What is the best unsecured credit card for bad credit?
First Progress Platinum Elite Secured Mastercard: The First Progress Platinum Elite Secured Mastercard requires no credit history or minimum credit score for approval. Your security deposit is refundable, and the card is accepted nationwide.
First Progress Platinum Elite Secured Mastercard: The First Progress Platinum Elite Secured Mastercard requires no credit history or minimum credit score for approval. Your security deposit is refundable, and the card is accepted nationwide.
The best unsecured credit card to get with a 500 credit score is the Credit One Visa card. This card offers a $300 starting credit limit, the potential for automatic credit line increase, and rewards on select purchases.
The Discover it® Secured Credit Card is our best credit card for bad credit because it earns cash rewards with a $0 annual fee and helps build your credit score.
The easiest credit card to get with bad credit (a credit score of 300-639) is a secured credit card with no credit check such as the OpenSky® Secured Visa® Credit Card or the OpenSky® Plus Secured Visa® Credit Card. This type of card requires a deposit but doesn't check your credit history, making it very easy to get.
- Prosper® Card *: Best for Easy Credit Increases.
- Mission Lane Visa® Credit Card *: Best for no-frills credit building.
- Credit One Bank® Platinum Visa® for Rebuilding Credit *: Best Card for Additional Rewards.
- OpenSky® Plus Secured Visa® Credit Card: Best for No credit check and no bank account required.
- Chime Secured Credit Builder Visa® Credit Card: Best for No credit check + flexibility and guardrails.
- Mission Lane Visa® Credit Card: Best for Unsecured card for bad credit.
Some of the easiest unsecured cards to get approved for are the Indigo® Mastercard®, Mission Lane Visa® Credit Card and Milestone® Mastercard®. While these cards are geared toward people with bad credit and have easy approval odds, they tend to charge high fees and interest, which can make building credit costly.
Yes, you can get an unsecured credit card with a 500 credit score, but you will likely end up with high fees, high interest rates, and a low credit limit. The best unsecured credit card to get with a 500 credit score is the Credit One Visa card.
Using a credit card responsibly can help you reestablish your credit. If you're unwilling or unable to pay the deposit to get a secured card, you have another option: A “second-chance” credit card with no security deposit required.
What credit card approves a 500 score?
| Card name | Annual fee | Security deposit |
|---|---|---|
| Discover it Secured® Secured Credit card | $0 | $200 |
| Petal® 2 “Cash Back, No Fees” Visa® Credit card | $0 | None |
| Mission Lane Visa® Credit card | $0 to $59 | None |
| Indigo® Mastercard® | $0 to $99 | None |
The best credit card overall is the Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card because it gives 2% cash rewards on all purchases and has a $0 annual fee. For comparison purposes, the average cash rewards card in 2024 gives about 1% back.
The best credit card for a 480 credit score is the OpenSky® Plus Secured Visa® Credit Card because it does not check your credit score when you apply and has a $0 annual fee.
In fact, Petal says you could be approved for the Petal® 2 Visa® Credit Card without any credit scores or credit history whatsoever. And as an extra perk, the Petal® 2 Visa® Credit Card offers its cardholders 1% to 1.5% in cash back rewards. You start out earning 1% cash back on all purchases.
Yes, there are a couple of instant approval and use credit cards for bad credit, such as the Fingerhut Credit Account. With this card, you'll get an instant decision and you can use it right after approval. However, the Fingerhut Credit Card is only accepted at Fingerhut and its partners.
Consider a secured credit card
A secured credit card requires that cardholders put down a deposit, which acts as collateral if they're ever unable to make payments. The Discover it® Secured Credit Card is one such option, requiring a security deposit of $200.
With an 450 credit score, you're unlikely to get approved for a traditional credit card. Credit cards are unsecured forms of debt, so banks tend to be a bit more cautious compared to loans backed by specific assets, like mortgages and auto loans. Having said that, there are a couple of options.
One option for an unsecured credit card for an applicant with no credit history is a student credit card. Student credit cards don't require a deposit like secured cards do, and usually function more like a regular credit card.
- Top credit cards you can use instantly after approval.
- Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card.
- Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express.
- Citi Custom Cash® Card.
- Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card.
- U.S. Bank Cash+® Visa Signature® Card.
Don't wait for your Card in the mail. Get started now with Instant Card Number. With Instant Card Number by American Express, eligible Card Members can immediately start shopping and using their new Card benefits today.
Which card is most accepted?
Visa and Mastercard are the most widely accepted credit cards, as both types can be used at 35+ million locations in 200+ countries and territories.
The OpenSky® Plus Secured Visa® Credit Card is the easiest credit card to get approved for because there's no credit check for new applicants. In addition to being easy to get, the OpenSky Plus Card has a $0 annual fee and reports to the major credit bureaus, making it easy to save money and build credit.
- Overall: Fingerhut Credit Account.
- Online Retailer: Montgomery Ward Credit Account.
- Low APR: Group One Platinum Card.
- Amazon Purchases: Amazon Secured Credit Card.
A credit score of 700 or better is typically needed for a card that offers a $5,000 credit limit. This means that these cards usually require you to have good or excellent credit. You will normally need a high income and little to no existing debt to get a limit that high, too.
- Cash Back Rewards: Credit One Bank® Platinum Visa® for Rebuilding Credit.
- No Upfront Fees: Milestone® Mastercard®
- Pre-Approval Offers: Indigo® Mastercard® for Less than Perfect Credit.
- Store Card With High Approval Odds: Fingerhut Credit Account.
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