Best Secured Credit Cards for July 2022 – CNET

A secured credit card is a specialty credit card designed for those with bad credit — typically a credit score of 580 or less — or no credit. The trade-off is the cost of a security deposit. These cards require you to put cash down upfront to open and maintain your credit line. The setup allows cardholders to build their credit with minimal risk to the credit card issuers. After about six months or so, many of these card issuers will review your activity to offer you an increased credit line or give you back your security deposit. 

Once you build your credit up enough, you can move to a more lucrative credit card that offers rewards, welcome bonuses and other perks, which typically require at least good credit — a score of 670 or higher.

Best secured credit card

Intro OfferN/A

APR26.99% (Variable)

Intro Purchase APRN/A

Recommended Credit Limited, Bad

Reward RatesN/A

Annual Fee$0

Intro Balance Transfer APRN/A

Balance Transfer APR26.99% (Variable)

Balance Transfer Fee $0 at this Transfer APR

Late Payment Fee Up to $40

Foreign Transaction Fees None

Penalty APR None

Our Take

The Capital One Platinum Secured Credit Card may give you $200 in credit when you deposit $49 or $99 — making it one of the few secured cards to offer actual credit. (Your particular terms depend on your specific application and credit history.) And this card checks all of the boxes: $0 annual fee, modest minimum security deposit of $49 — and the opportunity to get your deposit back as a statement credit after demonstrating responsible card usage. 

You could also be automatically considered for a higher credit line in as little as six months. Also nice: Capital One may preapprove you with a soft credit check, providing a peek at eligibility before you submit an official application to the credit card company. 

See our full review of the Capital One Platinum Secured Credit Card for more details.

Best secured credit card with a higher credit line limit

Intro OfferN/A

APR23.74% Variable

Intro Purchase APRN/A

Recommended Credit N/A

Reward RatesN/A

Annual FeeNone

Balance Transfer APR23.74% Variable

Balance Transfer Fee Either $10 or 3% of the amount of each transaction, whichever is greater.

Late Payment Fee See Terms

Foreign Transaction Fees 3% of the U.S. dollar amount of each transaction

Our Take

The BankAmericard Secured Credit Card* offers the table stakes: a $0 annual fee and an opportunity to get your deposit back and transition to a standard credit card account. It’s got a competitive minimum credit line of $200 with a maximum of $5,000. This is a solid offering from a well-known national bank with comprehensive online tools and plenty of retail locations. 

Best secured credit card with rewards

Intro OfferIntro 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.

APR24.49% Variable

Intro Purchase APRN/A

Recommended Credit New/Rebuilding Credit

Reward Rates

  • Earn 2% cash back at Gas Stations and Restaurants on up to $1,000 in combined purchases each quarter.
  • Earn unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases – automatically.

Annual Fee$0

Intro Balance Transfer APR10.99% for 6 months

Balance Transfer APR24.49% Variable

Balance Transfer Fee 3% intro balance transfer fee, up to 5% fee on future balance transfers (see terms)*

Late Payment Fee None the first time you pay late. After that, up to $41.

Foreign Transaction Fees None

  • Earn 2% cash back at Gas Stations and Restaurants on up to $1,000 in combined purchases each quarter.
  • Earn unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases – automatically.

Our Take

Another excellent choice, the Discover it Secured Credit Card* offers a $0 annual fee and $200 minimum credit line. Discover will automatically review your account starting at seven months to see if you can transition to an unsecured line of credit and have your deposit returned. 

It’s worth noting that this card also features a rewards program — though be cautioned that it could tempt you to spend more than you can afford. And if you’re approved for the card with a lower credit line limit, the 2% cash back at gas stations and restaurants (on up to $1,000 in combined quarterly purchases, then 1%) and 1% cash back on other purchases won’t amount to much, anyway.

Check out our full review of the Discover it Secured Credit Card for more details.

Best secured credit card with no credit check required

Intro OfferN/A

APR17.64% (variable)

Intro Purchase APRN/A

Recommended Credit No credit check

Reward RatesN/A

Annual Fee$35

Late Payment Fee Up to $38

Foreign Transaction Fees 3% of each Transaction in U.S. dollars

Penalty APR None

Our Take

The OpenSky Secured credit card application doesn’t require a credit check, making it a good option — and perhaps a last resort — for people with low credit scores. If you’re a student and just starting out, or you’ve been declined by another issuer, this card may be a good second choice.

