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Credit Cards for People with Fair Credit

There are cards designed for people who have had some issues with their credit history. These cards for people with fair credit are an ideal way to start rebuilding your credit rating by making on-time payments and maintaining your account balances below their credit limits. Some of these cards offer rewards and others may have different perks and benefits. Some of these cards have no annual fee and others do not require a credit check. If you are looking to raise your credit rating, these cards are a great way to get started.
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Surge® Platinum Mastercard® Credit Recommended: See website for Details*

PURCHASES:

Intro APR on Purchases: See website for Details*
Regular APR: 29.99% (Variable)

BALANCE TRANSFERS:

Intro APR on Balance Transfers: See website for Details*
Regular APR: N/A
Balance Transfer Fee: See website for Details*

FEES:

Annual Fee: See website for Details*
Application Processing Fee: See Terms*
Celtic Bank: {Surge® Platinum Mastercard®}
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Intro APR on Purchases: See website for Details*
Regular APR: 29.99% (Variable)
Intro APR on Balance Transfers: See website for Details*
Regular APR: N/A
Balance Transfer Fee: See website for Details*
Annual Fee: See website for Details*
Application Processing Fee: See Terms*

Surge® Platinum Mastercard® Credit Recommended: See website for Details*

Card details:

Up to $1,000 credit limit doubles up to $2,000! (Simply make your first 6 monthly minimum payments on time)All credit types welcome to apply!Monthly Credit Score – Sign up for electronic statements, and get your Vantage 3.0 Score Credit Score From Experian Show More
Initial Credit Limit of $300 – $1,000 (subject to available credit)Monthly reporting to the three major credit bureausSee if you’re Pre-Qualified without impacting your credit scoreFast and easy application process; results in secondsOnline account access 24/7Checking Account Required
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First Access Visa® Card Credit Recommended: Fair

PURCHASES:

Intro APR on Purchases: N/A
Regular APR: 35.99%*

BALANCE TRANSFERS:

Intro APR on Balance Transfers: N/A
Regular APR: N/A
Balance Transfer Fee: See Terms*

FEES:

Annual Fee: $75.00 1st year, $48.00 after*
Application Processing Fee: $95.00*
The Bank of Missouri: {First Access Visa® Card}
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Intro APR on Purchases: N/A
Regular APR: 35.99%*
Intro APR on Balance Transfers: N/A
Regular APR: N/A
Balance Transfer Fee: See Terms*
Annual Fee: $75.00 1st year, $48.00 after*
Application Processing Fee: $95.00*

First Access Visa® Card Credit Recommended: Fair

Card details:

Earn 1% cash back rewards on payments made to your First Access Credit CardChecking Account Required$300 credit limit (subject to available credit) Show More
No security deposit, simply pay a one-time $95 program fee to open your account.*User friendly Mobile App.*See Rates, Fees, Costs & Limitations for complete offer detailsSee First Access Rewards Programs Terms & Conditions for details
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OpenSky® Secured Visa® Credit Card Credit Recommended: Bad/No

PURCHASES:

Intro APR on Purchases: N/A
Regular APR: 25.64% (variable)

BALANCE TRANSFERS:

Intro APR on Balance Transfers: N/A
Regular APR: N/A
Balance Transfer Fee: N/A

FEES:

Annual Fee: $35
Application Processing Fee: See Terms
Capital Bank: {OpenSky® Secured Visa® Credit Card}
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Intro APR on Purchases: N/A
Regular APR: 25.64% (variable)
Intro APR on Balance Transfers: N/A
Regular APR: N/A
Balance Transfer Fee: N/A
Annual Fee: $35
Application Processing Fee: See Terms

OpenSky® Secured Visa® Credit Card Credit Recommended: Bad/No

Card details:

Limited Time Offer: $51 funding voucher applied for all new accounts. Get a $200 credit line for $149. Click "APPLY NOW" to see additional terms and conditions.No credit check to apply. Zero credit risk to apply!Looking to build or rebuild your credit? 2/3 of cardholders receive a 48+ point improvement after making 3 on-time payments Show More
Extend your $200 credit line by getting considered for an unsecured credit line increase after 6 months - no additional deposit required!Get free monthly access to your FICO score in our mobile applicationBuild your credit history across 3 major credit reporting agencies: Experian, Equifax, and TransunionAdd to your mobile wallet and make purchases using Apple Pay, Samsung Pay and Google PayFund your card with a low $200 refundable security deposit to get a $200 credit lineApply in less than 5 minutes with our mobile first applicationChoose the due date that fits your schedule with flexible payment datesFund your security deposit over 60 days with the option to make partial paymentsJoin over 1.2 million cardholders who’ve used OpenSky to build their credit
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Destiny Mastercard® Credit Recommended: Poor to Good

