What is the minimum deposit for a secured credit card?

No, you cannot get a secured credit card with no deposit. In fact, having to place a security deposit is the only thing that’s unique about secured credit cards; there is no other difference between secured and unsecured credit cards. You can, however, get a secured card with a low deposit. Plus, there are some … read full answercredit cards with no deposit for people with bad credit. But they tend to be more expensive in the long run, thanks to high fees that you don’t get back.

Here are some of the best secured credit cards with low deposits:

Any of these cards will help you rebuild your credit if used responsibly. Most importantly, that means paying on time every month.

Finally, it’s worth noting that although you can’t get a secured credit card without a security deposit, you can keep one – sort of. After months of responsible use, your card’s issuer may offer to refund your deposit. They may graduate you to a better offer or give you an unsecured line of credit on your existing account.

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 build credit with a secured credit card in as little as 1 month, but it will take many months or even years to build a consistently good or excellent credit score. The length of time also depends on whether you’re building credit from nothing or rebuilding damaged credit. If you have no credit, you could see a good score after just a few months of paying on time. You’ll have a … read full answerVantageScore after 1 month and a FICO Score after 6. With bad credit, though, it will probably take 12-18 months of responsible use for you to move up to the fair credit range. Secured credit cards are great for building credit because they are easy to get and report to the credit bureaus just like unsecured cards.

But it's hard to give you an accurate estimate of how long it will take to build credit with a secured credit card without knowing the details of your situation. That’s where WalletHub can help. Just sign up for a free account, and we’ll give you a personalized credit analysis that will tell you what to improve and give you a better sense of how long it will take.

Here’s how long it takes to build credit with a secured credit card:

• If you have no credit, it will take 1 month to get a VantageScore and 6 to get a FICO score. Depending on how responsibly you use your card, your first score could be anywhere from bad to good.
• If you pay your bill on time and otherwise manage your finances responsibly, you can rebuild from a bad credit score (300-639) to a fair credit score (640-699) in approximately 12-18 months.
• A good credit score based on limited information could easily fall due to an increase in credit utilization or a single missed payment. Building and then keeping a good or excellent credit score requires consistency over time. This is a project measured in years.
• For people rebuilding credit, it will take 7-10 years for some negative information, like bankruptcies and late payments, to disappear from your credit report. But the older they are, the less impact they will have on your score.

If you’re looking to rebuild your credit, secured credit cards are the best way to do it. They’re easy to get and are indistinguishable from unsecured cards aside from the deposit requirement.

Rebuilding credit will take a while, so it’s best to get started as soon as possible. Some good behaviors to practice are always paying on time and using less than 30% of your available credit.

Checking your credit reports regularly for errors and disputing any you find is also important.