WalletHub makes it easy to find the best second chance credit card for you.
By John Kiernan, Credit Card Editor on Aug 21, 2024
Fact Checked: Alina Comoreanu, Sr. Researcher Aug 21, 2024
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Second chance credit cards are designed for people with bad credit, which means you should be able to get approved for one even if you’ve made mistakes with money in the past.... show more There are two main types of second chance credit cards: secured credit cards and unsecured credit cards for bad credit.... show more You can find both types below (some offers are from WalletHub partners).
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Best Second Chance Credit Cards of 2024
- OpenSky® Secured Visa® Credit Card: Best For No Credit Check
- Credit One Bank® Platinum Visa® for Rebuilding Credit: Best For No Security Deposit
- Capital One Platinum Secured Credit Card: Best For International Travel
- Discover it® Secured Credit Card: Best For Rewards
Secured cards are a lot cheaper and easier to get than unsecured cards for bad credit, which is why they’re the best second chance credit cards overall. The only downside is that a secured card’s spending limit usually equals the amount of the refundable security deposit you have to place to get one. In other words, you basically have to pre-pay your purchases.
If you need to borrow money while you’re building your credit history and don't want to pay a security deposit, you may have to apply for an unsecured credit card for bad credit. Just be warned that such a card will come at a steep price and only give you around $200 in available credit.
Finally, do not forget that in order to capitalize on the second chance provided to you by one of these credit cards, you must make on-time monthly payments and avoid maxing out your spending limit.
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Total Visa® Card
1,499 User Reviews
2.1 WalletHub Rating
One-Time Fees
→
$95
Regular APR
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35.99%
Annual Fee
See Terms*
Monthly Fee
$0 1st year, $8.25 after
Rewards Rate
1% Cash Back
Minimum Credit
Bad
Apply Now
WalletHub's Take: The Total Visa Card is an expensive unsecured credit card for people with bad credit. The Total Visa Credit Card does not require applicants to place a refundable security deposit, but it does charge high fees, starting with an $95 “program fee” that’s assessed before account opening. There's also a high annual fee the first year, which is replaced by even higher combined monthly and annual fees in the following years.
Read our editor's full Total Visa review.
Pros
- Available to people with bad credit
Cons
- $95 one-time program fee
- High annual fee for the first year
- High APR
Capital One Quicksilver Secured Cash Rewards Credit Card
242 User Reviews
4.7 WalletHub Rating
Secured Credit Card
→
Min Deposit of $200
One-Time Fees
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$0
Regular APR
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29.99% (V)
Annual Fee
$0
Monthly Fee
$0
Rewards Rate
1.5 - 5% Cash Back
Minimum Credit
Bad
Apply Now
WalletHub's Take: The Capital One Quicksilver Secured Cash Rewards Credit Card is a good credit card for people who want to earn rewards and avoid fees while building upon limited credit history or a bad credit score. Capital One Quicksilver Secured has a $0 annual fee and rewards cardholders with 1.5 - 5% cash back on purchases. You will have to put down a $200+ security deposit to open an account, and the amount of the deposit will become your spending limit. But the deposit is fully refundable, and it actually makes the card easier to get.
Read our editor's full Capital One Quicksilver Secured review.
Pros
- Great rewards
- No annual fee
- Relatively low minimum deposit
- Qualify with limited credit history
Cons
- High interest rate
Capital One Platinum Secured Credit Card
8,632 User Reviews
3.8 WalletHub Rating
Secured Credit Card
→
Min Deposit of $49, $99 or $200
One-Time Fees
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$0
Regular APR
→
29.99% (V)
Annual Fee
$0
Monthly Fee
$0
Minimum Credit
Bad
Apply Now
WalletHub's Take: The Capital One Platinum Secured Credit Card is a very good credit card for building credit at a low cost. The card is easily worth it because it offers a $0 annual fee and a $200 starting credit limit in return for a refundable security deposit that could be as low as just $49. Or, the deposit requirement could be $99 or $200, depending on the specifics of your credit history and the current state of your finances.
Read our editor's full Capital One Platinum Secured review.
Pros
- No annual or monthly fees
- Starting credit line $200
- Great for credit-building
Cons
- No rewards
- Higher-than-average interest rate
Revvi Card
470 User Reviews
2.0 WalletHub Rating
One-Time Fees
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$95
Regular APR
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35.99%
Annual Fee
$75 1st yr, $48 after
Monthly Fee
None 1st year, $8.25 after
Rewards Rate
1% Cash Back
Minimum Credit
Bad
Apply Now
WalletHub's Take: The Revvi Card is a pretty good unsecured credit card for people with bad credit who want to earn rewards but need to borrow for emergencies. Cardholders earn 1% cash back on all purchases, after paying the card’s bill, and the card has a $300 minimum credit limit with no deposit needed.
Read our editor's full Revvi Card review.
