How good is your credit?

Best Credit Cards for Bad Credit
WalletHub experts track 1,500+ offers to help you get the right credit card for bad credit
Credit cards for bad credit are credit cards intended specifically for people with credit scores from 300 to 639. The best credit cards for people with bad credit scores have annual fees as low as $0, and some even give rewards equal to 1% cash back or more on purchases.... show more... show more
4 Best Credit Cards for Bad Credit in March 2023
FILTER CREDIT CARDS FOR BAD CREDIT
We're sorry, but after searching our extensive database, we were unable to locate any credit cards that match the following criteria: {{tag.tag}}{{$last ? '' : ', '}}
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
- High regular APR
- Foreign fee
Aspire® Cash Back Reward Card Aspire® Cash Back Reward Card

- High rewards rate
- Bonus rewards categories
- Qualify with bad credit
- Does not require security deposit
- High membership fees
- High regular APR
- Foreign fee
Capital One Platinum Secured Credit Card Capital One Platinum Secured Credit Card

- No annual or monthly fees
- Starting credit line $200
- Great for credit-building
- No rewards
- Higher-than-average interest rate
Revvi Card Revvi Card

- Qualify with bad credit
- Does not require security deposit
- One-time fees
- High regular APR
FIT® Platinum Mastercard® FIT® Platinum Mastercard®

- Qualify with limited or no credit history
- Does not require security deposit
- One-time fees
- High regular APR
- Foreign fee
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
- High regular APR
- Foreign fee
Destiny Mastercard® Destiny Mastercard®

- Qualify with bad credit
- Does not require security deposit
- Membership fees
- High regular APR
- Foreign fee
First Digital Mastercard® First Digital Mastercard®

- Qualify with limited or no credit history
- Does not require security deposit
- One-time fees
- High Regular APR
- Foreign fee
Discover it® Secured Credit Card Discover it® Secured Credit Card

- No annual or monthly fees & No fees for account opening
- Up to 2% cash back
- First-year rewards doubled
- Relatively low minimum deposit
- High regular APR
First Latitude Platinum Mastercard® Secured Credit Card First Latitude Platinum Mastercard® Secured Credit Card

