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Credit Rebuilding Credit Cards to Help Growing Your Credit
Rebuilding credit after a bankruptcy or another negative event is a tough business. A situation where you need to have credit first in order to build credit is a typical Catch 22 situation. However, you still have options. Secured cards and high-risk products are some of them.
Here're our editor’s picks for cards that will help you establish or rebuild credit:
| regular APR | |
fair credit / bad credit required
Earn 1% cash back rewards on payments made to your Total Credit Card
Checking Account Required
$300 credit limit (subject to available credit)
No security deposit, simply pay a one-time $95 program fee to open your account.*
User friendly Mobile App.
*See Rates, Fees, Costs & Limitations for complete offer details
See Total Card Visa Rewards Programs Terms & Conditions for details
| regular APR | |
bad credit required
no fees
Up to $5,000 Spending Limit in Less than 60 Seconds! Shop from over 100,000 brand name products such as Apple, Samsung, Sony, Gucci, Prada and much more with low easy payments.
Less than Perfect Credit Accepted. Approval is quick and easy. Must be 18 years or older, have a valid checking account and a verifiable source of income.
| regular APR | |
bad credit required
Earn up to 10% cash back on everyday purchases
No credit check required – 89% approval rate with zero credit risk to apply!
Boost your credit score fast—2 out of 3 OpenSky® cardholders see an average increase of 47 points after 6 months
Track your progress with free access to your FICO® score in our mobile app
Build your credit history with reporting to all three major credit bureaus: Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion
Seamless payments—add your card to Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Samsung Pay
Start with just $200—secure your credit line with a refundable deposit
Fast and easy application—apply in minutes with our mobile-first experience
Flexible payment options—pick a due date that works for you
More time to fund—spread your security deposit over 60 days with layaway
Join 1.6 million+ cardholders who have used OpenSky® to build better credit!
| regular APR | |
bad credit / no credit required
no annual fee
bad credit or no credit
25 days grace period
$49-$200 security deposit
| regular APR | |
bad credit / no credit required
no annual fee
1 point per dollar rewards
low APR
| regular APR | |
- 1% cash back on all purchases
- 2% cash back on gas and dining with $1000 quarterly limit
bad credit required
no annual fee
25 days grace period
| regular APR | |
bad credit required
$39 annual fee
reports to 3 major credit bureaus
25 days grace period
| regular APR | |
bad credit required
$125 annual fee
$60 annual maintenance fee
$30 additional annual fee
25 days of grace period
Generally, whatever option you choose, these are the main principles:
- Get a card that reports to major credit bureaus, not unknown ones. Some cards report like secured cards, some like regular – it does not matter that much.
- Get a card with a grace period. It will give you additional 20-25 days to pay off your balance every month.
- Get the highest credit limit you can get. A high limit will help you build a credit score faster.
- Do not overuse your credit limit. You should not exceed 30% of your credit limit every month; it is even better to aim for 10% territory. If needed, pay your balance two times a month.
- Pay on time. Always. That is a simple but effective way to improve your score.
- Do not send out many credit card or loan applications. Lenders make so-called “hard inquiries” on your credit report and this can lower your score in a year’s timeframe.
In most situations of bad credit, the only choice is the secured card. A secured card offers you a credit limit that is secured with a deposit that you put in a bank as collateral.
Some of the good secured cards are:
| regular APR | |
- 2x miles on gas and groceries
- 1x miles on all other purchases
- get 5,000 bonus on first card use
bad credit required
$25 annual fee
$0 first-year fee
reports to credit agencies
24 days grace period
unsecured card offer after 12 months
| regular APR | |
bad credit / no credit required
Best for members rebuilding or establishing credit
It's a real credit card — not a debit or prepaid card.
Determine your own credit limit ($250 to $5,000) with an interest-earning CD.
If your credit score is not damaged but rather nonexistent, it is much easier because you have more options – typical newcomer products like Capital One Platinum, Credit One Platinum or some of the Discover cards can help you to jump-start your credit score building.
| regular APR | |
- earn 2% cashback on gas and restaurants with $1,000 quarterly limit in combined purchases
- 1% on all other purchases
good credit / fair credit required
no annual fee
2% on gas and dining out
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