

Selected from 1,500+ credit cards in March 2021
Best Credit Card for Bad Credit Overall
Secured Card | One-Time Fees | Regular APR |
---|---|---|
Min Deposit of $200 | None | 22.99% Variable |
Annual Fee | Rewards Rate | Min Credit Needed |
$0 | 1 - 2% Cash Back | Bad |
Monthly Fee | None | None |
None | None | None |
Secured Card | Annual Fee |
---|---|
Min Deposit of $200 | $0 |
Monthly Fee | One-Time Fees |
None | None |
Regular APR | Rewards Rate |
22.99% Variable | 1 - 2% Cash Back |
Why it's one of the best credit cards for bad credit: Not only does the Discover it Secured Credit Card lack an annual fee, but it actually offers rewards – a rare combination for the bad-credit crowd. You will earn 2% cash back on the first $1,000 you spend at restaurants and gas stations each quarter as well as 1% on everything else. And everything you earn the first year will be doubled. Plus, the card’s $200 minimum deposit is lower than what many competing offers require.
Best Credit Card for Bad Credit with No Credit Check
Secured Card | One-Time Fees | Regular APR |
---|---|---|
Min Deposit of $200 | None | 17.39% (V) |
Annual Fee | Monthly Fee | Min Credit Needed |
$35 | None | Bad |
Secured Card | Annual Fee |
---|---|
Min Deposit of $200 | $35 |
Monthly Fee | One-Time Fees |
None | None |
Regular APR | |
17.39% (V) |
Why it's one of the best credit cards for bad credit: The OpenSky Secured Card is notable not because of its $200 minimum deposit or $35 annual fee, but rather because no credit check is required for approval. That means you can begin rebuilding your credit right away, no matter how damaged it may be. And with that in mind, $35 seems like a bargain.
Best Partially-Secured Credit Card for Bad Credit
Secured Card | One-Time Fees | Regular APR |
---|---|---|
Min Deposit of $49, $99 or $200 | None | 26.99% (V) |
Annual Fee | Monthly Fee | Min Credit Needed |
$0 | None | Bad |
Secured Card | Annual Fee |
---|---|
Min Deposit of $49, $99 or $200 | $0 |
Monthly Fee | One-Time Fees |
None | None |
Regular APR | |
26.99% (V) |
Why it's one of the best credit cards for bad credit: The fact that the Secured Mastercard from Capital One does not charge an annual fee and has the potential to be partially-secured makes it quite attractive for many people. With a partially-secured credit card, your credit line may exceed the amount of your security deposit, thereby providing you with an emergency line of credit, if needed, and enabling you to maximize your available credit. The more credit you have available, the faster your credit standing will improve. The Secured Mastercard credit card from Capital One is therefore an option that at least merits consideration if you have bad or limited credit. To learn more about this helpful credit-building tool, check out our full review.
Best Credit Card for Bad Credit with No Annual Fee
Secured Card | One-Time Fees | Regular APR |
---|---|---|
Min Deposit of $300 | None | 23.99% (V) |
Annual Fee | Rewards Rate | Min Credit Needed |
$0 | 1 - 3% Cash Back | Bad |
Monthly Fee | None | None |
None | None | None |
Secured Card | Annual Fee |
---|---|
Min Deposit of $300 | $0 |
Monthly Fee | One-Time Fees |
None | None |
Regular APR | Rewards Rate |
23.99% (V) | 1 - 3% Cash Back |
Why it's one of the best credit cards for bad credit: The Bank of America® Cash Rewards Secured Credit Card is one of the best credit cards for bad credit because it has a $0 annual fee and great rewards. Cardholders earn bad on purchases, depending on the spending category.
Best Store Credit Card for Bad Credit
Secured Card | One-Time Fees | Regular APR |
---|---|---|
Min Deposit of $100 | None | 25.99% (V) |
Annual Fee | Monthly Fee | Min Credit Needed |
$0 | None | Bad |
Secured Card | Annual Fee |
---|---|
Min Deposit of $100 | $0 |
Monthly Fee | One-Time Fees |
None | None |
Regular APR | |
25.99% (V) |
Why it's one of the best credit cards for bad credit: The Amazon.com Secured Credit Card is the best store credit card for bad credit because it has a $0 annual fee and allows you to put down as little as $100 for the refundable security deposit. It can also help you build credit, with monthly reporting to the three major credit bureaus, and you’ll get a $10 Amazon.com gift card when you place your deposit.
Best Unsecured Credit Card for Bad Credit
One-Time Fees | Regular APR | Annual Fee |
---|---|---|
None | 17.99% - 23.99% (V) | $0 - $99 |
Monthly Fee | Rewards Rate | Min Credit Needed |
None | 0 - 1% Cash Back | Bad |
Annual Fee | Monthly Fee |
---|---|
$0 - $99 | None |
One-Time Fees | Regular APR |
None | 17.99% - 23.99% (V) |
Rewards Rate | |
0 - 1% Cash Back |
Why it's one of the best credit cards for bad credit: We tend not to recommend unsecured credit cards for bad credit given the prohibitive costs and low credit lines typical of the genre. If you truly need an emergency loan, however, this Credit One Bank Visa Card is your best bet. It charges a relatively modest annual fee of $0 - $99. And it even offers 1% cash back on eligible purchases.
