People with poor credit can improve their credit scores by opening a secured credit card account.
A secured credit card is like a regular credit card but with a safety net. You make a cash deposit, which becomes your credit limit.
When you use the card and make your payments on time, you are building or improving your credit score. It shows lenders you handle credit responsibly, which can help you when you’re ready to make big purchases like a car or a house.
What Makes a Good Credit Card for Poor Credit Scores in 2025?
Key factors that make a credit card ideal for poor credit scores in 2025 are not having annual fees and reporting your payment activity to all three major credit bureaus — Equifax, Experian and TransUnion — which is essential for building your credit score. The best credit cards for people with poor credit also offer benefits like cash back and provide protection from fraud. Some also offer ways to monitor your performance.
Chime Credit Builder Secured Visa Credit Card
With no interest or annual fees, the secured Chime Credit Builder Visa is a great credit card to help you establish credit if you make your payments on time.
Chime doesn’t require a credit check, but you must have a Chime Checking Account to apply.
Your credit limit with the Chime Credit Builder Visa is the amount of money you have in your account.
Chime also offers SpotMe, which can cover transactions and cash withdrawals made with your Chime Credit Builder Visa Credit Card up to your SpotMe limit if you’re eligible and enable the feature in your app. Chime sets your limit according to your account history, how often and how much you receive in direct deposits and your spending activity with your Chime Card.
If you’re signed up for SpotMe, your negative balance will be deducted from your next deposit or funds transferred into your Credit Builder account. Using SpotMe with your Credit Builder card will not affect your credit score or credit reporting.
To get started, download the Chime app, go to settings and tap Try Credit Builder. Then, follow the steps to enroll.
Why We Picked It: If you’re short on money before you get your next paycheck, SpotMe fee-free will allow you to spend more money than you have in your checking account up to your SpotMe limit.
Capital One Platinum Secured Credit Card
The Capital One Platinum Secured Credit Card is a great option for those seeking to improve or build their credit, and you can find out if you’re preapproved with no risk to your credit score.
Capital One doesn’t charge an annual fee or foreign transaction fees. You also won’t have to pay for a replacement if you lose your card. The card also won’t have the word “secured” on it.
Capital One requires a minimum refundable security deposit of $49, $99 or $200 to open your Platinum Secured Credit Card account. You can raise your credit limit by depositing more than the minimum amount up to a limit of $1,000.
If you make your payments on time, you can earn your deposit back and upgrade to an unsecured Capital One Platinum card.
If Capital One sees suspicious charges to your account, it will notify you via text, email or phone. If you lose your card or it’s stolen, you won’t have to pay for unauthorized charges. You also can lock your card in the Capital One Mobile app if it’s lost or stolen.
You can ensure your online purchases are secure by paying for them with a virtual card number from Eno, your Capital One assistant, instead of your actual card number.
Eno will also alert you if it sees a potential duplicate purchase or a sudden increase in a recurring payment on your account.
Why We Picked It: Capital One makes it easy to stay on top of your account by allowing you to set up personalized or email reminders to pay your bill.
Self Secured Visa Credit Card
With no credit check, a refundable deposit and high approval rates, the Self Secured Visa credit card makes it easy for people to build or improve their credit.
Self reports your card payments to all three credit bureaus, which can help you improve your credit.
You can choose your credit limit, beginning with a minimum of $100, and Self lets you secure your card with your bank account, debit card or a Credit Builder Account.
One drawback to the Self Visa credit card is the $25 annual fee. It also charges an annual percentage rate (APR) of 28.24% if you don’t pay your balance in full each month.
Self customers give the card 4.7 out of 5 stars, with one writing, “I love my Self Visa credit card. It’s really showing me how to be more responsible with my credit and how to manage my funds properly. I was skeptical at first about getting it, but I am thankful that I did. My credit has boosted on FICO, Experian and TransUnion.”
Why We Picked It: You’re protected from fraud with the Self Visa credit card. You won’t be liable for purchases you didn’t make and you can freeze your account if it’s lost or stolen.
Discover it Secured Credit Card
The Discover it Secured Credit Card is a good choice for people who want to earn the rewards unsecured cards offer while improving their credit.
There’s no annual fee, and you’ll earn 2% cash back at gas stations and restaurants up to $1,000 in combined purchases each quarter. You’ll get 1% unlimited cash back on all other purchases. At the end of your first year, you’ll get an unlimited dollar-for-dollar match of all the cash back you earn, and Discover doesn’t limit how much it will match.
Your credit limit is equal to the amount you deposit, with the minimum being $200. Discover will review your account monthly after seven months to determine whether you qualify to upgrade to an unsecured card and return your deposit.
Discover looks out for your privacy by helping you regularly remove your personal information from people-search websites that may sell your data. You also can turn your account on and off with Freeze it to prevent new purchases if you lose your card or it's stolen. If unauthorized purchases are made on your card, you won’t be responsible for paying them.
You can monitor how you’re doing by looking at your FICO Score for free, and it won’t impact your credit score.
Why We Picked It: Discover offers outstanding security features, including alerting you if it finds your Social Security number on any of the thousands of Dark Web sites.
OpenSky Secured Visa Credit Card
OpenSky Secured Visa cards let you start building your credit with a minimum $100 security deposit, and after six months, it will review your account to see if you’re eligible for a credit limit increase or an upgrade to one of its unsecured credit cards.
