Fortiva Credit Card Review: The Verdict Up Front
Fortiva exists to approve the applications other banks decline. No deposit, challenged credit accepted, monthly bureau reporting. That is the value, and it is real.
The price is written in Fortiva’s own pricing addendum: $49 to $175 annual fee in year one, then $0 to $49, plus a $60 to $180 account maintenance fee that starts after the first year, at 29.99% or 36% APR.
Verdict: a functional bridge card with one of the heavier fee stacks in the category. If a secured card will take your deposit, it is the better deal. If not, take Fortiva for a year, pay in full, and leave.
The Full Fortiva Fee Table
From the pricing information addendum on Fortiva’s legal page:
- Annual fee: $49 to $175 the first year; after that $0 to $49
- Account maintenance fee: $60 to $180 annually, billed $5 to $15 per month, after the first year
- Purchase APR: 29.99% or 36%, based on creditworthiness
- Cash advance and balance transfer APR: 32.99% or 36%
- Cash advance fee: $10 or 5% of the advance, whichever is greater
- Balance transfer fee: 3% after the first year
- Foreign transaction fee: 3%
- Late or returned payment: up to $41 each
- Additional card: $19 one time. Paper statements: $2 a month
Worst-case year two: $49 plus $180 is $229 in fees before you spend a dollar. That is the number to compare against alternatives.
What Fortiva Gets Right
The approval engine. Atlanticus has run this program for years precisely for files with collections, charge-offs, and thin history. Prequalification is soft-pull, the card is unsecured, and reporting lands at the bureaus monthly, so responsible use genuinely rebuilds.
Fortiva also runs a cash back program on some offers; the terms sit in their legal documents and differ by account. Treat it as a bonus, not a reason.
Fortiva vs Aspire vs Imagine
Same Atlanticus machine, three brands. Aspire carries the same fee ranges and adds 3% cash back on gas, groceries, and utilities. Imagine runs through WebBank with fixed per-limit fees and the same 3% categories.
If you hold multiple offers from this family, the choice is arithmetic: lowest first-year total wins, and rewards break ties.
The Cheaper Path
The same three-bureau reporting costs almost nothing elsewhere. The Capital One Platinum Secured charges no annual fee with a deposit from $49. The OpenSky Secured Visa skips the credit check for $35 a year. Full rankings in our best secured cards guide.
Then repair the file itself. Credit Booster AI scans your TransUnion, Experian, and Equifax reports, flags likely errors, and drafts the challenge letters, for $9.99 a month. Clearing a genuine error typically moves a score 30 to 60 points, which is often exactly the distance between Fortiva’s fee tier and a mainstream card.
Bottom Line
Fortiva is honest about its prices if you read the addendum, and the addendum says: expensive. Use it when it is the only yes, autopay in full so 36% never bites, and graduate out before the maintenance fee’s second year. While it reports, download Credit Booster AI and clean the file that priced you into this tier.
Sources
- Fortiva pricing information: APR 29.99% or 36%, cash advance and balance transfer APR 32.99% or 36%, annual fee $49 to $175 then $0 to $49, account maintenance fee $60 to $180 after the first year, $2 paper statement fee: myfortiva.com/legal (verified 2026-07-25)
- Fortiva homepage: issuer, The Bank of Missouri: myfortiva.com (verified 2026-07-25)
- Capital One Platinum Secured comparison figures: capitalone.com/credit-cards/platinum-secured (verified 2026-07-20)
Related reading: The Fortiva approval requirements cover score bands and approval odds. Family reviews: Aspire and Imagine.
Fortiva fee stack vs a no-fee secured card
Two recurring fee layers and a possible 36% APR against the cheapest mainstream builder.
| Feature | Fortiva credit card | Capital One Platinum Secured |
|---|---|---|
| Annual fee, first year | $49 to $175 by offer | $0 |
| Annual fee, year 2 on | $0 to $49 | $0 |
| Account maintenance fee | $60 to $180/yr ($5 to $15/mo) after year 1 | None |
| Purchase APR | 29.99% or 36% | 29.74% variable |
| Cash advance fee | $10 or 5%, whichever is greater | None |
| Paper statement fee | $2 monthly | None |
| Security deposit | None (unsecured) | $49, $99, or $200 |
| Reports to all 3 bureaus | Yes | Yes |
Source: Fortiva pricing information addendum, myfortiva.com/legal (The Bank of Missouri). Pulled July 25, 2026.
Loving This Info? You'll Love Our App.
Everything you just read, plus AI-powered tools to understand and master your credit. 7 day free trial.
Get the AppFrequently Asked Questions
Is the Fortiva credit card good?
It is an expensive yes. Fortiva approves challenged credit with no deposit and reports to the bureaus, but its own pricing addendum lists an annual fee of $49 to $175 the first year, then $0 to $49, plus an account maintenance fee of $60 to $180 a year starting after year one, at 29.99% or 36% APR. As a rebuild tool it works; as a value proposition a no-fee secured card beats it.
What is the annual fee on the Fortiva credit card?
Fortiva's pricing information lists $49 to $175 for the first year, then $0 to $49 annually, with the exact number set by your offer. On top of that, an account maintenance fee of $60 to $180 a year, billed $5 to $15 a month, begins after the first year. Combined, a mid-range offer can cost more per year than many secured cards cost in a decade.
What APR does Fortiva charge?
29.99% or 36% on purchases based on creditworthiness, 32.99% or 36% on cash advances and balance transfers, per the pricing addendum at myfortiva.com. There is also a cash advance fee of $10 or 5% of the advance, whichever is greater. Carrying a balance at these rates gets expensive fast, so autopay in full.
Does Fortiva report to all three credit bureaus?
Yes, Fortiva reports account activity monthly, so on-time payments build your TransUnion, Experian, and Equifax files. That reporting is the reason to hold the card at all; the fees are the price of that access.
Who issues the Fortiva credit card?
The Bank of Missouri issues Fortiva Mastercard credit cards, with Atlanticus servicing the program. Atlanticus also runs the Aspire and Imagine cards, which share the same basic fee architecture, so compare all three offers if you receive more than one.
Does the Fortiva card have rewards?
Some Fortiva accounts are enrolled in a cash back rewards program; the terms live in the Cash Back Reward Program document on Fortiva's legal page and vary by offer. Do not count on rewards when deciding: price the card on its fees, and treat any cash back your offer includes as a bonus.
