Search credit cards

Credit cards for bad credit

We recommend these cards from our partners.

CK Editors’ Tips††: If you have bad credit, the right credit card can help you improve your financial situation while it provides crucial access to credit. Look for cards that can help set you up for success over the short and long terms.

What to consider when choosing a credit card for bad credit
Ideally, a credit card for bad credit serves as a stepping stone to more and better features on a future credit card. Try to find the card with features that can set you up for credit success — low fees, relatively high minimum credit limits, and bonuses for on-time payments like automatic reviews for credit limit increases. Also, while rewards can be nice to have on these cards, you probably shouldn’t look at them as the main draw.

How we picked the best credit cards for bad credit
Our picks for the best credit cards for bad credit all offer chances to build credit and set yourself up for financial success. First, we focused on cards that offered flexible requirements for approval. From there, we zeroed in on useful features when building credit, like high minimum credit limits, opportunities to graduate from a secured card to an unsecured card, and rewards that don’t come with high annual fees. Read more about our methodology for picking the best credit cards.

Jump to editors' picks

Great for access to unsecured credit††

Continue

See details, rates, & fees

Milestone® Mastercard®

Great for access to unsecured credit††

Milestone® Mastercard®

397 reviews

Continue

See details, rates, & fees

Regular purchase APR
35.90%
Annual fee
$75 the first year; $99 thereafter

Regular purchase APR

35.90%

Annual fee

$75 the first year; $99 thereafter

Apply with Confidence! There is no impact to your credit score if you’re not approved. If your application is not approved, a hard inquiry will not appear on your credit report, which means your credit score will not be impacted.
Bad credit history? Milestone Mastercard could be for you. With reporting to all three credit bureaus, you can get credit for all of your hard work

Great for no credit check††

Continue

See details, rates, & fees

Opensky® Secured Visa® Credit Card

Great for no credit check††

Opensky® Secured Visa® Credit Card

1944 reviews

Continue

See details, rates, & fees

Min. deposit
$200
Refundable
Regular purchase APR
24.14%* Variable
Annual fee
$35
Rewards rate
10%
Cash back

Min. deposit

$200 Refundable

Regular purchase APR

24.14%* Variable

Annual fee

$35

Rewards rate

10% Cash back

Earn up to 10% cash back on everyday purchases
No credit check to apply—Fast approval process, get your results quickly—Zero credit risk to apply!

Great for a low purchase APR††

First Progress Platinum Select Mastercard® Secured Credit Card

Continue

See details, rates, & fees

First Progress Platinum Select Mastercard® Secured Credit Card

Great for a low purchase APR††

First Progress Platinum Select Mastercard® Secured Credit Card

388 reviews

Continue

See details, rates, & fees

Min. deposit
$200
Refundable
Regular purchase APR
17.49%* Variable
Annual fee
$39
Rewards rate
1%
Cash back

Min. deposit

$200 Refundable

Regular purchase APR

17.49%* Variable

Annual fee

$39

Rewards rate

1% Cash back

New Year, New Credit. Apply Now & Start Rebuilding Your Credit in 2026!¹
Choose the First Progress Select Card for a lower annual fee!

Great for access to unsecured credit††

Continue

See details, rates, & fees

Indigo® Mastercard®

Great for access to unsecured credit††

Indigo® Mastercard®

608 reviews

Continue

See details, rates, & fees

Regular purchase APR
35.90%
Annual fee
$75 the first year; $99 thereafter

Regular purchase APR

35.90%

Annual fee

$75 the first year; $99 thereafter

Apply with Confidence! There is no impact to your credit score if you’re not approved. If your application is not approved, a hard inquiry will not appear on your credit report, which means your credit score will not be impacted.
Less than perfect credit? Indigo Mastercard is a great choice! Indigo Card reports to all three major credit bureaus and gives you the chance to establish a consistent payment record!

