases.

There are limitations, however.  In many situations, the cards aren’t treated the same way traditional accounts are.  Prepaid cards won’t help you when it comes to setting up bill payments and may not be suitable for making certain reservations.  Put simply, gift credit cards can fill some of the gaps, but they’re not a complete alternative to having a credit card account.

Consider the reasons you need a credit card.  If you’re primarily motivated by a need to make purchases using a cash alternative, they can be a great help.  Gift credit cards will not, however, give you all of the advantages associated with other cards.  That’s one reason to take a long look at secured options designed to assist those with no credit or poor credit histories.

One way or another, you’re going to need a card.  The question is whether you can get by with a prepaid debit card or if you need something more powerful.