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5 Credit Cards to Help You Build Credit and Find a Better Fit for Your Financial Needs
Top Picks for Low Score
See how secured, unsecured, and cash-back cards can fit different credit situations, spending habits, and financial priorities.
A Closer Look at 5 Credit Cards to Consider
Credit-building cards can differ significantly in how they work. Some require a refundable security deposit, while others are unsecured, and factors such as fees, rewards, credit limits and eligibility requirements may vary widely. Here is what sets each of these options apart.
Destiny Mastercard®
The Destiny Mastercard is an unsecured option created for consumers who are starting to build credit or working to improve an existing credit history. No security deposit is required, and account activity is reported each month to Experian, Equifax and TransUnion. The card is issued by The Bank of Missouri and serviced by Concora Credit. Since credit limits and account fees vary by individual offer, it is important to review the applicable terms carefully before applying.
Credit One Bank Platinum Visa® for Rebuilding Credit
This Credit One Bank card is geared toward people rebuilding credit while handling everyday spending. It provides 1% cash back on qualifying gas, grocery purchases and certain recurring services, and accounts may be reviewed periodically for possible credit line increases. Consumers can also check for pre-qualification before submitting a full application. Because the card includes an annual fee, the potential rewards should be weighed against the overall cost of maintaining the account.
OpenSky® Secured Visa®
The OpenSky Secured Visa follows a different model as a secured credit card that does not require a credit check when applying. A refundable deposit of at least $200 is required, and that amount becomes your credit limit, with limits currently available up to $3,000. Issued by Capital Bank, N.A., it may suit consumers who want a credit-building option with a more predictable starting limit and greater control over how much credit they use.
FIT™ Platinum Mastercard®
The FIT Mastercard is an unsecured credit card issued by The Bank of Missouri and managed by Continental Finance. It currently promotes a $400 starting credit limit, does not require a security deposit, and reports payment activity each month to the three major credit bureaus. The card is intended for applicants with less-than-perfect credit. Approved users must pay a processing fee before the account becomes active, so reviewing the card’s total costs carefully is especially important.
Avant® Cashback Rewards Mastercard®
The Avant® Cashback Rewards Mastercard® is an unsecured card that gives cardholders the chance to earn 1% cash back on qualifying purchases. Avant reports account activity each month to Experian, Equifax and TransUnion, making responsible card use potentially useful for consumers working to strengthen their credit history. Avant-branded credit products are issued by WebBank. Since credit limits, annual fees and APRs can differ by offer, checking the specific rates and terms before applying is important.
How Credit Cards Can Work With Less-Than-Perfect Credit
Credit cards provide access to a reusable line of credit rather than a one-time fixed loan. You can spend up to your available credit limit, pay down some or all of what you owe, and then use that credit again as your available balance increases.
At the end of each billing cycle, your card issuer provides a statement listing purchases, payments, fees, the total statement balance and the minimum amount due.
Managing the account carefully is important because issuers may share payment and account information with credit bureaus. Experian, Equifax and TransUnion are the three major nationwide credit reporting companies, and the data on your credit reports can affect future lending and credit decisions.
How Bad Credit, Fair Credit and Limited Credit Differ
Your credit score is only one factor an issuer may review when considering an application.
Limited credit can simply mean that someone has not used credit long enough to build an extensive history. Lower or bad credit, by contrast, may reflect late payments, collections, high outstanding balances or other negative records.
That difference can influence which type of card makes sense. Someone recovering from previous payment problems may have different needs than a person whose credit history is simply short or limited.
A card being marketed for credit building or rebuilding does not mean approval is guaranteed.
Secured vs. Unsecured Credit Cards
The five cards discussed above include examples from both categories.
Secured credit cards
A secured credit card requires you to provide money as a security deposit. In many cases, the amount you deposit also determines your initial credit limit.
With the OpenSky Secured Visa, for instance, a $200 deposit generally gives you a $200 credit line. That deposit is not normally used to pay for your purchases—you are still responsible for paying your monthly credit card bill.
Secured cards can be a practical option when qualifying for traditional unsecured credit is more difficult.