- Qualify with limited or no credit history
- Low security deposit
- One-time fees
- High regular APR
- Foreign fee
WalletHub's Research
Why people trust WalletHub
Unlike other sites that only promote cards they're paid by, WalletHub's editors focus on finding the best cards. WalletHub makes it easy to find the best credit cards for bad credit.
Our picks for the best credit cards for bad credit in 2023
Discover it® Secured Credit Card
Why We Like It: The Discover it® Secured Credit Card is the best credit card for bad credit because it has a $0 annual fee and gives up to 2% cash back on purchases. Cardholders earn 2% cash back on up to $1,000 spent at gas stations and restaurants each quarter, plus 1% back on all other purchases. Discover also doubles all the rewards earned the first year.
What We Don’t Like: The Discover it Secured Credit Card requires a $200+ security deposit, and the amount you put down becomes your spending limit. But all of the very best bad-credit credit cards require a deposit, and very few credit cards for people with poor credit scores offer both rewards and no annual fee.
Who Should Get It: Apply for Discover it Secured Credit Card if you have bad credit and plan to use the card consistently for at least a year.
Alternatives to Consider: There are several other secured cards with attractive rewards, including the Capital One Quicksilver Secured Cash Rewards Credit Card.
Credit One Bank® Platinum Visa® for Rebuilding Credit
Why We Like It: The Credit One Bank® Platinum Visa® for Rebuilding Credit is one of the best unsecured credit cards for bad credit, as cardholders get a $300 starting credit limit without placing a security deposit. They also earn 1% cash back on gas and grocery purchases, as well as 1% back on mobile phone, internet, cable and satellite TV services.
What We Don’t Like: This card charges an annual fee of $75 intro 1st yr, $99 after. Still, it’s one of the cheapest unsecured credit cards for bad credit available right now.
Who Should Get It: Consider applying for Credit One Visa if you have bad credit and need to borrow a small amount of money for an emergency expense.
Alternatives to Consider: The Credit One Bank® NASCAR® Credit Card is another unsecured option with good rewards.
Capital One Quicksilver Secured Cash Rewards Credit Card
Why We Like It: The Capital One Quicksilver Secured Cash Rewards Credit Card has a $0 annual fee and rewards cardholders with 1.5 - 5% cash back on purchases.
What We Don’t Like: Approved applicants will be required to place a refundable deposit of $200+, which will become their credit limit.
Who Should Get It: People with poor credit who want low fees and cash back rewards should strongly consider the Capital One Quicksilver Secured card.
Alternatives to Consider: The Discover it® Secured Credit Card is a low-cost secured card with good rewards.
OpenSky® Secured Visa® Credit Card
Why We Like It: The OpenSky® Secured Visa® Credit Card won’t check your credit history when you apply, so even applicants with a very bad track record borrowing should have high approval odds. The OpenSky® Secured Visa® Credit Card also reports to the major credit bureaus on a monthly basis, which will help you improve your credit score as long as you pay the bills on time.
What We Don’t Like: Your credit limit will equal the amount of your refundable security deposit. There’s also a $35 annual fee.
Who Should Get It: Credit card shoppers who want a credit card for bad credit with no credit check should get the OpenSky® Secured Visa® Credit Card.
Alternatives to Consider: The OpenSky® Secured Visa® Credit Card is another option with no credit check.
U.S. Bank Altitude® Go Visa® Secured Card
Why We Like It: The U.S. Bank Altitude® Go Visa® Secured Card is one of the best credit cards for bad credit because it has a $0 annual fee and rewards cardholders with 1 - 4 points per $1 on purchases.
More specifically, you get 4 points per $1 spent on dining (including takeout and food delivery), 2 points per $1 spent at grocery stores (including grocery delivery) as well as with streaming services, EV charging stations and gas stations, and 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases. You can also qualify for a $15 credit after charging streaming purchases to your card for 11 months.
What We Don’t Like: This card requires a refundable security deposit of at least $300.
Who Should Get It: Consider applying for the U.S. Bank Altitude® Go Visa® Secured Card if you have bad credit and its rewards match up well with your spending habits.
Alternatives to Consider: The Capital One Quicksilver Secured Cash Rewards Credit Card and the Discover it® Secured Credit Card both have good rewards for people with bad credit.
In general, the best credit cards for bad credit are secured cards with no annual fee. That’s true for everyone with poor credit, except people who need a modest emergency loan. Even the best unsecured credit cards for bad credit still charge an arm and a leg for a very small amount of borrowing power.
To help you find the right card for your needs, WalletHub’s editors compared hundreds of offers – both secured and unsecured – and selected the best credit cards for people with bad credit in the most popular categories. Below, you can see how the top cards compare as well as what each is best for.
Credit Cards for Bad Credit Comparison
Credit Card | Best For | Annual Fee |
Discover it® Secured Credit Card | Winner | $0 |
Credit One Bank® Platinum Visa® for Rebuilding Credit | No Deposit | $75 intro 1st yr, $99 after |
Capital One Quicksilver Secured Cash Rewards Credit Card | No Annual Fee | $0 |
OpenSky® Secured Visa® Credit Card | Bad or No Credit | $35 |
U.S. Bank Altitude® Go Visa® Secured Card | Rewards | $0 |
Below, you can learn more about the dos and don’ts of choosing a credit card at this important stage of your credit career.
How we picked the best credit cards for bad credit
To select the best credit cards for people with bad credit scores, WalletHub’s editors regularly compare more than 1,500 credit card offers based on factors such as their approval requirements, credit-bureau-reporting practices, and fees. Rewards, interest rates, and security-deposit requirements are also key considerations.