Finding the best credit card can be tough. But you’ve got the knowledgeable WalletHub community on your side. We encourage everyone to share their knowledge while respecting our content guidelines. 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 the financial institution’s responsibility to ensure all posts and questions are answered.
The best Bank of America credit card for bad credit is the Bank of America® Cash Rewards Secured Credit Card because it is the only BofA card that accepts applicants with credit scores below 640, and its annual fee isn't too high at $0. There are no one-time or monthly fees. But Bank of America® Cash Rewards Secured Credit Card does require a minimum $300 security deposit to open the account. The credit limit is equal the amount of the deposit, and the maximum deposit is $4,900. The security deposit is fully refundable after closing the account with no balance. BofA may even refund the deposit after 12+ months of on-time payments.
The Bank of America® Cash Rewards Secured Credit Card is designed for people with bad credit. In this situation, it's very hard to get approved for any Bank of America credit card that does not require a deposit. Consider secured cards from other issuers such as the Discover it® Secured Credit Card or the Secured Mastercard® from Capital One. There are also unsecured cards for bad credit from other issuers. One good option is the Credit One Bank® Visa® Credit Card.
Another way to get a Bank of America credit card with bad credit is to become an authorized user on someone else's card. Authorized users share a credit line with the main cardholder. Information about the account gets placed on the user's credit report. This can help a user build good credit if the primary cardholder uses the card responsibly. Only the primary cardholder is responsible for making payments. But customers with bad credit who want their own Bank of America credit card account will have to settle for the Bank of America® Cash Rewards Secured Credit Card.
The best Bank of America credit card for bad credit is the Bank of America® Cash Rewards Secured Credit Card. But if you want to choose one of the other credit cards for bad credit, the Discover it Secured Credit Card has a $0 annual fee. It requires a minimum $200 with a $2,500 maximum. It also offers 2% cash back on the first $1,000 per quarter at gas stations and restaurants and 1% on all other purchases. Discover also matches all cash back earned during the first year on the first account anniversary.
Another good secured card choice is the Secured Mastercard® from Capital One. It has a $0 annual fee. There is a guaranteed $200 minimum initial credit limit with security deposit of $49, $99 or $200, based on creditworthiness. The maximum deposit is $1,000.
The best option when it comes to unsecured credit cards for bad credit is the Credit One Bank® Visa® Credit Card. It has a $0 - $99 annual fee, depending on creditworthiness. And it has a $300 minimum credit limit with no deposit required. The Credit One Bank® Visa® Credit Card offers 1.5% cash back on eligible purchases (determined after approval).
There are no tire credit cards for bad credit, as they require at least fair credit for approval. So, your best bet is a secured credit card with rewards. That means the best tire-purchase credit card for bad credit is the Discover it® Secured Credit Card because it gives 1 - 2% cash back on purchases (doubled year one). The Discover it® Secured Credit Card also has a $0 annual fee.
Your other option is to rebuild your credit a bit. If you can get your credit score to “fair”, you might be able to qualify for something like the National Tire & Battery (NTB) Credit Card or the Tire Kingdom Credit Card.
The best credit cards for poor credit with no processing fee are the Credit One Bank® Visa® Credit Card and the Official NASCAR® Credit Card from Credit One Bank®. Both have annual fees of $0 to $99, depending on how bad your credit is, but there's no one-time fee for application processing. Although some unsecured credit cards for people with poor credit do charge processing fees, there are at least a few options without them.
People in search of credit cards for poor credit with no processing fees have even more choices when they consider secured credit cards. For example, you'll have to place a refundable deposit of at least $200 to get the Secured Mastercard® from Capital One and the Discover it® Secured Credit Card, but neither charges an annual fee or a processing fee.
The truth is, most credit cards for people with bad credit don't charge processing fees. So, you shouldn't ever settle for paying one. You can learn a bit more about the best alternatives below.
If you're worried about keeping costs down, try to get a credit card for poor credit with no processing fee, no annual fee and no monthly fee. You should try to pay your bill in full every month too. Even the best cards for bad credit have really high interest rates.
Both the Discover it Secured and the Capital One Secured are designed for people with bad credit and offer a longer-than-average grace period of 25 days. Credit card grace periods are typically between 21 and 25 days.
The grace period only remains in effect when you pay the full balance by the due date each month. If you lose your grace period, you can get it back by paying your full balance on time for two consecutive months.
The easiest tire credit card to get is the Walmart Credit Card because you can get approved with a score in the "fair" credit range. The Walmart Credit Card can be used for purchases in all of the store's departments, including automotive, which sells tires.
The benefit of getting the Walmart Credit Card instead of a tire brand's credit card is that you can use the Walmart Credit Card for things other than tires, because Walmart carries everything from groceries to cell phones. Also, many car care credit cards - Firestone, Goodyear, and Discount Tire, to name a few - come with deferred interest. Deferred interest may look like a 0% APR deal, but it means you'll be charged interest from the purchase date if you don't pay off the entire balance by the time the promotional period ends. It's better to get a credit card without deferred interest whenever you can.
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