Credit Cards for Fair Credit

If you don’t have a long credit history or are rebuilding your credit after some minor credit problems, these credit cards for fair or limited credit offer a combination of better terms and a higher chance of approval.

Capital One® Cash Rewards

Great For: Cash back rewards and low intro rates.

Credit Needed: Fair

Average Approved Score: 617

Lowest Approved Score: 559

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  • 50% bonus on the cash back you earn every year
  • 1% cash back on all purchases
  • Earn unlimited cash back that doesn’t expire
  • Redeem cash back anytime for any amount, even set automatic redemptions
  • Personalize your card with an image of your choice
  • 0% intro APR on purchases until March 2014
Intro APR
Purchases		 Intro Term
Purchases		 Intro APR
Balance Transfers		 Intro Term
Balance Transfers		 Regular APR Annual Fee
0% until March 2014 N/A N/A 19.8%* Variable $39

Capital One® Classic Platinum Credit Card

Great For: Low introductory rates and customizable card design.

Credit Needed: Fair

Average Approved Score: 613

Lowest Approved Score: 553

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  • 0% intro APR on purchases until March 2014
  • $0 Fraud Liability if your card is lost or stolen
  • Enjoy MasterCard benefits, including 24-hour roadside assistance and extended warranty protection
  • Pick an image for your card - choose the one shown here, any of the hundreds in our collection, or add your own
Intro APR
Purchases		 Intro Term
Purchases		 Intro APR
Balance Transfers		 Intro Term
Balance Transfers		 Regular APR Annual Fee
0% until March 2014 N/A N/A 19.8%* Variable $39

Capital One® Platinum Credit Card

Great For: Balance transfers and a low annual fee.

Credit Needed: Fair

Average Approved Score: 608

Lowest Approved Score: 547

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  • $0 intro annual fee for the first year; $19 after that
  • Image Card - personalize your card with an image of your choice
  • $0 Fraud Liability if your card is lost or stolen
  • Monitor your spending with text message alerts
Intro APR
Purchases		 Intro Term
Purchases		 Intro APR
Balance Transfers		 Intro Term
Balance Transfers		 Regular APR Annual Fee
N/A N/A N/A N/A 24.9%* Variable $0 intro for first year; $19 after that

Barclaycard® Rewards MasterCard® - Average Credit

Great For: Rewards for spending on gas and groceries

Credit Needed: Fair

Average Approved Score: 665

Lowest Approved Score: 614

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  • Earn 2,500 Bonus Points after your first purchase
  • 0% Introductory APR for 6 months on purchases and balance transfers
  • No annual fee
  • Earn 2 points per $1 on gas, grocery, and utility purchases
  • Earn 1 points per $1 everywhere else
  • Use the points you earn like cash to pay for almost any purchases you've made.
  • No blackout date, no redemption fees, no limit on the points you can earn and no complicated set up.
  • Reports to all 3 major credit bureaus monthly providing you the opportunity to rebuild your credit score
Intro APR
Purchases		 Intro Term
Purchases		 Intro APR
Balance Transfers		 Intro Term
Balance Transfers		 Regular APR Annual Fee
0% 6 Months 0% 6 Months 24.99%* Variable $0

Capital One® Cash Rewards for Newcomers

Great For: Establishing credit while earning cash back rewards.

Credit Needed: Fair

Average Approved Score: 626

Lowest Approved Score: 590

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  • A card designed to help those new to the U.S. establish credit and earn cash back
  • Build credit with responsible use--plus automatic reporting to the three major credit bureaus
  • Get 2% cash back on travel purchases
  • Earn 1% cash back on all other purchases
  • No foreign transaction fees
  • No annual fee
Intro APR
Purchases		 Intro Term
Purchases		 Intro APR
Balance Transfers		 Intro Term
Balance Transfers		 Regular APR Annual Fee
N/A N/A N/A N/A 24.9%* Variable $0

Capital One® Spark℠ Classic for Business

Great For: Building business credit with cash back rewards.

Credit Needed: Fair

Average Approved Score: 622

Lowest Approved Score: 573

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  • Enjoy no annual fee
  • Build business credit with responsible use with eligibility for an automatic credit line increase
  • Earn 1% cash back on every purchase, every day
  • Separate business expenses from personal expenses
  • $0 Fraud Liability if your card is ever lost or stolen
  • Enjoy business benefits including Year-End Summaries, employee cards at no additional cost, and experienced small business customer service
Intro APR
Purchases		 Intro Term
Purchases		 Intro APR
Balance Transfers		 Intro Term
Balance Transfers		 Regular APR Annual Fee
N/A N/A N/A N/A 22.9%* Variable $0

Credit Needed: Fair

Average Approved Score: 665

Lowest Approved Score: 614

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  • 2X points per $1 spent on gas, groceries and utilities
  • No balance transfer fee
  • Redeem for flights, shopping, dining and more
  • Use your points like cash to pay for any purchase you've made
  • No annual fee
  • No blackout dates
  • No cash back limits
Intro APR
Purchases		 Intro Term
Purchases		 Intro APR
Balance Transfers		 Intro Term
Balance Transfers		 Regular APR Annual Fee
N/A N/A N/A N/A 24.99%* Variable $0

About Credit Cards for Fair Credit

The key to good credit is managing your credit well.  If you don’t have a long credit history, or you are recovering from a minor credit problem like late payments or years of high credit card balances, you will need to prove to the credit bureaus that you can be trusted with a line of credit. Until you show them that you are responsible, they have no way to assess your credit risk.

These credit cards for fair credit offer a way for you to begin to build (or rebuild) your credit score. They offer a higher chance of approval for people with credit scores in the 500-600 range and favorable terms. Once you have your new card, to expedite the building of your credit, it is important to begin making small purchases on a monthly basis (and remembering to pay the card off in full at the end of the month).