First Progress Prestige Secured Mastercard ReviewsReviews, rates, fees and customer service info for the First Progress Platinum Prestige Mastercard Secured Credit Card. Compare to other cards and apply online in seconds.John KiernanWalletHubQualify with limited or no credit history1% cash back on paymentsMembership feesForeign feeRequires security deposit
This card has been scored using WalletHub’s proprietary credit card rating system. We evaluated this card for various cardholder needs and picked the rating for the need with the highest score, which is "Rebuild Damaged Credit." A score of 5 is the best a card can receive, and the rating for the card may vary on different pages where it is compared to other cards for different needs.
The First Progress Prestige Secured Mastercard is a secured credit card that’s worth considering if you have bad credit. It requires a refundable security deposit of at least $200 when you apply and charges an annual fee of $49, but you can apply with no impact to your credit.
WalletHub Rating Breakdown
User Reviews
3.4/5
2,650 reviewsRead and write reviews
Editor’s Review
2.7/5
John Kiernan, Credit Card EditorRead full review
Market Comparison
Market Comparison
3.8
The Market Comparison is a key component of the WalletHub Rating, as it measures how appealing the terms of a card are compared to a pool of over 1,500 credit card offers monitored by WalletHub. To ensure cards are evaluated for their most relevant purpose, we score each card across various cardholder needs and select the rating for the need with the highest score, which is “Rebuild Damaged Credit” for this card.
Fees
3.0
Rewards
5.0
Cost
3.4
APR
4.4
Other Features
4.3
3.8/5
Compared against 1,500+ credit cards
KEY TERMS
Credit Score
Credit Score
Fair Credit, Limited History, No Credit, Bad Credit
First Progress Prestige Secured Minimum Security Deposit
$200
First Progress Prestige Secured Fees
One-Time Fees→$0
Annual Fee→$49
Monthly Fee→$0
First Progress Prestige Secured APR on Purchases
13.49% (V)
First Progress Prestige Secured Rewards
Now offering Up To 10% Cash Back at select merchants with First Progress! Plus, 1% back when you make payments!^^
^^The 10% cash back rate is available only at a limited number of participating merchants. Offer percentages vary by merchant and are subject to change. See First Progress Rewards Program Terms & Conditions for details.
First Progress Prestige Secured's Additional Info
A $200 refundable deposit is your first step toward better credit!
Apply with no impact to your credit!²
Build your credit history across 3 major credit reporting agencies: Equifax, Experian and TransUnion.¹
All credit types welcome to apply!
¹Cardholders who keep their balance low and pay their credit card bill on time every month typically do see an increase in their credit score.
²We may pull a soft inquiry of your credit. Soft inquiries do not impact your credit score.
The First Progress Prestige Secured Mastercard is a secured credit card that’s worth considering if you have bad credit. It requires a refundable security deposit of at least $200 when you apply and charges an annual fee of $49, but you can apply with no impact to your credit.
This card also reports account information to all three major credit bureaus each month. That means it can help you build credit as long as you manage the account responsibly.
What I Like About the First Progress Prestige Secured Mastercard
1% cash back
The First Progress Prestige Secured Card rewards users with 1% cash back on account payments. In other words, you get 1% back on all purchases but only after you repay First Progress for the charges. Aditionally, users can also earn up to 10% cash back on purchases at a limited number of participating merchants. Most credit cards with rewards offer at least 1% back on purchases.
Lenient approval requirements
You don’t need a certain credit score – or any credit history, for that matter – to get approved for the First Progress Prestige Secured Mastercard. You just have to be at least 18 years old with a valid Social Security number.
Low regular APR
The First Progress Prestige Secured Mastercard has one of the lowest APRs among secured cards. That’s the good news. The bad news is that carrying a balance from month to month with a secured card basically amounts to paying interest on a loan you’ve given yourself. You can’t spend more than the amount of your refundable deposit, after all.
What I Don’t Like About the First Progress Prestige Secured Mastercard
Hefty annual fee
There are 40+ secured credit cards, including two others from First Progress, that have lower annual fees than the $49 assessed by the First Progress Prestige Secured Mastercard. Since fixed costs are one of the two biggest things to consider when comparing secured cards, along with your approval odds, you shouldn’t waste much time on First Progress Prestige Secured.
$200 minimum deposit
To be considered for the First Progress Prestige Secured Mastercard, you must place a refundable $200 deposit at the time you apply. If you don’t get approved, you’ll immediately get the money back, so that stipulation isn’t a big deal. More concerning, however, is the fact that you’ll have to get First Progress’s permission to add to your deposit in the future. That makes it harder to increase your available credit, decrease your credit utilization and expedite credit improvement.
