The best secured credit card in September 2026 is the BankAmericard Secured Credit Card, because it pairs a $0 annual fee with a 25.99% variable purchase APR, the lowest rate of any no-fee secured card here that charges interest, on a deposit of $200 to $5,000. If $200 is more than you can put down, Capital One Platinum Secured opens a credit line of at least $200 on a refundable deposit of $49, $99 or $200.
Key takeaways
- The lowest advertised entry deposit is $49, at Capital One Platinum Secured and Discover it Secured, and both still open a credit line of at least $200.
- One issuer publishes a graduation month. Citi says customers “are reviewed for graduation starting at 9 months for early graduation, and then reviewed on a 12 month basis.”
- Applied Bank’s 9.99% fixed rate is the lowest APR here and still costs more for most people, because of a $48 annual fee and a disclosure stating “There is no grace period on this account.”
- Chime Credit Builder takes no credit check, no minimum deposit and no interest, but publishes no path to an unsecured card.
- Every no-fee card here with a published APR prices below 30.0%, the CFPB’s measured average APR on new general purpose cards issued in 2024 to consumers scoring under 620.
How this page was made. Every rate, fee and deposit figure below was read off the issuer’s own product page or rates-and-fees disclosure, never another roundup. Reviewed by Alexander Katsman, founder of Credit Booster. Last reviewed: 11 September 2026.
How we tested: 15 cards, 9 data points each
We evaluated 15 secured cards and recorded 9 data points for each: minimum deposit, maximum deposit, annual fee, purchase APR, fixed or variable, grace period, three-bureau reporting, published graduation policy, and whether a credit check is required. Weights, applied by us: first-year cost 35%, deposit accessibility 20%, published graduation path 20%, three-bureau reporting 15%, approval friction 10%.
A card appears in the ranked list only if we could read its annual fee, deposit range and reporting policy on the issuer’s own site. The rest are named below.
Secured card deposits and fees compared
| Card | Annual fee | Min deposit | Max deposit | Purchase APR | 3 bureaus | Published graduation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BankAmericard Secured | $0 | $200 | $5,000 | 25.99% variable | Yes | Periodic review, no month |
| Discover it Secured Cash Back | $0 | $49 advertised | Not published | Prime plus 19.74% | Yes | On a “positive track record” |
| Capital One Platinum Secured | $0 | $49 | Not published | 28.99% variable | Yes | Deposit returned on review, no month |
| Capital One Quicksilver Secured | $0 | $200 | Not published | 28.99% variable | Yes | Upgrade to unsecured Quicksilver |
| Citi Secured Mastercard | $0 | $200 | $2,500 | Not published | ”Major bureaus,” monthly | Review at 9 months, then every 12 |
| Applied Bank Secured Visa Gold | $48 | $200 | $1,000 at opening | 9.99% fixed | Yes | None published |
| Chime Credit Builder Visa | $0 | No minimum | Not published | No interest | Yes | None published |
Citi and U.S. Bank do not print the purchase APR on the product page at all, only in the application disclosure.
What does a secured credit card cost in the first year?
Method: simple interest, the card’s purchase APR on a flat $300 balance held twelve months. It ignores compounding and minimum payments, so each figure is a floor, not a forecast.
| Card | Annual fee | Interest, paid in full | Interest, carrying $300 | Year one, paid in full | Year one, carrying $300 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BankAmericard Secured | $0 | $0 | $77.97 | $0 | $77.97 |
| Discover it Secured Cash Back | $0 | $0 | $79.47 | $0 | $79.47 |
| Capital One Platinum Secured | $0 | $0 | $86.97 | $0 | $86.97 |
| Capital One Quicksilver Secured | $0 | $0 | $86.97 | $0 | $86.97 |
| Applied Bank Secured Visa Gold | $48 | Accrues from transaction date | $29.97 | $48 plus interest | $77.97 |
| Chime Credit Builder Visa | $0 | $0 | No revolving balance | $0 | Not applicable |
The Applied Bank row is why this table exists. A 9.99% fixed APR is the lowest here by a wide margin, and the $48 fee still lands it at exactly $77.97 for the year, identical to Bank of America’s 25.99% card. Pay in full every month and the 9.99% card becomes the most expensive here while the 25.99% card is free.
