Credit score advices to get the best secured credit cards? How does the process work? Every issuer handles things a bit differently, but the process of applying for, receiving and using a secured credit card works like this: You apply for the card. The issuer evaluates how risky you are (a process called underwriting), and if you pass muster, you’re approved. You fund the deposit. Before the issuer will open your account, you have to pay your security deposit. In some cases, you must provide bank account information with your application so the deposit can be transferred right away. Other times, the issuer will give you some time to pull together the deposit. If you neglect to fund the deposit, the issuer will change the status of your application from approved to rejected.

Get the most value from OpenSky Secured Visa Credit Card? OpenSky’s secured credit card offers a lot of flexibility for funding an account, which makes it a great option for those who have thin or less-than-optimal credit files. You can choose from using a debit card, writing a check, or for the unbanked, a Western Union transfer or mailing in a money order. Get the most value from it by using it responsibly. That means paying your balances in full each month so you don’t accrue interest, making payments on time and monitoring your credit score periodically to track your progress.

Although the issuer will check your credit when you apply for the First Progress Platinum Elite Mastercard® Secured Credit Card, it’s not a “hard” credit inquiry, so it doesn’t affect your credit score. That can be a benefit when every point counts. Although it’s always best to pay your credit card in full each month, especially when you’re trying to build credit, the low interest rate on the First Progress Platinum Prestige Mastercard® Secured Credit Card takes a much smaller bite when you do carry a balance. The downside: A substantial annual fee.

The ideal recipient of a secured credit card is someone who has never owned a credit card or any other type of credit account, such as a loan. Such prospective customers have what’s known as a “thin file”, with minimal data at credit bureaus about their payment activity, and so will especially benefit from the credit history a secured credit card will help to build. Those with poor or bad credit, because of irresponsible credit behavior in the past, can potentially gain the same advantage from a secured card. More even than credit newcomers, these customers’ actions—such as habitual late payments, credit defaults, and bankruptcy declarations—can make lenders apprehensive. And that can leave those consumers with few if any options to rebuild their credit other than a secured card.

The APR on this card is one of its standout benefits; it’s astonishingly low for a secured credit card and competitive with standard credit cards. While it’s usually best not to carry a balance on a secured credit, if you do need to do so, then the Primor card is one of the best options. Is There An Annual Fee? Yes, $39 per annum. Read more: ‘Unbiased Primor Secured Credit Card Review’ » Do They Perform A Credit Check? No, so you don’t have to be concerned about a record of a search on your credit file, and you can definitely obtain a card. See more info at 2021’s Best Secured Credit Cards.