September 1, 2023
Why use LendingTree?
Apply Now
The Discover it® Secured Credit Card is our top pick because it’s geared toward those with poor/limited credit. It offers great rewards and charges a $0 annual fee. Plus, Discover will conduct monthly account reviews after seven months to see if you qualify to get your deposit refunded.
Getting a credit card doesn’t have to be hard. Whether you’re new to credit or recovering from bad credit, you have options.
We found the cards that are easiest to get regardless of your credit situation. All of our picks come with straightforward terms so you won’t have to deal with the expensive and unexpected fees that often come with credit cards made for people with bad credit.
Apply Now
Cash back on all purchases
The Discover it® Secured Credit Card is our pick for the easiest credit card to get because it is designed for people with low credit scores. It comes with a $0 annual fee, great cash back rewards and a sign-up bonus for new cardmembers. Plus, you can find out if you’re preapproved without affecting your credit score. It’s consistently one of our top credit card choices for building credit.
Secured cards like the Discover it® Secured Credit Card require a security deposit equal to the amount of your credit line (what you can charge to the card at one time). If you don’t pay off what you charge, Discover will use the deposit to recoup that loss.
But if you consistently make on-time payments, Discover may upgrade you to an unsecured card. They’ll also start conducting regular reviews of your account after seven months to see if you’re eligible to upgrade and get your deposit back.
Apply Now
See if you’re eligible without affecting your credit score
The AvantCard Credit Card is one of the easiest unsecured credit cards to get with bad credit because you can quickly prequalify online with no impact to your credit score.
It’s also easy to get because you won’t have to put up a lot of cash upfront. As an unsecured card, the AvantCard Credit Card doesn’t require a security deposit in order to open an account. Instead, you’ll pay an annual fee of up to $59, which is on the low end for unsecured credit cards for people with low credit scores. You’ll also pay a fee for late payments.
Look elsewhere if you won’t be able to pay off your card in full every month. The AvantCard Credit Card has a high APR, so while it may be relatively easy to get, it’ll be hard to pay off if you have to carry a balance.
Apply Now
No hard inquiry on credit report
Consider the OpenSky® Secured Visa® Credit Card if you’re worried about taking points off your credit score with a hard credit check. Since Capital Bank doesn’t run a credit check as part of the application process, it’s easier for people with bad credit to get approved for the card. Plus, while many unsecured credit cards for people with bad credit charge sky-high fees, the OpenSky® Secured Visa® Credit Card has a reasonable $35 annual fee.
If you’re approved, you’ll have to submit a $200 to $3,000 security deposit that will serve as your credit limit. Capital Bank will refund your deposit if you pay off and close the card. You may even be eligible to upgrade to a “regular” (unsecured) card after you make consistent, on-time payments for six months.
Security deposit aside, the OpenSky® Secured Visa® Credit Card works the same as an unsecured credit card. Capital Bank reports your account activity to all three major credit bureaus, helping you improve your credit score over time with responsible use.
Cash back on all purchases
The Business Advantage Unlimited Cash Rewards Secured credit card is a good $0-annual-fee rewards card for a business owner with a low credit score. You will need at least $1,000 to put down as a deposit. But, with regular use and on-time payments, Bank of America could upgrade you to an unsecured card. At this point they would also return your deposit.
If you need to carry a balance from month to month, we recommend looking for a card with a lower APR. Otherwise, you’ll end up paying more in interest than you’ll earn in cash back rewards with the Business Advantage Unlimited Cash Rewards Secured credit card.
Apply Now
No security deposit required
If you have fair/limited credit and don’t want to submit a security deposit, the Capital One QuicksilverOne Cash Rewards Credit Card might be the right card for you. It’s a solid pick for cash back rewards on all purchases, and we love that there’s no foreign transaction fee. You’ll pay a $39 annual fee to carry the card, but you’ll earn that amount in cash back if you spend $2,600 on purchases every year.
The APR on this card is high at 30.74% (variable). If you’re planning to pay off a big purchase over time or if you need to carry a balance month to month, consider a card with a lower APR that will make repayment less costly.
Cash back on employee purchases
While some business credit cards require good or excellent credit, the Capital One Spark Classic for Business is designed for business owners with fair credit. It’s a $0-annual-fee cash back card that’s worth considering if you think you’ll struggle to qualify for other business credit cards. There’s no foreign transaction fee and no charge for extra cards to issue to your employees.
As a card designed for business owners with fair credit, it has limited rewards. Use the card responsibly and as your credit score rises, you can apply for a business card with better rewards. You should also note the card’s high APR — currently 30.49% (variable) — so make sure you pay off your balance in full every month.
Apply Now
No security deposit required
If you’re looking for a no-annual-fee credit card for consumers with fair/limited credit that doesn’t require a security deposit, we recommend the Capital One Platinum Credit Card. It doesn’t offer rewards, but you might be able to upgrade to another Capital One card offering cash back or miles after you’ve created a record of making on-time payments.
Capital One automatically reviews your credit line after six months to see if you qualify for a higher credit limit. Your initial credit limit may be low, which is typical for cards marketed to people looking to build their credit profiles.