Unsecured credit cards
An unsecured card does not require you to provide collateral upfront.
Destiny and FIT, for example, are marketed as unsecured cards with no security deposit requirement. However, there is an important trade-off: cards intended for consumers with weaker credit may include annual, monthly, processing or other account fees.
No security deposit does not necessarily mean the card will cost less overall.
How to Apply for a Credit Card Online
Most online credit card applications are relatively short, but applying for every card that catches your attention is rarely a good strategy.
A standard application may request:
Your full legal name and birth date.
A residential address in the United States.
Your Social Security number or another accepted form of identification.
Details about your employment and income.
Information about housing expenses or other financial obligations.
The card issuer then reviews your application according to its own underwriting standards.
Destiny, for example, explains that applicants must satisfy credit qualification and identity-verification requirements, with factors such as income and debt also taken into consideration.
Credit Card Pre Approval: What Does It Really Mean?
Credit card pre approval or prequalification can give you an indication of whether you may meet an issuer's criteria before completing a full application.
However, it does not guarantee final approval.
A soft credit inquiry does not affect your credit score. A hard inquiry, which often occurs when you formally apply for new credit, may have an impact on your score.
That is one reason prequalification tools can be helpful when available: they may allow you to narrow down your options before submitting several complete applications.
What to Check Before Choosing a Card
Do not choose a card based only on its branding—or on how prominent the “Apply Now” button looks.
Review the full cardholder agreement and compare:
Annual fees
Monthly maintenance charges
Processing or program fees
Purchase APR
Cash advance charges
Foreign transaction fees
Initial credit limit
Security deposit requirements
Credit bureau reporting
Rewards programs
Eligibility requirements
Opportunities for credit limit increases
The CFPB explains that the cardholder agreement contains essential information about the account, including fees, APR and other important conditions.
A credit card with no annual fee can be appealing, particularly when your main objective is building credit history. However, having no annual fee does not automatically make one card better if another option offers features that provide meaningful value to you.
Always consider the total cost of the account rather than focusing on one headline benefit.
What About APR and Carrying a Balance?
APR becomes much more important when you carry a balance instead of paying your account in full.
A rewards card may seem appealing because it offers credit card rewards, but earning a small amount of cash back while paying significant interest on an unpaid balance is usually not a favorable trade-off.
For that reason, finding the credit card with the best rewards should generally not be the first concern for someone focused on rebuilding credit.
Start by asking:
“Can I afford this card and manage it without creating additional debt?”
Rewards can come afterward.
Statement Balance vs. Minimum Payment
These three terms are commonly confused:
Current balance: the total amount you owe at the moment, including more recent transactions.
Statement balance: the amount you owed when the previous billing cycle ended.
Minimum payment: the smallest amount you are required to pay by the due date.
Paying only the minimum can prevent the account from becoming delinquent when the payment is made on time, but it can also leave a larger balance continuing to accumulate interest.
When your budget allows, paying the full statement balance by the due date is generally the stronger target.
Building Credit: Two Habits Matter a Lot
There is no hidden “credit hack.” In practice, two fairly simple habits do much of the important work.
1. Pay on time
Payment history is an important factor in credit scoring. Making payments consistently and on time can help establish a positive credit record over the long term.
2. Don't max out the card
Credit utilization measures how much of your available revolving credit you are currently using.
If your credit limit is $400 and your reported balance reaches $380, you are using nearly all of the credit available to you. That can look very different from maintaining a considerably lower balance.
The CFPB recommends keeping balances low compared with your available credit and notes that experts often suggest remaining below 30% utilization. You do not need to carry a balance or pay interest simply to build good credit.
What About 0% Credit Card Offers?
Many consumers search for a credit card with 0 percent interest, zero APR or a zero-interest balance transfer because they want to avoid paying interest for a limited period.
These cards generally fall into a different category from most of the credit-building options discussed here.
Credit card balance transfer promotions may offer a temporary low or 0% rate on transferred debt. However, the promotional period eventually expires, and a balance transfer fee may still be charged.
