Best Preapproved Credit Cards in January 2025

The Discover it^® Secured Credit Card is one of the best preapproved cards you can find for bad credit. It has some of the lowest fees on the market with no annual or monthly fees. It also offers one of the more generous rewards structures of any credit card in this category. You’ll get a bonus on gas and restaurant purchases. You’ll also get a year-end cash back match that serves as a welcome bonus, which is rare on these types of cards.

You’ll need to put down a security deposit of at least $200. But you won’t have to worry about paying expensive ongoing fees. Also, Discover will start reviewing your account automatically after seven months to see if you qualify for an upgrade to an unsecured card. This can get you a refund of your deposit and likely a higher credit limit.

The U.S. Bank Altitude Go Visa Secured Card is a fantastic rewards card for applicants with low credit scores. If you’re an existing U.S. Bank customer, you could potentially receive a preapproved offer for the card. You’ll earn 4X points on dining, takeout and restaurant delivery, 2X at grocery stores, grocery delivery, streaming services, gas stations and EV charging stations, 1X on all other purchases. You even get a $15 annual credit for streaming services.

You’ll have to put down a deposit of at least $300, though the deposit can be worth it for the annual fee savings.

The Secured Chime Credit Builder Visa^® Credit Card is one of the most affordable cards you can find with no credit check. It doesn’t charge an annual fee and, unlike most secured cards, there is no minimum security deposit required. You can even pay your bill with the deposit you placed in your Chime account, then add more when you want to spend on the card.

Its major drawback is that you must have a Chime account with qualifying direct deposits of at least $200 before you apply. Having to open a new account and set up a direct deposit into it could be a deal breaker.

The OpenSky^® Secured Visa^® Credit Card is next on the list of most affordable cards with no credit check. While it does charge a $35 annual fee, this is lower than most competitors. It offers a reasonable APR on purchases and the ability to quickly convert to an unsecured card with responsible use.

Note, if you want to avoid an annual fee, you check out the OpenSky^® Plus Secured Visa^® Credit Card. It has a $0 annual fee and requires a higher $300 security deposit.

The Petal^® 2 Cash Back, No Fees Visa^® Credit Card offers excellent terms for a starter credit card, including $0 annual fee, no foreign transaction fee and up to 1.5% cash back on every purchase. You may even score a credit limit up to $10,000, depending on your credit history. Petal looks at your bill payment history in your bank account to establish a “Cash Score”, as a workaround for applicants with limited credit histories. You just need to link your bank account to apply.

You should know that the Petal^® 2 Cash Back, No Fees Visa^® Credit Card is a no-frills card. It lacks a welcome bonus, introductory APR and other perks like travel insurance. But it’s a great option for those wanting a user-friendly card to build credit.

The Upgrade Cash Rewards Visa^® is an excellent offering with low fees, decent rewards and a welcome bonus, which is not always offered on cards in this category. The card also has one of the highest potential credit limits when compared with its competitors.

But you should know you’re not guaranteed a high credit limit. The advertised range is extremely wide: $500 to $25,000.

The card also lacks flexibility. You must pay for purchases in installments, which can get confusing if you make many purchases. And you can’t pay just the minimum payment like you can with a traditional credit card. This may be a drawback if you have a lean month.

Furthermore, the card doesn’t have a grace period for interest, which means that you will immediately accrue interest any time you make a purchase with the card.

The American Express^® Business Gold Card is the gold standard among preapproved business cards. It has one of the most valuable packages of bonuses, perks and credits at a relatively reasonable cost.

It outshines other cards due to its earning flexibility. You get high bonus earnings in the two eligible categories where you spend the most on the first $150,000 in combined total spending in each year. Its points are valuable, since you can transfer them to more than 15 airline and hotel programs. With its high earning rate, you can rack up points for free travel quickly.

You should know that you have to pay your full balance with the American Express^® Business Gold Card every month, with the exception of Pay Over Time purchases.

The The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card is one of the most rewarding flat-rate business cards. It’s great for small business owners who don’t want to deal with tracking bonus categories. You’ll earn 2% cash back on all eligible purchases on up to $50,000 per calendar year, then 1%**.

While the 2% rate is capped, the rewards are substantial. You can earn up to $1,000 in cash back rewards per year before you reach the $50,000 limit.

The $0-annual-fee Discover it^® Student Cash Back could be a perfect tool for students who want to build their credit while earning rewards. You’ll earn 5% cash back at different places each quarter up to the quarterly maximum when you activate. 1% unlimited cash back on all other purchases - automatically.

That’s a stellar rate of cash back if your spending matches up with Discover’s categories each quarter. However, you’ll need to remember to activate the categories at the start of each quarter to earn the full bonus — a potential drawback if you prefer simpler rewards.

The Discover it^® Student Chrome is another top-notch student credit card from Discover. It’s not as rewarding as the Discover it^® Student Cash Back, but you don’t have to deal with rotating categories, and you’ll get decent rewards on gas and restaurants. Discover will even match your rewards at the end of the first year for new cardholders.

The Citi Double Cash^® Card is another great option for a balance transfer. It offers a great combo of a long balance transfer period and a simple rewards program that gives you cash back at a high rate on every purchase. You’ll earn 2% on every purchase with unlimited 1% cash back when you buy, plus an additional 1% as you pay for those purchases. To earn cash back, pay at least the minimum due on time. Plus, a special travel offer, earn 5% total cash back on hotel, car rentals and attractions booked on the Citi Travel℠ portal through 12/31/25.

On the downside, there’s no intro APR for purchases and the regular APR is high, so you’ll need to be careful not to add to your balance on this card.

True to its name, the Citi Simplicity^® Card simply helps you save on a balance transfer. The card offers one of the longest intro offers currently available for balance transfers.

You’ll also get an intro APR for new purchases, albeit a shorter one. You won’t earn any rewards. But if you prefer to focus on paying down your balance rather than earning rewards, it’s one of the best options out there.

The Citi Strata Premier^℠ Card offers valuable, flexible points that you can earn at a fast clip, thanks its 3x bonus on a large variety of categories, including gas, restaurants and supermarkets. It’s also a good option for hotels, since it gives you bonus points on hotel purchases, plus a $100 hotel credit each year. It’s light on travel benefits, but if you’re interested in earning points for travel, it’s a good way to go.

The American Express^® Gold Card is a top-notch preapproved travel card for cardholders who spend a lot on food and flights. It earns valuable Membership Rewards points that you can transfer to airline and hotel partners, and has some of the highest earnings on restaurants and U.S. supermarkets of any card. It also comes with some of the best travel protections on any travel card.

Keep in mind that you’ll generally have to pay your bill in full every month, outside of Pay Over Time purchases.

The Wells Fargo Active Cash^® Card is one of the most straightforward cards on the market, offering simple value and ease of use. The card boasts an easy-to-earn welcome bonus with a low spending requirement. It also gives you a solid intro APR deal on both balance transfers and purchases. These features make it a great fit for those looking to pay off high-interest debt or finance a big purchase over time.

You should also know this card charges foreign transaction fees, which could cost you if you use it for international travel.

The Blue Cash Preferred^® Card from American Express is the best card for everyday purchases, thanks to its leading rewards rate on U.S. supermarket purchases. You’ll also get better-than-average rewards on U.S. gas and on transit purchases.

You’ll have to pay an annual fee, but the rewards can easily make up for it. If you max out the card’s $6,000 annual cap on its 6% bonus rate, you’ll earn $360 in cash back on just on those purchases**.