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Credit Cards for Fair or Average Credit Scores
A Fair or Average credit score is generally a FICO score in the 580-669 range, while a Good score is 670-739 and an Excellent score is considered anything above 740.
Credit card options for people with Fair credit are similar to those for people with no previous credit history: not so many choices, higher APR’s, limited rewards or bonuses.
On the bright side, having an Average credit rating won't prevent you from getting a credit card (unlike Poor or Bad credit), so you don't have to settle for a prepaid card or a secured card. Prepaid cards don't build your credit history, and secured cards are less convenient and more expensive than unsecured credit cards.
Have a look at our editor's top credit card picks for low to mid 600’s credit scores – travel, gas, business, rewards, cash back and all other types of credit cards for fair credit or average credit.
Jump to the section below:
Our favorite cards:
Best for Air Miles
If you prefer cobranded airline cards to earn miles and get in-flight perks, and your credit score is in fair to good range - you can try one of the easiest American Express cards to get - Gold Delta Sky Miles card.
This card will give you priority boarding, free checked bag, 2 miles on Delta flights and 35,000 miles bonus after spending $1000 on the card in the first 3 months. The annual fee is $0 for the first year, $95 after that.
Another good card for air miles if you have fair credit is Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards Premier.
Best for Cash Back
Chase Freedom card is available for people with a credit score in the high 600’s. This is a good 5% cash back card with rotating categories.
Another option is the Capital One QuicksilverOne card with 1.5% unlimited cash back on everything and 0% intro APR.
Best Balance Transfer Card
Even with a limited credit you still can get a Chase Slate card that has 0% intro APR for 15 months on purchases and balance transfers. Together with a $0 balance transfer fee for the first 60 days, it makes a perfect balance transfer card.
Business Credit Cards for Fair Credit
The Capital One Spark Classic for Business is a good solution for new small business owners. It comes with and easy approval process, 1% cash back, which isn't the greatest, but still a decent reward rate for a fair credit rating.
High Limit Credit Card for Average Credit
There is one trick to get a high credit limit on your credit card even with a limited credit history – apply for a small business card instead of the personal credit card. You will be surprised with high credit limits that are unreachable for you with your fair credit history. A starting limit of $10,000 is a norm for a business credit card when people with low credit rarely get a limit of $1000 on a personal credit card.
The only inconvenience is that you need to register a company and apply for a federal EIN (Employer Identification Number) in order to get a small business credit card. If you have a side income, that is a good excuse to open an LLC for that activity and enjoy high limit business credit card.
Best for Students
Most banks have special credit card products for students with generous rewards and cash back offers.
Students usually do not have a credit history (no credit score) and need to focus on building a good credit for a healthy start of their independent life.
Discover it for Students is a decent card that offers up to 5% cash back on selected categories according to a quarterly bonus calendar. New cardholders get double cash back for the first year, making this card a 2% flat rate card.
Tips for Building a Solid Score Starting from your Average Credit
Credit cards can be extremely helpful in many ways, but they can also damage a person’s credit if not used responsibly.
It is extremely important to manage a card wisely to eventually reach an excellent credit rating and qualify for better credit card offers in the future.
- While shopping for a credit card, don’t forget that it is important to limit the number of applications you submit, as sending out too many applications can indicate money problems and result in a temporary decrease in your FICO score.
- A rule of thumb is to use no more than 10-30% of your total credit limit available. If you exceed this number in one period – try to post a payment several days before the statement date – it will prevent from showing a large balance on the statement.
- Always pay your bills on time. It is recommended to do it three days in advance to avoid late payment because of technical issues.
The road to better credit can be long and challenging, but your patience and hard work will eventually pay off. A higher credit score will enable you to get better deals on credit cards as better rates on home and auto loans.
All Credit Cards for Fair Credit
| regular APR | |
fair credit required
no annual fee
good card for an average credit
1% cash back on all purchases
| regular APR | |
fair credit required
no annual fee
low APR
12 months intro APR and balance transfer
| regular APR | |
- get 8,000 points every year you spend $10,000 or more on purchases
- get 32,000after you spend $1,000 on purchases in the first 90 days
- 15 points for participating hotels bookings
- 2 points on everyday purchases
no annual fee
up to 32,000 points welcome bonuses (up to 4 nights free)
8,000 points every year you spend $10,000 or more on purchases
15 points for hotel purchases
2 points on all purchases
| regular APR | |
fair credit required
no annual fee
20% off for two first days at Macy's
up to 10% off at Macy's if you participate for $25 per year
store card - not accepted anywhere except Macy's
| regular APR | |
fair credit required
no annual fee
not a major card
Chevron and Texaco gas stations use only
| regular APR | |
- get 25c per gallon rebates for $100 spend anywhere in the first 60 days of the card
- after that, 15c per gallon gas rebates for every $100 spent on BP
- and 5c on $100 spend everywhere else except non BP gas stations
fair credit required
no annual fee
5c/15c/25c per gallon in rebates
| regular APR | |
- earn 3% back on Amazon purchases
- 2% on gas, dining out and drugstores
- 1% on everything else
- get $50 on your Amazon account upon cards approval
fair credit required
no annual fee
3% back on Amazon
2% back on gas, dining and drugstores
| regular APR | |
- 5% cashback on quarterly categories ($1,500 quarterly limit, then 1%)
- get $100 bonus after spending $500 on the card in the first 3 months
- get $25 on first added authorized card user
fair credit required
no annual fee
0% intro APR
5% cash back on quarterly categories
$100 intro bonus
| regular APR | |
- earn 2 miles per $1 on Royal Caribbean purchases
- earn 1 point for all other purchases
- limited by 540,000 points per year
- redeem points for cruise related purchases
fair credit required
no annual fee
earn 1-2 points per dollar
+10,000 points bonus
| regular APR | |
- earn 5% on quarterly changing category up to $1,500 quarterly maximum in purchases
- 1% on all other purchases
good credit / fair credit required
no annual fee
5% cash back on selected quarterly category
high limits
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