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The Discover it® Secured Credit Card is our top pick due to its lack of fees and generous cash back rewards. This card is also relatively easy to get approved for — even if you don’t have a credit score.
Whether you need to build credit from scratch or you want the chance to fix credit mistakes you made in the past, the right credit card can be a valuable tool. You’ll need to focus on credit-building cards that make it easy to get approved at first, but you can use the card to build positive habits and your credit score through responsible use.
The best credit-building cards tend to come with no fees or minimal fees, and have easy approval requirements for people with low credit scores and damaged credit histories. In many cases, the best cards in this category are secured credit cards that require a refundable cash deposit as collateral. While putting down a security deposit for a credit card may not seem ideal, these cards often help you build credit without charging expensive fees.
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The Discover it® Secured Credit Card is the best credit card for credit-building due to its generous rewards and lack of fees. The fact that you can apply without a credit score means almost anyone can get approved.
Security deposit: Minimum security deposit of $200
Fees: None
Who’s this card best for?
The Discover it® Secured Credit Card is a stellar product for those with Poor/Limited credit who want to improve their credit scores while earning cash back. While a minimum security deposit of $200 is required, this deposit is fully refundable and Discover will even review your account after seven months to see if you’re eligible to upgrade to an unsecured card and get your deposit back.
This card also lets you check for preapproval online without any impact to your credit score, which can be immensely helpful if you want to gauge your approval odds before you apply. The fact that the Discover it® Secured Credit Card comes with a free FICO score also makes it a good choice for credit newcomers who want to monitor their progress over time.
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The OpenSky® Secured Visa® Credit Card is ideal for after bankruptcy since there’s no credit check required to apply. This means nearly anyone can get approved and begin building credit or repairing their credit history.
Security deposit: Minimum security deposit of $200
Fees: $35 annual fee
Who’s this card best for?
The OpenSky® Secured Visa® Credit Card may be best for you if you just went through a bankruptcy or you have other negative information on your credit reports. There’s no credit check to apply, which means you have an excellent chance at being approved and getting the opportunity to repair your credit through responsible use.
The OpenSky® Secured Visa® Credit Card offers the possibility to graduate to an unsecured card after demonstrating responsible behavior.
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The AvantCard Credit Card is an unsecured credit card, so it helps people build credit with no security deposit required. This card is also geared to people with Fair/Poor/Limited credit, so it’s easier to get approved for than other unsecured card options.
Security deposit: No security deposit required
Fees: $0 to $59 annual fee
Who’s this card best for?
If you have poor credit or no credit and you’re looking for a credit card that doesn’t require a security deposit, the AvantCard Credit Card might be the right choice for you.
This card reports to all three credit bureaus (Equifax, Experian and TransUnion) and can come with a credit limit ranging from $300 to $3,000. Plus, you can check online if you prequalify, which doesn’t hurt your credit score like an actual application with a hard inquiry will.
Note, though, that even if you are prequalified, you’ll still have to apply (which will generate an inquiry) and can still be rejected once the lender carefully reviews your application and credit reports. Prequalification just shows you the likelihood of being approved for the card.
The Amazon Secured Card lets you build credit while buying items you need through the popular online retailer. You may even be given the chance to convert the card to a traditional Amazon store card with responsible use after the first year.
Security deposit: Minimum security deposit of $100
Fees: None
Who’s this card best for?
The Amazon Secured Card is for regular online shoppers who want to build credit or repair credit mistakes they have made in the past. This card comes in a Prime and non-Prime version, and you’ll only earn rewards if you have an Amazon Prime membership. Fortunately, there’s no annual fee, and you can convert the card to an unsecured Amazon.com Store Card if you pay your bill on time and use your card responsibly for at least 12 months.
Also be aware that the Amazon Secured Card has a reasonable APR of 10.00% non-variable, which is much lower than any other credit-building cards on our list.
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The Discover it® Student Cash Back is geared to students who want to build credit for the future while earning rewards. We picked it due to its lack of fees and the fact that you don’t even need a credit score to apply.
Security deposit: None
Fees: None
Who’s this card best for?
If you’re a student with fair credit, limited credit or no credit score at all, the Discover it® Student Cash Back can help you rebuild your credit with responsible card use. The $0-annual-fee card also offers a generous cash back rate in popular spending categories, although you must activate the bonus categories each quarter to earn the bonus rate. Discover will even double all the rewards you have earned after the first year.
It even offers a 0% Intro APR for 6 months on purchases (followed by 18.24% - 27.24% Variable APR), which can be helpful for new students who want to carry a balance for a limited time.
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The Capital One QuicksilverOne Cash Rewards Credit Card is geared to people with fair credit. It’s unsecured, and it offers a flat 1.5% Cash Back on every purchase, every day; 5% Cash Back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel (terms apply).
Security deposit: None
Fees: $39 annual fee
Who’s this card best for?
The Capital One QuicksilverOne Cash Rewards Credit Card is best for people with imperfect credit who want to rebuild it while earning rewards. This card is unsecured, so there’s no security deposit required. You can even earn 1.5% Cash Back on every purchase, every day; 5% Cash Back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel (terms apply), although a $39 annual fee applies.