If you carry a balance from month to month on your Capital One Platinum Credit Card, you will be subject to a high purchase APR of 30.74% (variable). That said, high interest rates are common for credit cards designed to help you build or establish credit.
Apply Now
Elevated dining and entertainment rewards
If you’re a college student with fair/limited credit and you spend frequently on groceries, dining or entertainment, check out the Capital One SavorOne Student Cash Rewards Credit Card. It’s an excellent cash back card designed for students, so the approval requirements are lower than those on a typical card.
You can check to see if you’re preapproved for the card without risking any damage to your credit score. And Capital One will report your spending and payment activity to the credit bureaus, so you’ll build credit history while earning cash back at a competitive rate.
There’s a $0 annual fee, and if you travel outside the United States to study abroad, you can rest easy knowing that you won’t have to pay a foreign transaction fee, either. Cardholders with low credit scores will likely be subject to high interest rates, though, which will make carrying a balance on this card very expensive.
Discount on all Target purchases
The Target REDcard™ Credit Card is our pick for the easiest store card to get. It has no annual fee and several perks, including free shipping and 5% off at Target in-store and online. It’s easy to get the ongoing discount because it’s instantly applied at checkout. The Target REDcard™ Credit Card is best for Target shoppers, since you can’t use it outside of Target and Target.com.
Store cards are generally much easier to qualify for than other credit cards, as they tend to have lower credit limits and higher APRs. These high interest rates make this card a poor choice for anyone who needs to carry a balance.
Access to exclusive offers
If you do the bulk of your online shopping at Amazon and are already a Prime member, getting the Amazon Prime Store Card makes good sense. Prime cardholders can earn 5% back at Amazon.com. This is a generous rate, especially for a store card. There’s no annual fee, but you’ll need to pay for an Amazon Prime membership in order to earn cash back.
To justify the Prime membership cost based on what you earn with the card, you’d need to spend at least $2,780 per year (or $1,380 for the annual student membership) on purchases earning 5% cash back.
| Credit Cards | Our Ratings | Annual Fee | Regular APR | Foreign Exchange Fee | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Discover it® Secured Credit Card
Apply Now
on Discover's secure site Rates & Fees |
Winner
|
$0 | 28.24% Variable APR | None |
Apply Now
on Discover's secure site Rates & Fees |
|
AvantCard Credit Card
Apply Now
on Avant's secure site |
Easiest unsecured
|
$59 | 30.24% | None |
Apply Now
on Avant's secure site |
|
OpenSky® Secured Visa® Credit Card
Apply Now
on Capital Bank, N.A.'s secure site |
No credit check
|
$35 | 22.64% (variable) | 3% of each Transaction in U.S. dollars |
Apply Now
on Capital Bank, N.A.'s secure site |
|
Business Advantage Unlimited Cash Rewards Secured credit card
Review Coming Soon
|
Business owners with bad credit
|
$0 | 28.49% variable | 3% of the U.S. dollar amount of each transaction. | Review Coming Soon |
|
Capital One QuicksilverOne Cash Rewards Credit Card
Apply Now
on Capital One's secure site Rates & Fees |
Fair credit
|
$39 | 30.74% (Variable) | None |
Apply Now
on Capital One's secure site Rates & Fees |
|
Capital One Spark Classic for Business
|
Business owners with fair credit
|
$0 | 30.49% (Variable) | None | |
|
Capital One Platinum Credit Card
Apply Now
on Capital One's secure site Rates & Fees |
No credit
|
$0 | 30.74% (Variable) | None |
Apply Now
on Capital One's secure site Rates & Fees |
|
Capital One SavorOne Student Cash Rewards Credit Card
Apply Now
on Capital One's secure site Rates & Fees |
Students
|
$0 | 19.99% - 29.99% (Variable) | None |
Apply Now
on Capital One's secure site Rates & Fees |
|
Target REDcard™ Credit Card
|
Store card
|
$0 | 28.15% | N/A | |
|
Amazon Prime Store Card
|
Online shopping
|
$0 | 29.99% | N/A |
If you’re just starting out on your credit journey, we often recommend the Discover it® Secured Credit Card. It requires a minimum security deposit of $200, reports to all three major consumer credit bureaus (Equifax, Experian and TransUnion), charges a $0 annual fee, earns cash back and provides clear criteria for when your account is evaluated for a possible refund of your deposit.
For consumers with poor/limited credit, we recommend the OpenSky® Secured Visa® Credit Card. Unlike most credit cards, this one doesn’t require a credit check when you apply (though you will have to provide some information about your finances). The minimum security deposit is $200 and the annual fee is $35.
If you are looking for an unsecured credit card (one that doesn’t require a security deposit), the AvantCard Credit Card is worth considering. It’s a no-frills credit card with a $59 annual fee. This card can be a good tool to help you build credit history if you pay your balance on time and in full every month.
There are different types of credit scores, but the scoring model lenders typically use when deciding whether or not to extend credit to someone is the FICO® Score. Your FICO® Score can range from 300 to 850, and anything from 300 to 579 is considered poor credit. If your score is between 580 and 669, that’s considered fair credit.