Great for access to unsecured credit††

Continue

See details, rates, & fees

Destiny® Mastercard®

Great for access to unsecured credit††

Destiny® Mastercard®

173 reviews

Continue

See details, rates, & fees

Regular purchase APR
35.90%
Annual fee
$75 First Year, $99 every year thereafter

Regular purchase APR

35.90%

Annual fee

$75 First Year, $99 every year thereafter

Apply with Confidence! There is no impact to your credit score if you’re not approved. See terms.
Your financial future is important. Keeping your Destiny account in good standing may help establish and/or improve your credit history with reporting to the three major credit bureaus.

Great for a lower security deposit††

Capital One Platinum Secured Credit Card

Continue

See details, rates, & fees

Capital One Platinum Secured Credit Card

Great for a lower security deposit††

Capital One Platinum Secured Credit Card

677 reviews

Continue

See details, rates, & fees

Min. deposit
$49, $99 or $200
Refundable
Regular purchase APR
28.99% (Variable)
Annual fee
$0

Min. deposit

$49, $99 or $200 Refundable

Regular purchase APR

28.99% (Variable)

Annual fee

Start growing your credit score with responsible card use
No credit score required to apply—see if you're approved now!*

Great for automatic credit limit increases††

Continue

See details, rates, & fees

Double Your Line® Platinum Mastercard®

Great for automatic credit limit increases††

Double Your Line® Platinum Mastercard®

583 reviews

Continue

See details, rates, & fees

Regular purchase APR
29.95%* Variable
Annual fee
$0

Regular purchase APR

29.95%* Variable

Annual fee

Initial Credit Line $1,000 - $1,500, Doubling to $2,000 - $3,000
Credit limits DOUBLE AUTOMATICALLY after making at least your minimum payment on time for the first 7 months

Great for a low purchase APR††

First Progress Platinum Prestige Mastercard® Secured Credit Card

Continue

See details, rates, & fees

First Progress Platinum Prestige Mastercard® Secured Credit Card

Great for a low purchase APR††

First Progress Platinum Prestige Mastercard® Secured Credit Card

307 reviews

Continue

See details, rates, & fees

Min. deposit
$200
Refundable
Regular purchase APR
13.49%* Variable
Annual fee
$49
Rewards rate
1%
Cash back

Min. deposit

$200 Refundable

Regular purchase APR

13.49%* Variable

Annual fee

$49

Rewards rate

1% Cash back

A Tax Refund Could be an Opportunity to Improve Your Credit.¹
Earn 1% Cash Back Rewards with First Progress Prestige!

Great for access to credit††

Continue

See details, rates, & fees

Merrick Bank Secured Credit Card

Great for access to credit††

Merrick Bank Secured Credit Card

231 reviews

Continue

See details, rates, & fees

Regular purchase APR
21.95%* Variable
Annual fee
$36 the first year. Billed $3 per month thereafter

Regular purchase APR

21.95%* Variable

Annual fee

$36 the first year. Billed $3 per month thereafter

Choose your own credit line based on how much money you want to put down as a security deposit.
Initial deposits can be from $200 to $3,000. You can increase your credit line at any time by adding additional money to your security deposit, up to $3,000.

Great for rewarding on-time payments††

Continue

See details, rates, & fees

Sparrow Rewards Mastercard®

Great for rewarding on-time payments††

Sparrow Rewards Mastercard®

299 reviews

Continue

See details, rates, & fees

Rewards rate
1%
Cash back
Annual fee
$59 for the first year, $99 thereafter (billed at $8.25 per month)

Rewards rate

1% Cash back

Annual fee

$59 for the first year, $99 thereafter (billed at $8.25 per month)

Apply with Confidence! There is no impact to your credit score if you’re not approved. See terms.
Immediate access to a virtual card, so you can start using your new account right away.

More cards by category

Shop all cards

This offer is no longer available on our site: Credit One Bank® Platinum Visa® for Rebuilding Credit

Hear from our editors: Best easier-approval credit cards of January 2026

Updated December 22, 2025

This date may not reflect recent changes in individual terms.

Editorial Note: 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 our editorial 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.

Written by: Ben Luthi

When your credit history needs some work, getting a decent credit card isn’t easy.

