Capital One® Secured Mastercard®

Capital One® Secured Mastercard®

on Capital One's website

Capital One® Secured Mastercard®

Capital One® Secured Mastercard®

Capital One® Secured Mastercard®

on Capital One's website

Card details

  • No annual fee, and all the credit building benefits with responsible card use

  • Unlike a prepaid card, it builds credit when used responsibly, with regular reporting to the 3 major credit bureaus

  • Access to an authorized bank account is required to make your $49, $99 or $200 refundable security deposit

  • Make the minimum required security deposit and you'll get an initial credit line of $200. Plus, deposit more money before your account opens to get a higher credit line

  • Get access to a higher credit line after making your first 5 monthly payments on time with no additional deposit needed

  • Easily manage your account 24/7 with online access, by phone or using our mobile app

  • It's a credit card accepted at millions of locations worldwide

Rates, fees & offers

  • Annual fee

    $0

  • Rewards rate

    N/A

  • Bonus offer

    None

  • Intro APR

    N/A

  • Ongoing APR

    APR: 26.99% Variable APR

    Cash Advance APR: 26.99%, Variable

  • Balance transfer fee

    $0

  • Foreign transaction fee

    None

Recommended credit score

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NerdWallet review

By Erin El Issa

Rating details

4.9

Editor's overall rating

Pros and cons

Pros

  • Qualify with limited / bad credit

  • No annual fee

  • No foreign transaction fee

Cons

  • No rewards

  • High APR

If you have bad or no credit, a secured card is a great option to improve your credit score. Enter the Capital One® Secured Mastercard®, one of our favorite secured cards on the market. Based on your current credit score, Capital One will determine your refundable security deposit amount -- either $49, $99 or $200 -- which will get you a starter credit limit of $200. You can get a higher initial credit limit by making a larger deposit before activating your card. The maximum credit line is $1,000.

The Capital One® Secured Mastercard® has an annual fee of $0 and no foreign transaction fees. The card's APR is high: The ongoing APR is 26.99% Variable APR -- so make sure you pay your balance in full each month to avoid incurring interest.

Want to learn more about the Capital One® Secured Mastercard®? Check out our full review of the card for details.