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The OpenSky® Secured Visa® Credit Card tops our list due to its limited fees, reasonable APR, possible credit limit increase and nationwide access. Plus, it doesn’t require a bank account for approval.
| Credit Cards | Our Ratings | Annual Fee | Regular APR | Recommended Credit Credit scores ranges may vary. Your individual chance at approval may vary due to factors such as creditors using a particular variation at their discretion | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
OpenSky® Secured Visa® Credit Card
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on Capital Bank, N.A.'s secure site |
(Winner) Best overall
|
$35 | 25.14% (variable) | Poor |
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on Capital Bank, N.A.'s secure site |
Applied Bank® Secured Visa® Gold Preferred® Credit Card
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on Applied Bank's secure site |
Low interest rate
|
$48 | 9.99% (Fixed) | Limited / Poor |
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on Applied Bank's secure site |
GO2bank Secured Visa® Credit Card*
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on GO2bank's secure site |
Low security deposit
|
$0 | 22.99% | Limited / Poor |
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on GO2bank's secure site |
Secured Chime Credit Builder Visa® Credit Card
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on The Bancorp Bank's secure site |
Chime users
|
$0 | N/A | Limited / Poor / Fair |
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on The Bancorp Bank's secure site |
Secured Self Visa® Credit Card
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on Self's secure site Rates & Fees |
Self users
|
$25 | 29.24% Variable. | Poor |
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on Self's secure site Rates & Fees |
Brex For Startups*
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on Emigrant Bank's secure site |
Business
|
$0 | N/A | Good / Excellent |
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on Emigrant Bank's secure site |
First Progress Platinum Prestige Mastercard® Secured Credit Card
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on First Progress's secure site Rates & Fees |
Rewards
|
$49 | 14.74% (V) | Limited / Poor |
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on First Progress's secure site Rates & Fees |
Grow Credit Mastercard*
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on Sutton Bank's secure site |
Credit building
|
$29.99-$99.99 | N/A | N/A |
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on Sutton Bank's secure site |
How LendingTree Rates Credit Cards?
Our experts rate credit cards based on several factors including card benefits, bonus offers and independent research. Credit card issuers do not influence or have a say in our card ratings. Read our credit card methodology here. Apply Now
Security deposit: $200 to $3,000
With no credit check or bank account required for approval, the OpenSky® Secured Visa® Credit Card is a great choice if you’ve been denied traditional cards. Instead, OpenSky will look at the following to determine eligibility:
Since the OpenSky® Secured Visa® Credit Card is a secured card, your deposit will serve as your initial credit line. However, making on-time payments can lead to an automatic credit line increase in as little as six months. The card also reports to the three major credit bureaus — Equifax, Experian and TransUnion.
How LendingTree Rates Credit Cards?
Our experts rate credit cards based on several factors including card benefits, bonus offers and independent research. Credit card issuers do not influence or have a say in our card ratings. Read our credit card methodology here. Apply Now
Security deposit: $200 to $1,000
Your goal with any credit card should be to pay your bill in full each month. But if you think you may carry a balance from time to time, the Applied Bank® Secured Visa® Gold Preferred® Credit Card has one of the lowest APRs around. With just a 9.99% (Fixed) APR, you can keep your balance relatively manageable if you need some extra time to pay it down. Just know that this card doesn’t offer a grace period, meaning that you’ll be charged interest from the transaction date of your purchase.
Security deposit: $100 minimum
With most secured credit cards, you’ll need to put down a security deposit of at least $200. The GO2bank Secured Visa® Credit Card is one of just a few secured cards you can get with a $100 deposit. It also comes with a $0 annual fee and reports to the credit bureaus, allowing you to build credit with responsible usage. That said, the GO2bank Secured Visa® Credit Card is only available to existing GO2bank customers with direct deposits totaling at least $100 in the past 30 days.
How LendingTree Rates Credit Cards?
Our experts rate credit cards based on several factors including card benefits, bonus offers and independent research. Credit card issuers do not influence or have a say in our card ratings. Read our credit card methodology here. Apply Now
Security deposit: No minimum security deposit*
If you’re already a Chime customer (or thinking of becoming one), the Secured Chime Credit Builder Visa® Credit Card is ideal for establishing a credit history. Though it’s a secured card, the Secured Chime Credit Builder Visa® Credit Card is unique in that your deposit isn’t held. Instead, you’ll transfer over an amount from your Chime checking account to serve as your credit limit, and payments can be drawn from there — with no fees or interest charged**. In the meantime, your account activity is reported to the major credit bureaus.
How LendingTree Rates Credit Cards?
