Best Credit Cards to Build Credit
If you’ve had trouble getting approved for loans or credit cards in the past, get one of the following subprime credit cards to build your credit first.
Best Credit Cards for Bad Credit
- No annual or hidden fees, and you can earn unlimited 1.5% cash back on every purchase, every day. See if you're approved in seconds
- Put down a refundable $200 security deposit to get a $200 initial credit line
- Building your credit? Using a card like this responsibly could help
- Enjoy peace of mind with $0 Fraud Liability so that you won't be responsible for unauthorized charges
- You could earn back your security deposit as a statement credit when you use your card responsibly, like making payments on time
- Be automatically considered for a higher credit line in as little as 6 months with no additional deposit needed
- Earn unlimited 5% cash back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, where you'll get Capital One's best prices on thousands of trip options. Terms apply
- Monitor your credit score with CreditWise from Capital One. It's free for everyone
- Enjoy up to 6 months of complimentary Uber One membership statement credits through 11/14/2024
- No annual or hidden fees. See if you're approved in seconds
- Building your credit? Using the Capital One Platinum Secured card responsibly could help
- Put down a refundable security deposit starting at $49 to get a $200 initial credit line
- You could earn back your security deposit as a statement credit when you use your card responsibly, like making payments on time
- Be automatically considered for a higher credit line in as little as 6 months with no additional deposit needed
- Enjoy peace of mind with $0 Fraud Liability so that you won't be responsible for unauthorized charges
- Monitor your credit score with CreditWise from Capital One. It's free for everyone
- Get access to your account 24 hours a day, 7 days a week with online banking to access your account from your desktop or smartphone, with Capital One's mobile app
- No credit check to apply and find out instantly if you are approved
- OpenSky gives everyone an opportunity to improve their credit with an 85% average approval rate for the past 5 years
- Get considered for a credit line increase after 6 months, with no additional deposit required
- You could be eligible for the OpenSky Gold Unsecured Card after as few as 6 months
- Reports to all 3 major credit bureaus monthly, unlike a prepaid or debit card
- View your FICO® Score through your OpenSky account, an easy way to stay on top of your credit
- Nearly half of OpenSky cardholders who make on-time payments improve their FICO score 30+ points in the first 3 months
- Your refundable* deposit, as low as $200, becomes your OpenSky Visa credit limit
- Easy application, apply in less than 5 minutes right from your mobile device
- Offer flexible payment due dates which allow you to choose any available due date that fits your payment schedule
- *View the cardholder agreement
- Intro APR
- N/A
- Intro APR Period
- N/A
- Purchase APR
- 22.64% (variable)
- Annual Fee
- $35
- Choose your own credit line based on how much money you want to put down as a security deposit.
- Initial deposits can be from $200 to $3,000. You can increase your credit line at any time by adding additional money to your security deposit, up to $3,000.
- After 9 months, we review your account for a credit line increase. No additional deposit required!
- Secured Credit Cards are great for people looking to build or rebuild credit and are available to people with all kinds of credit backgrounds.
- Unlike a debit card or a pre-paid card, it helps build your credit history. We report your payment history to all three major credit-reporting agencies.
- Get your FICO® Credit Score for free each month.
- Fraud coverage if your card is lost or stolen. Access your account 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Get help staying on track with available Auto Pay and account alerts.
- Card issued by Merrick Bank, Member FDIC.
- Intro APR
- N/A
- Intro APR Period
- N/A
- Regular APR
- 22.70% Variable
- Annual Fee
- $36 for first year. Billed $3 per month thereafter
- Up to $1,000 credit limit doubles up to $2,000! (Simply make your first 6 monthly minimum payments on time)
- See if you're Pre-Qualified with no impact to your credit score
- All credit types welcome to apply
- Free access to your Vantage 3.0 score from Experian* (When you sign up for e-statements)
- Initial Credit Limit of $300 - $1,000* (subject to available credit)
- Monthly reporting to the three major credit bureaus
- Fast and easy application process; results in seconds
- Use your card at locations everywhere Mastercard® is accepted
- Checking Account Required
- Intro APR
- N/A
- Intro APR Period
- N/A
- Regular APR
- 29.99% APR (Variable)
- Annual Fee
- See Terms
- Earn 1% cash back rewards on payments made to your First Access Credit Card
- Checking Account Required
- $300 credit limit (subject to available credit)
- No security deposit, simply pay a one-time $95 program fee to open your account.*
- User friendly Mobile App.
- *See Rates, Fees, Costs & Limitations for complete offer details
- See First Access Rewards Programs Terms & Conditions for details
- Intro APR
- N/A
- Intro APR Period
- N/A
- Regular APR
- 35.99%*
- Annual Fee (rates & fees)
- $75.00 1st year, $48.00 after*
- Earn 1% cash back rewards on payments made to your Total Credit Card
- Checking Account Required
- $300 credit limit (subject to available credit)
- No security deposit, simply pay a one-time $95 program fee to open your account.*
- User friendly Mobile App.
- *See Rates, Fees, Costs & Limitations for complete offer details
- See Total Card Visa Rewards Programs Terms & Conditions for details
- Intro APR
- N/A
- Intro APR Period
- N/A
- Regular APR
- 35.99%*
- Annual Fee (rates & fees)
- $75.00 1st year, $48.00 after*
- Better than Prepaid...Go with a Secured Card! Load One Time - Keep On Using
- Absolutely No Credit Check or Minimum Credit Score Required
- Automatic Reporting to All Three National Credit Bureaus
- 9.99% Low Fixed APR - Your Rate Won't Go Up Even if You Are Late
- Activate Today with a $200 Minimum Deposit - Maximum $1,000.