Discover’s figure needs a note. Its pricing schedule shows 27.24% as of 30 June 2025, when prime was 7.50%, and states the purchase APR “is equal to the Prime Rate plus a margin of 19.74%.” That margin on the 6.75% prime the St. Louis Fed published for 9 September 2026 produces the 26.49% used above.
Best low APR with no annual fee: BankAmericard Secured
Deposit: $200 minimum, $5,000 maximum Annual fee: $0 Purchase APR: 25.99% variable Reports to: all three nationwide credit reporting companies Graduates: Bank of America will “periodically review your account” and you “may qualify to have your security deposit returned.” No month published. Credit check: required. The issuer does not say if the pull is hard or soft. Verified: Bank of America product page
Why we chose it. Cheapest no-fee card here to carry a balance on, and the $5,000 ceiling means a larger deposit buys a larger limit, the fastest lever on utilization. Weakness: no published graduation month.
Best rewards: Discover it Secured Cash Back
Deposit: “Refundable deposits as low as $49 unlock credit lines starting at $200” on the product page. The cardmember agreement dated 30 June 2025 states the minimum “will not be less than $200.” Annual fee: $0 Purchase APR: prime plus a 19.74% margin, or 26.49% at the 6.75% prime published for 9 September 2026 Rewards: 5% cash back on rotating quarterly categories on activation, 1% on everything else, plus an unlimited match of first-year cash back Reports to: all three nationwide credit reporting companies Graduates: “When you establish a positive track record, you’ll earn your deposit back and upgrade to the Discover it Cash Back Credit Card.” No month published. Credit check: required Verified: Discover product page and Secured Cardmember Agreement CMASECDI063025
Why we chose it. No other card here pays 5% on anything, and the first-year match is real money on a no-fee card. Note the discrepancy between the $49 advertised and the $200 floor in the agreement, so confirm at application. More in our Discover it Secured review.
Best low deposit: Capital One Platinum Secured
Deposit: “A $49, $99 or $200 minimum refundable deposit opens your account with an initial credit line of at least $200.” Annual fee: $0 Purchase APR: 28.99% variable Rewards: none Reports to: all three nationwide credit reporting companies Graduates: no month published. “Your security deposit will be returned and your account unsecured.” The widely quoted six months refers to “a credit line increase in as little as six months.” Credit check: required Verified: Capital One product page
Why we chose it. A $49 deposit that still opens a $200 line breaks the link between the cash you have today and the credit you get. Capital One also publishes a figure: “Over 2.4 million Capital One secured card customers since 2016 have seen an increase in their credit score at or after the seventh month since account opening with responsible card use.” More in our Capital One Platinum Secured review.
Best flat-rate cash back: Capital One Quicksilver Secured Rewards
Deposit: $200 minimum refundable deposit, initial credit line of at least $200 Annual fee: $0 Purchase APR: 28.99% variable Rewards: unlimited 1.5% cash back on every purchase Reports to: all three nationwide credit reporting companies Graduates: upgrade to an unsecured Quicksilver card with responsible use Credit check: required Verified: Capital One product page
Why we chose it. Same issuer and APR as the Platinum Secured, with 1.5% back and no categories to activate. The trade is a flat $200 deposit, no $49 tier.
Best published graduation timeline: Citi Secured Mastercard
Deposit: $200 to $2,500, in $100 increments Annual fee: $0 Purchase APR: variable, not printed on the product page Reports to: “Citi reports to major credit bureaus monthly” Graduates: “Customers are reviewed for graduation starting at 9 months for early graduation, and then reviewed on a 12 month basis.” Credit check: required Verified: Citi product page
Why we chose it. Citi is the only issuer here publishing a graduation month at all, worth more than a headline rate if your real goal is getting the deposit back. The missing APR is why it is not ranked first.
