Unsecured Credit Cards
WalletHub makes it easy to find the best unsecured credit card for you.
The first step in finding the best unsecured credit card for your needs is to check your latest credit score, which you can do for free on WalletHub. This will help you pare down the hundreds of available offers into just those you’re likely to be approved for. Then, you’ll need to decide whether rewards, a low interest rate, or no annual fee will save you the most money, based on your spending and payment habits. Or, you can head straight to WalletHub’s favorite unsecured credit card offers. WalletHub’s editors routinely compare 1,000+ offers to pick the best unsecured credit cards in the most popular categories.
2019’s Best Unsecured Credit Cards:
- Capital One® Platinum Credit Card – No Credit
- Credit One Bank® Platinum Visa® for Rebuilding Credit – Bad Credit
- Capital One® QuicksilverOne® Cash Rewards Credit Card – Fair Credit
- Citi® Double Cash Card – 18 month BT offer – Good Credit
- Wells Fargo Platinum Visa card – 0% APR
- Capital One® VentureOne® Rewards Credit Card – Miles & No Annual Fee
- Pre-qualify for a card today and it will not impact your credit score
- All credit histories considered
- 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
- Receive 1% cash back rewards on eligible purchases, terms apply
- See if you Pre-Qualify without harming your credit score
- Track your progress with free online access to your Experian credit score, terms apply
- Looking to rebuild credit? We report to the major credit bureaus monthly
- Accounts are automatically reviewed for credit line increase opportunities
- Make paying your bill easier with the ability to choose your payment due date, terms apply
- Stay in-the-know with customizable account alerts via email and text
- Enjoy peace of mind with $0 Fraud Liability
- See More Details & Reviews About TheCredit One Bank® Platinum Visa® for Rebuilding Credit
- Get the security and convenience of a full-feature, unsecured Visa® Credit Card – accepted at millions of merchant and ATM locations nationwide and online
- Reporting monthly to all three major credit reporting agencies
- Perfect credit not required for approval; we may approve you when others won’t
- Easy and secure online application
- If approved, pay a Program Fee and you can access the $300 credit limit (subject to available credit)
- Receive your card more quickly with optional Expedited Processing (additional fee applies)
- Get a result in as little as 60 seconds upon completion of the online application
- Select your favorite card design from our gallery, for free!
- Online Customer Center available 24 x 7
- Issued by The Bank of Missouri
- See More Details & Reviews About TheFirst Access VISA® 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.
- Disclaimer: *Dependent on credit worthiness
- See More Details & Reviews About TheMilestone® Mastercard® - Bad Credit Considered
- All credit types welcome to apply!
- Monthly reporting to the three major credit bureaus
- Initial Credit Limit of $500.00!* (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 TheSurge Mastercard® Credit Card
- Checking Account Required
- Fast and easy application process; response provided in seconds
- A genuine Visa® card accepted by merchants nationwide across the USA and online
- Manageable monthly payments
- If approved, simply pay a Program Fee to open your account and access your available credit
- Reports monthly to all three major credit bureaus
- Select your favorite card design from our gallery, for free!
- See More Details & Reviews About TheTotal VISA® Credit Card
- Get 1% cash back rewards on eligible purchases and double cash back rewards at the NASCAR.com Superstore, terms apply
- See if you Pre-Qualify without harming your credit score
- No need to fret—you’re covered by $0 Fraud Liability
- Accounts are automatically reviewed for credit line increase opportunities
- Choose your monthly payment due date for added convenience, terms apply
- Monitor your credit with free online access to your Experian credit score, terms apply
- Looking to rebuild credit? We report to the major credit bureaus monthly
- Never miss an account update with customizable text and email alerts
- See More Details & Reviews About TheOfficial NASCAR® Credit Card from Credit One Bank®
- Based on your creditworthiness, this card requires a one-time up front Processing Fee of $25 - $95, to be paid in full before the Credit Account is opened. If the Processing Fee is not paid in full within 85 days, the application will be withdrawn.
- Fees reduce your available credit. For example, if your initial credit limit is $300, your initial available credit will be only about $225, given the $75 Annual Fee that is charged on the card.
- Based on your creditworthiness and credit limit assigned, this card’s annual fee could be $75 - $125 in the first year, $45 – $49 after.
- Based on your creditworthiness and credit limit assigned, this card’s monthly fee could be $0 - $8 in the first year, $6.25 - $10.40 after.
- Your account history reports to the major Consumer Reporting Agencies
- Use your card everywhere Mastercard® cards are accepted.