Pros
- Qualify with bad credit
- Does not require security deposit
Cons
- One-time fees
- High regular APR
Fortiva® Mastercard® Credit Card
314 User Reviews
2.6 WalletHub Rating
One-Time Fees
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$0
Regular APR
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29.99% or 36%
Annual Fee
See Terms
Monthly Fee
$0 1st yr, $5 - $12.50 after
Rewards Rate
1 - 3% Cash Back
Minimum Credit
Bad
Apply Now
WalletHub's Take: The Fortiva® Mastercard® Credit Card is a pricey credit card for people with bad credit that’s not likely to be worth the cost despite offering good rewards. Fortiva’s cash back credit card gives cardholders 3% cash back on gas, groceries and utilities, as well as 1% cash back on all other purchases. It also offers an unsecured credit line of up to $1,000, with no security deposit needed. However, the Fortiva Cash Back Reward Card’s benefits come at a steep cost.
Read our editor's full Fortiva Cash Card review.
Pros
- High rewards rate
- Bonus rewards categories
- Qualify with bad credit
- Does not require security deposit
Cons
- High membership fees
- High regular APR
- Foreign fee
Discover it® Secured Credit Card
2,943 User Reviews
4.7 WalletHub Rating
Secured Credit Card
→
Min Deposit of $200
One-Time Fees
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$0
Regular APR
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28.24% Variable
Annual Fee
$0
Monthly Fee
$0
Rewards Rate
1 - 2% Cash Back
Minimum Credit
Bad
Apply Now
WalletHub's Take: The Discover it® Secured Credit Card is 2024's best secured card because it has a $0 annual fee and gives good rewards on purchases. The Discover it® Secured Credit Card is also worth it because it doubles the rewards new cardholders earn the first year as an anniversary present. The minimum deposit for Discover it Secured Credit Card is $200, on the low end of minimum deposits for a secured credit card.
Read our editor's full Discover it Secured Credit Card review.
Pros
- No annual or monthly fees & No fees for account opening
- Up to 2% cash back
- First-year rewards doubled
- Relatively low minimum deposit
Cons
- High regular APR
Milestone® Mastercard®
5,001 User Reviews
1.9 WalletHub Rating
One-Time Fees
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$0
Regular APR
→
35.9%
Annual Fee
$175 1st yr; $49 after
Monthly Fee
$0 1st yr, $12.50 after
Minimum Credit
Bad
Apply Now
WalletHub's Take: The Milestone Credit Card is a good card for people with below-average credit scores who don't want to put down a deposit. The Milestone Card can be worthwhile because it has a $0 security deposit requirement and offers a $700 credit limit. That could make some emergency expenses a bit easier to handle, though a very high APR will apply to any balance that you carry from month to month. The Milestone Card’s annual fee is also very high compared to the average credit card, so you don’t want to need this card for too long.
Read our editor's full Milestone Credit Card review.
Pros
- Qualify with bad credit
- Does not require security deposit
Cons
- High membership fees
- High regular APR
- Foreign fee
Credit One Bank® Platinum Visa® for Rebuilding Credit
533 User Reviews
2.7 WalletHub Rating
One-Time Fees
→
$0
Regular APR
→
29.74% (V)
Annual Fee
$75 intro 1st yr, $99 after
Monthly Fee
$0
Rewards Rate
0 - 1% Cash Back
Minimum Credit
Bad
Apply Now
WalletHub's Take: The Credit One Bank® Platinum Visa® for Rebuilding Credit is a pretty good unsecured credit card for people with bad credit. The Credit One Visa Card can be worthwhile because it gives users a $300 initial spending limit, with no security deposit needed, in return for up to $99 in annual fees ($75 the first year). It also offers cash back rewards and monthly credit-bureau reporting.
Read our editor's full Credit One Visa review.
Pros
- 1% cash back on eligible purchases
- Available to people with bad credit
- Automatic credit-line increase reviews
Cons
- Annual fee of $75 intro 1st yr, $99 after
- High APR
- Low credit limit
Indigo® Mastercard® for Less than Perfect Credit
2,941 User Reviews
1.8 WalletHub Rating
One-Time Fees
→
$0
Regular APR
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35.9%
Annual Fee
$175 1st yr, $49 after
Monthly Fee
$0 1st yr, $12.50 per month after
Minimum Credit
Bad
Apply Now
WalletHub's Take: The Indigo Credit Card is an expensive credit card for people with bad credit, offering a $700+ credit limit with no security deposit needed. The Indigo Card has an annual fee of $175 for the first year ($49 after), which is joined by a monthly fee after 12 months.
Read our editor's full Indigo Credit Card review.
Pros
- Qualify with bad credit
- Does not require security deposit
Cons
- High membership fees
- High regular APR
- Foreign fee
Reflex® Platinum Mastercard®
613 User Reviews
1.8 WalletHub Rating
One-Time Fees
→
$0
Regular APR
→
35.90% (Fixed)
Annual Fee
$75 - $125
Monthly Fee
$0 1st year, up to $12.50 after
Minimum Credit
Bad
Apply Now
WalletHub's Take: The Reflex Card is an expensive starter credit card for people with limited or no credit history, as well as those with bad credit looking to start over. It belongs to the Mastercard credit card network but is issued by Celtic Bank and managed by Continental Finance Company.
Read our editor's full Reflex review.
Pros
- Qualify with limited or no credit history
- Does not require security deposit
Cons
- High membership fees
- High regular APR
- Foreign fee
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WalletHub independently collected information for some of the cards on this page.
WalletHub independently collected information for some of the cards on this page.