Our experts rate credit cards based on several factors including card benefits, bonus offers and independent research. Credit card issuers do not influence or have a say in our card ratings. Read our credit card methodology here. Apply Now
Security deposit: $100 minimum
The Secured Self Visa® Credit Card is unique in that it requires you to have a Self credit builder loan before you can apply for the card. While this is an extra step, it also helps you build credit by diversifying your credit mix — which accounts for 10% of your score. Once you’ve established a Self Credit Builder Account, you’ll need to meet the following additional requirements to be eligible for the card:
After three months of on-time payments, you can use $100 (or more) of your payback amount to serve as your card’s security deposit. And as long as you keep your account in good standing, you can increase your credit limit over time.
Security deposit: None
Brex For Startups is one of a select few business credit cards with no personal credit check. To qualify for the card, though, your business will have to meet strict eligibility requirements — including having a minimum cash balance of $50,000. If approved, you’ll earn generous rewards on popular business spending categories. You’ll also get access to over $180,000 in exclusive sign-up offers from AWS, UPS, Gusto and more. Just note that you’ll need to link to a Brex Cash account and pay daily to qualify for the top reward rates.
How LendingTree Rates Credit Cards?
Our experts rate credit cards based on several factors including card benefits, bonus offers and independent research. Credit card issuers do not influence or have a say in our card ratings. Read our credit card methodology here. Apply Now
Security deposit: $200 to $2,000
It’s rare for a no credit check card to offer a cash back program, but the First Progress Platinum Prestige Mastercard® Secured Credit Card does just that. You’ll earn 1% Cash Back rewards as you build your credit. The card also comes with a 14.74% (V) APR, which is among the lowest for a secured credit card. However, you won’t have the option to upgrade to an unsecured card, as First Progress currently doesn’t offer one.
How LendingTree Rates Credit Cards?
Our experts rate credit cards based on several factors including card benefits, bonus offers and independent research. Credit card issuers do not influence or have a say in our card ratings. Read our credit card methodology here.Security deposit: $17
The Grow Credit Mastercard lets you build credit by paying for your subscriptions to streaming services, magazines, food ordering apps and more. Though the fee-free version of the card has just a $17 per month spending limit, it automates payments from your bank account to help you establish a positive payment history — a crucial component of your credit score calculation. (Note, you can upgrade to a Grow Membership for $4.99 per month to access a $50 monthly limit, or $9.99 per month for a $150 monthly limit.)
A no credit check credit card could be your best option if you’ve been denied traditional credit cards. That said, it’s still important to do your homework to find the right card for your situation, as they do have other eligibility requirements.
Yes, there are some credit cards you can get without a hard credit inquiry being performed. Secured credit cards are one example, as you’ll be putting up a cash deposit as collateral. Though rarer, you may be able to find an unsecured card that uses other financial data and criteria to determine eligible. Lastly, there are business cards that don’t require a personal credit check, though these often have strict eligibility requirements.
The primary difference between these cards is that a secured card requires a refundable deposit, which typically serves as your line of credit. The deposit is used as collateral in case the cardholder doesn’t pay off the purchases charged to the card.
Yes, you can get a credit card without a checking account. If you’re going through a traditional credit card application process, in which a credit check is performed, the issuer will look at your income, employment and credit history to determine if you’re eligible. Therefore, you don’t technically need a checking account to open a credit card (though it will simplify the method of making your monthly payments).
For secured credit cards with no credit check, you often need to have an established bank account to link to as the source of your security deposit. However, there are some secured cards that allow you to use a wire transfer or money order to fund your deposit account.
To select the best card for each of these categories, our credit card experts compared cards designed for individuals with poor, limited or no credit that don’t require credit checks on both LendingTree.com and issuer sites. While there are only a select few cards that fit that criteria, we chose our top picks based on factors such as interest rates on purchases, the required security deposits, annual fees and any additional fees.
**Out of network ATM withdrawal and over the counter advance fees may apply. See here for details.
The Secured Chime Credit Builder Visa® Credit Card is issued by The Bancorp Bank, N.A. or Stride Bank, N.A., pursuant to a license from Visa U.S.A. Inc. and may be used everywhere Visa credit cards are accepted. Please see the back of your card for its issuing bank.
To apply for Credit Builder, you must have received a single qualifying direct deposit of $200 or more to your Chime® Checking Account. The qualifying direct deposit must be from your employer, payroll provider, gig economy payer, or benefits payer by Automated Clearing House (ACH) deposit OR Original Credit Transaction (OCT). Bank ACH transfers, Pay Anyone transfers, verification or trial deposits from financial institutions, peer to peer transfers from services such as PayPal, Cash App, or Venmo, mobile check deposits, cash deposits, one-time direct deposits, such as tax refunds and other similar transactions, and any deposit to which Chime deems to not be a qualifying direct deposit are not qualifying direct deposits.
The information related to the GO2bank Secured Visa® Credit Card, Brex For Startups, Grow Credit Mastercard and Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card has been collected by LendingTree and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer of this card prior to publication. Terms apply.
The content above is not provided by any issuer. Any opinions expressed are those of LendingTree alone and have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any issuer. The offers and/or promotions mentioned above may have changed, expired, or are no longer available. Check the issuer's website for more details.