- Each time your Credit Account is eligible for and approved for an unsecured credit limit increase, a Credit Limit Increase Fee in the amount of 25% of the amount of the credit limit increase will be assessed to your Credit Account.
- *We are not affiliated with or authorized by First PREMIER Bank. The information herein has not been reviewed or approved by First PREMIER Bank.
- See More Details & Reviews About TheFirst PREMIER® Bank Mastercard Credit Card
We're sorry, but after searching our extensive database, we were unable to locate any credit cards that match the following criteria: {{tag.tag}}{{$last ? '' : ', '}}
WalletHub's Best Unsecured Credit Cards
The best unsecured credit card is the Citi® Double Cash Card – 18 month BT offer because it has a $0 annual fee and gives 2% cash back on all purchases: 1% when you buy, 1% when you pay the bill. So in addition to being very simple and great for everyday spending, Citi Double Cash encourages responsible payment habits. The Citi Double Cash Card can also help you save on interest and get out of debt faster, offering a 0% APR on balance transfers for the first 18 months. Just make sure to take the balance transfer fee – 3% (min $5) – into account. Similarly, you should make sure to check your credit score before applying for the Citi Double Cash Card, as it requires at least good credit for approval.There are plenty of other unsecured cards in the running for best overall, too. A lot depends on your credit score and whether you’re more in the market for rewards, low interest rates or low fees. To make things as easy as possible, WalletHub’s editors compared 1,000+ credit card offers and picked the best unsecured cards for different types of applicants. You can check out their favorites below.
Best Unsecured Credit Cards of 2019:
| Credit Card | Best For | Annual Fee | Security Deposit |
| Capital One® Platinum Credit Card | No Credit | $0 | None |
| Credit One Bank® Platinum Visa® for Rebuilding Credit | Bad Credit | $0 - $99 | None |
| Capital One® QuicksilverOne® Cash Rewards Credit Card | Fair Credit | $39 | None |
| Citi® Double Cash Card – 18 month BT offer | Good Credit | $0* | None |
| Wells Fargo Platinum Visa card | 0% APR | $0 | None |
| Capital One® VentureOne® Rewards Credit Card | Miles & No Annual Fee | $0 | None |
If you can’t find an unsecured card that meets your needs, you may want to reconsider secured credit cards. You might be able to get higher approval odds and a lower annual fee, especially if you have limited credit or bad credit.
Questions & Answers
Comparing 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
No Matching Results
What are the best unsecured credit cards for no credit? Reply
The best unsecured credit card for no credit is the Capital One Platinum Card because it has a $0 annual fee, a $0 foreign fee, and a $300 minimum credit line. Capital One Platinum does not have rewards, but no annual fee is more important when you’re first starting out with credit. If you’re willing to pay for better perks, consider the Capital One QuicksilverOne Card, which has a $39 annual fee and gives 1.5% cash back on all purchases.
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. One of the best options is Discover it Student Chrome. It gives 2% cash back on the first $1,000 you spend each quarter at gas stations and restaurants, plus 1% back on everything else. On top of that, Discover matches all the cash back you earn during your first year. And they give you $20 for every year you earn a 3.0 or higher GPA.
Here are the best unsecured credit cards for no credit:
- Best for no annual fee: Capital One Platinum. $0 annual fee. $0 foreign transaction fee. 26.96% (V) regular APR.
- Best for cash back: Capital One QuicksilverOne. $39 annual fee. $0 foreign transaction fee. 1.5% cash back on all purchases. 26.96% (V) regular APR.
- Best for business: Capital One Spark Classic for Business. Capital One QuicksilverOne. $0 annual fee. $0 foreign transaction fee. 1% cash back on all purchases. 25.24% (V) regular APR.
- Best for student cash back: Discover it Student chrome. $0 annual fee. $0 foreign transaction fee. 2% cash back on the first $1,000 at gas stations and restaurants per quarter. 1% cash back on all other purchases. First year’s cash back matched. 0% APR for 6 months on purchases. 15.24% - 24.24% (V) regular APR.
- Best for student travel: Bank of America Travel Rewards for Students. $0 annual fee. $0 foreign transaction fee. 25,000 bonus points when you spend $1,000 in the first 90 days. 3 points per $1 spent at the BofA Travel Center and 1.5 on all other purchases. 10% points bonus when you have a BofA checking or savings account. 0% APR for 12 months on purchases. 17.24% - 25.24% (V) regular APR.