PURCHASES:

Intro APR on Purchases: N/A
Regular APR: See terms

BALANCE TRANSFERS:

Intro APR on Balance Transfers: N/A
Regular APR: N/A
Balance Transfer Fee: See terms

FEES:

Annual Fee: See terms
Application Processing Fee: See terms
First Electronic Bank: {Destiny Mastercard®}
Apply now
Intro APR on Purchases: N/A
Regular APR: See terms
Intro APR on Balance Transfers: N/A
Regular APR: N/A
Balance Transfer Fee: See terms
Annual Fee: See terms
Application Processing Fee: See terms

Destiny Mastercard® Credit Recommended: Poor to Good

Card details:

All the benefits of a Mastercard, without a security deposit24/7 access to your account, even on mobile!Reports to all three major credit bureaus Show More
Less than perfect credit is okay, even with a prior bankruptcy!
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Total Visa® Card Credit Recommended: Fair/Bad

PURCHASES:

Intro APR on Purchases: N/A
Regular APR: 35.99%*

BALANCE TRANSFERS:

Intro APR on Balance Transfers: N/A
Regular APR: N/A
Balance Transfer Fee: N/A

FEES:

Annual Fee: $75.00 1st year, $48.00 after*
Application Processing Fee: See Terms*
The Bank of Missouri: {Total Visa® Card}
Apply now
Intro APR on Purchases: N/A
Regular APR: 35.99%*
Intro APR on Balance Transfers: N/A
Regular APR: N/A
Balance Transfer Fee: N/A
Annual Fee: $75.00 1st year, $48.00 after*
Application Processing Fee: See Terms*

Total Visa® Card Credit Recommended: Fair/Bad

Card details:

Earn 1% cash back rewards on payments made to your Total Credit CardChecking Account Required$300 credit limit (subject to available credit) Show More
No security deposit, simply pay a one-time $95 program fee to open your account.*User friendly Mobile App.*See Rates, Fees, Costs & Limitations for complete offer detailsSee Total Card Visa Rewards Programs Terms & Conditions for details
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FIT™ Platinum Mastercard® Credit Recommended: Fair/Poor/Bad

PURCHASES:

Intro APR on Purchases: N/A
Regular APR: See Terms*

BALANCE TRANSFERS:

Intro APR on Balance Transfers: N/A
Regular APR: N/A
Balance Transfer Fee: N/A

FEES:

Annual Fee: See Terms*
Application Processing Fee: N/A
The Bank of Missouri: {FIT™ Platinum Mastercard®}
Apply now
Intro APR on Purchases: N/A
Regular APR: See Terms*
Intro APR on Balance Transfers: N/A
Regular APR: N/A
Balance Transfer Fee: N/A
Annual Fee: See Terms*
Application Processing Fee: N/A

FIT™ Platinum Mastercard® Credit Recommended: Fair/Poor/Bad

Card details:

$400 credit limit doubles to $800! (Simply make your first 6 monthly minimum payments on time)All credit types welcome to applyMonthly reporting to the three major credit bureaus Show More
Initial Credit Limit of $400.00 (Subject to available credit)Fast and easy application process; results in secondsUse your card at locations everywhere Mastercard® is acceptedAccess to your Vantage 3.0 score from Experian (When you sign up for e-statements)Checking Account Required
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First Access Visa® Card Credit Recommended: Fair

PURCHASES:

Intro APR on Purchases: N/A
Regular APR: 35.99%*

BALANCE TRANSFERS:

Intro APR on Balance Transfers: N/A
Regular APR: N/A
Balance Transfer Fee: See Terms*

FEES:

Annual Fee: $75.00 1st year, $48.00 after*
Application Processing Fee: $95.00*
The Bank of Missouri: {First Access Visa® Card}
Apply now
Intro APR on Purchases: N/A
Regular APR: 35.99%*
Intro APR on Balance Transfers: N/A
Regular APR: N/A
Balance Transfer Fee: See Terms*
Annual Fee: $75.00 1st year, $48.00 after*
Application Processing Fee: $95.00*

First Access Visa® Card Credit Recommended: Fair

Card details:

Earn 1% cash back rewards on payments made to your First Access Credit CardChecking Account Required$300 credit limit (subject to available credit) Show More
No security deposit, simply pay a one-time $95 program fee to open your account.*User friendly Mobile App.*See Rates, Fees, Costs & Limitations for complete offer detailsSee First Access Rewards Programs Terms & Conditions for details
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Applied Bank® Secured Visa® Gold Preferred® Credit Card Credit Recommended: Poor/Fair/Limited/Damaged

