Compare Bad Credit Credit Cards

If you have a limited credit history, or past or current credit issues, you may not qualify for all credit cards. Luckily, secured credit cards are a great option. Secured cards are guaranteed by your funds, which act as a security deposit in case you default on the loan with the credit card company. The nice thing about secured cards is that they work act and look just like regular credit cards, which is important if you need to rebuild your credit. In fact, most of these cards will report your payment history to credit bureaus and reporting agencies to help boost your credit history. Prepaid cards are another great option for those with poor credit, although they won't help improve your credit like secured cards do. Prepaid cards act like a debit card, requiring you to deposit the amount you wish to spend ahead of time. We review secured cards in this section, but if you're interested in prepaid cards take a look at our Prepaid Cards reviews. To learn more about credit cards, see our FAQ.

Bad Credit Credit Card Reviews & Prices

Updated 05-18-2013

Name & Card Purchase APR Type of Card Min. Secured Card Deposit Fees Helps Credit History? Our Rating & Bottom Line
Capital One® Secured Mastercard®
Capital One® Secured Mastercard®
22.9% variableSecured Mastercard for those with poor or no credit$49$29 annual feeReports to all 3 credit bureaus every month
Our Rating:
Top pick for rebuilding your credit history; strong choice for those with poor credit; includes 3-bureau credit reporting
First Progress Premium Elite MasterCard® Secured Credit Card
First Progress Premium Elite MasterCard® Secured Credit Card
14.99% variableSecured Mastercard for those with poor or no credit$300$39 annual feeReports to all 3 credit bureaus every month
Our Rating:
Great choice for those with poor credit; includes 3-bureau credit reporting
Applied Bank® Secured Visa® Gold Credit Card
Applied Bank® Secured Visa®  Gold Credit Card
9.99% (Fixed)Secured Visa card for those with poor or no credit$200$50Reports to Experian and TransUnion credit bureaus every month
Our Rating:
Good choice for those with poor credit; Experian and TransUnion credit reporting
Platinum Zero® Secured Visa® Card from Applied Bank
Platinum Zero®  Secured Visa® Card from Applied Bank
0% APRSecured Visa card for those with poor or no credit$500$9.95 maint fee/month
($119.40 annually)
Reports to Experian and TransUnion credit bureaus every month
Our Rating:
0% APR on purchases is good for those who carry a balance; Experian and TransUnion credit reporting; maintenance fees are a bit high

Disclaimer: This content is not provided or commissioned by the credit card issuers. Opinions expressed here are author's alone, not those of the credit card issuers, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the credit card issuers. This site may be compensated through the affiliate program of the credit card issuers.

Select Next Advisor Blog Posts

Men vs. Women: Who Is Better at Using Credit Cards?
Men and women are simply different animals when it comes to spending money. From what they buy to when they buy it, sociologists have mapped out the differences extensively over the years. But the gender gap extends beyond what they

Justin Bieber Prepaid Card: Is It Worth It?
Q: My kid keeps bugging me about the new Justin Bieber prepaid card? Is it worth it? A: It depends on what kind of debit card you are looking for. The SpendSmart prepaid card, the card that Justin Bieber is promoting,

Can I Direct Deposit My Paycheck Onto a Debit Card?
Q:  Can I direct deposit my paycheck onto a prepaid debit card? A:  Most of the prepaid debit cards we review let user direct deposit their paycheck free of change. There are several advantages to this, including convenience and the

APR vs. APY: What's The Difference?
While most consumers know that APR stands for "Annual Percentage Rate" and APY stands for "Annual Percentage Yield," there is still confusion pertaining to what these are used for. When applied to loans and savings accounts, APRs are interest rates

Which Secured Credit Card Is Best for International Travel?
Q:  Which secured credit card is best for international travel? A:  The Capital One® Secured Mastercard® is a great card for traveling outside the U.S. because it does not charge any foreign transaction fees. A foreign transaction fee is a charge

Enter the NextAdvisor $500 Giveaway!
Need a little extra spending cash for the summer months? We are giving away a total of $500 to 4 of our lucky Google+ followers! We will be drawing 4 winners over the course of a month. The first winner,


Disclosure: NextAdvisor.com is a consumer information site that offers free, independent reviews and ratings of online services. We receive advertising revenue from most of the services we review. Our editors thoroughly research and whenever possible test each service we review and offer their honest opinions about each one. We are independently owned and operated and all opinions expressed on this site are our own.