Credit score tricks to get the best secured credit cards 2021? If your issuer can’t or won’t upgrade you — and keep in mind that not all secured-card issuers even offer unsecured cards — you can apply for unsecured cards separately. Eventually you’ll want to close the secured card to recoup your deposit. Several issuers specialize in unsecured credit cards for people with bad credit, but NerdWallet generally doesn’t recommend them. That’s because these “subprime specialist” cards tend to charge high fees that can easily add up to much more than a typical minimum security deposit — annual fees up to $99, application fees, “activation” and “processing” fees, monthly maintenance fees and so on. And unlike the deposit on a secured card, those fees are money you can’t get back. Our roundup of the best and worst cards for bad credit has more information on cards to avoid.
OpenSky Secured Visa Credit Card: Details and benefits: The two reasons you may want to apply for the OpenSky Secured Visa Credit Card is if you don’t own a checking account, but still want access to a credit card, or if you’re looking for a secured card with a decent annual percentage rate. For everyone else, the $35 annual fee should make this card a non-starter. That being said, OpenSky Secured Visa can help you build or rebuild your credit, as the issuer, Capital Bank, reports your monthly payments to the three major credit bureaus — Equifax, Experian and TransUnion.
When you consider the rewards, the lack of an annual fee and the opportunity for an upgrade, the Discover it® Secured is the best secured credit card we’ve seen. The rewards on this card — 2% cash back on up to $1,000 worth of spending per quarter on restaurants and gas, and 1% on all other spending — would be pretty decent on a regular card. For a secured credit card, they’re unheard of. After eight months, Discover automatically evaluates your account for possible upgrade to an unsecured card. And the annual fee is $0. The initial deposit must be paid with a bank account; if you’re unbanked, you’re out of luck. For some people, the $200 minimum deposit will be a stretch. For others, the maximum $2,500 credit limit will be too low.
Provided you make on-time payments with a secured card, your security deposit remains untouched and is remitted back to you should you ever close the account. Some issuers even pay you interest on the deposited funds. In time, given a positive record of making payments, issuers may grant you a credit limit that exceeds the security deposit. Eventually, the issuer may also offer you the option to upgrade to a regular—that is, unsecured—credit card. In many cases, that allows the account to remain open, and its increasing age to be an asset to your credit record, which generally rewards having older accounts. If that option isn’t available, though, one can simply close the secured account and apply for an unsecured card once you’ve attained a solid credit score. The free score-monitoring feature offered by most secured cards allows you to track your progress.
If you are unbanked (i.e. you don’t have a bank account, as is the case for 115 million US households), then the OpenSky card might be the best choice for you. You can make your deposit and clear your statement using one of the following options: Wire transfer, Check, Money order, Debit card (if you do have access to a bank account). What Is The APR? 18.39% variable. While this isn’t too bad for a secured credit card, it’s still rather high. Ideally, you want to ensure that you pay your balance off in full every month, or you could find yourself being swamped by interest– particularly if you have a low credit limit. Is There An Annual Fee? Yes, $35. This will be deducted from your balance, so it’s not an amount you have to pay directly, but you will then need to clear the balance to avoid accruing interest. Discover additional details on best secured credit cards.
