Best Unsecured Credit Cards

An unsecured credit card is a credit card with no security deposit. When a credit card is unsecured, it means the card’s credit line is not "backed" by collateral and the card is what most people would refer to as a normal credit card.

What kinds of unsecured credit cards are there?

The vast majority of credit card offers are unsecured, with no deposit needed. So, it’s no surprise there are lots of slightly different types of unsecured credit cards. There are unsecured cards for each credit rating, from excellent credit to bad credit. There are unsecured credit cards for students, small business owners and everyone else. Some reward cardholders for making purchases, while others offer low introductory APRs. Some have low fees; others don’t.

Given the variety, finding the right card for your needs is not as simple as just setting out in search of an unsecured credit card. You need to compare the available offers based on the features – other than security deposit requirements – that figure to have the greatest impact on your life. For your convenience, we’ll highlight a handful of the best, most popular unsecured card offers below.

Here are some popular unsecured credit cards:

Should you choose a secured or unsecured credit card?

Deciding between an unsecured credit card and a secured credit card is a matter of creditworthiness. People with bad credit or limited credit history will benefit most from a secured card because they may not be able to get good terms with an unsecured card. Few banks and credit unions are willing to take on the risk of lending to applicants with badly damaged credit. As a result, there is a limited selection of unsecured credit card offers for people with below-average credit, and the cards that are available can be pretty expensive. Credit cards for students with no credit are a notable exception, though. 

Given that borrowers basically prepay for their purchasing power with secured credit cards, such cards offer higher approval odds and charge lower fees than unsecured cards for poor credit. Secured credit cards also report to the major credit bureaus each month, and they look exactly like unsecured credit cards on credit reports. That means using a secured card responsibly can help you build or rebuild your credit just like an unsecured credit card. To learn more, check out our secured vs. unsecured credit cards comparison.

One of the easiest unsecured cards to get approved for is the Credit One Bank® Platinum Visa® for Rebuilding Credit. You can get approved for it even with bad credit. This card offers a $300 starting spending limit. And you can use it wherever Visa is accepted.

Easiest Unsecured Credit Cards to Get Approved For

The easiest unsecured credit cards to get generally work best for minor emergencies. You will only receive a small amount of spending power, after all.

Unsecured credit cards for people with bad credit also tend to be very expensive, charging lots of fees and high interest rates. So, if you don’t need a small emergency loan, the best course of action is to improve your credit inexpensively with a secured card. Secured cards are cheaper than unsecured cards, build credit just as effectively, and offer the closest thing you’ll find to guaranteed approval.

To learn more, check out WalletHub's complete list of the year’s easiest credit cards to get approved for​.

You need a credit score of 550 or higher to get an unsecured credit card. The higher your credit score is, the more unsecured credit card offers will be available and the better your chances of getting approved will be.

Best Unsecured Credit Cards for a 550 Credit Score

What to Do if Your Credit Score is Below 550

If your credit score is below the 550 threshold needed to get a good unsecured card, you’d be much better off applying for a secured card such as the Capital One Quicksilver Secured Cash Rewards Credit Card or the OpenSky® Secured Visa® Credit Card. They’re easier to get than unsecured cards because you’re putting up your own money, typically a minimum deposit of $200, to secure the account.

For people with bad credit who are set on getting an unsecured card, remember that unsecured credit cards for bad credit do not require a security deposit to open an account. As such, they typically come with low credit limits, high fees and high interest rates.

One of the best credit cards for a 550 credit score is the OpenSky® Secured Visa® Credit Card. There’s no credit check when you apply, so approval is almost guaranteed. You just need $200 for a refundable security deposit and enough income to make monthly payments. This card also reports to all three major credit bureaus (Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion) every month, which is your ticket to a better credit score. And a $35 annual fee isn’t too much to pay for that.

However, this isn’t the only credit card you can get with a 550 credit score. In fact, there are two kinds of credit cards for people at that credit level: secured credit cards and unsecured credit cards for bad credit. A 550 credit score is within the bad credit range, which goes from 300 to 639. But picking the right 550 credit score credit card and using it responsibly could help you improve your score. 

Some of the best credit cards for a 550 score:

You can also check our editors’ complete picks for the best credit cards for bad credit to see which one best suits your needs.

Before applying for a card, make sure to check out its terms and conditions, or an FAQ page if there is one. This way, you can make sure you fit the criteria for eligibility. You can also try getting pre-approved for a credit card. It won’t hurt your credit, and it will give you a good idea of your odds if you decide to apply.

The main difference between a secured credit card and an unsecured credit card is that secured cards require you to place a refundable security deposit when you open your account. Apart from this security deposit, secured and unsecured credit cards aren't necessarily better or worse for your credit. The amount of this deposit typically serves as the credit limit for the secured card, which means you have to pre-pay for purchases with a secured card. You’ll usually have to put down the deposit when you apply, and you’ll get it back when you close your account or upgrade to an unsecured credit card. Unsecured credit cards, on the other hand, give access to a credit line that isn’t “secured” with a deposit.

