9 Best Visa Credit Cards for Bad Credit (Feb. 2024)

Just because your credit is less than ideal doesn’t mean that you can’t find a decent credit card. In this article, we’ll take a look at the best Visa credit cards for bad credit.

When it comes to a long day of shopping, few things are as inconvenient — and potentially embarrassing — as getting to the front of the line and finding out the store doesn’t accept your credit card network. This usually means scrabbling through your wallet for some way to pay, or, worse, slinking out of the store without your selections.

As the first major credit card network, Visa has long held the lion’s share of the credit card market, and the network is still one of the most likely to be accepted, particularly on an international scale. Additionally, Visa has a large number of bank issuer partnerships, making it possible for most consumers to find the right Visa card for them.

And this is true even for those consumers with poor credit. Not only can you find Visa card issuers with flexible credit requirements, but you may have your pick of secured, unsecured, rewards, and prepaid card options.

Unsecured | Rewards | Secured | Prepaid

Best “Unsecured” Visa Credit Cards for Bad Credit

The most common type of credit card, and the one most likely to come to mind is your everyday unsecured card, which doesn’t require a down payment or any other form of security. Because unsecured cards present the highest risk to issuers, they will be the hardest to obtain for those with poor credit, unless you choose an issuer that specifically lends to subprime consumers like our expert-rated picks below.

1. Total Visa® Card

4.5 / 5.0 APPLY NOW »

• Earn 1% cash back rewards on payments made to your Total Credit Card
• Checking Account Required
• $300 credit limit (subject to available credit)
• No security deposit, simply pay a one-time $95 program fee to open your account.*
• User friendly Mobile App.
• *See Rates, Fees, Costs & Limitations for complete offer details
• See Total Card Visa Rewards Programs Terms & Conditions for details
• See official site, terms, and details »

Interest Rate	35.99%*
Reports Monthly	Yes
Application Length	9 minutes
Reputation Score	8.5/10

You’ll need an active checking account to apply for the Total Visa® Unsecured Credit Card. You can choose from one of six card designs, and qualifying applicants will receive an initial $300 credit line.

2. First Access Visa® Card

3.9 / 5.0 APPLY NOW »

• Earn 1% cash back rewards on payments made to your First Access Credit Card
• Checking Account Required
• $300 credit limit (subject to available credit)
• No security deposit, simply pay a one-time $95 program fee to open your account.*
• User friendly Mobile App.
• *See Rates, Fees, Costs & Limitations for complete offer details
• See First Access Rewards Programs Terms & Conditions for details
• See official site, terms, and details »

Interest Rate	35.99%*
Reports Monthly	Yes
Application Length	10 minutes
Reputation Score	8.0/10

This card has very flexible credit requirements and considers applicants with all types of credit. The card reports monthly to all three major credit bureaus.

While unsecured credit cards won’t require any sort of down payment, your new card may come with a variety of other fees, including an annual or monthly maintenance fee, an initial processing fee, or other program fees.

Best “Rewards” Visa Credit Cards for Bad Credit

Credit cards with purchase rewards are a rarity in the subprime market, with Credit One Bank standing out as one of the few issuers to offer them. Credit One Bank has been issuing credit cards for more than 20 years and offers a range of subprime cards for all credit types. All Credit One credit cards report to the three credit bureaus, so they can be used to build your credit score by making on-time payments each billing cycle.

3. Credit One Bank® Platinum Visa® for Rebuilding Credit

This offer is currently not available.

With your Credit One credit card, you can choose to pick your credit card design from a range of available options. Keep in mind that a fee may apply for custom cards.

Best “Secured” Visa Credit Cards for Bad Credit

Secured credit cards are good options for those with poor credit because they are secured by a fully refundable deposit made when you open the account. Since there is minimal risk to the card issuer, secured cards often have lower interest rates and fees than subprime unsecured credit cards, but will operate exactly like an unsecured card in all other respects.

4. Applied Bank® Secured Visa® Gold Preferred® Credit Card

The Applied Bank® Secured Visa® Gold Preferred® Credit Card can help cardholders build their credit with on-time payments, because the issuer reports payments to the credit bureaus.

