The 13 Best "Bad Credit" Credit Cards: APRs, Fees, etc Detailed

Most credit cards from major issuers like American Express, Capital One, and Discover require that applicants have good to excellent credit. However, there are “bad credit” credit cards tailored toward those with less-than-perfect or limited credit history. When used responsibly by making on-time payments and using less than your limit, a “bad credit” credit card can help you improve your score and credit profile.

To help you find the right credit card to apply for, we list the best credit cards with low or no credit score requirements below. We compiled this information by viewing each card’s online account disclosures and contacting the issuers’ customer service departments.

Factors to Consider When Comparing Credit Cards

Consider the following factors when choosing between credit cards:

Minimum Credit Score

Most traditional credit cards require good to excellent credit, meaning a score of at least 650 to 700. The cards in our list either don’t have a minimum requirement or accept poor to fair credit (in the 300 to 600 range).

Note that issuers consider several factors other than your credit score, such as your income; even if your score falls within the usual acceptance range, there is no guarantee of approval.

APR

The APR is the annual interest rate the credit card’s issuer will charge when you carry a balance. A lower APR is preferable since it means your purchases will accrue less interest.

Note that to improve your credit score, it’s best to pay your balance in full each month — and if you don’t carry a balance, you can build your credit score faster and avoid accruing interest. (See our related research for information on when and what credit card issuers report to the credit bureaus.)

Fees

In addition to interest, credit card issuers may charge fees of several types, including:

Annual fees
Balance transfer fees
Cash advance fees
Foreign transaction fees
Late payment fees
Over-limit fees
Returned payment fees

Cards with lower fees are preferable, so you aren’t spending unnecessarily large amounts of money to own the card. For this list, we looked specifically at each card’s annual fee (which you must pay each year you hold the card) and late fee (which you must pay each month that you miss your payment due date).

Deposit Requirements

Secured credit cards require you to make a deposit, which usually determines your credit limit. (For example, if you pay a $200 deposit, your initial credit limit will be $200.) Traditional, unsecured credit cards do not require a deposit and set your credit limit based on your creditworthiness.

Both card types have their benefits, so consider the following when choosing between them:

Secured credit cards are easier to get with a low credit score, can help you transition to a traditional card if you build a strong payment history, and tend to have lower APRs.
Unsecured cards don’t require you to pay any money upfront and may offer higher initial credit limits or more rewards.

Our list notes which cards are secured and includes their minimum deposit amounts.

Perks

While most credit cards for bad credit are basic credit cards with few features, some do come with cash-back rewards on essential purchases like groceries or gas.

What We Recommend

The overall best “bad credit” credit card on our list is the Applied Bank Secured Visa Gold Preferred card, which has no minimum credit score and a low APR. The card’s late fees and annual fees are also under $50, and its minimum opening deposit of $200 is fairly standard among secured cards.

If you’re looking for a card with a low or zero deposit, consider the Milestone Gold Mastercard (no deposit) or Capital One Secured Mastercard (minimum deposit of $49). However, note that both of these cards have a much higher APR than the Applied Bank Secured Visa Gold Preferred card.

Comparison Table

You can use the table below to compare various features of the best credit cards for bad credit, including their APRs, credit requirements, and fees. Sort the table by selecting the arrows at the top of each column. Additionally, you can select each credit card name or scroll to the list below for more details.

Credit Card	Minimum Score	Minimum Deposit	APR	Annual Fee	Late Fee	Minimum Credit Limit
Applied Bank Secured Visa Gold Preferred	None	$200	About 10%	$48	Up to $38	$200
First Progress Platinum Prestige Mastercard Secured	None	$200	About 10%	$49	Up to $40	$200
First Progress Platinum Select Mastercard Secured	None	$200	About 14%	$39	Up to $40	$200
U.S. Bank Secured Visa	300	$300	About 19%	$29	Up to $40	$300
OpenSky Secured Visa	None	$200	About 18%	$35	Up to $38	$200
Merrick Bank Secured Visa	None	$200	About 18%	$36	Up to $40	$200
Discover it Secured	300	$200	About 23%	$0	Up to $40	$200
Green Dot Platinum Visa	None	$200	About 20%	$39	Up to $27	$200
First Progress Platinum Elite Mastercard Secured	None	$200	About 20%	$29	Up to $40	$200
Milestone Gold Mastercard	300	Not required	About 25%	$35	Up to $40	$300
Capital One Secured Mastercard	300	$49 to $200	About 27%	$0	Up to $39	$200
Credit One Bank Platinum Visa for Rebuilding Credit	300	Not required	About 18% to 24%	$0 to $99	Up to $39	$300
Indigo Platinum Mastercard	300	Not required	About 25%	Up to $99	Up to $40	$300

The List

Below, we list the best credit cards for bad credit in the order of “best first.” We based this order on a combination of each card’s APR, fees, and credit requirements.

1. Applied Bank Secured Visa Gold Preferred

Minimum credit score: None
APR: About 10%
Annual fee: $48
Late payment fee: Up to $38
Minimum deposit: $200
Minimum credit limit: $200
Perks: None
Apply

2. First Progress Platinum Prestige Mastercard Secured

Minimum credit score: None
APR: About 10%
Annual fee: $49
Late payment fee: Up to $40
Minimum deposit: $200
Minimum credit limit: $200
Perks: None
Apply

3. First Progress Platinum Select Mastercard Secured

Minimum credit score: None
APR: About 14%
Annual fee: $39
Late payment fee: Up to $40
Minimum deposit: $200
Minimum credit limit: $200
Perks: None
Apply

4. U.S. Bank Secured Visa

Minimum credit score: 300
APR: About 19%
Annual fee: $29
Late payment fee: Up to $40
Minimum deposit: $300
Minimum credit limit: $300
Perks: None
Apply

5. OpenSky Secured Visa

Minimum credit score: None
APR: About 18%
Annual fee: $35
Late payment fee: Up to $38
Minimum deposit: $200
Minimum credit limit: $200
Perks: None
Apply

6. Merrick Bank Secured Visa

Minimum credit score: None
APR: About 18%
Annual fee: $36 (billed $3 per month after your first year)
Late payment fee: Up to $40
Minimum deposit: $200
Minimum credit limit: $200
Perks: None
Apply

7. Discover it Secured

Minimum credit score: 300
APR: About 23%
Annual fee: None
Late payment fee: Up to $40
Minimum deposit: $200
Minimum credit limit: $200
Perks: 2% cash back on gas and restaurant purchases, plus 1% cash back on other purchases
Apply