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Best Balance Transfer Credit Cards for Bad Credit
WalletHub makes it easy to find the best balance transfer credit card for bad credit.
Balance transfer credit cards for bad credit would, in theory, allow you to reduce the cost of existing debt by providing a low introductory interest rate. Reality is a bit different, though. No major issuers currently offer worthwhile balance transfer credit cards to people with bad credit. Most bad-credit credit cards either require… show more
Best Balance Transfer Credit Cards for Bad Credit
[chop] Again, we don’t recommend using a secured card for a balance transfer. Rather, we recommend opting for a secured card, paying its bill on time every single month and routinely adding to your security deposit in order to expedite your credit building efforts. Eventually, you will reach good credit, which is where balance transfer credit card offers start to get interesting.
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Indigo® Mastercard® for Less than Perfect Credit Indigo® Mastercard® for Less than Perfect Credit
- Qualify with bad credit
- Does not require security deposit
- Membership fees
- No rewards
- No rewards bonus
- No intro APR on purchases
- Pre-qualify for a card today and it will not impact your credit score.
- Less than perfect credit is okay
- Mobile account access at any time
- Fraud protection for stolen or lost cards
- Account history is reported to the three major credit bureaus in the U.S.
- See More Details & Reviews About TheIndigo® Mastercard® for Less than Perfect Credit
Surge Mastercard® Surge Mastercard®

- Qualify with bad credit
- Does not require security deposit
- No rewards
- No rewards bonus
- No intro APR on purchases
- No balance transfers allowed
- Up to $1,000 credit limit doubles up to $2,000! (Simply make your first 6 monthly minimum payments on time)
- All credit types welcome to apply!
- Free access to your Vantage 3.0 score From Experian* (When you sign up for e-statements)
- Initial Credit Limit of $300 - $1,000* (subject to available credit)
- Monthly reporting to the three major credit bureaus
- See if you’re Pre-Qualified without impacting your credit score
- Fast and easy application process; results in seconds
- Free online account access 24/7
- Checking Account Required
- $0 monthly fee for the first 12 months. $10.00 per month starting the second year, waived for those with a $750 or $1,000 credit limit
- See More Details & Reviews About TheSurge Mastercard®
Destiny Mastercard® Destiny Mastercard®

- Qualify with bad credit
- Does not require security deposit
- High membership fees
- No rewards
- No rewards bonus
- No intro APR on purchases
- Greater access to credit than before - $500 credit limit
- All the benefits of a Mastercard, without a security deposit.
- Keeping your account in good standing may help establish and/or improve your credit history
- Less than perfect credit is okay, even with a prior bankruptcy!
- Prequalify for a card today and it will not impact your credit score
- Reports to all three major credit bureaus
- See More Details & Reviews About TheDestiny Mastercard®
Total Visa® Card Total Visa® Card
- Qualify with bad credit
- Does not require security deposit
- $89 one-time program fee
- $75 annual fee for the first year
- $123 in fees starting year two
- High APR
- Checking Account Required
- Fast and easy application process; response provided in seconds
- A genuine Visa® card accepted by merchants nationwide across the USA and online
- Manageable monthly payments
- $300 credit limit (subject to available credit).
- Multiple card designs available
- Reports monthly to all three major credit bureaus
- See rates, fees, costs and limitations for additional details
- Offer not guaranteed; response provided in seconds.
- See More Details & Reviews About TheTotal Visa® Card
FIT Mastercard® FIT Mastercard®

- Qualify with limited or no credit history
- Does not require security deposit
- One-time fees
- No rewards
- No rewards bonus
- No intro APR on purchases
- $400 credit limit doubles to $800! (Simply make your first 6 monthly minimum payments on time)
- All credit types welcome to apply
- Monthly reporting to the three major credit bureaus
- Initial Credit Limit of $400.00* (Subject to available credit)
- Fast and easy application process; results in seconds
- Use your card at locations everywhere Mastercard® is accepted
- Free access to your Vantage 3.0 score from Experian* (When you sign up for e-statements)
- Checking Account Required
- See More Details & Reviews About TheFIT Mastercard®
Revvi Card Revvi Card

- Earn 1% cash back rewards^^ on payments made to your Revvi Credit Card
- Qualify with bad credit
- Does not require security deposit
- One-time fees
- No rewards bonus
- No intro APR on purchases
- No balance transfers allowed
- Fast and easy application; response provided in seconds
- $300 credit limit (subject to available credit)
- Build your credit score with on-time payments and keeping your balance below the credit limit
- Opportunity to request credit limit increase after twelve months, fee applies
- Checking account required
- Reports monthly to all three major credit bureaus
- Manageable monthly payments
- Perfect credit not required
- Easy-to-use mobile app for management on the go!
- *See rates, fees, costs & limitations, and rewards for complete offer and Revvi Rewards details^^
- See More Details & Reviews About TheRevvi Card
Reflex Mastercard® Reflex Mastercard®