• 9.99% fixed APR
• No credit check or minimum credit score required
• Pay a $48 annual fee

This card requires a $200 minimum deposit to open an account, with a $1,000 maximum deposit at the time of application. However, you can request a credit limit increase of up to $5,000 after obtaining the card.

5. OpenSky® Secured Visa® Credit Card

4.7 / 5.0 APPLY NOW »

• New feature! Earn up to 10% cash back* on everyday purchases
• No credit check to apply. Zero credit risk to apply!
• Looking to build or rebuild your credit? 2 out of 3 OpenSky cardholders increase their credit score by an average of 41 points in just 3 months
• Get free monthly access to your FICO score in our mobile application
• Build your credit history across 3 major credit reporting agencies: Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion
• Add to your mobile wallet and make purchases using Apple Pay, Samsung Pay and Google Pay
• Fund your card with a low $200 refundable security deposit to get a $200 credit line
• Apply in less than 5 minutes with our mobile first application
• Choose the due date that fits your schedule with flexible payment dates
• Fund your security deposit over 60 days with the option to make partial payments
• Over 1.4 Million Cardholders Have Used OpenSky Secured Credit Card To Improve Their Credit
• *See Rewards Terms and Conditions for more information
• See official site, terms, and details »

Interest Rate	25.64% (variable)
Reports Monthly	Yes
Application Length	9 minutes
Reputation Score	7.0/10

The OpenSky® Secured Visa® Credit Card is a solid option for any credit score, as it doesn’t require a credit check to qualify. Deposits start at $200, and your credit line will be equal to the size of your deposit.

You can request a credit limit increase from OpenSky at any time. A credit limit increase will require an additional deposit, and you may be assessed a fee.

6. Wells Fargo Secured Credit Card

The Wells Fargo Secured Credit Card gives you a credit limit equal to your deposit, with a maximum credit limit of $10,000. You can increase the size of your credit limit at any time by adding to your deposit. Additional deposits must be made in increments of $100.

• Minimum deposit amount of $300
• Potential to upgrade to unsecured card
• Pay a $25 annual fee

Wells Fargo will periodically review your account, and those cardholders who demonstrate responsible credit card use with their Wells Fargo Secured card may qualify for an automatic upgrade to an unsecured credit card.

So long as you keep your secured credit card account in good standing — i.e., don’t default on your balance — your full deposit will be returned to you when you close the account. If your secured credit card balance becomes delinquent, the credit card issuer may close your account and use your deposit to cover the delinquent amount.

Best “Prepaid” Visa Credit Cards for Bad Credit

As a line of credit, a credit card will impact your credit score from beginning to end, starting with the hard credit inquiry from the application. Depending on your situation, you may wish to avoid the credit complications entirely, but you may not want to miss out on the convenience of paying with plastic. A prepaid Visa card can be a good compromise, offering the ability to make purchases anywhere Visa is accepted without impacting your credit profile.

7. Netspend® Visa® Prepaid Card

Cardholders can use the Netspend® Visa® Prepaid Card anywhere Visa debit cards are accepted. The card charges no late fees or interest charges because it is not a credit card.

• Get paid up to 2 days faster with direct deposit
• Payback Rewards — earn cash back for many of your everyday purchases
• No credit check or activation fee required

Features include mobile deposits, account text alerts, customized card images, cash back rewards, and more.

8. Chase Liquid® Prepaid Card

The Chase Liquid® Prepaid Card allows users to make fee-free transactions by PIN or by signature, as well as online, though it does charge a small $4.95 monthly fee.

• Add funds through direct deposit, cash loads at Chase branch, bank transfer, or check deposits
• Pay $0 for PIN or signature transactions
• Pay $4.95 monthly fee

In addition to paying $0 for transactions, cardholders can use Chase ATMs to make fee-free withdrawals, plus enjoy multiple free ways to add funds to their card.

Get a Card Accepted Nearly Everywhere

Whether you spent hours browsing to pick out the perfect items, or just minutes tracking down the items on your carefully crafted list, no shopper wants to get to the checkout counter and be unable to check out due to an incompatible credit card network. With a Visa in your wallet, the odds of a merchant turning away your card are minuscule, giving you the confidence to shop without worry.