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Best Credit Cards for Students with Bad Credit
WalletHub makes it easy to find the best student credit card with bad credit.
Credit cards for students with bad credit make it possible to build positive credit history at a low cost. Very few student credit cards accept applicants with bad credit scores, usually requiring limited credit or better for approval. But there are other credit cards for students with bad credit to use instead – most notably, secured credit cards. Secured cards tend to have low fees, and the refundable security deposit you must place doubles as your credit limit, ensuring you won’t get in over your head (some cards are from WalletHub partners). Unsecured cards for bad credit tend to be far more expensive in the long run.
Best Credit Cards for Students with Bad Credit:
- Credit One Bank® Platinum Visa® for Rebuilding Credit
- Capital One Quicksilver Secured Cash Rewards Credit Card
- opensky® Secured Visa® Credit Card
- Discover it® Secured Credit Card
- Milestone® Mastercard®
- Fingerhut Credit Account
- First Progress Select Secured Mastercard®... show more
... show more
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COMPARE STUDENT CREDIT CARDS WITH BAD CREDIT
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- Qualify with bad credit
- Does not require security deposit
- High membership fees
- High regular APR
- Foreign fee
- 1% cash back on eligible purchases
- Available to people with bad credit
- Automatic credit-line increase reviews
- Annual fee of $75 intro 1st yr, $99 after
- High APR
- Low credit limit
- Reasonable $35 annual fee
- As low as $200 minimum deposit
- 3% foreign transaction fee
- 0% regular APR
- Qualify with limited or no credit history
- High membership fees
- Foreign fee
- Qualify with bad credit
- Does not require security deposit
- High membership fees
- High regular APR
- Available to people with bad credit
- $95 one-time program fee
- High annual fee for the first year
- High APR
WalletHub's Best Credit Cards for Students with Bad Credit
The best credit card for students with bad credit is Discover it® Secured Credit Card because it has a $0 annual fee, a $0 foreign transaction fee and very nice rewards. The Discover it Secured Credit Card gives 2% cash back on a total of $1,000 spent each quarter at gas stations and restaurants – great for commuting and eating around campus. All other purchases earn 1% back. Discover also matches all the rewards new cardholders earn the first year.You don’t have to be a student to get the Discover it Secured Credit Card. But “student” credit cards are not generally available to applicants with poor credit. So you have to consider other options. With that in mind, WalletHub’s editors compared 1,000+ credit card offers in search of the best cards for students with bad credit, and you can find their selections below.
Best Credit Cards for Students with Bad Credit Comparison
| Credit Card | Best For | Annual Fee | Minimum Deposit |
| Discover it® Secured Credit Card | Best Overall | $0 | $200 |
| opensky® Secured Visa® Credit Card | No Credit Check | $35 | $200 |
| Fingerhut Credit Account | Store Card | $0 | None |
| Milestone® Mastercard® | No Deposit | $175 1st yr; $49 after | None |
| Capital One Quicksilver Secured Cash Rewards Credit Card | International Travel | $0 | $200 |
| Credit One Bank® Platinum Visa® for Rebuilding Credit | No Security Deposit | $75 intro 1st yr, $99 after | None |
If you happen to have bad credit as a student because of mistakes made with a credit card you were an authorized user on, things actually aren’t so bad. Authorized users aren’t responsible for making payments, so they can’t really be punished for mistakes made by the main accountholder. As a result, you can simply ask the major credit bureaus to remove any authorized-user accounts that have negative information associated with them. Doing so could immediately improve your credit standing and expand your credit-card options.
About the author
John S Kiernan
Best Credit Cards for Students with Bad Credit FAQ
Comparing student credit cards with 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. WalletHub independently collected information for some of the cards on this page.show more
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What are some student credit cards with instant approval for bad credit? Reply
One of the best credit cards with instant approval for students with bad credit is the Capital One Quicksilver Secured Cash Rewards Credit Card (see details, rates & fees). This card offers 1.5 - 5% cash back on purchases and has a $0 annual fee. Chances are you will get an instant decision in case your application can be immediately verified. Otherwise, it might take several business days to receive an answer.
Another good option is the opensky® Plus Secured Visa® Credit Card which requires no credit check while applying and has a $0 annual fee.
