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WalletHub Best Mastercard for Bad Credit
WalletHub makes it easy to find the best Mastercard for bad credit.
There are many different Mastercard credit cards for bad credit, considering that Mastercard is one of the world’s largest and most widely accepted card networks. In other words, a significant portion of all the credit ca... show more
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show lessMASTERCARD FOR BAD CREDIT OFFERS
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- High rewards rate
- Bonus rewards categories
- Qualify with bad credit
- Does not require security deposit
- High membership fees
- High regular APR
- Foreign fee
- No annual or monthly fees
- Starting credit line $200
- Great for credit-building
- No rewards
- Higher-than-average interest rate
- Qualify with bad credit
- Does not require security deposit
- High membership fees
- High regular APR
- Foreign fee
- High rewards rate
- Bonus rewards categories
- Qualify with bad credit
- Does not require security deposit
- High membership fees
- High regular APR
- Foreign fee
- Qualify with limited or no credit history
- Low security deposit
- One-time fees
- High regular APR
- Foreign fee
- Qualify with limited or no credit history
- Does not require security deposit
- High membership fees
- High regular APR
- Foreign fee
- Qualify with limited or no credit history
- Does not require security deposit
- One-time fees
- High regular APR
- Foreign fee
- Qualify with bad credit
- Does not require security deposit
- High membership fees
- High regular APR
- Foreign fee
- Qualify with limited or no credit history
- Does not require security deposit
- One-time fees
- High regular APR
- Foreign fee
- Qualify with bad credit
- Does not require security deposit
- High membership fees
- High regular APR
- Foreign fee
What is the best Mastercard for bad credit?
The best Mastercard for bad credit depends on whether your top priority is credit improvement or getting an emergency loan. If you simply want to rebuild your credit, a secured credit card is the way to go. In particular, the Capital One Quicksilver Secured Cash Rewards Credit Card is a great option. But if you’re facing unexpected, unaffordable expenses, you’ll need an unsecured credit card for bad credit. And the Indigo® Mastercard® for Less than Perfect Credit is probably the best of the not-so-hot options in that category.
These picks are based on WalletHub’s review of 20+ Mastercard credit cards for people with bad credit. And there’s more where they came from. WalletHub’s editors also selected the top cards in a few other popular categories.
Here are the best Mastercards for bad credit:
| Best For… | Card Name | Annual Fee | Security Deposit | Card Network | Min. Credit Required |
| Rewards | Capital One Quicksilver Secured Cash Rewards Credit Card | $0 | $200 | Mastercard | Bad |
| No Annual Fee | Capital One Platinum Secured Credit Card | $0 | $49, $99 or $200 | Mastercard | Bad |
| Unsecured | Indigo® Mastercard® for Less than Perfect Credit | $0 - $99 | N/A | Mastercard | Bad |
| Business | Business Advantage Unlimited Cash Rewards Secured credit card | $0 | $1000 | Mastercard | Bad |
To see if these offers are the cream of the bad-credit crop, we recommend comparing them to the best Visa cards for bad credit, at the very least. You can also see which offers made the final cut for 2023’s best credit cards for people with bad credit.
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
Questions & Answers
Comparing mastercard for bad credit offers 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 are the Citi Secured requirements for approval? Reply
The main Citi Secured requirements are that an applicant must be at least 18 years old with a valid Social Security number or Individual Taxpayer Identification number. Applicants must also agree to put down a security deposit of $200+ before they can open the account. There’s no minimum credit score requirement, as the Citi Secured card is designed for people with bad credit and beginners with little or no borrowing history.
Citi Secured Card Requirements
- At least 18 years old
- Physical U.S. address (no P.O. boxes)
- Proof of income to make the monthly minimum payment
- Checking or savings account
- Social Security number or ITIN
- $200 security deposit
While the Citi Secured card has no minimum credit score requirement, Citibank may reject your application if there are serious negative entries on your credit report, such as a pending bankruptcy. In addition, if you apply for the Citi Secured card, it’s vital that you enter all required information completely and accurately. Knowingly reporting false or misleading information on a credit card application is a federal crime.
Can I get approved for the Citi secured credit card with a bankruptcy on my file? Reply
You cannot get the Citi Secured Card if you have any bankruptcy history within the last two years. Bear in mind there are other approval requirements too. Citi will review your income, debt and credit history to make sure you can afford a new account.
Featured Credit Cards
We work hard to show you up-to-date product terms, however, this information does not originate from us and thus, we do not guarantee its accuracy. Actual terms may vary. Before submitting an application, always verify all terms and conditions with the offering institution. Please let us know if you notice any differences.
† Approval Odds are WalletHub estimates intended to gauge your likelihood of approval for a particular product. Approval Odds are based on WalletHub data and are not provided or endorsed by the lender. Approval Odds are not meant to imply or guarantee that you will be approved by the lender or that credit will be extended. WalletHub may share your information with third-parties in order to show personalized offers, as well as enable you to interact more easily with pre-fill forms or applications. You can opt-out of sharing your personal info here.
Ad Disclosure Certain offers that appear on this site originate from paying advertisers, and this will be noted on an offer’s details page using the designation "Sponsored", where applicable. Advertising may impact how and where products appear on this site (including, for example, the order in which they appear). At WalletHub we try to present a wide array of offers, but our offers do not represent all financial services companies or products.
Editorial and user-generated content on this page is not provided, commissioned, reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any issuer.
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