8 Easy Credit Cards to Get Approved For

A credit card is much more than a small piece of plastic. It’s your ticket to increased spending power, rewards, and credit score growth. But getting approved for a card can be a frustrating process if you’ve got less-than-perfect credit. That’s why we’ve rounded up 8 of the easiest credit cards to get, so you know exactly which cards will give you the best chances of approval.

8 Easy credit cards to get approved for

1. Best for building credit with a security deposit: Chime Credit Builder Secured Visa® Credit Card
2. Best for building credit with no security deposit: Credit One Bank Platinum Visa for Rebuilding Credit
3. Best for a low annual fee: OpenSky Launch Secured Visa®
4. ​​Best for cash back with an annual fee: Aspire® Cash Back Rewards Mastercard
5. Best with cash back and no annual fee: First Latitude Assent Mastercard® Secured Credit Card
6. Best for unique rewards: Aspire® Protect Mastercard
7. Best for young adults: Step Visa Secured Card®
8. Best for limited credit: Current Build Card®

1. Best for building credit with a security deposit: Chime Credit Builder Secured Visa® Credit Card

The Chime Credit Builder Secured Visa® Credit Card is a credit-building card that extends approval without a credit check, as long as you pay a modest security deposit.

This is a secured credit card, which works differently from a traditional credit card. Instead of a credit check, you set your credit limit by transferring money from your Chime account. You can only spend what you load, which prevents you from overspending. Then, your on-time payments get reported to all 3 major credit bureaus to help build your credit history.

Chime’s system has worked well for other customers, with the average cardholder experiencing an average 30-point boost to their credit score.¹

And the best part? If you set up a $200 direct deposit, then you’ll unlock a bunch of additional benefits through Chime+, including:

1. No monthly fees
2. Fee-free ATM withdrawals
3. Fee overdraft protection
4. Early access to your paycheck
5. A high-yield savings account
6. Cash back on everyday purchases
7. Priority support

Credit score needed: None	Purchases intro APR: None
Intro bonus: None	Cash advance fee: $2.50 for out-of-network ATMs only
Annual fee: None	Balance transfer fee: N/A
Regular Annual Percentage Rate (APR): None	Foreign transaction fee: None

2. Best for building credit with no security deposit: Credit One Bank Platinum Visa for Rebuilding Credit®

Okay, so what if you’re looking for an easy approval credit card, but want to skip the security deposit? In that case, the Credit One Bank Platinum Visa for Rebuilding Credit® is a great option. 

This card offers 1% cash back for spending on everyday essentials (gas, groceries, phone, TV, and internet) with a $75 annual fee, and, most importantly, no security deposit required. The Credit One Platinum Visa is typically obtainable for people with poor credit or better, making it one of the easiest credit cards to get approved for. It also offers regular reviews for credit line increases and even lets you pick your own payment due date.

Just keep in mind that the $75 fee is usually charged upfront, so it might reduce your initial credit limit. For example, if you’re approved for a $300 limit, your actual starting limit will be $225 after the fee.

Credit score needed: Poor or better	Purchases intro APR: None
Intro bonus: None	Cash advance fee: Either $5 or 8% of each advance, whichever is higher
Annual fee: $75 in the first year, then $99 (billed as $8.25 monthly) after that.	Balance transfer fee: N/A
Regular APR: 29.49%	Foreign transaction fee: Either $1 or 3% of each transaction, whichever is higher

3. Best for a low annual fee: OpenSky Launch Secured Visa®

The OpenSky Launch Secured Visa® offers credit-building opportunities to people with limited credit and no bank account for a modest $2 monthly fee ($24 annually) in the first year. This fee increases to $3 monthly ($36 annually) in the second year.

This card is a great option for people looking for one of the easiest credit cards to get, without paying a high annual fee. Once you pay a $100 minimum refundable deposit, you’ll only be on the hook for $2 each month, while still getting the opportunity to build credit. Speaking of building credit, OpenSky’s cardholders have a great track record in that department, experiencing an average 47-point boost to their credit score within 6 months.²

Credit score needed: None	Purchases intro APR: None
Intro bonus: None	Cash advance fee: Either $6 or 5% of each advance, whichever is higher
Annual fee: $2 monthly ($24 annually) in the first year, then $3 monthly ($36 annually) after that.	Balance transfer fee: N/A
Regular APR: 28.99%	Foreign transaction fee: 3% of each transaction

4. Best for cash back with an annual fee: Aspire® Cash Back Rewards Mastercard

Looking for a card with flexible approval rates that helps you earn some impressive cash back? The Aspire® Cash Back Rewards Mastercard might be just what you need. 

This credit-building card offers 3% cash back on gas, groceries, and utilities, plus 1% back on everything else (3% cash back is an awesome rate for a card at this level, and on par with plenty of more premium cards). 

Since this is an unsecured card, there’s no security deposit necessary. Just be ready for the annual fee of between $49 and $175, depending on your creditworthiness.

If you’re already spending between $150 and $500 on gas, groceries, and utilities, then the rewards that you earn will pay for the annual fee. You may even see extra cash back in your pocket. 

Credit score needed: Poor or better	Purchases intro APR: N/A
Intro bonus: N/A	Cash advance fee: Either $10 or 5% of each cash advance, whichever is higher
Annual fee: $49 to $175 in year one, after that $0 to $49 annually. A $5 to $15 monthly fee also starts in year two.	Balance transfer fee: 3% of each transaction
Regular APR: 29.99% to 36%, depending on your creditworthiness	Foreign transaction fee: 3% of each transaction

5. Best for cash back with no annual fee: First Latitude Assent Mastercard® Secured Credit Card

The First Latitude Assent Mastercard® Secured Credit Card is a secured card that has no annual fee while still offering 1% cash back on purchases – a rare combination for a credit-building card.

