Milestone Gold Mastercard
The Milestone Gold Mastercard from The Bank of Missouri is an unsecured credit card designed to help you build or rebuild your credit history. Depending on your credit situation and how you use the card, however, it could get expensive. View More >
First Progress Platinum Select Mastercard® Secured Credit Card
First Progress offers three secured credit cards for people who are new to credit or rebuilding their credit. These cards have the same application requirements and similar features, but offer a choice between a lower annual fee or lower interest rate. The Platinum Select Mastercard® Secured Credit Card is the middle option. View More >
OpenSky Secured Visa Credit Card
One of the biggest barriers to building credit is not having a bank account. If you don’t have either, the OpenSky Secured Visa Credit Card from Capital Bank, N.A. can help you, and for a reasonable price. You won’t need any credit at all to get a card, and you won’t need a bank account either, although you may need to find some creative ways to pay the security deposit and your bill. View More >
Discover it® Secured
Discover it® Secured is 2019’s best secured credit card because it has a $0 annual fee and rewards cardholders with 1% to 2% cashback on purchases. The Discover it Secured card also doubles the rewards cardholders earn the first year. Very few secured cards even offer rewards. View More >
Citi® Secured Mastercard®
While offering no rewards and limited benefits, the Citi Secured Mastercard presents a good way to build credit whether you’re new or working your way back from having bad credit. It requires a security deposit to fund your credit limit, but Citi may eventually return your deposit if you show responsible credit habits. View More >
Capital One® Secured Mastercard®
If you need to build or repair your credit, the Capital One Secured Mastercard provides a simple, inexpensive opportunity to do so. You’ll need to provide an initial security deposit to establish your line of credit, up to a maximum of $1,000, but you’ll be able to increase it in time. View More >Related Suggestions
Food (Restaurants and Groceries)
The Bank of America® Cash Rewards Credit Card (Review) is one of the most flexible cash back cards around, with a 3% bonus category you can change every month. Dining is one of your choices, along with quite a few other useful options, and you’ll always get grocery stores for one of your smaller categories.
Travel Rewards with No Annual Fee
The Capital One® VentureOne® Rewards Credit Card (Review) is the top no fee travel card because it offers a decent reward rate for every purchase you make, with the ability to transfer your miles to a variety of airline partners. It can help you travel for free without putting an extra strain on your wallet, as long as you avoid interest and other fees.
Signup Bonus Credit Card
The signup bonus — one of the most valuable and coveted credit card features, with the potential to put a huge dent in your spending or help you score free flights and hotel stays. Many rewards cards come with signup bonuses, also known as introductory bonuses or welcome bonuses. These bonus offers can provide a surprising amount of value, with returns on spending ranging from around 20% on average to more than 50% in some cases.
Rotating Bonus Categories
A typical rotating bonus category earns 5%, while other cards are limited to earning 2% or 3% cash back, says Daniel Gillaspia, travel and rewards expert and founder of the travel rewards blog UponArriving. Category choices are gas, online shopping, dining, travel, drugstores, or home improvement/furnishings.
No Annual Fee Credit Cards For Flat-Rate Rewards
Paying an annual fee on a credit card can be worth it if it gets you substantially higher rewards. But in many cases, credit cards that don’t charge annual fees offer better long-term value than those that do. No-annual-fee credit cards make it easy to come out ahead, regardless of your spending. Plus, you’ll be able to keep your card open for a long time at no cost, increasing the average age of your accounts, which has a positive effect on your credit score.
