Best Secured Credit Cards
A secured card is a deposit with a credit line attached. The best ones charge no annual fee, keep the deposit low, and give you a clear path to an unsecured card.
A secured credit card is collateral with a reporting line attached. You put down a refundable deposit, the issuer opens a credit line, and on-time payments can help build a credit history. As of October 15, 2026, the five cards we could fully or mostly verify span $0 to $35 in annual fees and deposits from $49 to $200.
Terms as of October 15, 2026. Every annual fee, deposit, rewards claim and APR on this page was checked against the issuer’s own page on October 15, 2026. Where a figure was blank, we say so or omit it. Card offers can vary by channel and by applicant, and they can change without notice. Confirm the pricing and terms shown to you before you apply. This page is general information, not financial advice. Some links on Money 8020 are affiliate or partner links; see our advertiser and affiliate disclosure.
For how scores work and why utilization matters, see how credit scores work and our credit score statistics for 2026. If you already have decent credit and want a 0% runway, see best 0% intro APR credit cards.
Quick answer: which secured credit card is best?
- Best overall: Capital One Platinum Secured, $0 fee, deposit as low as $49, upgrade path in as little as six months.
- Best with rewards: Discover it® Secured Cash Back, $0 fee, 5% rotating categories and first-year Cashback Match.
- Best flat cash back: Capital One Quicksilver Secured, 1.5% unlimited cash back, $200 deposit.
- Best low APR: DCU Visa® Platinum Secured, rates as low as 15.25% for members.
- Best no credit check: OpenSky® Secured Visa®, no credit pull to apply, $35 fee.
How we ranked these cards
We ranked on five things, in this order:
- Annual fee, preferring $0.
- Minimum refundable deposit and starting credit line.
- Upgrade or deposit-return path when the issuer describes one.
- Rewards, when they exist without a fee.
- APR, when the issuer shows it clearly (more important if you may carry a balance).
All card terms come from each issuer’s own page, loaded October 15, 2026. Interest-rate context comes from the Federal Reserve’s G.19 Consumer Credit release. We do not use aggregator roundups for any figure on this page. Self and Chime were dropped today because their public pages did not show usable numbers.
Comparison table: secured credit cards (October 15, 2026)
| Card | Annual fee | Min. deposit | Rewards | Purchase APR (variable) | Upgrade path |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Capital One Platinum Secured | $0 | $49 / $99 / $200 | None | 29.24% | Yes (as little as 6 months) |
| Discover it® Secured Cash Back | $0 | $49 / $99 / $200 | 5% rotating + 1%; Cashback Match year 1 | Not clearly listed on marketing page | Yes (to Discover it Cash Back) |
| Capital One Quicksilver Secured | $0 | $200 | 1.5% unlimited | 29.24% | Yes |
| DCU Visa® Platinum Secured | $0 | Savings-secured (member) | Not highlighted | As low as 15.25% | Membership product |
| OpenSky® Secured Visa® | $35 | $200 | None listed | 23.89% | No credit check to apply |
Sources: each issuer’s card page, checked October 15, 2026. Deposit amounts of $49/$99/$200 at Capital One and Discover depend on creditworthiness.
1. Capital One Platinum Secured: best overall for building credit
Capital One lists a $0 annual fee, a refundable deposit of $49, $99, or $200 for an initial credit line of at least $200, and a 29.24% variable purchase APR. Account reviews for an upgrade can come in as little as six months with responsible use.
That low deposit is why Platinum Secured ranks first. There are no rewards, so treat it as a pure credit-building tool and pay the balance in full. Issued by Capital One, N.A. (FDIC cert #4297). See the full Capital One Platinum Secured review.
2. Discover it® Secured Cash Back: best with cash-back rewards
Discover lists a $0 annual fee, a refundable deposit as low as $49, 5% cash back on rotating quarterly categories when activated plus 1% elsewhere, and unlimited first-year Cashback Match. Discover also describes upgrading to the unsecured Discover it Cash Back with a positive track record.