People with poor credit scores have varying needs and financial circumstances, so WalletHub’s editors select the best cards for different use cases. Although some cards are from WalletHub partners, best-card selections are made purely based on the score each card receives from WalletHub’s Credit Card Rating System.
WalletHub’s Credit Card Rating System
Below, you can see an overview of how cards are scored. For each metric, we provided the criteria for minimum and maximum points. Between the minimum and maximum, points were allocated on a scale determined by our editors for each metric.
Fees
- Annual Membership Fees (2 year average): Cards with $0 in fees receive 10 points, and cards with more than $100 in fees receive 0 points.
- Total One-time Fees: Cards with no one-time fees receive 5 points, and cards with more than $100 in one-time fees receive 0 points.
Rewards
- Ongoing Rewards Value (2-year average): Cards with rewards receive 2 points, and cards with no rewards receive 0 points.
- Two-year Cost (negative amounts indicate savings): Cards projected to save users $150+ receive 50 points, and cards expected to cost users more than $200 receive 0 points.
Interest Rates
- Regular APR: Cards with an APR of 15% or less receive 8 points, and cards with an APR above 30% receive 0 points.
Approval Requirements
- Security Deposit: Cards with no security deposit receive 4 points, and cards requiring a security deposit receive 0 points.
- Minimum Credit Line: Cards with a minimum credit limit of $400 or more receive 3 points, and cards with a minimum limit below $200 receive 0 points.
- Credit Bureau Reporting: Cards that report to all three major credit bureaus receive 8 points, and cards that report to one or fewer bureaus receive 0 points.
Reviews
- WalletHub User Rating: Cards with a 4.5+ rating receive 10 points, and cards with a rating below 2/5 receive 0 points.
How to get a credit card with bad credit
- Catch up on late payments.
Many credit cards for bad credit won’t approve applicants with recent delinquencies. And there's no point in adding to your obligations if you don’t have your ducks in a row.
- Compare credit card fees.
Low-cost credit improvement should be your top priority. One way to keep costs down is to find a card with low (or no) annual fees, monthly fees and one-time fees. Another is to always pay your bill in full, which will allow you to avoid interest charges.
- Focus on secured cards for high approval odds and low fees.
Secured credit cards offer the highest chances of approval because they require you to place a security deposit that acts as your credit line. This deposit also prevents the need to charge fees, making secured cards the cheapest way to rebuild credit.
- Don’t assume secured means guaranteed approval.
Secured cards offer the closest thing you can get to guaranteed approval, but most will still perform a credit check. And certain items on your credit report could disqualify you. If you want a secured card that doesn’t do a credit check, the OpenSky® Secured Visa® Credit Card is a good option.
In addition, we recommend signing up for a free WalletHub account. You’ll get free credit reports and scores, updated daily, as well as personalized credit-improvement advice and 24/7 credit monitoring.
You won’t have to wonder how long it will take for your credit score to improve, either. You can actually watch it happen – likely in 12-18 months – on WalletHub.
Finally, if you’re still not sure which credit card will best meet your needs and ultimately take your credit to the next level at the lowest cost, we’ll highlight a notable option from each major credit card company below. That way, you won’t have to worry about missing out because you’ll know what all the big players bring to the table.
Popular credit cards for bad credit by company
Credit Card Company | Card Name |
American Express | American Express does not offer credit cards for people with bad credit |
Bank of America | Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards Secured Credit Card |
Barclays | Barclays does not offer credit cards for people with bad credit |
Capital One | Capital One Quicksilver Secured Cash Rewards Credit Card |
Chase | Chase does not offer credit cards for people with bad credit |
Citi | Citi does not offer credit cards for people with bad credit |
Discover | Discover it® Secured Credit Card |
First Premier | First PREMIER® Bank Mastercard Credit Card |
Mastercard | Indigo® Mastercard® for Less than Perfect Credit |
U.S. Bank | Harley-Davidson® Secured Credit Card |
Visa | OpenSky® Secured Visa® Credit Card |
Wells Fargo | Wells Fargo does not offer credit cards for people with bad credit |
Sources
WalletHub actively maintains a database of 1,500+ credit card offers, from which we select the best credit cards for bad credit for different applicants as well as derive market-wide takeaways and trends. The underlying data is compiled from credit card company websites or provided directly by the credit card issuers. We also leverage data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics to develop cardholder profiles, used to estimate cards’ potential savings.
Credit Cards for Bad Credit FAQ
Comparing 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
show less
Searching for answers... No Matching Results
What credit cards will offer me a $1,000 credit limit with bad credit? Reply
Featured Credit Cards
Expert Opinions
- How can people improve their credit scores using a credit card for bad credit?
- How should people decide between a secured and an unsecured credit card for bad credit?
Assistant Professor, College of Business and Economics-Longwood University
Read More
Ph.D., CFA, CIPM, Joseph A. Jennings Chair in Business, Robins School of Business, University of Richmond
Read More
MBA, CPA,CFE, CFF, ACFE Endowed Professor of Fraud Examination, Professor of Accounting, School of Business and Information Systems, York College, CUNY
Read More
Professor of Business Management at Brooklyn College
Read More
Associate Professor of Economics, St. Lawrence University
Read More
Ph.D., Professor of Economics, William D. Hoover School of Accounting, Financial, and Information Services, University of Louisiana at Monroe
Read More
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.
Your web browser (Internet Explorer) is out of date and no longer supported.
Please download one of these up-to-date, free and excellent browsers: