Cards

Best Credit Cards for Bad Credit

Secured and no-credit-pull cards that approve low scores and rebuild your file.

By REPLACE WITH REAL NAME, REPLACE — e.g. 8 years covering consumer credit · Reviewed by REPLACE WITH REAL NAME · 1 min read · Updated September 24, 2026

You are on step 4: Secured & bad-credit cards

Advertiser disclosure: we're paid when you apply through some links on this site, and some lenders here are operated by our parent company. Compensation does not change our scores or the order of the cost ladder. How we make money →

What you'll learn

A secured card costs nothing to hold if you pay it off every month, and six to twelve months of on-time payments change what lenders see.
No annual fee usually means a credit check; no credit pull usually means a fee.
A card won't put cash in your account this week — it's for the next emergency, not this one.

Before you borrow

Cheapest first. Work down only if you have to.

You are on step 4. If a higher step works for you, it's cheaper.

By the numbers

products compared

Check cheaper steps

lowest $500 total above this step

See cards

$500 total on step 4

How to choose a card

A secured card is the one product on this site that costs you nothing to hold if you use it right: charge a small recurring bill, pay it off in full every month, and let the on-time payments report. The choices are about fees, credit checks and what you get back.

No annual fee, with a credit check. Discover it Secured and Chime's Credit Builder card charge nothing to hold and report to all three bureaus. Discover runs a credit check and wants a bank account for the deposit; Chime skips the credit check but requires a Chime Checking Account.

No credit check, with a fee. OpenSky approves without a credit pull and without a bank account — you can fund the $200 deposit by money order — and charges $35 a year for that access. If a recent bankruptcy or a ChexSystems record is in your way, it's the card that says yes.

Getting the deposit back. Discover has historically reviewed accounts for an unsecured upgrade after about seven months; OpenSky after six. Your deposit is refunded when you're upgraded or when you close the card in good standing.

What a card can't do

Give you cash this week. The card is step 4 because it's about the next emergency: six to twelve months of on-time payments can move you into the range where cheaper lenders say yes. If you need money now, this page isn't the answer — the ladder above it is.

The one rule

Never carry a balance. At 24%–28% APR, a secured card used as a loan is more expensive than a PAL and not much cheaper than the lower end of the installment step. Used as a bill-payer you clear every month, it's free.

Step 4: Secured & bad-credit cards

Step 4 · Secured & bad-credit cardsOur pick

Discover it Secured

A no-annual-fee secured card with cash back and a path to getting your deposit back.

Score 7.7

No annual fee, cash back, and a review for getting your deposit back.

Still an option for

No minimum credit score to apply, but Discover does run a credit check. Needs a bank account for the deposit.

Amount

$200–$2,500

Term

Revolving

Speed

Card arrives in about a week. Not a source of cash.

One honest con

It is a hard credit pull, and 26.49% variable APR is expensive if you carry a balance.

See rates at Discover it Secured →Read our review

Opens the lender's site. We may be paid if you apply.

Availability varies by state.

Last verified September 24, 2026

Purchase APR: 26.49%

Best for

People who can set aside $200 and want a card that pays 1%–2% back and reviews the account for an upgrade after about seven months.

See the full cost and what you need ↓

Secured card

$200–$2,500

Term: Revolving
Purchase APR: 26.49% Purchase APR
Payments: Monthly statement

$0 annual fee. Refundable deposit $200–$2,500 sets your limit. 2% back at gas stations and restaurants (to $1,000/quarter), 1% elsewhere.

What you need: 18+, SSN, US address, bank account to fund a $200–$2,500 refundable deposit. Credit check is performed.

Not for: Anyone who needs cash this week; anyone with a recent bankruptcy that a credit check would surface.

Step 4 · Secured & bad-credit cardsLower-cost option

Chime Credit Builder Secured Visa

A secured card with no annual fee, no interest and no credit pull — if you bank with Chime.

Score 7.9

Zero fees and zero interest — if you bank with Chime.

Still an option for

No credit pull. Needs a Chime Checking Account; no direct deposit is required to open the card.

Amount

from $0

Term

Revolving

Speed

Card arrives in about a week. Not a source of cash.

One honest con

Your limit is only what you move into the Credit Builder account, so it does nothing for cash flow.