Best fixed APR: Applied Bank Secured Visa Gold Preferred
Deposit: $200 minimum, $1,000 maximum at opening, $5,000 total thereafter Annual fee: $48, billed when the account opens. Applied Bank spells out the effect: “if your Account was established with a credit line of $200, your initial available credit will be $152.” Purchase APR: 9.99% fixed, on purchases and cash advances Grace period: none. “We will begin charging interest on purchases and cash advances on the transaction date.” Reports to: all three nationwide credit reporting companies Graduates: no path published Credit check: required Verified: Applied Bank Terms and Conditions
Why we chose it. The only fixed-rate card here, and 9.99% is the lowest number on the board. It is also the only one with no grace period, no graduation path, and a fee that consumes 24% of a minimum credit line on day one. Our Applied Bank Secured Visa requirements guide covers approval criteria.
Best for no credit check: Chime Credit Builder Visa
Deposit: no minimum. Money you move in becomes your spending limit. Annual fee: $0 Interest: none charged Reports to: TransUnion, Experian and Equifax Graduates: no unsecured upgrade path published Credit check: none to apply Requirement: a Chime Checking Account Verified: Chime product page
Why we chose it. No credit check, no fee, no interest and no minimum deposit is the lowest barrier here, and all credit profiles are accepted. What you give up is a limit that can outgrow your cash.
How a secured card actually moves your score
A secured card does one thing for your credit: it creates a monthly stream of reported data. The CFPB puts it plainly, noting that with a secured card “The payments you make are reported to the three nationwide credit reporting companies.” FICO publishes its category weights directly: payment history 35% and amounts owed 30%, together 65% of the score. On utilization, the CFPB states that “Experts advise keeping your use of credit at no more than 30 percent of your total credit limit.” On a $200 limit that is a $60 statement balance.
Expect 30 to 60 points over a clean first year. The top of that range is anchored to research: the CFPB’s 2020 study of credit builder loans measured an effect of up to 60 points for participants with no existing debt, against an average starting score of 560. That study looked at loans rather than cards, and found no comparable benefit for people already carrying debt. Nobody can guarantee a number, and any company promising one is offering something the law does not permit.
Know what the deposit legally is. Under Regulation Z at 12 CFR 1026.12(d)(2), an issuer may hold a consensual security interest in your deposit, but only if you affirmatively agree and it is disclosed at account opening. The money is yours, and genuinely at risk if you default. Our guide to how secured card graduation works walks the timeline.
A secured card cannot remove accurate negative information. FCRA Section 611, at 15 U.S.C. 1681i, gives a credit reporting company 30 days to investigate, and that process only reaches information that is inaccurate, incomplete or unverifiable. A correctly reported late payment stays until it ages off. A secured card adds good data alongside it.
Cards we considered and excluded, and why
- U.S. Bank Secured Visa and Altitude Go Secured Visa. Cost of entry. The $300 minimum deposit is 50% above the category standard, and neither product page prints the purchase APR.
- OpenSky Secured Visa and OpenSky Plus Secured Visa. Verification. We could not read the current fee, deposit range and APR on the issuer’s own site during this review, and we do not republish another roundup’s numbers. Our OpenSky secured card review covers it separately.
- First Progress Platinum Prestige, Platinum Select and Credit One Platinum Secured. Same verification reason.
- Self Visa Credit Card. Category mismatch. The deposit is not cash you put down, it is savings built in a Self Credit Builder Account.
- Any American Express secured card. There is not one, which is why a search for an Amex secured card returns other issuers’ products. Build first, then apply, using our American Express credit score requirements.
