United MileagePlus is the best airline rewards program, according to WalletHub’s Frequent Flyer Program report, ending a five-year streak for Delta SkyMiles atop the rankings. Next in line are Mileage Plan from Alaska Airlines and HawaiianMiles from Hawaiian Airlines.
Unfortunately, most of the airlines with the best rewards programs don’t have credit cards that are available to people with bad credit.
Airline Credit Cards by Minimum Credit Score Needed
- American Airlines: American Airlines credit cards require good credit or better for approval.
- Delta Air Lines: Delta credit cards require good credit or better for approval.
- United Airlines: United credit cards require good credit or better for approval.
- Southwest Airlines: Southwest Airlines credit cards require good credit or better for approval.
- JetBlue Airways: JetBlue credit cards require good credit or better for approval.
- Spirit Airlines: Spirit Airlines credit cards require good credit or better for approval.
- Aeromexico: The Aeromexico Secured Credit Card for people with bad credit is no longer available to new applicants.
- Hawaiian Airlines: Hawaiian Airlines credit cards require good credit or better for approval.
- LATAM: The LATAM Secured Credit Card for people with bad credit is no longer available to new applicants.
- SKYPASS: The SKYPASS Secured Credit Card for people with bad credit is no longer available to new applicants.
The options get a bit more interesting for people with bad credit when you consider other types of travel rewards. For example, there’s a case to be made that the Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards Secured Credit Card is the best travel credit card for bad credit because it gives you bonus rewards in a category of your choice, which can include travel, gas stations, dining and more. Altogether, WalletHub’s picks are the cream of the travel rewards crop for folks with poor credit. And for your convenience, we’ll recap the selections below.
2021’s Best Rewards Credit Cards for Bad Credit
| Best For… | Card Name | Annual Fee | Min. Deposit Required |
| Overall | Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards Secured Credit Card | $0 | $300 |
| Unsecured | Credit One Bank® Platinum Visa® for Rebuilding Credit | $75 intro 1st yr, $99 after | N/A |
| Business | Wells Fargo Business Secured Credit Card | $0 | $500 |
Finally, don’t forget that the most valuable reward you can get from a credit card for bad credit is a better credit score. You’ll earn it as long as you pay your bill on time every month. All major credit cards, including secured cards, report information to the credit bureaus each month. And if that information is positive, as is the case when you pay on time, it will help cover up past mistakes. You can check your latest credit score and get personalized credit-improvement tips for free on WalletHub.
Methodology
WalletHub’s editors select the best airline credit cards for bad credit by comparing the expected rewards earnings, after applicable fees, that each rewards card available to people with poor credit is likely to provide on airfare purchases over two years of use. We use spending data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics to calculate expected earnings. We also regularly evaluate new cards and offers that have changed significantly for inclusion on this page.