But just because you’re building or rebuilding credit, it doesn’t mean you have to settle for a bad card with steep fees. Here are some standout alternatives.

Best for rewards: Discover it® Secured Credit Card
Best for prequalification: Credit One Bank® Platinum Visa® for Rebuilding Credit
Best for limited credit: Capital One Platinum Credit Card

Best for rewards: Discover it® Secured Credit Card

Here’s why: This card offers rewards on every purchase you make.

The Discover it® Secured Credit Card offers 2% cash back at gas stations and restaurants on up to $1,000 spent in combined purchases each quarter (then 1% once the quarterly cap is met). Plus you’ll get 1% back on all other purchases. Discover’s Cashback Match feature will match all of the cash back earned at the end of new cardholders’ first year, too.

While the card requires a security deposit of at least $200, Discover may refund your deposit after you’ve had the card for as little as seven months.

The card has a $0 annual fee and foreign transaction fee. That said, Discover isn’t accepted everywhere, so it’s a good idea to have a backup payment method if you take it abroad.

Read more about the Discover it® Secured Credit Card to find out if it’s right for you.

Best for prequalification: Credit One Bank® Platinum Visa® for Rebuilding Credit

Here’s why: If you have your heart set on an unsecured credit card but you’re concerned about your ability to qualify, the Credit One Bank® Platinum Visa® for Rebuilding Credit may be a good fit.

If you apply on its website, Credit One Bank makes it easy to see if you prequalify — and the prequalification process doesn’t affect your credit. Knowing whether you prequalify before you apply could save you from an unnecessary ding from a hard inquiry on your credit scores.

This card also comes with regular credit limit reviews, which could help you build credit by decreasing your utilization if you qualify for a higher credit line and keep your spending the same.

Plus, you’ll earn 1% cash back rewards on eligible purchases, which is automatically applied as a statement credit.

Watch out, though: This card comes with an annual fee of $75 for the first year, $99 thereafter (billed at $8.25 per month) (you might see different terms on Credit Karma).

Learn more about Credit One Bank® Platinum Visa® for Rebuilding Credit.

Best for limited credit: Capital One Platinum Credit Card

Here’s why: The Capital One Platinum Credit Card can help you establish a positive credit history, all with a $0 annual fee.

The card doesn’t have a lot of frills — there’s no rewards program or sign-up bonus. But if building credit is your priority, you can look forward to better rewards later.

The card offers the prospect of a higher credit line after six months. As you’re building credit, having a higher credit limit can help your credit utilization rate (your balance divided by your credit limit). The lower the utilization rate, the better.

The card also doesn’t charge a foreign transaction fee. And since it’s a Mastercard, you shouldn’t have much trouble finding merchants that accept it while abroad.

Read more about the Capital One Platinum Credit Card to decide if it’s right for you.

How we picked these cards

There are plenty of easier-approval credit cards out there, but some of them charge sky-high fees or limit where you can use them. As a result, we focused on credit cards that can help you build credit without raiding your wallet.

More specifically, we looked at cards that charge low or no annual fees, offer rewards without restrictions and have features that make it easier to build your credit history.

How to make the most of easier-approval credit cards

These credit cards are relatively easy to get, but they’re not meant to be held onto for too long. Once you get your card, start using it to build your credit history. Be sure to make your payments on time every month, and consider paying the balance in full to avoid paying interest.

Also, keep your balance relatively low to maintain a good credit utilization rate. You can do this by using the card sparingly or making multiple payments each month.

Once you have a solid credit history and credit scores, you can apply for an unsecured card.

About the author: Ben Luthi is a personal finance freelance writer and credit cards expert. He holds a bachelor’s degree in business management and finance from Brigham Young University. In addition to Credit Karma, you can find his wo… Read more.

FAQ: Editors’ answers

Editorial Note: Credit Karma receives compensation from third-party advertisers, but that doesn’t affect our editors' opinions. Our marketing partners don’t review, approve or endorse our editorial content. It’s accurate to the best of our knowledge when posted. Read our Editorial Guidelines to learn more about our team.