But you’ll have to pay the price: There’s a $35 annual fee. And given that part of the credit rehab process is leaving credit accounts open for as long as possible — in order to build back a credit history and work toward lower credit utilization, you may end up paying that annual fee for years to come. Still, if the card helps rebuild your credit, it’s well worth the cost. 

FAQs

What is a secured credit card?

This type of credit card usually requires an upfront deposit equal to the credit limit. So, for a card with a credit limit of $500, you’d need to deposit $500. Secured credit cards are still subject to late and rejected payment fees and generate interest on outstanding balances. As such, a secured credit card presents lower risk to card issuers and allows them to extend lines of credit to borrowers who don’t have good credit or meet the minimum credit score threshold.

How much should I deposit when I open an account?

We recommend depositing no more than $300 to $400 for a secured credit card. Given that you want to keep your credit utilization low by paying off the account two or three times per month, the actual limit doesn’t matter too much. Any additional funds should be placed in a bank account (either checking or savings) to ensure you’re keeping your card balance at $0.

How is my credit score calculated?

Credit scores are calculated by looking at a variety of factors related to your personal credit, including length of credit history, payment history, amounts owed, new credit and credit mix. The exact weight of each factor depends on the score model (FICO, VantageScore, or other) and your own credit history. If, for example, you have no credit history, the other factors may be weighted more heavily. (Check out this article for more information on credit scores.) 

How long does it take to improve my credit score?

After opening a secured credit card account, it will take around one to two months for the secured credit card issuer to report it to a major credit bureau, at which point it will begin impacting your credit report and your credit score. Then it takes several additional months before the account’s activity is substantial enough to make a difference. If you maintain a low or $0 balance and manage the rest of your finances well, you could raise your score several hundred points in a year or two, but it’ll depend on your particular situation. If you have a longer credit history with a number of issues, it will take longer. If you have a shorter history, each month’s activity will play a much larger role. 

Why do you recommend paying off the account two to three times a month?

By paying off your account more than once a month, you greatly reduce the risk of paying late, missing a payment or getting charged interest for an outstanding balance. We recommend choosing set days to make payments, like the 15th and 30th of every month, or the 10th, 20th and 30th. 

How often should I use my secured credit card?

Swipe it two or three times a month to ensure the account is considered active. There’s just no reason to use it any more than that, or make it your primary way of paying for things. A secured credit card is a tool for repairing damaged credit from an unsecured card or cards or establishing and building credit. To simplify your finances, it’s best to make other purchases with cash or a debit card. Studies show that consumers who pay with credit tend to spend more than they would if they paid with cash, so if you’re trying to right the ship or start on the right track, it’s best to first establish a budget through cash or debit card purchases to ensure you don’t spend beyond that budget.

Should I keep a secured credit card once my credit is in better shape?

Yes. Keeping the account open, active and with a $0 balance will continue to improve your credit score as the length of the credit history grows and you maintain a low credit utilization.

Is there ever a situation when I would use a secured credit card like a balance transfer credit card?

No. We don’t ever recommend transferring a balance to a secured credit card. Some websites may tout particular secured credit cards for introductory 0% APR offers but we strongly advise against transferring a balance. If you’re looking for a card for balance transfers, check out our article on the best balance transfer credit cards or look into other ways of dealing with credit card debt.

Our methodology

CNET reviews credit cards by exhaustively comparing them across set criteria developed for each major category, including cash-back, welcome bonus, travel rewards and balance transfer. We take into consideration the typical spending behavior of a range of consumer profiles — with the understanding that everyone’s financial situation is different — and the designated function of a card. 

For cash-back credit cards, for example, key factors include the annual fee, the “welcome bonus” and the cash-back rate (or rates, if they differ by spending category). For rewards and miles cards, we calculate and weigh the net monetary value of a card’s respective perks. And with balance transfer credit cards, we analyze specs such as the duration of the introductory 0% APR period and the balance transfer fee, while acknowledging secondary factors such as the standard APR and the length of time you have to make a balance transfer after you open the account.

More credit card recommendations

*All information about the BankAmericard Secured Credit Card, and the Discover it Secured Credit Card has been collected independently by CNET and has not been reviewed by the issuer.

The editorial content on this page is based solely on objective, independent assessments by our writers and is not influenced by advertising or partnerships. It has not been provided or commissioned by any third party. However, we may receive compensation when you click on links to products or services offered by our partners.