A basic card for people who have below-average credit and/or don't care about rewards.
Capital One
Mastercard
Below Average (580-669)
Pros
- No annual fee.
- No foreign transaction fees.
Cons
- No ongoing rewards.
- No early spend bonus.
- High APR.
Rewards & Perks
- This credit card has no notable rewards.
Rates & Fees
- No annual fee.
- APR for purchases and BTs: 25.99%.
- No foreign transaction fees.
Total savings over 5 years: $0
A good cash back card (1.5% cash back on all purchases), with a $200 signup bonus (after making 3 debit card transactions in a new checking account), for people who only have an average or fair credit score, which has no annual fee.
Sutton Bank
Visa
Average (670-739)
Pros
- 1.5% cash back on all purchases.
- Earn a $200 bonus on your Upgrade Card after opening a Rewards Checking account and making 3 debit card transactions.*
- No annual fee.
- No foreign transaction fee.
(*) Disclaimer: To qualify for the $200 welcome bonus, you must open and fund a new Rewards Checking account and make 3 debit card transactions within 60 days of your Upgrade Card account opening. The bonus will be applied as a one-time credit to your account and will not otherwise reduce the amount of your regular monthly payments. The bonus credit will be posted to your Upgrade Card as a rewards credit within 1-2 billing periods following the third debit card transaction on your Rewards Checking account. Your Upgrade Card must be in good standing to receive a bonus.
Rewards & Perks
- 1.5% cash back on all purchases.
- Earn a $200 bonus on your Upgrade Card after opening a Rewards Checking account and making 3 debit card transactions.*
(*) Disclaimer: To qualify for the $200 welcome bonus, you must open and fund a new Rewards Checking account and make 3 debit card transactions within 60 days of your Upgrade Card account opening. The bonus will be applied as a one-time credit to your account and will not otherwise reduce the amount of your regular monthly payments. The bonus credit will be posted to your Upgrade Card as a rewards credit within 1-2 billing periods following the third debit card transaction on your Rewards Checking account. Your Upgrade Card must be in good standing to receive a bonus.
Rates & Fees
- No annual fee.
- APR on purchases: 8.99-29.99%.
- No foreign transaction fee.
Total savings over 5 years: $0
- Earn a $200 bonus on your Upgrade Card after opening a Rewards Checking 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 card with the low cost and predictability of a loan
- $0 fees - $0 annual fee, $0 activation fees, $0 maintenance fees
- No touch payments with contactless technology built in
- See if you qualify in minutes without hurting your credit score
- Access to a virtual card while you wait for your card to arrive in the mail
- 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 $200 welcome bonus, you must open and fund a new Rewards Checking account and make 3 debit card transactions within 60 days of your Upgrade Card account opening. The bonus will be applied as a one-time credit to your account and will not otherwise reduce the amount of your regular monthly payments. The bonus credit will be posted to your Upgrade Card as a rewards credit within 1-2 billing periods following the third debit card transaction on your Rewards Checking account. Your Upgrade Card must be in good standing to receive a bonus.
A secured card designed for people with bad credit, which has a $29 annual fee and no rewards.
Synovus Bank
Mastercard
Bad (<580)
Pros
- If you apply for this card, it won't be recorded in your credit bureau file (unlike applying for a regular, i.e., "unsecured" credit card, which would result in your credit score dropping a few points or so for a certain number of months).
Cons
- Like most cards for people with bad credit, this card offers no rewards.
- Because it's a secured card, it requires a (refundable) deposit, which will then be the funds that get used when you buy things with your card.
Rewards & Perks
- This card has no rewards.
Rates & Fees
- Annual fee: $29.
- APR: 21.49% (variable).
- Foreign transaction fee: 3%.
Total savings over 5 years: $-145
- Receive Your Card More Quickly with New Expedited Processing Option
- No Credit History or Minimum Credit Score Required for Approval
- Quick and Complete Online Application; No credit inquiry required!
- Includes Free Real-Time Access to Your Credit Score and Ongoing Credit Monitoring powered by Experian
- Full-Feature Platinum Mastercard® Secured Credit Card; Try our new Mobile App for Android users!
- Good for Car Rental, Hotels; Anywhere Credit Cards Are Accepted!
- Monthly Reporting to all 3 Major Credit Bureaus to Establish Credit History
- Credit Line Secured by Your Fully-Refundable Deposit of $200 -- $2,000 Submitted with Application
- Just Pay Off Your Balance and Receive Your Deposit Back at Any Time
- 24/7 Online Access to Your Account
- Nationwide program; available in all 50 US states *See Card Terms.
- Get a fresh start! A discharged bankruptcy still in your credit bureau file will not cause you to be declined.
A credit card designed for people with bad credit, which has a $0-99 annual fee (varies based on the person) and has no rewards.
Celtic Bank
Mastercard
Bad (<580)
Pros
- If you have bad credit, this card can help you start building up your credit (assuming you make your payments on time).
Cons
- Like most cards for people with bad credit, this card offers no rewards.
Rewards & Perks
- This card has no rewards.
Rates & Fees
- Annual fee: Between $0-99.
- APR for purchases: 24.9%.
- Foreign transaction fee: 1%.
Total savings over 5 years: $-471
- Pre-qualify for a card today and it will not impact your credit score
- Less than perfect credit is okay
- Mobile account access at any time
- Fraud protection for stolen or lost cards
- Account history is reported to the three major credit bureaus in the U.S.