Secured cards, credit-builder cards and student cards are three types of credit cards that can be easier to get with bad credit or a limited credit history.

If you’re approved for a secured card, you’ll be required to put down a refundable security deposit to act as collateral in case you can’t repay what you charge on the card. In most cases, the amount you deposit will be the same as your credit limit. Some secured cards allow cardholders to graduate to a partially- or fully-unsecured version of the card after a certain number of on-time payments.

Credit-builder cards are fully unsecured credit cards geared toward consumers with low-to-average credit. Card issuers that offer these types of cards may charge higher fees to help offset their risk. So if you can afford the security deposit, you may want consider applying for a secured card with no annual fee before looking at high-fee unsecured cards.

If you’re enrolled as a college student and are over 18 years of age, a student credit card could help you begin building your credit before graduation. But if you’re under 21 years of age, you’ll need to provide proof of income on your application, or you’ll need to become an authorized user on your parent’s, guardian’s or another adult’s account who is over the age of 21.

One of the most important things to do in order to help build credit is to pay your credit card bills on time every month. Your payment history has the strongest influence on both your VantageScore® 3.0 and FICO® credit scores. Making a late payment even just once or twice can significantly affect your scores.

Next, you’ll want to pay attention to your credit utilization rate, which is the percentage of your available credit that’s being used at any given time. Credit utilization is one of the most important credit-scoring factors for the VantageScore and FICO scoring models. So aiming to keep your credit utilization below 30% is a good start.

Other ways to improve your credit include building up a long credit history and having a healthy mix of revolving credit and installment loans on your credit reports. Finally, try to avoid opening too many credit cards in a short period of time. Submitting numerous applications could result in several hard inquiries that lower your scores — and can also signal to lenders that you use credit in an unpredictable way. It can lower the average age of your credit, too.

What to look for in a credit card could depend on your credit health. Those with strong credit may focus on the rewards and redemption options that cards offer. But if you have bad or damaged credit, you may want to focus on cards that offer no or low fees, competitive purchase APRs, and credit-score requirements that you can meet.

You’ll want to avoid cards that charge exorbitant annual fees or high purchase APRs, which can be costly if you carry a balance. Also, pay attention to any “gotcha” fees like penalty APRs on late payments — or monthly maintenances fees, which get added on top of the card’s annual fee if it charges one.

Finally, consider the card’s credit requirements. Just because a card markets itself to borrowers with lower scores doesn’t necessarily mean they accept all applicants. If you’re really worried about your scores, you may want to stick with secured cards. They’re generally easier to be approved for because your collateral helps offset the lender’s risk.

If you have good credit, then traditional, unsecured credit cards are the better option, since they offer many benefits that secured credit cards do not. This includes lower interest rates, low or no fees, and cash back. But if you have bad credit and are struggling to qualify for traditional unsecured cards, a secured card could be a better choice for you.

Often the question boils down to whether your priority is minimizing your immediate out-of-pocket expense or your overall cost. In many cases, unsecured cards will be a better option if you’re looking to reduce your initial cash requirement, because these types of cards don’t require a security deposit. And while most secured credit cards require a security deposit of $200 or more, the annual fees charged on unsecured credit-builder cards are often less than $100.

It’s important to point out that once you pay the annual fee on the card, you can’t get that money back. Security deposits, on the other hand, are often refundable after you close the account, so long as you’ve completely paid off your balance. So if you can find a no-fee secured card, your out-of-pocket cost will be zero once your deposit has been refunded. There are also some secured cards that offer you the option to “graduate” to an unsecured option and return your security deposit after a period where you demonstrate good habits, like paying on time and in-full. In the long run, secured cards could be the more affordable option — even though they can put a bigger dent in your bank account up-front.

More ways to browse cards

†† The opinions you read here come from our editorial team. Intuit Credit Karma receives compensation from third-party advertisers, but that doesn’t affect our editors' opinions. Our marketing partners don’t review, approve or endorse our editorial content. It’s accurate to the best of our knowledge when it’s posted.