The First Latitude Assent Mastercard requires a refundable security deposit (minimum $200), which then acts as your credit limit. However, you won’t need to pay any additional annual or monthly fees once you’ve made the deposit. You can just sit back and collect 1% cash back on all purchases. 

Credit score needed: None	Purchases intro APR: N/A
Intro bonus: None	Cash advance fee: Either $10 or 3% of each cash advance, whichever is higher
Annual fee: None	Balance transfer fee: N/A
Regular APR: 28.24%	Foreign transaction fee: 3% of each transaction

6. Best for unique rewards: Aspire® Protect Mastercard

What if you’re looking for one of the easiest credit cards to get with no credit that offers more unique benefits than simple cash back? In this case, you’ll want to explore the Aspire® Protect Mastercard.

The Aspire Protect card has flexible approval rates, can help you build credit, and comes with a handful of useful everyday perks like cell phone protection, roadside assistance, and even identity theft coverage. These types of benefits are very rare for credit-building cards. Here’s how they work:

1. Cell phone protection: This card will reimburse you up to $800 if your cell phone is lost or stolen, but you’ll have to pay a $50 deductible and can only make two claims per year.
2. Roadside assistance: This card also offers 24/7 help for towing, flat tires, fluids, lock-outs, and battery assistance – but only up to $100.
3. Identity theft coverage: This card will reimburse you for costs, lost wages, and legal expenses associated with having your identity stolen (up to $25,000).

These benefits can be incredibly handy during an emergency, but this protection comes with a sizable annual fee of between $49 and $175 in year one, depending on your creditworthiness. 

Credit score needed: Poor or better	Purchases intro APR: N/A
Intro bonus: N/A	Cash advance fee: Either $10 or 5% of each cash advance, whichever is higher
Annual fee: $49 to $175 in year one, after that $0 to $49 annually. A $5 to $15 monthly fee starts in year two.	Balance transfer fee: 3% of each transaction
Regular APR: 29.99% to 36%, depending on your creditworthiness	Foreign transaction fee: 3% of each transaction

7. Best for young adults: Step Visa Secured Card®

The Step Visa Secured Card® offers a free, effective way for young adults to start building credit with no minimum deposit, no fees, and the ability to unlock premium perks.

You can get approved with no credit history, making it a great option for people with a limited credit score. It’s also cheap to own with no minimum deposit or monthly, overdraft, or account management fees, or interest. Step cardholders also have a great track record of improving their scores, with Step users in their 20s seeing an average score increase of 57 points.³

Additionally, for $5 per month or a qualifying direct deposit, you can also unlock Step Black, which gets you a ton of other perks like:

1. Additional cash back rewards
2. A high-yield savings account
3. Early access to your paychecks
4. Fewer fees

Credit score needed: None	Purchases intro APR: None
Intro bonus: N/A	Cash advance fee: N/A
Annual fee: None	Balance transfer fee: N/A
Regular APR: None	Foreign transaction fee: None

8. Best for limited credit: Current Build Card®

The Current Build Card® is a highly accessible card that can be obtained with no credit check, minimum, or annual fee. You’ll just have to sign up for a Current bank account, which then unlocks access to the Current Build Card.

This card is also a great option for people who want to avoid fees, as it offers no minimum balance fees, no in-network ATM fees, no bank transfer fees, and no annual fees. You’ll also earn 1 point per dollar spent on eligible dining and grocery purchases, a rare perk for a credit-building card.

Finally, you can unlock additional perks by setting up a direct deposit, including:

1. Early access to your paycheck
2. Overdraft protection
3. Interest-free paycheck advances.

Credit score needed: None	Purchases intro APR: None
Intro bonus: N/A	Cash advance fee: None
Annual fee: None	Balance transfer fee: N/A
Regular APR: None	Foreign transaction fee: 3% of the transaction amount.

How to compare credit cards

We know reading through lengthy guides like this can be a little overwhelming, so here are a few things to keep in mind while searching for the easiest credit cards to obtain:

🔎 Check your credit score first: Before you apply, get a clear picture of what your credit score is. Knowing your score helps you avoid cards you’re unlikely to qualify for and zero in on the ones that match your credit profile. You can check and help boost your credit score using MoneyLion.

🔎 Look for “fair credit” or “secured” cards: These are the cards you’ll want to explore if your credit history is limited or less than perfect. Secured cards require a refundable deposit, while fair credit cards have lower approval requirements. Both card categories are considered credit cards for bad credit.

🔎 Compare APRs: Be ready for elevated APRs when exploring instant approval credit cards, and be sure to shop around for the lowest APR available so you’re not stuck paying more than you need to.

🔎 Annual fees: Most credit cards for no credit charge annual fees in exchange for easier approval. Make sure the benefits you’re getting, like credit reporting or rewards, justify the yearly cost.

🔎 Pre-qualification tools: Save your credit score from unnecessary dings by using pre-qualification tools. These soft credit checks let you see your approval odds without triggering a hard inquiry.

🔎 Credit-building features: Look for perks like free credit monitoring, credit education, or reporting to all three major credit bureaus. These features can accelerate your progress and help you climb the credit ladder faster.

Narrow Down the Easiest Credit Cards to Get, Make Your Choice, and Start Your Journey

Be sure to take your time when researching the top credit cards for bad credit. This is an important choice that will mark the beginning of your credit-building journey. 

Whether you’re starting from scratch or bouncing back, the right card can help you establish strong credit habits, build your score, and open doors to bigger financial opportunities. 

Once you’ve narrowed down your options and found the best option for your needs, don’t hesitate to click “Apply” and lock in your decision. The sooner you start working on your credit, the sooner your credit will start working for you.

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