- Increase Your Credit Limit up to $5,000 by Adding Additional Deposits Anytime
- Intro APR
- N/A
- Intro APR Period
- N/A
- Regular APR
- 9.99% Fixed
- Annual Fee
- $48
- Choose your own credit line - $200 to $2000 - based on your security deposit
- Build your credit score.† Reports to all 3 credit bureaus
- No minimum credit score required for approval!
- † Cardholders who keep their balance low and pay their credit card bill on time every month typically do see an increase in their credit score.
- Intro APR
- N/A
- Intro APR Period
- N/A
- Regular APR
- 25.24% (V)
- Annual Fee
- $29
- 1% Cash Back Rewards on payments
- Choose your own credit line - $200 to $2000 - based on your security deposit
- Build your credit score.† Reports to all 3 credit bureaus
- No minimum credit score required for approval!
- † Cardholders who keep their balance low and pay their credit card bill on time every month typically do see an increase in their credit score.
- Intro APR
- N/A
- Intro APR Period
- N/A
- Regular APR
- 19.24% (V)
- Annual Fee
- $39
- 1% Cash Back Rewards on payments
- Choose your own credit line - $200 to $2000 - based on your security deposit
- Build your credit score.† Reports to all 3 credit bureaus
- No minimum credit score required for approval!
- † Cardholders who keep their balance low and pay their credit card bill on time every month typically do see an increase in their credit score.
- Intro APR
- N/A
- Intro APR Period
- N/A
- Regular APR
- 15.24% (V)
- Annual Fee
- $49
- Up to $1,000 credit limit doubles up to $2,000! (Simply make your first 6 monthly minimum payments on time)
- All credit types welcome to apply!
- Monthly Credit Score - Sign up for electronic statements, and get your Vantage 3.0 Score Credit Score From Experian
- Initial Credit Limit of $300 - $1,000* (subject to available credit)
- Monthly reporting to the three major credit bureaus
- See if you're Pre-Qualified without impacting your credit score
- Fast and easy application process; results in seconds
- Online account access 24/7
- Checking Account Required
- Intro APR
- See website for Details*
- Intro APR Period
- See website for Details*
- Regular APR
- 29.99% APR (Variable)
- Annual Fee
- See website for Details*
- Earn 1% cash back rewards on payments made to your First Digital Credit Card
- Checking Account Required
- $300 credit limit (subject to available credit)
- Build up your credit history with a card that reports to all three major credit bureaus every month.
- Perfect credit not required for approval; we may approve you when others won't.
- *See Rates, Fees, Costs & Limitations for complete offer details
- See Cash Back Rewards Programs Terms & Conditions for details
- Intro APR
- N/A
- Intro APR Period
- N/A
- Regular APR
- 35.99%*
- Annual Fee
- $75.00 1st year, $48.00 after*
Best Credit Cards for Limited Credit
- No annual or hidden fees. See if you're approved in seconds
- Be automatically considered for a higher credit line in as little as 6 months
- Help build your credit through responsible use of a card like this
- Enjoy peace of mind with $0 Fraud Liability so that you won't be responsible for unauthorized charges
- Monitor your credit score with CreditWise from Capital One. It's free for everyone
- Get access to your account 24 hours a day, 7 days a week with online banking from your desktop or smartphone, with Capital One's mobile app
- Check out quickly and securely with a contactless card, without touching a terminal or handing your card to a cashier. Just hover your card over a contactless reader, wait for the confirmation, and you're all set
- Pay by check, online or at a local branch, all with no fee - and pick the monthly due date that works best for you
- $200 bonus after opening a Rewards Checking Plus account and making 3 debit card transactions*
- Earn 1.5% unlimited cash back on card purchases every time you make a payment
- Combine the flexibility of a credit card with the predictability of a personal loan
- No annual fee
- No touch payments with contactless technology built in
- See if you qualify in minutes without hurting your credit score
- Great for large purchases with predictable payments you can budget for
- Mobile app to access your account anytime, anywhere
- Enjoy peace of mind with $0 Fraud liability
Disclaimer: *To qualify for the welcome bonus, you must open and fund a new Rewards Checking Plus account through Upgrade and make 3 qualifying debit card transactions from your Rewards Checking Plus account within 60 days of the date the Rewards Checking Plus account is opened. If you have previously opened a checking account through Upgrade or do not open a Rewards Checking Plus account as part of this application process, you are not eligible for this welcome bonus offer. Your Upgrade Card and Rewards Checking Plus account must be open and in good standing to receive a bonus. To qualify, debit card transactions must have settled and exclude ATM transactions. Please refer to the applicable Upgrade VISA® Debit Card Agreement and Disclosures for more information. Welcome bonus offers cannot be combined, substituted, or applied retroactively. The bonus will be applied to your Rewards Checking Plus account as a one-time payout credit within 60 days after meeting the conditions.
- Intro APR
- N/A
- Intro APR Period
- N/A
- Regular APR
- 14.99% - 29.99%
- Annual Fee
- $0
