Mastercard for Bad Credit
WalletHub makes it easy to find the best Mastercard for bad credit.
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- No annual fee
- Unlike a prepaid card, there is regular reporting to the 3 major credit bureaus
- Accepted at millions of locations worldwide
- Make the minimum required security deposit and you'll get an initial credit line of $200. Plus, deposit more money before your account opens to get a higher credit line
- Access to an authorized bank account is required to make your $49, $99 or $200 refundable security deposit
- Be automatically considered for a higher credit line in as little as 6 months with no additional deposit needed
- Easily manage your account 24/7 with online access, by phone or using our mobile app
- See More Details & Reviews About TheCapital One® Secured Mastercard®
- 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
- 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 TransUnion* (When you sign up for e-statements)
- 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 credit limit
- See More Details & Reviews About TheSurge Mastercard® Credit Card
- 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
- Receive Your Card More Quickly with New Expedited Processing Option
- No Credit History or Minimum Credit Score Required for Approval
- Quick and Complete Online Application
- Full-Feature Platinum Mastercard® Secured Credit Card
- Good for Car Rental, Hotels; Anywhere Credit Cards Are Accepted!
- Monthly Reporting to all 3 Major Credit Bureaus to Establish Credit History
- Credit Line Secured by Your Fully-Refundable Deposit of $200 -- $2,000 Submitted with Application
- Just Pay Off Your Balance and Receive Your Deposit Back at Any Time
- 24/7 Online Access to Your Account
- Nationwide Program though not yet available in NY, IA, AR, or WI *See Card Terms.
- Apply in just a few moments with no negative impact to your credit score; no credit inquiry will be recorded in your credit bureau file
- See More Details & Reviews About TheFirst Progress Platinum Prestige Mastercard® Secured Credit Card
- Receive Your Card More Quickly with New Expedited Processing Option
- No Credit History or Minimum Credit Score Required for Approval
- Quick and Complete Online Application
- Full-Feature Platinum Mastercard® Secured Credit Card
- Good for Car Rental, Hotels; Anywhere Credit Cards Are Accepted!
- Monthly Reporting to all 3 Major Credit Bureaus to Establish Credit History
- Credit Line Secured by Your Fully-Refundable Deposit of $200 -- $2,000 Submitted with Application
- Just Pay Off Your Balance and Receive Your Deposit Back at Any Time
- 24/7 Online Access to Your Account
- Nationwide Program though not yet available in NY, IA, AR, or WI *See Card Terms.
- Apply in just a few moments with no negative impact to your credit score; no credit inquiry will be recorded in your credit bureau file
- See More Details & Reviews About TheFirst Progress Platinum Elite Mastercard® Secured Credit Card
- 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 TransUnion* (When you sign up for e-statements)
- 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 fraud liability for unauthorized charges
- $0 monthly fee for the first 12 months. $10.00 per month starting the second year, waived for those with a $750 credit limit
- See More Details & Reviews About TheReflex Mastercard® Credit Card
- Receive Your Card More Quickly with New Expedited Processing Option
- No Credit History or Minimum Credit Score Required for Approval
- Quick and Complete Online Application
- Full-Feature Platinum Mastercard® Secured Credit Card
- Good for Car Rental, Hotels; Anywhere Credit Cards Are Accepted!
- Monthly Reporting to all 3 Major Credit Bureaus to Establish Credit History
- Credit Line Secured by Your Fully-Refundable Deposit of $200 -- $2,000 Submitted with Application
- Just Pay Off Your Balance and Receive Your Deposit Back at Any Time
- 24/7 Online Access to Your Account
- Nationwide Program though not yet available in NY, IA, AR, or WI * See Card Terms.
- Apply in just a few moments with no negative impact to your credit score; no credit inquiry will be recorded in your credit bureau file
- See More Details & Reviews About TheFirst Progress Platinum Select Mastercard® Secured Credit Card
- 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®
- 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 that Mastercard® is accepted
- Free online account access 24/7
- Checking Account Required
- See More Details & Reviews About TheFit Mastercard® Credit Card
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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® Secured Mastercard® 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 |
| No Annual Fee | Capital One® Secured Mastercard® | $0 | $49, $99 or $200 | Mastercard | Limited History |
| Rewards | SunTrust Secured Credit Card | $32 | See Terms | Mastercard | Bad |
| Unsecured | Indigo® Mastercard® for Less than Perfect Credit | $0 - $99 | N/A | Mastercard | Bad |
| Business | Wells Fargo Business Secured Credit Card | $25 | $500 | 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 2020’s best credit cards for people with bad credit.
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 moreshow less
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What are the Citi Secured Mastercard approval requirements? Reply
Because the Citi Secured Card accepts bad credit, approval requirements do not generally come from score, but rather income and/or past bankruptcies. As with all credit cards, approval is never guaranteed, but secured cards will always have higher approval odds.
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.
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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.
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Editorial and user-generated content on this page is not provided, commissioned, reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any issuer.