The Citi® Secured Mastercard® is a good first-time credit card because it is available to people with limited credit and its annual fee is $0. This means it’s easy to get approved for and inexpensive to own. Responsible use also builds credit, as the Citi Secured Card reports account info to the major credit bureaus monthly.
To get approved for the card, you will need to have a steady income and meet other basic requirements like being at least 18 years old and having an SSN or ITIN.
Why the Citi Secured Card Is a Good First-Time Credit Card
Available to: People with limited credit
Annual fee: $0
APR: 27.49% (V)
Security deposit: $200
Reports to credit bureaus monthly: Yes
It’s worth noting that the Citi Secured Card isn’t the only good first-time credit card out there. You can learn more about the best first-time credit cards on WalletHub.
Yes, the Citi Secured will do a hard pull. You can apply for it with bad credit though.
There is no way to get pre-approved for the Citi Secured. A hard pull usually causes an applicant's credit score to drop by 5-10 points. Most people’s scores bounce back within 3-6 months with responsible credit management, but it can take up to 12 months. You can learn more about how to minimize the credit score...
The main Citi Secured requirements are that an applicant must be at least 18 years old with a valid Social Security number or Individual Taxpayer Identification number. Applicants must also agree to put down a security deposit of $200+ before they can open the account. There’s no minimum credit score requirement, as the Citi Secured card is designed for people with bad credit and beginners with little or no borrowing history.
The best Citibank starter credit card is the Citi Secured because it accepts applicants with limited credit history and reports to the three major credit bureaus on a monthly basis. This Citibank card also has an annual fee of $0.
Your goal with a starter credit card should be to build your credit score as cheaply as possible. The Citi Secured is a good option for doing just that.
WalletHub Answers is a free service that helps consumers access financial information. Information on WalletHub Answers is provided “as is” and should not be considered financial, legal or investment advice. WalletHub is not a financial advisor, law firm, “lawyer referral service,” or a substitute for a financial advisor, attorney, or law firm. You may want to hire a professional before making any decision. WalletHub does not endorse any particular contributors and cannot guarantee the quality or reliability of any information posted. The helpfulness of a financial advisor's answer is not indicative of future advisor performance.
WalletHub members have a wealth of knowledge to share, and we encourage everyone to do so while respecting our content guidelines. This question was posted by WalletHub. Please keep in mind that editorial and user-generated content on this page is not reviewed or otherwise endorsed by any financial institution. In addition, it is not a financial institution’s responsibility to ensure all posts and questions are answered.
Ad Disclosure: Certain offers that appear on this site originate from paying advertisers, and this will be noted on an offer’s details page using the designation "Sponsored", where applicable. Advertising may impact how and where products appear on this site (including, for example, the order in which they appear). At WalletHub we try to present a wide array of offers, but our offers do not represent all financial services companies or products.