Note: This review is not provided, commissioned or endorsed by any issuer. Opinions and ratings are our own.
This card has been scored using WalletHub’s proprietary credit card rating system. We evaluated this card for various cardholder needs and picked the rating for the need with the highest score, which is "Rebuild Damaged Credit." A score of 5 is the best a card can receive, and the rating for the card may vary on different pages where it is compared to other cards for different needs.
Editor’s Rating
2.7
User Reviews
3.4
Market Comparison
3.8
fees: 3.0
rewards: 5.0
cost: 3.4
APR: 4.4
Other Features: 4.3
3.1WalletHub Rating
WalletHub Rating
3.1
This card has been scored using WalletHub’s proprietary credit card rating system. We evaluated this card for various cardholder needs and picked the rating for the need with the highest score, which is "Rebuild Damaged Credit." A score of 5 is the best a card can receive, and the rating for the card may vary on different pages where it is compared to other cards for different needs.
Editor’s Rating
4.0
User Reviews
3.5
Market Comparison
3.0
fees: 3.0
rewards: 0.0
cost: 2.0
APR: 2.5
Other Features: 4.3
3.9WalletHub Rating
WalletHub Rating
3.9
This card has been scored using WalletHub’s proprietary credit card rating system. We evaluated this card for various cardholder needs and picked the rating for the need with the highest score, which is "Rebuild Damaged Credit by Paying in Full Each Month." A score of 5 is the best a card can receive, and the rating for the card may vary on different pages where it is compared to other cards for different needs.
Can't find what you are looking for? Submit your question about First Progress Prestige Secured Mastercard® to our community. Editorial and user-generated content is not provided, reviewed or endorsed by the issuer of this offer. Please keep in mind that it is not a financial institution’s responsibility to ensure all posts and questions are answered.
You can get approved for the First Progress Prestige Secured card even with a credit score of 300. That means even people with bad credit have a shot at getting approved for the card. It's worth noting that the First Progress Prestige Secured card accepts people with limited credit, too.
You should also note that while the credit score requirements are lenient, approval is not guaranteed. Your application can still be rejected if you have a pending bankruptcy on your credit report, or if you can't afford to fund the card's security deposit.
You can pay your First Progress Prestige Secured deposit by entering your checking or savings account information in your application form, If you get approved, your security deposit will be funded by the account you provided on your application.
The amount that you choose to deposit is from $200 up to $2,000 and it will be placed in a non-interest bearing deposit account at the issuer and held there until you close your card account.
To get a First Progress Prestige Secured credit limit increase, call customer service at (866) 706-5543 or use the number on the back of your card. If your request is approved, you'll get instructions on where to mail a check to add funds to your security deposit.
Keep in mind that First Progress may also increase your credit limit automatically, without you having to make a request. These automatic credit limit increases do not require you to add...
The First Progress Prestige Secured credit limit that you start out with isn't necessarily permanent. First Progress will allow you to increase your security deposit for a higher credit line. In some cases, they'll also graduate your secured card to an unsecured card if you use it responsibly. This could get you a higher credit limit, too.
Yes, First Progress will check your credit if you apply for a Platinum Prestige credit card. But it will only do a soft pull, without hurting your credit score.
So your chances of approval are high even with a bad (300+) credit or without a credit score at all.
No, you cannot use a prepaid card to pay your First Progress Prestige Secured Card deposit, but you can use a debit card, instead. A debit card functions similarly to a prepaid card, except the former is linked to a bank account.
If you're looking for a debit card to fund your First Progress Prestige Secured Card initial deposit, you can compare available offers on WalletHub.
Please note that if you're just looking to add more money to your security deposit...
To talk to First Progress Prestige Secured customer service, call (866) 706-5543 and then enter your 16-digit card number and press the pound key (#). This process will get you in contact with a live representative who should be able to answer your questions or direct you to the appropriate department.
How to Talk to First Progress Prestige Secured Customer Service by Phone
Call the First Progress Prestige Secured customer service department. You can even use the number on the back of your...
You cannot qualify for a First Progress Platinum Prestige graduation.
Currently First Progress doesn't offer any unsecured cards.
If you've managed to improve your credit score and have at least a fair (640+) credit, you could apply for another credit card, one that's unsecured. Click here to check out the best offers.