A balance transfer strategy can therefore be useful in certain situations, but only when you understand:
How long the promotional APR remains available
How much the balance transfer fee costs
What APR applies after the promotion ends
Whether new purchases receive the same introductory rate
How quickly you can realistically repay the transferred balance
A 0% purchase offer usually refers to an introductory APR on new purchases rather than transferred debt. These are not always the same type of promotion.
Credit Card Debt Consolidation Is a Different Decision
If you already carry balances across several credit cards, opening another basic credit-building card may not address the underlying issue.
Credit card debt consolidation generally involves combining multiple debts into a single repayment approach.
This may involve using a balance-transfer card or taking out a credit card consolidation loan. Credit card refinancing may also be used more broadly to describe replacing expensive revolving debt with financing that follows different repayment terms.
The CFPB cautions that consolidation does not eliminate debt. A smaller monthly payment may simply extend the repayment period, while some businesses advertising credit card relief or debt relief may actually offer debt-settlement programs that carry substantial risks.
Before choosing a consolidation strategy, compare the total amount you are likely to repay rather than focusing only on the new monthly payment.
Rewards, Travel and Foreign Transaction Fees
If you regularly pay your balances in full and are progressing beyond basic credit rebuilding, additional card features may become more relevant.
A travel credit card, for example, may be more useful when it does not charge foreign transaction fees. Someone who rarely travels outside the United States may place much less value on that feature.
Cash back is similar: it matters only when the value of the rewards exceeds the costs associated with the card.
The Avant Cashback Rewards Mastercard is relevant because certain offers provide unlimited cash back on eligible purchases. Credit One's rebuilding card also provides cash back in selected qualifying spending categories.
The larger point remains the same: rewards are a bonus, not the foundation. Focus on responsible account management first.
Don't Confuse Personal Credit Cards With Business Payment Tools
Some credit-related searches may lead you toward products or services that have little connection to obtaining a personal credit card.
Credit card processing, for example, generally refers to the systems merchants use to accept card payments from customers. A credit card machine for a small business is payment-processing hardware or software—not a credit card designed to help an owner rebuild personal credit.
Similarly, searches such as credit card Bank of America or credit card Home Depot usually lead to specific issuers or store-card programs. Those products should be evaluated separately instead of assuming they serve the same purpose as cards marketed for rebuilding credit.
Common Mistakes to Avoid When Rebuilding Credit
A new card can help you establish a stronger credit record, but it can also become another costly financial obligation. Common mistakes to avoid include:
Applying for multiple cards within a short timeframe.
Focusing only on the advertised starting credit limit.
Overlooking annual, monthly or processing charges.
Using nearly all of a low credit limit.
Missing or making late payments.
Carrying debt because you believe it will improve your score.
Pursuing credit card rewards while paying expensive interest.
Treating prequalification as guaranteed approval.
Taking a cash advance without understanding its fees.
Failing to review the latest terms before applying.
The CFPB specifically encourages consumers to apply only for credit they actually need, make payments on time and keep balances well below their available limits.
Which Type of Credit Card Could Make More Sense?
There is no single card that works best for everyone.
A secured option such as OpenSky may be attractive to someone who is comfortable providing a refundable deposit in exchange for a relatively straightforward credit-building structure.
An unsecured card such as Destiny or FIT may appeal to someone who would rather avoid providing collateral, although the associated fees should be reviewed especially carefully.
Credit One combines a focus on rebuilding credit with rewards for selected types of everyday spending.
The Avant Cashback Rewards Mastercard may appeal to someone seeking an unsecured credit-building card with straightforward cash-back rewards, as long as the fees and terms included in the individual offer remain reasonable.
The better question is not, “Which card approves everyone?” No legitimate credit card issuer can guarantee universal approval.
Instead, consider asking:
Does this card match my current credit situation?
Can I comfortably afford the fees involved?
Is the starting credit limit suitable for my needs?
Does the issuer report activity to the credit bureaus?
Can I reliably make payments on time each month?
Am I applying because the account serves a real purpose—or simply because credit is available?
A credit card can support the process of building credit, but the card itself does not create a stronger credit history. The way you manage the account is what ultimately matters.