See rates at Chime Credit Builder Secured Visa →Read our review

Opens the lender's site. We may be paid if you apply.

Availability varies by state.

Last verified September 24, 2026

$0 annual fee, no interest, no minimum deposit. Your limit equals what you move into the Credit Builder account. Requires a Chime Checking Account.

Best for

Existing Chime users, or people willing to move their direct deposit, who want to build credit with zero fees and zero interest.

See the full cost and what you need ↓

Secured card

from $0

Term: Revolving
Payments: Monthly (auto-pay from the secured balance)

$0 annual fee, no interest, no minimum deposit. Your limit equals what you move into the Credit Builder account. Requires a Chime Checking Account.

What you need: Chime Checking Account in good standing. No credit check and no minimum deposit. A $200+ qualifying direct deposit unlocks Chime Plus perks but is not required for the card.

Not for: Anyone who doesn't want to open a Chime account; anyone who needs a credit line larger than what they can pre-load.

Step 4 · Secured & bad-credit cards

OpenSky Secured Visa

The most accessible secured card: no credit pull and no bank account required.

Score 7.6

No credit pull and no bank account needed; $35 a year.

Still an option for

No credit pull and no bank account needed — the $200 deposit can be paid by money order or debit card.

Amount

from $200

Term

Revolving

Speed

Card arrives in about two weeks. Not a source of cash.

One honest con

$35 annual fee. OpenSky's no-fee "Plus" version needs a $300 deposit and charges 28.24% APR.

See rates at OpenSky Secured Visa →Read our review

Opens the lender's site. We may be paid if you apply.

Availability varies by state.

Last verified September 24, 2026

Purchase APR: 23.89%

Best for

People with a recent bankruptcy, a ChexSystems record or no bank account who still want three-bureau reporting.

See the full cost and what you need ↓

Secured card

from $200

Term: Revolving
Purchase APR: 23.89% Purchase APR
Payments: Monthly statement

$35 annual fee. Refundable deposit from $200. No credit pull, no bank account required. Upgrade review after 6 months.

What you need: 18+, SSN or ITIN, US address, $200 minimum refundable deposit. No credit pull, no bank account requirement.

Not for: Anyone who can qualify for a no-annual-fee card; anyone likely to carry a balance at 23.89% APR.

Side by side

Compare amounts, timing, costs and availability in one place.

Lender	Amounts	Term	APR or fees	Speed	Score	Available in your state
Discover it Secured	$200–$2,500	Revolving	26.49% Purchase APR	Card arrives in about a week. Not a source of cash.	7.7	Varies
Chime Credit Builder Secured Visa	from $0	Revolving	$0 annual fee, no interest, no minimum deposit. Your limit equals what you move into the Credit Builder account. Requires a Chime Checking Account.	Card arrives in about a week. Not a source of cash.	7.9	Varies
OpenSky Secured Visa	from $200	Revolving	23.89% Purchase APR	Card arrives in about two weeks. Not a source of cash.	7.6	Varies

How we scored these →

Next on the ladder

Compare nearby steps

Move up if you can qualify for a cheaper option; move down only if you need to.

Next: Paycheck advance apps →Next: Subprime installment loans →

Questions people ask

Plain answers to the questions readers ask most often.

What is a secured credit card?

A card backed by a refundable deposit you pay upfront — usually $200 or more — which becomes your credit limit. Because the issuer holds your deposit, approval is far easier than for an ordinary card, and on-time payments are reported to the credit bureaus just the same.

Will a secured card give me cash today?

No. It's on the ladder because it fixes the next emergency, not this one: six to twelve months of on-time payments can move you into the range where cheaper lenders say yes.

Which is better: no annual fee or no credit check?

If you can pass a credit check, a no-annual-fee card like Discover it Secured or Chime Credit Builder costs you nothing to hold. If a recent bankruptcy or a ChexSystems record would sink you, OpenSky's $35 fee buys you a card with no credit pull and no bank account requirement.

When do I get my deposit back?

When you close the card in good standing or when the issuer upgrades you to an unsecured card. Discover has historically reviewed accounts after about seven months; OpenSky after six. Read each review for the current policy.

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Last verified September 24, 2026