You can make a First Progress Prestige Secured Mastercard® payment online, by logging in to your account and clicking on the payment button by your card. Then, follow the instructions to enter the required information about your payment and submit it.
How to Make a First Progress Prestige Secured Payment Online
Log in to your First Progress account with your username and password.
Click the payment button located by your credit card.
Share your insights and review for the First Progress Prestige Secured Mastercard®
5
29%
4
25%
3
22%
2
13%
1
11%
3.4
2,650 reviews
2,650 reviews
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Matador Baker @ElMatador
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5 Star Rating
This card got me to where I am today (821 score). I used it when I was rebuilding my credit, and it was magical. After 2 years of use, I was ready to get another card (not secured) and move up from there. I feel like I owe them a big thank you for what they did for me. I cannot believe how many bad reviews there are on here for this card. I helped two others by recommending this card to them and walking them through how to use it, and they are both very happy.
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0
0
Aerial Guy @aguymmai4
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1 Star Rating
Scam you'll lose money faster than you can build your credit. They charged me 49$ to send me a card I have to deposit $200 on then pay fees on top of. It's just another late fee wait to be added to my bills
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1
0
Lamont-Tramell Collins @LamontTramell
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1 Star Rating
Verified Customer
First Progress is the Worst
First Progress is a fraud Company. Initially, I opened 3 cards on March 11, 2023 with First Progress and on March 17, 2023 I decided not to move forward. So, I called First Progress to withdraw my application. They prolonged my request for a refund in order to buy time so that accounts could be generated for me even though I was still in the application process. Once the “accounts” were created they then are able to hold your money under the terms and agreement of an “account holder”, which is ten weeks. Not only that, they have applied an annual fee for cards/accounts that I have never even seen or have any information of which have a negative impact on my credit. I’m new to credit and this has been a horrible first experience. First Progress opened accounts without my authorization, which is fraud!!! Remember these names: Helen, Roger, Sergio, and Daniel. Save yourself the headache
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1
0
Heather @tallyn328
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4 Star Rating
Verified Customer
Awesome credit card company who give chances to people with bad/fair/ or not so perfect credit. Haven’t received my card yet though it’s been almost a month in total soon
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0
1
Ashley Wescott @awescottrn
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1 Star Rating
Zero grace period. 3 days late and it ended up on my credit. (this is unheard of it's usually 25-55 days on average) They don't allow electronic transfers so if the mail or your bank slows things down you've taken a hit on your credit. I have a total of 4 "late payments" listed on my credit... 3 of the 4 were from this credit card. Do not recommend just for the inconvenience of actually making on time payments. It's like they set people up to fail even when they have the means to make the payments. I'll be closing the card now. I held off just because removing it could hurt my credit but clearly it's more of a risk then it's worth.
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2
0
Henry N @henrynguyenvu
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2 Star Rating
Verified Customer
Payment can only send by check (cannot do electronic bank transfer), it takes 3-5 days for a bank send check to First Progress and another 10 days on hold before the available credit gain back. I recommend using this card with a small amount to avoid the slow payment processing make you get caught with a high utilization rate.
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1
0
Adam @asalt55555
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5 Star Rating
Verified Customer
Excellent starter card at 9.9% how. Can. You. Go. Wrong? It. Boosted my score 56 points. Before. I even received the card. In the mail.
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2
1
price_cassius24 @price_cassius24
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1 Star Rating
Verified Customer
If I could give no stars I would worst credit card ever, they don’t care about clients and are thieves! Closed my account even after I sent them personal info to P.O. Box with receipt claimed they never got it and closed my account. Terrible company
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2
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Adam @adam_segovia1978
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1 Star Rating
Verified Customer
DO NOT APPLY FOR THIS CREDIT CARD, SCAM!!! They will do a hard inquiry and they do report. My credit score dropped 71 points after being approved. I'm trying to build my credit and I paid them $200.00 to have score lowered by 71 points. They are LIARS!!!! Their inquiry is on my credit report. I spoke to customer service and they told me that "negative reporting" is not the same as "reporting" that incurs a negative result.
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4
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Randall M @randallm40
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1 Star Rating
Join your local credit union and save money this type of deal is all bad for anyone. I had a secured card through mine for a year and now have an unsecured one for almost four years with a $5,000 limit and low interest. Best part is no yearly or monthly fees are added by credit unions and they work with you.
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7
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Review First Progress Prestige Secured Mastercard®
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2026 WalletHub Awards
First Progress Prestige Secured Mastercard® is an Editor's Pick for:
