Best Second Chance Credit Cards
WalletHub makes it easy to find the best second chance credit card for you.
Best Second Chance Credit Cards
WalletHub makes it easy to find the best second chance credit card for you.
Second chance credit cards are designed for people with bad credit, which means you should be able to get approved for one even if you’ve made mistakes with money in the past. But second chance cr… show more
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Fortiva® Cash Back Reward Card Fortiva® Cash Back Reward Card
- Earn 3% Cash Back reward on eligible gas, grocery, and utility purchases or payments
- Earn 1% Cash Back reward on all other eligible purchases
- Pre-Qualify instantly without impacting your credit score
- Up to $1,000 Credit Limit subject to credit approval
- Free access to your VantageScore 3.0 credit score from Equifax
- No Initial Deposit or Program Fees needed to open an account
- Add your card to Apple Pay, Google Pay or Samsung Pay, for easy contactless payments.
- See More Details & Reviews About TheFortiva® Cash Back Reward Card
OppFi® Card OppFi® Card
- No security deposit required; $99 annual fee*
- No impact to your FICO® credit score when you apply
- Good credit not required - we welcome applicants with poor and fair credit.
- Get your new credit card info the same day you are approved - make purchases online or add to your mobile wallet
- 100% US-Based Support
- Freeze your card in the OppFi Card app to prevent unauthorized charges if your card is misplaced, lost, or stolen
- The OppFi Card is issued by First Electronic Bank, member FDIC.
- Click "APPLY NOW" to see Oppfi rates, terms & fees
- See More Details & Reviews About TheOppFi® Card
Aspire® Credit Card Aspire® Credit Card
- Earn 3% cash back reward on eligible gas, grocery, and utility purchases or payments.
- Earn 1% cash back reward on all other eligible purchases.
- See if you are Pre-Qualified with no impact to your credit score.
- Free access to your VantageScore 3.0 credit score from Equifax.
- Fast and easy application process; get the result in seconds.
- Add your card to Apple Pay®, Google Pay™ or Samsung Pay®, for easy contactless payments.
- Periodic credit limit increase reviews
- See More Details & Reviews About TheAspire® Credit Card
Discover it® Secured Credit Card Discover it® Secured Credit Card
- Earn 2% cash back at Gas Stations and Restaurants on up to $1,000 in combined purchases each quarter. Plus, earn unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases – automatically.
- INTRO OFFER: Unlimited Cashback Match – only from Discover. Discover will automatically match all the cash back you’ve earned at the end of your first year! There’s no minimum spending or maximum rewards. Just a dollar-for-dollar match.
- No Annual Fee, earn cash back, and build your credit with responsible use.
- Using your secured credit card helps build a credit history with the three major credit bureaus. Generally, prepaid and debit cards can’t do that.
- Establish your credit line with your tax return by providing a refundable security deposit of at least $200. Bank information must be provided when submitting your deposit.
- Automatic reviews starting at 7 months to see if we can transition you to an unsecured line of credit and return your deposit.*
- Earn 2% cash back at Gas Stations and Restaurants on up to $1,000 in combined purchases each quarter. Plus, earn unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases – automatically.
- Discover is accepted nationwide by 99% of the places that take credit cards.
- Get 100% U.S. based customer service & get your free Credit Scorecard with your FICO® Credit Score.
- INTRO OFFER: Unlimited Cashback Match – only from Discover. Discover will automatically match all the cash back you’ve earned at the end of your first year! There’s no minimum spending or maximum rewards. Just a dollar-for-dollar match.
- Get an alert if we find your Social Security number on any of thousands of Dark Web sites.* Activate for free.
- Click "APPLY NOW" to see rewards, FICO® Credit Score terms, Cashback Match™ details & other information.
- See More Details & Reviews About TheDiscover it® Secured Credit Card
Indigo® Mastercard® for Less than Perfect Credit Indigo® Mastercard® for Less than Perfect Credit
- 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
Capital One Platinum Secured Credit Card Capital One Platinum Secured Credit Card
- No annual or hidden fees. See if you're approved in seconds
- Building your credit? Using the Capital One Platinum Secured card responsibly could help
- Put down a refundable security deposit starting at $49 to get a $200 initial credit line
- You could earn back your security deposit as a statement credit when you use your card responsibly, like making payments on time
- Be automatically considered for a higher credit line in as little as 6 months with no additional deposit needed
- Enjoy peace of mind with $0 Fraud Liability so that you won't be responsible for unauthorized charges
- Monitor your credit with CreditWise from Capital One. It's free for everyone and checking your credit does not hurt your credit score
- See More Details & Reviews About TheCapital One Platinum Secured Credit Card
Venue Rewards™ Venue Rewards™
- Shop now, pay later
- Over 1,000,000 brand name products
- Shipped by Amazon
- No credit required
- Next day shipping on many items
- Exclusive member benefits
- Must be 18 years of age or older
- Must have at least $1000/month minimum income
- See More Details & Reviews About TheVenue Rewards™
Surge Mastercard® Credit Card Surge Mastercard® Credit Card
- See if you’re Pre-Qualified with no impact to your credit score
- All credit types welcome to apply
- Up to $1,000 credit limit doubles up to $2,000! (Simply make your first 6 monthly minimum payments on time)
- Free access to your Vantage 3.0 score from Experian* (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
- Mastercard Zero Fraud Liability Protection (subject to Mastercard guidelines)
- 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® Credit Card
Fit Mastercard® Credit Card Fit Mastercard® Credit Card
- All credit types welcome to apply!
- Initial Credit Limit of $400.00!* (subject to available credit)
- $400 credit limit doubles to $800! (Simply make your first 6 monthly minimum payments on time)
- Free access to your Vantage 3.0 score from Experian* (When you sign up for e-statements)
- Fast and easy application process; results in seconds
- Use your card at locations everywhere that Mastercard® is accepted
- Mastercard Zero Fraud Liability Protection (subject to Mastercard guidelines)
- Free online account access 24/7
- Checking Account Required
- See More Details & Reviews About TheFit Mastercard® Credit Card
Capital One Quicksilver Secured Cash Rewards Credit Card Capital One Quicksilver Secured Cash Rewards Credit Card
- No annual or hidden fees, and you can earn unlimited 1.5% cash back. See if you're approved in seconds
- Earn unlimited 1.5% cash back on every purchase, everywhere. No rotating categories or limits to how much you can earn. It's that simple
- Building your credit? Using a card like this responsibly could help
- Put down a refundable $200 security deposit to get a $200 initial credit line
- You could earn back your security deposit as a statement credit when you use your card responsibly, like making payments on time
- Be automatically considered for a higher credit line in as little as 6 months with no additional deposit needed
- Enjoy peace of mind with $0 Fraud Liability so that you won't be responsible for unauthorized charges
- Monitor your credit with CreditWise from Capital One. It's free for everyone and checking your credit does not hurt your credit score
- See More Details & Reviews About TheCapital One Quicksilver Secured Cash Rewards Credit Card
What are the best second chance credit cards?
The best second chance credit card is the cheapest offer that you can get approved for with damaged credit. After all, your top priority at this point in your credit career should be to open a credit card and make on-time payments in order to add positive information to your credit reports every month. Beyond that, you should try to save as much money as possible.With those criteria in mind, our editors compared 1,000+ credit cards in search of the best second chance offers available. You can find their favorites below.
2021’s Best Second Chance Credit Cards
| Best For… | Card Name | Editors’ Rating | One-Time Fee | Annual Fee | Minimum Deposit |
| No Credit Check | OpenSky® Secured Visa® Credit Card | 4/5 | $0 | $35 | $200 |
| International Travel | Capital One Platinum Secured Credit Card | 5/5 | $0 | $0 | $49, $99 or $200 |
| No Security Deposit | Credit One Bank® Platinum Visa® for Rebuilding Credit | 3/5 | $0 | $75 intro 1st yr, $99 after | N/A |
| Rewards | Discover it® Secured Credit Card | 5/5 | $0 | $0 | $200 |
Unless you absolutely need an emergency loan, placing a refundable security deposit to open a secured credit card account is the best way to make the most of your second chance. The deposit makes it a lot easier to get approved, and you’ll get it back when you close your account in good standing. An unsecured credit card for bad credit, on the other hand, is likely to have high, non-refundable fees and provide only a very small credit line.
We also recommend signing up for a free WalletHub account to get free credit scores (updated daily) as well as personalized credit-improvement advice.
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 second chance credit cards 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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Is Self Lender better than a second chance credit card? Reply
Self Lender (now known as Self) is not necessarily better than a second-chance credit card. Self offers credit-builder loans that help people with low scores improve their credit standing. Borrowers pay money into a CD every month, and then get access to that money at the end, but they're charged fees and interest.
With a second-chance credit card, you may have the opportunity to get a card with a $0 annual fee and can avoid interest if you always pay in full. Plus, a credit card helps you build credit indefinitely, while a credit-builder loan from Self is temporary.
Featured Credit Cards
Ask the Experts
Second chance credit cards play an important role in the personal finance marketplace. They are among the only credit-rebuilding tools available to people who’ve previously made financial mistakes, allowing them to gradually reverse credit damage and reduce the costs associated with loans, lines of credit, insurance and more. Neither choosing nor using a second chance credit card is necessarily straightforward, however. So we asked a pair of personal finance experts for their best advice on making the most of your second chance. You can check out their bios and responses to the following questions, below.
- What incentive does a bank or credit union have to offer second chance credit cards?
- Is it worth giving credit cards a second chance if you've had bad experiences with them in the past?
- What advice do you have for someone who is looking for a second chance credit card?
- Will it be easier or harder to get a second chance credit card 12 months from now?
- Which credit card companies are most and least likely to give a second chance to consumers with negative items on their credit reports?
Professor and Chair of the Finance Department in the Neeley School of Business at Texas Christian University
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Robert Kavesh Professor of Economics in the Leonard N. Stern School of Business at New York University
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Associate Professor of Economics and Finance at Monmouth University
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Allen C. DuBois Distinguished Professor of Finance at Lehigh University
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University Scholar and Fellow in Commercial Law in the Maurer School of Law at Indiana University
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† 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.
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