PURCHASES:

Intro APR on Purchases: N/A
Regular APR: 9.99% Fixed

BALANCE TRANSFERS:

Intro APR on Balance Transfers: N/A
Regular APR: N/A
Balance Transfer Fee: N/A

FEES:

Annual Fee: $48
Application Processing Fee: None
Applied Bank®: {Applied Bank® Secured Visa® Gold Preferred® Credit Card}
Apply now
Intro APR on Purchases: N/A
Regular APR: 9.99% Fixed
Intro APR on Balance Transfers: N/A
Regular APR: N/A
Balance Transfer Fee: N/A
Annual Fee: $48
Application Processing Fee: None

Applied Bank® Secured Visa® Gold Preferred® Credit Card Credit Recommended: Poor/Fair/Limited/Damaged

Card details:

Better than Prepaid…Go with a Secured Card! Load One Time - Keep On UsingAbsolutely No Credit Check or Minimum Credit Score RequiredAutomatic Reporting to All Three National Credit Bureaus Show More
9.99% Low Fixed APR - Your Rate Won’t Go Up Even if You Are LateActivate Today with a $200 Minimum Deposit - Maximum $1,000.Increase Your Credit Limit up to $5,000 by Adding Additional Deposits Anytime
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Milestone® Mastercard® Credit Recommended: Fair / Good

PURCHASES:

Intro APR on Purchases: N/A
Regular APR: See terms

BALANCE TRANSFERS:

Intro APR on Balance Transfers: N/A
Regular APR: N/A
Balance Transfer Fee: N/A

FEES:

Annual Fee: See terms
Application Processing Fee: See Terms*
The Bank of Missouri: {Milestone® Mastercard®}
Apply now
Intro APR on Purchases: N/A
Regular APR: See terms
Intro APR on Balance Transfers: N/A
Regular APR: N/A
Balance Transfer Fee: N/A
Annual Fee: See terms
Application Processing Fee: See Terms*

Milestone® Mastercard® Credit Recommended: Fair / Good

Card details:

Greater access to credit than before - $700 credit limitGet a Mastercard accepted online, in store and in appAccount history is reported to the three major credit bureaus in the U.S. Show More
$0 liability for unauthorized useAccess your account online or from your mobile device 24/7
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Keep Your Credit Moving On The Right Path With Credit Cards For Fair Credit

Those with fair credit have had problems in the past and have suffered some damage on their credit report. However, all is not lost and bouncing back from bad credit is possible, provided that you use fair credit credit cards as a helping hand to prove yourself credit worthy once again.

With such cards, you will probably be charged some annual and maintenance fees. The best thing for you to do when researching credit cards is to determine which credit card suits your needs more in regard to credit limit, fees, and interest rates.

Paying off the entire balance on a monthly basis will help you avoid interest charges and actually help you save money in the long run. At the same time, you will be gaining good payment history which will positively affect your credit score. Fair credit credit cards can only do that much to better your credit score; you should work to take care of any other instances of bad credit on your credit report at the same time.

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Frequently Asked Questions:

What is fair credit? What credit score is considered fair credit?

Most credit card issuers use FICO scoring system to make an approval decision. According to the FICO credit score range, fair credit falls between 640 and 699. If your credit score falls within this range or close to this range, then your credit can be considered fair. Some credit card issuers have their own criteria to determine an applicant’s credit but as a rule the FICO score is used in most cases.

Is there instant credit card approval for fair credit?

As a rule instant approval credit cards are offered to people with poor credit but if your credit is fair or better you can get an instant response as well. Many credit card issuers are able to respond to a credit card application right away after submission. If the credit card approval requires additional information or manual approval, then the approval process can take from two days to two weeks.

How to improve credit fast?

Credit score is not something you can improve fast. It requires hard work and time. However, there are ways to improve credit faster and one of them is getting a credit card that reports credit activity to major credit bureaus every month. Some credit card issuers offer credit cards with credit score trackers. Getting such card will help you save time on checking credit reports. Credit trackers will allow you to see whether you are doing right or you need to change something. Once you have a credit card, try to manage it responsibly: make all due monthly payments on time and stay within credit limits. Gaining some positive payment records will help you improve your credit.

What are the best rewards credit cards for fair credit?

There are a lot of credit cards with different credit card programs and which one is the best for you depends on your preferences. First of all, think where you shop most often or what purchases you are going to charge to your new card. Then think what types of rewards you want to earn. Do you feel comfortable with earning cash back or bonus points? There are credit cards with fixed rewards and with rewards that change depending on shopping category. Sometimes you will need to sign up in rotating categories to earn more rewards. So take this into consideration as well when you choose a credit card with rewards.

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