How secured card APRs compare to the wider market
Secured cards have a reputation for punitive pricing. The CFPB’s data says otherwise. From its December 2025 Consumer Credit Card Market Report, Figure 85, average APR on new general purpose accounts:
| Credit score band | Average APR, 2024 |
|---|---|
| Under 620 | 30.0% |
| 620 to 639 | 29.9% |
| 640 to 659 | 29.4% |
| 660 to 679 | 29.2% |
| 680 to 699 | 29.0% |
| 700 to 719 | 28.7% |
| 720 to 739 | 28.2% |
| 740 to 759 | 27.3% |
| 760 and above | 25.8% |
| All new accounts | 27.5% |
Read the top row against the first table here. Bank of America at 25.99%, Discover at 26.49% and Capital One at 28.99% all price below the 30.0% average a consumer scoring under 620 paid on a new card in 2024, and the first two beat the 27.5% average across every new account at any score. The deposit is not the price of a bad rate. It is what buys you a normal one.
Credit Booster AI reads all three of your credit reports, flags entries that look inaccurate or unverifiable, and drafts the letters that challenge them. It works alongside a secured card, not instead of one, and it cannot remove anything accurately reported.
Sources
All issuer pages and disclosures were pulled 11 September 2026.
- Bank of America, BankAmericard Secured Credit Card.
- Discover it Secured Cash Back product page.
- Discover Secured Cardmember Agreement and Pricing Schedule, CMASECDI063025, terms as of 30 June 2025.
- Capital One Platinum Secured.
- Capital One Quicksilver Secured Rewards.
- Citi Secured Mastercard.
- Applied Bank Secured Visa Gold Preferred Terms and Conditions.
- Chime Credit Builder.
- CFPB, Consumer Credit Card Market Report, December 2025, Figure 85.
- CFPB, Targeting Credit Builder Loans, July 2020.
- CFPB, How do I get and keep a good credit score?
- CFPB, What are some ways to start or rebuild a good credit history?
- Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, Bank Prime Loan Rate, 6.75% on 9 September 2026.
- FICO, What’s in my FICO Scores?
- 12 CFR 1026.12, Special credit card provisions.
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Get the AppFrequently Asked Questions
What is the best secured credit card in 2026?
The BankAmericard Secured Credit Card carries the lowest verified purchase APR of any interest-charging no-fee secured card we checked, at 25.99% variable, with a $200 minimum deposit and a $5,000 maximum, confirmed on Bank of America's own product page on 11 September 2026. Capital One Platinum Secured is the better pick if $200 is out of reach, because it opens a credit line of at least $200 on a refundable deposit of $49, $99 or $200.
How much deposit do I need for a secured credit card?
Most secured cards set the floor at $200. Capital One accepts $49, $99 or $200 and still opens a credit line of at least $200. Discover advertises refundable deposits as low as $49, although its cardmember agreement dated 30 June 2025 still states a $200 minimum, so confirm the figure at application. Citi takes $200 to $2,500 in $100 increments. U.S. Bank starts at $300.
Does a secured credit card really raise your credit score?
A secured card raises a score only through the data it reports: on-time payments and low utilization. The CFPB's 2020 credit builder loan study measured an effect of up to 60 points for borrowers with no existing debt, against an average starting score of 560. Realistic movement from a well-used secured card is roughly 30 to 60 points over the first year. No issuer and no app can guarantee a specific number.
Which secured cards graduate you to an unsecured card, and when?
Citi is the only issuer among the seven cards ranked here that publishes a month: customers are reviewed for graduation starting at nine months for early graduation, then on a twelve month basis. Capital One's widely quoted six months describes eligibility for a credit line increase, not the return of your deposit. Discover returns the deposit once you establish a positive track record but names no month, and Applied Bank publishes no graduation path at all.
Does American Express offer a secured credit card?
American Express does not offer a traditional secured credit card in the United States, so there is no Amex secured card to apply for. Build the file first with a no-fee secured card from Bank of America, Capital One, Citi or Discover, then apply to American Express once your score and history support it. Bank of America, Capital One and Discover each report to Equifax, Experian and TransUnion; Citi states only that it reports to the major credit bureaus monthly.
