Is the Tilt Motion Card a Smart First Step Toward Better Credit?

The Tilt Motion Card, issued by WebBank, is a good unsecured credit card for people trying to build or improve their credit. Other cards for building credit usually require you to put down a security deposit of $200. But the Tilt Motion Card doesn’t require a security deposit — and it has a $0 annual fee.

This card may be easier to get approved for than other credit cards for bad credit, depending on your finances. Instead of using your credit score and history as the main deciding factor, the Tilt Motion Card may take into account your banking and bill payment history along with your credit score.

Tilt also gives you four ways to boost your credit score over time to help you build spending power and a credit history.

However, this isn’t a good card if you don’t pay your balance off every month. It has a 28.24% - 33.24% Variable, which is an incredibly high max. You can end up paying a lot in interest charges if you don’t stay on top of payments.

Recommended credit: Credit scores ranges may vary. Your individual chance at approval may vary due to factors such as creditors using a particular variation at their discretion Limited / Poor / Fair

Rewards Rate: 1-10% cash back at select national merchants

Welcome offer: None

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Rates

• Intro purchase APR: N/A
• Regular purchase APR: 28.24% - 33.24% Variable
• Intro balance transfer APR: N/A
• Regular balance transfer APR: N/A
• Regular cash advance APR: N/A
• Penalty APR: N/A

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Fees

• Annual fee: $0
• Balance transfer fee: N/A
• Cash advance fee: N/A
• Foreign exchange fee: $0
• Late fee: Up to $40

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Other benefits

• Credit score monitoring through the Tilt app
• Card freezing capability
• Fraud protection

• Offers pre-approval with no credit score impact

  You can check on Tilt’s website to see if you’re preapproved for the Tilt Motion Card. Preapproval doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll be approved, but there’s a good chance you will.

  Checking for preapproval won’t hurt your credit — but actually applying for the card will trigger a hard credit inquiry, which may bump your credit down a few points. By using the card responsibly long-term, you can work to bring your score back up.

• Rewards on some purchases

  You’ll earn 1% to 10% cash back at select merchants. Many cards for consumers who need to rebuild credit don’t offer rewards at all, so this is a nice feature.

• Builds credit history

  Tilt reports to the three major credit bureaus — Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. As long as you pay on time and keep your utilization ratio low by limiting your spending, you can build a positive credit history and work your way to an excellent credit score.

• $0 annual fee

  Tilt does not charge an annual fee for this card, so you don’t have to pay just to carry it. Other unsecured credit cards targeted toward people with bad or limited credit can charge steep annual fees, so it’s a safer option than most.

• 4 ways to build your credit limit

  Tilt also empowers your to build your credit score over time by giving you four ways to get a boost. You can:

  1. Get a credit limit increase when you link your bank (if it’s not already linked).
  2. Be automatically considered for a higher limit as early as four months.
  3. Get a limit increase when you may six qualifying on-time payments,
  4. Be automatically reviewed for further increases over time.

  A higher limit gives you more spending power and can help boost your credit score by lowering your credit utilization ratio.

• Rewards program limited

  You’ll only earn cash back on purchases at select merchants, not on all purchases. However, if you’re working to build or rebuild your credit, rewards shouldn’t be your primary focus anyway.

  However, if gas and dining are common spending categories for you, consider the Discover it^® Secured Credit Card. You’ll earn 2% cash back at Gas Stations and Restaurants on up to $1,000 in combined purchases each quarter. 1% unlimited cash back on all other purchases - automatically.

• Comes with some fees

  You’ll incur a late fee up to $40. However, if you pay on time and in full every month, you can avoid late fees, as well as interest charges. Plus, the card is light on other fees — there’s no foreign transaction fee or returned payment fee.

• Has a high interest rate

  This card has a high 28.24% - 33.24% Variable APR, which is much higher than the average credit card APR, according to LendingTree research. Even the lowest end is still a pretty high APR.

  While that’s in line with other cards for consumers with Limited / Poor / Fair credit, it’s still a best practice to pay off your statement in full every month to avoid incurring interest charges.

Tilt Motion Card vs. AvantCard Credit Card

The AvantCard Credit Card is another unsecured card that can help you build a good credit history. Like the Tilt Motion Card, it reports your payment history and utilization to the credit bureaus, so you’ll build credit as long as you pay on time and don’t max out your card.

However, it falls short of the Tilt Motion Card in several ways. It charges a $59 annual fee, and you won’t earn rewards with it. Furthermore, consumers living in some states can’t get this card. Overall, the Tilt Motion Card has more perks and is more accessible than the AvantCard Credit Card.

Both cards are issued by WebBank, Member FDIC.

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Tilt Motion Card vs. Tilt Essentials Card

The Tilt Essentials Card is similar to the Tilt Motion Card, but offers better terms. It has a $0 annual fee, doesn’t require a security deposit and it offers cash back on every purchase.

Just like the Tilt Motion Card, the Tilt Essentials Card may use your banking and billing history on top of your credit score to see if you qualify, which may boost your approval odds over other cards. However, if you have many negative marks on your credit report, you still may not qualify for the Tilt Essentials Card. Luckily, Tilt allows you to prequalify for the card with no impact to your credit score. If you don’t meet Tilt’s criteria for this card, the Tilt Motion Card is still a solid option.

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Tilt Motion Card vs. Discover it^® Secured Credit Card

The Discover it^® Secured Credit Card is one of the best credit cards to build credit, and it’s a better choice than the Tilt Motion Card if you’re able to put down a deposit. It has a $0 annual fee, offers cash back on every purchase and the opportunity to graduate to an unsecured credit card with responsible usage.

Unlike the Tilt Motion Card, the Discover it^® Secured Credit Card requires a security deposit of at least $200. Your credit limit will match your deposit, which could be a con if you’re looking for a high credit limit. However, you can get your deposit back if you close the card or Discover graduates you to an unsecured card.

The Discover it^® Secured Credit Card has a much better cash back rewards program. You’ll earn 2% cash back at Gas Stations and Restaurants on up to $1,000 in combined purchases each quarter. 1% unlimited cash back on all other purchases - automatically. Also, Discover automatically matches your cash back at the end of your first year, for new cardholders.

If you have limited credit, the Tilt Motion Card is a solid card to help you establish credit history or improve a bad credit score. With a $0 annual fee and rewards on purchases from select merchants, it’s a good starter card. Just be aware of the 28.24% - 33.24% Variable APR, because if you carry a balance, you could get hit with some expensive interest charges.

If you’re a consumer with somewhat better credit, you might consider applying for the Tilt Essentials Card instead. The Tilt Essentials Card offers rewards on every eligible purchase and does not charge any fees.

Finally, if your credit is so bad you think you might get denied for either of the Tilt credit cards, consider the AvantCard Credit Card instead. It charges a $59 annual fee, but might be more accessible to consumers with limited / poor / fair credit. You could also consider a secured card such as the Discover it^® Secured Credit Card, which requires you to submit a security deposit to the issuer in the amount of your credit limit.