- Qualify with limited or no credit history
- Does not require security deposit
- No rewards
- No rewards bonus
- No intro APR on purchases
- No balance transfers allowed
- Up to $1,000 credit limit doubles up to $2,000! (Simply make your first 6 monthly minimum payments on time)
- See if you’re Pre-Qualified with no impact to your credit score
- All credit types welcome to apply
- Free access to your Vantage 3.0 score from Experian* (When you sign up for e-statements)
- Initial Credit Limit of $300 - $1,000* (subject to available credit)
- Monthly reporting to the three major credit bureaus
- Fast and easy application process; results in seconds
- Use your card at locations everywhere Mastercard® is accepted
- Checking Account Required
- $0 monthly fee for the first 12 months. $10.00 per month starting the second year, waived for those with a $750 or $1,000 credit limit
- See More Details & Reviews About TheReflex Mastercard®
Milestone® Mastercard® - Less Than Perfect Credit Considered Milestone® Mastercard® - Less Than Perfect Credit Considered

- No processing or monthly fees
- Available to people with bad credit, even after bankruptcy
- Relatively low APR for the segment
- Membership fees
- No rewards
- No rewards bonus
- No intro APR on purchases
- Prequalify for a card today and it will not impact your credit score
- Less than perfect credit is okay
- Mobile account access at any time
- Protection from fraud if your card is stolen
- Account history is reported to the three major credit bureaus in the U.S.
- Disclaimers: *Dependent on credit worthiness
- See More Details & Reviews About TheMilestone® Mastercard® - Less Than Perfect Credit Considered
First Digital Mastercard® First Digital Mastercard®

- Qualify with limited or no credit history
- Does not require security deposit
- One-time fees
- No rewards
- No rewards bonus
- No intro APR on purchases
- Get the security and convenience of a full-feature, unsecured MasterCard® Credit Card – accepted at millions of merchant and ATM locations worldwide and online.
- Build up your credit history with a card that reports to all three major credit bureaus every month.
- Perfect credit not required for approval; we may approve you when others won’t.
- Easy and secure online application – It takes just moments to apply.
- Issued by Synovus Bank, Member: FDIC
- See More Details & Reviews About TheFirst Digital Mastercard®
First Access Visa® Card First Access Visa® Card
- Qualify with bad credit
- Does not require security deposit
- One-time fees
- No rewards
- No rewards bonus
- No intro APR on purchases
- Reporting monthly to all three major credit reporting agencies
- Perfect credit not required for approval; we may approve you when others won’t
- Easy and secure online application
- $300 credit limit (subject to available credit)
- Receive your card more quickly with optional Expedited Processing (additional fee applies)
- Get a result in as little as 60 seconds upon completion of the online application
- Online Customer Center available 24 x 7
- Checking account required
- The First Access Visa Card is issued by The Bank of Missouri pursuant to a license from Visa U.S.A. Inc.
- See More Details & Reviews About TheFirst Access Visa® Card
What is the best balance transfer credit card for bad credit?

With that in mind, WalletHub’s editors identified the best credit cards for people with bad credit to improve their credit score with. Using such a card responsibly is the ticket to qualifying for a good balance transfer credit card in the future.
Compare Credit Cards for Bad Credit
Credit Card | Regular APR | Minimum Credit Score Needed |
Capital One Quicksilver Secured Cash Rewards Credit Card | 26.99% (V) | Bad |
Secured Sable ONE Credit Card | 10.99% Variable | Bad |
OpenSky® Secured Visa® Credit Card | 17.64% (V) | Bad |
Credit One Bank® Platinum Visa® for Rebuilding Credit | 24.24% (V) | Bad |
U.S. Bank Cash+® Visa® Secured Card | 26.74% (V) | Bad |
You generally need good or excellent credit to get a decent balance transfer credit card. You can get customized credit-improvement advice by signing up for a free WalletHub account.
About the author
John Kiernan has covered the credit card industry for more than 10 years as a writer and editor for WalletHub. His work has been featured by major media outlets such as The Washington Post and The New York Times and has been cited by industry regulators such as the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Read Full Author Bio
Balance Transfer Credit Cards for Bad Credit FAQ
Comparing balance transfer credit cards for bad credit 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.show more
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- What should people keep an eye out for when looking for a balance transfer credit card for bad credit?
Director of the CFP Board-Registered Financial Planning Program and Professor of Financial Planning at Virginia Tech
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Professor of Accounting Practice and Delta Sigma Pi Faculty Advisor in the Martin J. Whitman School of Management at Syracuse University
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Assistant Professor of Accounting in the School of Business at Gwynedd Mercy University
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