Your FICO® Score, which is the credit scoring model lenders typically rely on, can range from 300 to 850. A credit score between 670 and 850 will fall into one of the following tiers — good, very good or exceptional.
Getting preapproved for a credit card means that you will likely get the card if you decide to apply. Not all card issuers offer preapproval, but you can find those that do by searching for the card name and the word “preapproval” in your favorite search engine. When you fill out the preapproval form, you’ll provide details like your name, address, birth date, and Social Security number.
After you submit the form, the card issuer will do a soft pull of your credit. A soft pull doesn’t involve pulling your credit report, so your credit score won’t take a hit. This is ideal if you’re worried about whether you’ll qualify for a card.
You’ll know if you’re approved for an instant approval credit card within a few minutes of applying. If you need a quick response, there are several instant approval credit cards to choose from.
The approval process can take anywhere from a few seconds to several days. If you’re not immediately approved, your application may be placed under review. You can check your credit card status to find out when the card issuer makes a decision.
If your credit score is below 700, you still have options. Here are our tips for getting a card with bad credit or no credit:
Find a card in your credit range
If you have a credit score below 640, we recommend credit cards for people with bad credit. Many of the best options in this range are secured credit cards. You’ll have to pay an upfront deposit, but the issuer will usually refund it if you make your monthly payments on time and in full. If you’ve never had a credit card before, take a look at cards for people with limited or no credit history.
Get preapproved
If you have the chance to get preapproved for a credit card, you should. The card issuer will do a soft credit pull — which doesn’t affect your credit score — rather than a hard pull. If you’re trying to protect your credit, this is the way to go.
Note that preapproval doesn’t guarantee that you’ll get the card, but it’s a smart move. Your odds of getting the card are higher if you’re preapproved. And, if you don’t get the green light, you can move on to other cards without taking a hit to your credit score.
Apply
The next step is to submit a credit card application, which will usually result in a hard pull to your credit. You’ll need to input basic information, including your name, Social Security number, birth date, address, income and the monthly cost of your rent or mortgage payments.
Build your credit and look out for a chance to upgrade
If your goal is to get a credit card with better rewards or a lower interest rate, it’s important to make your payments on time every month. If you can, pay the balance in full. Paying only the minimum monthly payment will lead to racking up high-interest debt.
The preapproval process for a credit card is simple and should take no more than a few minutes. Bonus: your credit score won’t take a hit because card issuers will do a soft pull of your credit.
Here are the steps to find out if you’re preapproved:
Go to your favorite search engine (like Google) and type in the name of the card you’re interested in, plus the word “preapproval.” If you’re not sure which card to get, here are some of our favorite cards that offer preapproval.
This should take no more than a minute or two, since they typically ask for basic information like your name, Social Security number, birth date and address.
That’s it. At this point, the card issuer will do a soft credit pull, which won’t affect your credit score. If you’re approved and you decide to apply for the card, the card issuer will perform a hard credit pull. Hard credit pulls involve pulling your credit report and typically result in a temporary dip in your credit score.
Below you’ll find a brief summary of the preapproval process at several popular credit card issuers.
| Issuer | Offers preapproval? | Required information |
|---|---|---|
| American Express | Yes | Name, address, Social Security number and income |
| Bank of America | Yes | Name, birth date, Social Security number and address |
| Capital One | Yes | Name, address, employment status, education status, income, monthly housing expense, birth date and Social Security number |
| Chase | Yes (existing customers only) | Name, address and Social Security number |
| Citi | Yes | Name, Social Security number and address |
| Discover | Yes | Name, address, birth date, monthly housing expense and income |
| U.S. Bank | Yes (existing customers only) | |
| USAA | No | |
| Wells Fargo | Yes | Name, address and Social Security number |
Pay your balance in full each month
If your goal is to build your credit so that you can get an unsecured card or a card with better rewards, it’s important that you pay your entire balance every month. Plus, paying your balance in full — not just making minimum payments — will ensure that you’re not racking up high-interest debt.
Keep your utilization ratio low
A good rule of thumb is to never use more than 30% of your credit limit — so if you have a card with a $500 limit, don’t charge more than $150 to it at any time.
Keep an eye on your credit score
You should track your credit score to make sure your credit card usage is helping you build your credit. You can do this for free on the LendingTree app.
Learn about credit
For tips on smart credit usage, take a look at how it might be possible to raise your score by as much as 100 points in 30 days.
In evaluating the easiest credit cards to get approved for, we selected cards meant for consumers who need to build or rebuild credit. Our picks include a variety of unsecured cards, such as those aimed at college students and Target customers, as well as secured cards, which require a security deposit in the amount of your desired credit limit.
Most of the cards on this list charge no annual fee. The selections that do charge an annual fee make up for it by being more accessible to consumers with bad, fair or limited credit.
Finally, all of the cards on this list report to the credit bureaus, which is a key factor for anyone wishing to build a good credit score.
For Capital One products listed on this page, some of the above benefits are provided by Visa® or Mastercard® and may vary by product. See the respective Guide to Benefits for details, as terms and exclusions apply
The above offers and/or promotions may have since changed, expired, or is no longer available. Check the Issuers’ website for more details.
