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3. Indigo® Mastercard® review: Rebuilding your credit could come at a high cost

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548

reviews

2.7

Rating: 2.7 out of 5.

Editors’ take: This card can help you build credit, but other options may come with lower fees and more attractive features.

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Great for access to unsecured credit

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Annual fee: $75 the first year; $99 thereafter (you may see different terms on Credit Karma)

The average credit score for members who have matched with this card or similar cards is 565

The average credit limit for members who have matched with this card or similar cards is $697

Explore more about this card:

• Pros and cons
• In-depth Editorial review
• Member reviews

Here’s the average credit limit of members who matched their Indigo® Mastercard® or similar cards.

% of members by credit limit range

The average credit limit for members who have matched with this card or similar cards is $697, with $300 being the most common.

Here’s the average credit score of members who matched their Indigo® Mastercard® or similar cards.

% of members by credit score range

The average credit score for members who have matched with this card or similar cards is 565, with 560 being the most common. Note this is just one of the deciding factors when it comes to getting approved.

This content is curated by Intuit Credit Karma’s Editorial team using data from members who were approved for this card or similar cards, or who self-matched this card or similar cards. Intuit Credit Karma receives compensation from third-party advertisers, but that doesn’t affect our editors’ opinions. Our third-party advertisers don’t review, approve or endorse this content. Information about financial products not offered on Credit Karma is collected independently. Our content is accurate to the best of our knowledge when posted.

Member stats

Updated daily

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61.6%

Average credit utilization (or what percent of the card’s credit limit is being used) of members who matched with this card or similar cards.

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48 years

Average age of members who matched this card or similar cards.

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$77,105

Average annual income of members who matched this card or similar cards. Note: Income may be estimated for some members by Credit Karma and may differ from members’ actual incomes.

Pros and cons

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Geared toward people with less-than-perfect credit

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No security deposit required

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Low credit limit with no option for an increase

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Purchase APR is high

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High annual fee with no rewards to offset the cost

Indigo® Mastercard® review

Updated December 4, 2024

This date may not reflect recent changes in individual terms.

Written by: Eric Freeman

What you need to know about the Indigo® Mastercard®

The Indigo® Mastercard® can help you build credit, but there are several things to watch out for before you decide if it’s right for you. Take note: The card details in this article are applicable to offers provided when you apply through Credit Karma, and terms may vary elsewhere.

A chance to rebuild credit

The primary draw of the Indigo® Mastercard® is that it’s geared toward people who want to rebuild credit without requiring a security deposit. Unlike secured credit cards, you won’t have to put down money upfront to secure the account.

The bank doesn’t list the exact credit requirements for approval, but it does say the card is for people with “less-than-perfect credit.” While not everyone will qualify, that language suggests that your chances of approval might be better than with many other cards.

A high annual fee with no rewards

While the issuer’s willingness to work with people in need of credit is a plus, you’ll find yourself paying a fair amount just to use this card.

First, the Indigo® Mastercard® has an annual fee of $75 the first year; $99 thereafter (you might see different terms on Credit Karma). That’s not an uncommon annual fee for a credit card, but it’s high for a card that doesn’t offer any rewards to help offset the upfront cost. Essentially, you’ll be paying every year just for access to credit.

The low credit line could limit you

While the Indigo® Mastercard® is available to people with different kinds of credit profiles, it’s not guaranteed to work for all budgets. That’s because the card offers a credit limit of just $300 (which is immediately decreased by the amount of the card’s annual fee). Other cards meant for building credit might also come with a low initial limit, but a fair number of those cards will review accounts periodically for potential credit-line increases. This card, however, doesn’t offer that.

In addition to limiting your potential buying power, that low credit line could also hurt your ability to build credit. The amount of available credit you use — your credit utilization rate — is a major factor in determining your credit scores. And with a $300 limit (terms might be different when you apply through Credit Karma), you could find that you’re using that entire credit limit fairly often.

It’s recommended to keep your credit utilization under 30%, which might be a challenge with this card. Other cards meant for building credit might offer you a similarly low credit limit but also promise regular reviews for potential credit line increases.

You could pay even more if you carry a balance

If you carry a balance on the Indigo® Mastercard®, it’s going to cost you. The card comes with a variable purchase APR of 35.9%, which is pretty high for a credit-building card (you might see different terms on Credit Karma).

And if you make a late payment, you could face a late fee of up to $40 (you might see different offers on Credit Karma). Missed payments can happen for any number of reasons, so that’s a serious risk for your account.

Who this card is good for

The Indigo® Mastercard® could be a good choice for people struggling to get approved for other cards, but we don’t recommend it if you have other options for building credit.

While the ability to get approved with a less-than-perfect credit history is a clear positive, the high annual fee and purchase APR mean you might end up paying a fair amount just for access to credit. Add in the relatively low credit line, and your purchasing power and ability to improve your credit might be limited.

Instead, we suggest looking at a card with no annual fee that allows you to access more features over time. These cards may not look as attractive right now and might even require an initial security deposit, but they offer more opportunities to improve your credit over the long term.

Not sure this is the card for you? Consider these alternatives.

• Capital One Platinum Credit Card: If you don’t want to pay a security deposit, this card has no annual fee and the opportunity to increase your credit line.
• Discover it® Secured Credit Card: You’ll have to pay a security deposit upfront, but this card comes with no annual fee, rewards and the chance to graduate to an unsecured card.