There is no difference between secured and unsecured credit cards when it comes to building credit. All major secured cards report account information to the major credit bureaus on a monthly basis, just like unsecured cards. In fact, you can’t tell secured and unsecured cards apart on a credit report. So as long as you use either type of card responsibly, your credit score will improve.

Below, you can get a better feel for the differences and similarities between secured and unsecured credit cards by seeing how they compare in several important categories.

Secured vs. Unsecured Credit Cards: Key Differences

Approval Odds of Secured Credit Cards vs Unsecured Credit Cards

Secured credit cards are easier to get approved for than unsecured cards. Because you’re technically pre-funding your credit line with a secured credit card, you can’t spend more than you can afford to repay. The deposit is held in an account by the card issuer, so if you don’t pay your bills, the deposit is used to cover the cost. That’s why secured credit cards are able to offer nearly-guaranteed approval to people with bad credit, while charging very reasonable fees. That being said, secured credit cards are real credit cards – they have interest rates, and you have to pay your monthly bill on time.

In contrast, unsecured credit cards tend to be harder to get, because the card issuer takes on a lot more risk by extending an unsecured credit line. In other words, you can spend more on an unsecured card than you can afford to repay. There are unsecured credit cards for people of all credit levels, but if you have bad credit, you’re likely to pay high non-refundable fees for a very small line of unsecured credit.

Choosing Between Secured & Unsecured Credit Cards

Overall, the toughest decision between secured and unsecured credit cards comes when you have damaged credit. With bad credit, it’s harder to get approved for an unsecured credit card, and the unsecured options available to people with bad credit are far less attractive.

If you have limited, fair, good or excellent credit, you should be able to start with a solid unsecured card. If you’ve got bad credit and the flexibility to choose either a secured credit card or an unsecured one, always go secured. It will cost you a lot less in the long run and help you build credit just the same. You can check your credit score for free on WalletHub to see where you stand.

One of the best unsecured credit cards for no credit is the Petal® 2 Visa® Credit Card because it has a $0 annual fee and a 0% foreign fee. The Petal 2 Card also rewards cardholders with up to 1.5% cash back.

Or, if you’re in college, you can get a student credit card. Student cards are unsecured credit cards for no credit that are available only to college students. They tend to give better terms than non-student unsecured credit cards for no credit because issuers predict college graduates will have larger incomes.

Best Unsecured Credit Cards for No Credit

It’s pretty easy to qualify for unsecured credit cards for no credit, provided that you have a steady income. But if you want the absolute highest chances of approval, you may want to consider secured cards. They help you build credit just as well as unsecured cards, but you have to put down a security deposit to open them.

The best Chase unsecured credit card is Chase Freedom Unlimited®. It's a great all-rounder that offers extensive cash back rewards coupled with an attractive financing offer and a $0 annual fee.

The majority of Chase credit cards are designed specifically for customers with good credit or better. Chase offers some of the most sought-after credit cards on the market. But which one is the best can be viewed as a matter of personal preference, depending on your individual needs.

Here are the best Chase unsecured credit cards:

The Chase Freedom Unlimited card offers 5% cash back on travel through Chase, 3% back at restaurants and drugstores, and 1.5% back on all other purchases (plus an additional 1.5% cash back on everything, up to $20,000 spent the first year). The card also comes with an Introductory purchase APR of 0% for 15 months. The regular APR is 19.49% - 28.24% (V), based on creditworthiness. Chase Freedom Unlimited also features a $0 annual fee. The credit score requirement is 700 at a minimum. That means you need good credit or better for approval.

The Chase Sapphire Preferred card offers 60,000 bonus points for spending $4,000 in the first 3 months. With this card, you can also earn 5 points per $1 spent on travel purchased through Chase, 2 points per $1 on all other travel purchases, 3 points per $1 on dining and online grocery purchases, 3 points per $1 on select streaming services, and 1 point per $1 on all other purchases. It has $0 foreign transaction fee and a $95 annual fee. The credit score requirement is 700 at a minimum. That means you need good credit or better for approval.

The Chase Freedom Flex card is a good option for those with changing spending habits, due to its rotating bonus categories. The card offers $200 for spending $500 in the first 3 months. Plus, you can earn 5% cash back on up to $1,500 spent per quarter in bonus categories (which change every quarter and require activation), 5% cash back on travel through Chase, 3% back at restaurants and drugstores, and 1% back on all other purchases. It also comes with an introductory purchase APR of 0% for 15 months. The card’s regular APR is 19.49% - 28.24% (V), based on creditworthiness. The annual fee is $0. The credit score requirement is 700 at a minimum. That means you need good credit or better for approval.

The Freedom Student offers $50 after your first purchase made in the first 3 months. Plus, you can earn 1% cash back on all purchases. It has a $0 annual fee. Students with limited credit (less than 3 years of credit history) are eligible for approval.

It is worth noting that all Chase credit cards are unsecured. In fact, there’s never been a secured credit card from Chase. And except for the Freedom Student, all Chase credit cards are designed for people with at least good credit.