- Easiest approval: Credit One Bank Platinum Visa for Rebuilding Credit. $0-$99 annual fee, depending on creditworthiness. 3% foreign transaction fee. 1% cash back on all purchases. 20.24% - 26.24% (V) regular APR.
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.
What's the difference with secured vs. unsecured credit cards? Reply
People with bad credit don’t have too many options, but you do have two different types of credit cards to choose from: secured credit cards and unsecured credit cards for bad credit. And the decision comes down to whether you need an emergency loan.
-
If you need to borrow money for an emergency, you’ll have to find an unsecured card for bad credit. Be careful, though. Such cards are known to charge high fees and provide very little spending power.
-
If credit-improvement is your main goal, get a secured credit card. Secured cards have the highest approval odds, and they’re much cheaper than their unsecured counterparts. If you don’t have the $200+ needed for a secured card’s deposit, you may just want to wait until you’ve saved enough. While opening an unsecured credit card for bad credit might be the quicker route, it will likely turn out to be the more expensive one as well.
If you don’t have the $200+ needed for a secured card’s deposit, you may just want to wait until you’ve saved enough. While opening an unsecured credit card for bad credit might be the quicker route, it will likely turn out to be the more expensive one as well.
What's the easiest unsecured credit card to get approved for? Reply
The Fingerhut Credit Account is the easiest unsecured card to get. But it won’t suit everyone’s needs. Fingerhut is an online marketplace, and its card can only be used to make purchases on the site. So while it will give you an unsecured line of credit, it won’t really help you cover emergency expenses.
If you’re looking for a card that can be used for anything, the Credit One Bank® Platinum Visa® is your best bet. You can get approved for it with bad credit. It offers a $300 starting spending limit. And you can use it wherever Visa is accepted.
Those aren’t your only options, though. WalletHub’s editors compared all of the unsecured credit cards in our database of 1,000+ offers. And we selected our favorite easy-to-get offers.
Here are the easiest unsecured credit cards to get:
- Overall: Fingerhut Credit Account
- Rewards: Credit One Bank® Platinum Visa®
- Small Business: Capital One® Spark® Classic for Business
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 2018's easiest credit cards to get approved for.
What's the best Chase unsecured credit card? Reply
There is no Chase unsecured credit card for bad credit available at this time. In fact, Chase does not offer any starter credit cards, unsecured or secured, for people with less than good credit.
The majority of Chase credit cards are designed specifically for customers with good to excellent credit. Chase offers some of the most sought-after credit cards on the market. Those include the Freedom, Freedom Unlimited; and the Sapphire Preferred and Reserve cards. All require an excellent credit score to qualify.
The Ink Business Preferred and Cash business cards are among the best in its class, and the co-branded IHG Rewards Club Premier is a highly-regarded hotel rewards card.
Simply put, if you’re in the market for an unsecured credit card for bad credit, Chase would be one of the least likely places to begin your search. There are plenty of options out there from other issuers, though. First Access VISA, Indigo Mastercard are among the cards targeted for people with bad credit.
But an unsecured credit card for bad credit can be costly. Annual fees are inevitable, and some cards, such as the First Access VISA charge a $6.25 monthly fee after the first year.
Unless you have your heart set on an unsecured card, you’d likely be better off with a secured card. The Capital One Platinum and Discover it Secured cards require a deposit to establish your line of credit, and may provide an opportunity to transition to an unsecured credit card if you consistently make your payments on time. Plus, you’ll receive your deposit back in full when you close your account in good standing.
What is the best Bank of America unsecured credit card? Reply
Most Bank of America credit cards are unsecured, with no deposit required. There are options with cash back, travel rewards, low APRs and more.
Here are the best Bank of America Unsecured Credit Cards:
- Bank of America® Travel Rewards Credit Card for Students
- Bank of America® Cash Rewards credit card
- BankAmericard® credit card
- Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card
- Business Advantage Cash Rewards Mastercard® Credit Card
- Bank of America® Premium Rewards® credit card
To make sure you find the right credit card terms for your needs, check out other popular BofA cards as well as major unsecured credit cards.
Featured Credit Cards
Ask the Experts
-
-
James M. Johannes
Director of the Puelicher Center for Banking Education, Aschenbrener Chair of Banking & Finance and Prochnow Professor of Banking in the Graduate School of Banking at Wisconsin School of Business
Read More
-
-
Lawrence J. White
Robert Kavesh Professor of Economics in the Leonard N. Stern School of Business at New York University
Read More
-
-
David Wilhelm
Associate Professor of Business at Miramar College
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.
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.