OpenSky offers three levels of cards for customers to choose from, and there’s no credit check to apply.
The OpenSky Launch Visa requires a minimum security deposit of $100 and charges a $2 monthly fee.
The OpenSky Visa requires a minimum security deposit of $100 and charges an annual fee of $35.
For a minimum $300 security deposit, you can get the OpenSky Plus Visa, which doesn’t charge a monthly or annual fee.
OpenSky reports to the three major credit bureaus, offers free online access to your FICO Score, and won’t hold you responsible for unauthorized charges.
You can set up autopay to ensure your payments are always made on time.
Customers give OpenSky five out of five stars, with one cardholder writing, “Pre-COVID, my credit took a major hit due to a bad business relationship. Getting two OpenSky Cards and using them carefully has gotten my score up to the mid-700s. After Three years, I was able to qualify for a mortgage and purchase a home.”
Why We Picked It: You’ll get up to 10% cash back on daily spending, including groceries, stream services, dining out and convenience stores. Your rewards are automatically applied to your OpenSky statement.
U.S. Bank Cash+ Secured Visa
While the U.S. Bank Cash+ Secured Visa card requires a higher security deposit than some, its cash-back rewards could be worth it.
You can start with a security deposit of between $300 and $5,000, but there’s no annual fee, and your credit limit is the same as the amount of your refundable deposit.
You can choose 5% cash back on two categories each quarter. You’ll also receive 2% cash back on one everyday category, such as gas stations, electric vehicle charging stations, grocery stores or restaurants. You’ll get 1% cash back on all other eligible purchases.
U.S. Bank reports your activity to all three major credit bureaus, which will help you build your credit and qualify for an upgrade to the U.S. Bank Cash Visa Signature Card. When you reach that level, your security deposit will be returned to you.
U.S. Bank also lets you choose your payment date, so you can make it coincide with when you get paid. Set up autopay to ensure your bill is paid on time to avoid late fees.
You also won’t be responsible for unauthorized charges if your card is lost or stolen.
If you add your card to your Mobile Wallet, you can make purchases conveniently with just a tap.
Why We Picked It: You can earn 5% cash back on two categories you choose, including recurring charges such as cellphone providers, home utilities, TV, internet and streaming services.
Chase Freedom Rise Credit Card
With no annual fee and 1.5% cash back on everything you buy, the Chase Freedom Rise Credit Card is a great option for people with poor credit.
If you maintain a minimum balance of $250 in a Chase checking or savings account, your odds of getting approved are better. Plus, setting up autopay within the first three months of opening your account will get you a $25 statement credit.
The Chase Freedom Rise card provides excellent security features, including zero liability for unauthorized charges and purchase protection covering damage or theft up to $500 for 120 days. It also extends manufacturers’ U.S. warranties by an extra year on eligible warranties of three years or less (up to four years from the date of purchase).
Chase reviews your account annually and may offer an upgrade to the Chase Freedom Card Unlimited if you maintain timely payments to all of your creditors and none of your Chase accounts is suspended.
Why We Picked It: The Chase Freedom Rise card’s travel protection benefits are excellent. Trip cancellation and interruption insurance reimburses up to $1,500 per covered traveler and $6,000 per trip for prepaid no-refundable fares when your trip is disrupted by covered events like illness, severe weather or other specified situations.
Capital One Quicksilver Secured Credit Card
You can open your Capital One Quicksilver Secured credit card account with a minimum $200 deposit — if you want a higher credit limit, simply deposit more money. Capital One does not charge an annual fee for this card, and there is no hard credit check.
If you use your card responsibly, you’ll get your deposit back and may be eligible for an upgrade to an unsecured Quicksilver card. The “graduation” is a milestone that indicates your improved creditworthiness.
You can monitor your account activity by setting up personalized email or text reminders. If you set up Autopay, you’ll ensure your payments are made on time.
If Capital One detects suspicious activity on your account, it will notify you via text, email or phone. You won’t be responsible for unauthorized charges if your card is lost or stolen. If you can’t find your card, you can lock it in the Capital One Mobile app, giving you time to find it without worrying about unauthorized use.
You’ll be notified when your TransUnion or Experian credit report changes.
Why We Picked It: You’ll earn 1.5% cash back on all purchases that can be redeemed for a check or as a statement credit. This is a rare perk for a secured card that allows you to earn rewards while building your credit.
How We Chose These Credit Cards for Poor Credit Scores in 2025
We focused on finding cards with reasonable approval requirements and soft credit pulls so people with low credit scores don’t have them reduced even further. We also made sure the card issuers report their customers’ behavior to the three major credit bureaus.
We looked for cards with no annual fee and that offer high levels of security to protect cardholders from fraud and unauthorized purchases. Cards that offer the opportunity to upgrade to unsecured cards also were prioritized.
Frequently Asked Questions
What credit card gives the highest limit for bad credit?
The U.S. Bank Cash+ Secured Visa lets you deposit up to $5,000 into your account, which gives you a $5,000 credit limit.
Is it true that after 7 years your credit is clear?
Not necessarily. It can take from two to 10 years for information to come off your credit report, but that doesn’t mean it will impact your credit score for that long. If you find inaccuracies on your credit report, you can dispute them with the credit bureaus.
What is the easiest credit card to get with a low score?
The cards reviewed in this article all are easy to get with a low credit score, but the OpenSky Secured Visa stands out because a credit check is not required.