A regular APR was not clearly shown on the marketing page we loaded October 15, 2026, so we do not invent one. Activate categories each quarter or you miss the 5%. See the Discover it Secured review.
3. Capital One Quicksilver Secured: best flat-rate cash back
Capital One lists unlimited 1.5% cash back, a $0 annual fee, a $200 minimum refundable deposit, and a 29.24% variable purchase APR. It is the simpler rewards sibling of Platinum Secured if you can clear the higher deposit. See the Quicksilver Secured review.
4. DCU Visa® Platinum Secured: best low APR
DCU lists a $0 annual fee and rates as low as 15.25% APR for purchases, balance transfers and cash advances, with $0 balance-transfer and cash-advance fees on its published table. That is the lowest APR we verified on this list, which matters if you may carry a balance while rebuilding.
You must be a Digital Federal Credit Union member. Federal credit union shares are NCUA-insured. See the DCU Visa Platinum Secured review.
5. OpenSky® Secured Visa®: best with no credit check
OpenSky lists no credit check to apply, a $200 minimum deposit, a $35 annual fee, and a 23.89% variable APR. The card is issued by Capital Bank, N.A. (FDIC cert #35278).
The $35 fee makes it more expensive to hold than the no-fee cards above if you can get approved elsewhere. Use it when a soft or hard pull would block you. See the OpenSky Secured Visa review.
How to use a secured card without hurting yourself
- Pay the statement balance in full so the APR never matters.
- Keep utilization low relative to the new credit line.
- Never miss a due date; on-time payments are the point.
- Ask about the upgrade path after six to twelve months of clean history.
For national credit-score context, see our credit score statistics for 2026. Rates and fees can change; this is not financial advice.
Once your score can support an unsecured starter, compare best student credit cards we verified on issuer pages October 16, 2026.
Frequently asked questions
How did you verify these secured credit cards?
We loaded each issuer's own card page on October 15, 2026 (Capital One, Discover, Digital Federal Credit Union and OpenSky) and recorded the annual fee, deposit, rewards, upgrade path and APR when the page showed them clearly. Average card APR context comes from the Federal Reserve's G.19 release. Bank charters were checked in FDIC BankFind; DCU is an NCUA-insured federal credit union. Offers change often, so confirm terms before you apply.
What is the lowest deposit on this list?
Of the cards we checked on October 15, 2026, Capital One Platinum Secured and Discover it Secured both list refundable deposits as low as $49 (or $99 or $200 based on creditworthiness) for a credit line of at least $200. Quicksilver Secured and OpenSky list a $200 minimum.
Which secured card has rewards?
Discover it Secured lists 5% cash back on rotating quarterly categories when activated plus 1% elsewhere and first-year Cashback Match. Capital One Quicksilver Secured lists unlimited 1.5% cash back. Platinum Secured, DCU Secured and OpenSky do not advertise ongoing purchase rewards on the pages we checked.
Do I get my security deposit back?
On the issuer pages we checked October 15, 2026, Capital One and Discover describe refunding the deposit when you upgrade to an unsecured card with responsible use or when you close the account in good standing. OpenSky and DCU also treat the deposit as collateral. Always read the issuer's deposit and closure rules before you apply.
Why did you drop Self and Chime?
Self's public product URLs returned 404 on October 15, 2026, and the homepage did not show fee, APR or deposit figures we could quote. Chime's Credit Builder pages returned 403 from our fetch. We do not publish unverifiable figures.
What APR do secured cards charge?
Among cards that showed a clear purchase APR on October 15, 2026, DCU listed rates as low as 15.25% variable, OpenSky listed 23.89% variable, and both Capital One secured cards listed 29.24% variable. Discover's marketing page did not clearly show a regular APR. For context, the Federal Reserve's G.19 release puts commercial bank credit cards assessed interest at about 22.36% in the latest quarter reported. Paying the balance in full avoids interest.