What is the best low APR secured credit card?

A good APR for a first credit card is anything below 20%. The best low interest first time credit card is the Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards Credit Card for Students because it offers introductory APRs of 0% for 18 months on purchases and 0% for 18 months on balance transfers, with a regular APR of 17.74% - 27.74% (V). It also has a $0 annual fee and a 3% (min $10) balance transfer fee. But there is a 3% foreign transaction fee. With non-student first time credit cards, it’s hard to find a regular APR below 25% and nearly impossible to get a 0% intro rate.… read full answer

Most first-timers have no credit history, so they need to prove themselves as responsible borrowers before getting a really low APR. But there are exceptions. One way to get a good APR for a first credit card is to apply for a secured card. But because these cards require you to deposit the entire amount they allow you to spend, it doesn’t make sense to carry a balance. You would in effect being paying interest to borrow money from yourself. Student cards also give lower rates, but naturally only to students.

Therefore, the very best APR for a first credit card is one that never affects you. Since you’re unlikely to get approved for a low APR, you should pay your balance in full every month. And if you do that, you won’t have to pay interest. Still, it’s worth knowing what rates are available, just in case.

First-Time Credit Cards with Good APRs:

• Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards Credit Card for Students: 0% for 18 months. 17.74% - 27.74% (V) regular APR. $0 annual fee.
• Capital One QuicksilverOne Cash Rewards Credit Card: 28.49% (V). $39 annual fee.
• Capital One Platinum Credit Card: 28.49% (V). $0 annual fee.
• Capital One Platinum Secured Credit Card: 28.49% (V). $0 annual fee.
• OpenSky® Secured Visa® Credit Card: 20.39% (V). $35 annual fee.
• First Progress Platinum Select Mastercard® Secured Credit Card: 17.74% (V). $39 annual fee.
• First Progress Platinum Prestige Mastercard® Secured Credit Card: 13.74% (V). $49 annual fee.

If you’re in the market for your first credit card, you probably don’t have much credit history, unless you’ve been able to build some as an authorized user on someone else’s card. So you probably won’t get a low APR. As a result, your aim should be to find a card with no annual fee that you can get approved for (rewards are a bonus). Then, pay in full every month by the due date to avoid interest. Paying your bill on time will also help you build credit and graduate to a card with a lower APR.

The best high limit secured credit card is the U.S. Bank Secured Visa® Card. You can put down a security deposit of up to $5,000 to receive a credit limit of the same amount. The card is available to people with bad credit and it has a $0 annual fee. The regular APR is 27.74% (V).… read full answer

With almost all secured credit cards, your credit limit is the same amount as the security deposit you put down. There is another high limit secured credit card that lets you deposit as much as $5,000: the Harley-Davidson® Secured Credit Card. But several others allow limits in the thousands. The OpenSky® Secured Visa® Credit Card lets you deposit up to $3,000 and doesn’t even do a credit check when you apply. And there are a few other high limit secured credit cards of note.

Best High Limit Secured Credit Cards

• $5,000 maximum limit: U.S. Bank Secured Visa® Card. $300 minimum deposit. $0 annual fee.
• $5,000 maximum limit: Harley-Davidson® Secured Credit Card. $300 minimum deposit. $0 annual fee.
• $3,000 maximum limit: OpenSky® Secured Visa® Credit Card. $200 minimum deposit. $35 annual fee. No credit check when you apply.
• $3,000 maximum limit: Merrick Bank Classic Secured Credit Card. $200 minimum deposit. Annual fee: $36 1st yr, $0 after that.
• $2,500 maximum limit: Discover it® Secured Credit Card. $200 minimum deposit. $0 annual fee. 2% cash back on $1,000 spent per quarter at restaurants and gas stations combined. 1% back on everywhere else. First year’s cash back matched.
• $2,500 maximum limit: Citi® Secured Mastercard®. $200 minimum deposit. $0 annual fee.

So, there are plenty of high limit secured credit cards that will give you a few thousand dollars to work with. Just keep in mind that you’ll have to deposit as much as you want credit limit-wise. But the deposit is fully refundable when you close the card with a zero balance.

You can get a credit card without a job. Most credit card applications have a section for employment information, but you can also put student, homemaker or unemployed. Annual income and assets are more important than employment status when applying for a credit card, though.

Income is usually from a job, but it can also come from other sources like an inheritance or investments. Your assets are anything of value that you own. For example, if you have a rental property, the property would be an asset. And the rent you charge would be part of your income.… read full answer

If you’re under 21 years old, you’ll need your own income source to qualify for a credit card. That could include a regular allowance from your parents, though. If you’re over 21, you can list household income that you have reasonable access to. For example, a stay-at-home parent could list their spouse’s income. Without a job or any income, a credit card will be much more difficult to get.

How to get a credit card without a job:

• Put down non-employment income: You can list alimony, disability benefits, certain scholarships, and investment or rental income, for example.
• List shared income: If you have consistent access to someone else’s income, you can list that. For example, it could be an allowance from a relative (if you’re under 21 years old) or your partner’s pay (21+).
• Become an authorized user or get a joint account with someone else: An authorized user can make charges on someone else’s account. But the primary cardholder owns the account and is legally responsible for paying the bills. This option is the easiest way to get a card and start building credit. You can also get a joint credit card from U.S. Bank without a job, as long as the co-owner has enough income. But in a joint credit card arrangement, both people are liable for the debt.
• Get a secured card: To get a secured card, you must put down a security deposit (usually $200+), which serves as the credit limit. Since there is no possibility of borrowing more than you can pay, secured cards are easier for people with limited income or bad credit to get.

You can get a credit card without a job as long as you have enough income or assets to pay your bills. So being out of work doesn’t mean losing out on the opportunity to improve your credit score or enjoy the convenience of plastic.