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Barclaycard Rewards Mastercard: Once a Fine Option for Fair Credit
No longer on the market, this card offered people with average credit the rare chance to score above average rewards on everyday purchases.
Kevin is a former NerdWallet writer and credit cards expert. In addition to NerdWallet, his work has appeared in such outlets as U.S. News & World Report, Credit Karma and Bond Street. After leaving NerdWallet, he co-founded a financial technology company that developed credit card recommendation and optimization tools.
This page includes information about these cards, currently unavailable on
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been provided or reviewed by the card issuer.
In its time, the Barclaycard Rewards MasterCard® was one of the better rewards credit cards available for people with fair or average credit. The card was pulled from the market around 2016, but people in its targeted credit score range — about 620 to 690 — have other options for earning credit card rewards.
What the Barclaycard Rewards MasterCard® offered when it was still available
2 points per dollar spent on gas, groceries and utilities.
1 point per dollar on all other purchases.
No annual fee.
Free access to your FICO credit score.
The opportunity to get a higher credit limit after five consecutive on-time payments.
Rewards points were worth 1 cent apiece when redeemed for statement credit, and the amount of bonus rewards you could earn was uncapped.
The Barclaycard Rewards MasterCard® didn't offer a sign-up bonus, and its ongoing APR was rather high. But the same can be said of most cards designed for people with credit scores in the "fair" range.
Alternatives to the Barclaycard Rewards MasterCard®
NerdWallet's ratings are determined by our editorial team. The scoring formula takes into account the type of card being reviewed (such as cash back, travel or balance transfer) and the card's rates, fees, rewards and other features.
Capital One QuicksilverOne Cash Rewards Credit Card
The fair-credit version of the popular (and much-advertised) Quicksilver cash-back card, the Capital One QuicksilverOne Cash Rewards Credit Card offers unlimited 1.5% cash back on purchases. That's the same rate offered by the regular version. However, this card has a $39 annual fee, compared with $0 for the standard card. It also doesn't offer the sign-up bonus or intro APR period of the original.
Upgrade Cash Rewards Visa®
The $0-annual-fee Upgrade Cash Rewards Visa® is a unique card that advertises "the flexibility of a credit card with the low cost and predictability of a personal loan." You earn 1.5% cash back on all purchases. You can pay your bill in full like with a regular credit card, but any balance carried over to the next month is automatically converted into an installment loan with a fixed monthly payment. You can also see what terms you'd qualify for without a hard credit inquiry.
Whether you want to pay less interest or earn more rewards, the right card's out there. Just answer a few questions and we'll narrow the search for you.