Notable Instant Approval Credit Cards for Students with Bad Credit
- Rates & Fees Cashback: Capital One Quicksilver Secured Cash Rewards Credit CardLearn MoreLearn Moreon issuer's website
- Rates & Fees Cashback: Capital One Quicksilver Secured Cash Rewards Credit CardLearn MoreLearn Moreon issuer's website
- Cashback: Capital One Quicksilver Secured Cash Rewards Credit CardLearn MoreLearn More
- No credit Check: opensky® Plus Secured Visa® Credit CardLearn MoreLearn Moreon issuer's website
- No credit Check: opensky® Plus Secured Visa® Credit CardLearn MoreLearn Moreon issuer's website
- No credit Check: opensky® Plus Secured Visa® Credit CardLearn MoreLearn More
- Rates & Fees Unsecured: Credit One Bank® Platinum Visa® for Rebuilding CreditLearn MoreLearn Moreon issuer's website
- Rates & Fees Unsecured: Credit One Bank® Platinum Visa® for Rebuilding CreditLearn MoreLearn Moreon issuer's website
- Unsecured: Credit One Bank® Platinum Visa® for Rebuilding CreditLearn MoreLearn More
- Rates & Fees Build Credit: Capital One Platinum Secured Credit CardLearn MoreLearn Moreon issuer's website
- Rates & Fees Build Credit: Capital One Platinum Secured Credit CardLearn MoreLearn Moreon issuer's website
- Build Credit: Capital One Platinum Secured Credit CardLearn MoreLearn More
- Cashback:
- No credit Check:
- Unsecured:
- Build Credit:
You can also check out our editors’ latest picks for the best credit cards for bad credit on the market to weigh your options.
Keep in mind that there are no specific credit cards for students with bad credit, since students usually have no credit or only have limited history. But if you happen to be a student and have a bad credit, the best thing to do is to get a secured card and use it responsibly to rebuild your credit.
Why am I not getting approved for a student credit card? Reply
If you are not getting approved for a student credit card, it may be because you don’t meet the issuer’s minimum age or income qualifications. Additionally, a credit score of 639 or less could also lead to your student credit card application being rejected.
Whatever the reason, it’s important to understand why you’re not getting approved for a student credit card. This will help you determine your next step toward building a good credit history.
Possible Reasons...
What's the best first credit card for students? Reply
The best first credit card for students is the Capital One Savor Student Cash Rewards Credit Card (see details, rates & fees) because it reports to the credit bureaus monthly, has a $0 annual fee, and it is available to applicants with limited credit. Plus, the Capital One Savor Student Cash Rewards Credit Card (see details, rates & fees) gives 1 - 8% cash back on purchases. And its intro bonus of $50 for spending $100 in the first 3 months is the cherry on top for students getting their first credit card.
Best First Credit Cards for Students
- Capital One Savor Student Cash Rewards Credit Card (see details, rates & fees): Best Overall
- Capital One Quicksilver Student Cash Rewards Credit Card (see details, rates & fees): Best for a Flat...
Featured Credit Cards
Expert Opinions
Ask the Experts: Credit Card Tips for Students with Bad Credit
• What advice do you have for students who find themselves with a bad credit score?
• What should students with bad credit look for in a credit card, and how should they use it?
• Would you recommend that a student with poor credit open a secured credit card account?
• Is there any benefit to having bad credit as a student versus later in life?
Business Instructor, Foothill-De Anza Community College District
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Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Business Administration Department, Frank J. Guarini School of Business, Saint Peter's University
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Ph.D., MBA, Assistant Professor of Business Analytics, Florida Polytechnic University
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Research Scientist, USC Center for Economic and Social Research
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Adjunct Professor of Law, Arizona State University, CEO and Co-Founder of My First Nest Egg
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Assistant Professor of Finance, Business Management, Farmingdale State College - School of Business
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* The information about the following cards has been independently collected by WalletHub: First Access Visa® Card, Total Visa® Card, Bank of America® Unlimited Cash Rewards Secured Credit Card, Petal® 2 Visa® Credit Card, Fingerhut Credit Account, and Milestone® Mastercard®.
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