As an added bonus, it’s possible to qualify for a higher credit limit after six months of on-time payments and responsible use. The Capital One QuicksilverOne Cash Rewards Credit Card also comes with a complimentary Uber One membership for six months.
| Credit Cards | Our Ratings | Welcome Offer | Rewards Rate | Regular APR | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Discover it® Secured Credit Card
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on Discover's secure site Rates & Fees |
Secured
|
Discover will match all the cash back you’ve earned at the end of your first year. | Earn 2% cash back at Gas Stations and Restaurants on up to $1,000 in combined purchases each quarter, automatically. Plus earn unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases. | 28.24% Variable APR |
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on Discover's secure site Rates & Fees |
|
OpenSky® Secured Visa® Credit Card
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on Capital Bank, N.A.'s secure site |
Credit card after bankruptcy
|
N/A | Non-rewards card | 25.64% (variable) |
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on Capital Bank, N.A.'s secure site |
|
AvantCard Credit Card
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on Avant's secure site |
No deposit
|
None | Non-rewards card | 30.24% |
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on Avant's secure site |
|
Amazon Secured Card
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on ABOC's secure site |
Store card
|
N/A | 2% back at Amazon.com, Amazon Fresh and more, with an eligible Prime membership | 10.00% non-variable |
Learn More
on ABOC's secure site |
|
Discover it® Student Cash Back
Apply Now
on Discover's secure site Rates & Fees |
Student
|
Unlimited Cashback Match – only from Discover. Discover will automatically match all the cash back you’ve earned at the end of your first year! So you could turn $50 cash back into $100. Or turn $100 into $200. There’s no minimum spending or maximum rewards. Just a dollar-for-dollar match. | 5% cash back at different places each quarter up to the quarterly maximum when you activate. 1% unlimited cash back on all other purchases - automatically | 18.24% - 27.24% Variable APR |
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on Discover's secure site Rates & Fees |
|
Capital One QuicksilverOne Cash Rewards Credit Card
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on Capital One's secure site Rates & Fees |
Fair credit
|
No bonus | 1.5% Cash Back on every purchase, every day; 5% Cash Back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel (terms apply) | 30.74% (Variable) |
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on Capital One's secure site Rates & Fees |
If you need to build credit, a credit card is one of the best options out there. Unlike a bad credit loan that requires you to borrow a specific amount of money and pay it back over time, a credit card lets you use it for purchases as needed. From there, you get to build credit as you pay your bill each month.
Building credit with a credit building card can also cost very little (or even nothing) since some cards in this niche do not require an annual fee and you won’t pay interest charges unless you carry a balance.
That said, credit cards for building credit tend to have high APRs. This means you may want to consider other credit-building options if you are someone who is prone to carrying debt over the long-term. You may also want to skip credit cards if you tend to pay bills late or forget to pay them altogether. While a credit card can help you build credit with responsible use and on-time payments, paying your bill late can actually make your credit score worse than when you started.
Before you apply for a credit card to build credit, you’ll want to make sure you have a plan to build credit for the future. You’ll also want to compare credit cards in this niche to make sure you know which ones you may be eligible for, and which ones would work best for where you’re at in your credit building journey. The following tips can help:
Check your credit score
You’ll want to check your credit score early on to see where you stand, and definitely before you apply. If you have fair credit or better, you’ll have a better chance at qualifying for an unsecured credit card.
Compare cards based on features and fees
Look at cards based on their annual fees, interest rates, rewards and cardholder perks. Ultimately, you’ll want a card with low fees (or no fees) and benefits you can use.
List your household income when you apply
List your full household income when you apply for a credit building card. This can include the income of other people you share your home with, including a partner or spouse.
Don't be afraid to consider secured credit cards
If you have no credit score or a really low score, you may have to get started with a secured credit card that requires a cash deposit. Remember that your secured card doesn’t have to be forever, and that many cards let you upgrade to an unsecured version and get your deposit back in as little as six or seven months.
The fastest way to rebuild credit is by making on-time payments on your accounts and keeping your debt levels at a minimum. Because you can execute both of these steps with a credit card, cards are often the best way to get back on track.
You can begin rebuilding credit over the span of a few months with a credit card, but only if you make on-time payments and avoid maxing out your credit limits. Some cards in our ranking let you upgrade to an unsecured credit card in as little as six or seven months.
Any credit card that reports your credit payments and movements to the credit bureaus can help you build credit.
You only need one credit card to begin rebuilding credit, but having multiple cards that require several payments each month can help. Ultimately, it’s how you use your card that will impact your credit, including whether you pay your bill on time and how much debt you carry.
Capital One offers several credit cards for people who need to build credit. This includes their popular Capital One QuicksilverOne Cash Rewards Credit Card as well as a few secured credit card options.
In choosing the best credit cards to rebuild credit, we considered cards available through LendingTree and from major issuers, and selected cards accessible to applicants with poor or fair credit, with reasonable annual fees or no annual fees at all and with low or no security deposits.
We also considered factors such as whether a card may be accessible to applicants who have emerged from bankruptcy, whether you must undergo a credit check when applying and whether you can get your deposit back (for secured cards) and graduate to an unsecured card after demonstrating responsible behavior.
Finally, all credit cards on this list report your spending and payment activity to the three major consumer credit bureaus, which is important when working to rebuild your credit.
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.
