Written by: Ashley Fricker
Edited by: Lillian Guevara-Castro
In grade school, one of the worst conditions a kid could imagine contracting wasn’t a cold, or the flu, or even the plague — it was cooties. However fictional they may be, once you were deemed to have cooties, you were persona non grata on the playground.
While most of us become immune to cooties after puberty, adults have something far worse to worry about: bad credit. Once you have it, few creditors want to get near you. And it takes a lot more than a properly rhymed cootie shot to get your credit back on track.
One credit card popular with consumers working to rebuild after coming down with a case of bad credit is the Surge Mastercard®. A subprime card option, the Surge Mastercard® welcomes applicants of all credit types. This Surge credit card review covers some of the ins and outs of the card, including what others are saying about the card, and explores some alternative options.
Our Take | Other Opinions | Applying & Use | More Options
Our Take: Credit-Builder Cards With Flexible Req’s
When you have bad credit, you’re usually aware of that bad credit — though often not until your credit card and loan applications are unceremoniously rejected. For many consumers with poor credit, the key to finding the financing necessary to start rebuilding your credit is to focus on issuers that offer credit cards specifically designed for credit building, like the Surge Mastercard® and Surge Secured Mastercard®
- Up to $1,000 credit limit doubles up to $2,000! (Simply make your first 6 monthly minimum payments on time)
- All credit types welcome to apply!
- Monthly Credit Score – Sign up for electronic statements, and get your Vantage 3.0 Score Credit Score From Experian
- Initial Credit Limit of $300 – $1,000 (subject to available credit)
- Monthly reporting to the three major credit bureaus
- See if you’re Pre-Qualified without impacting your credit score
- Fast and easy application process; results in seconds
- Online account access 24/7
- Checking Account Required
| Application Length | Interest Rate | Reports Monthly | Reputation Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9 minutes | 29.99% APR (Variable) | Yes | 8.5/10 |
Surge® Platinum Secured Mastercard®
This offer is currently not available.
| Application Length | Interest Rate | Reports Monthly | Reputation Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
While Continental Finance, the issuer of the Surge Mastercards, accepts a wide range of credit types and reports to the three major credit bureaus, there are many other things to consider before applying for one.
For one, the unsecured version doesn’t require a security deposit for approval, but the secured version does. Your security deposit will match your available credit limit, which will be returned to you after you demonstrate responsible credit usage over a predetermined period.
Additionally, the unsecured card charges several fees, including both an annual fee and (starting the second year) a monthly maintenance fee. The first year’s annual fee will be charged as soon as you open the account, reducing your initial credit limit until the fee is paid.
The secured Surge Mastercard charges an annual fee, but it also offers cash back rewards and a lower APR. If building credit is your goal, then the secured card is the better choice.
Regardless of the size of your credit limit, you’ll want to avoid carrying a balance on your Surge Mastercard®. The APR is high for even a subprime credit card, and the associated interest fees can get very expensive, very quickly. On the bright side, both cards offer a standard grace period to pay your balance before you’re charged interest fees.
Despite the fees and high APR, however, the Surge Mastercard® accepts many applicants with bad credit, and the card will report your credit behavior to the major bureaus, making it a useful tool for those who need to rebuild credit — assuming you pay it off on time each month.
Once your credit score has rebounded enough to qualify you for a better card, consider trading in your Surge Mastercard® for something better for your wallet.
What Others Are Saying About the Surge Mastercard®
As with many subprime credit cards, the Surge Mastercard® elicits some strong reactions from its reviewers. Those who have struggled to find a credit-building credit card seem to appreciate the Surge Mastercard® for its flexible credit requirements and accept that high fees are simply the price they pay for rebuilding bad credit.
Yes, there are a lot of fees. However, those fees are spelled out in the Customer Agreement form that is shown to you before your application is accepted. Also, the APR is shown in that same agreement. This company is a subprime credit card provider. The important word in that previous sentence is ‘subprime.’ Meaning, it’s offered to individuals with less than preferred or no credit. I received this card nearly 2.5 years ago. In that time, I’ve taken multiple steps to steady my financial past and begin building my credit future. Continental Finance has helped in the endeavor. — Surge Mastercard® Reviewer
On the other hand, the bulk of reviewers seem to be thoroughly unhappy with the high cost of the Surge Mastercard®, citing the high annual and monthly fees, as well as the sky-high APR, as top reasons to steer clear of the Surge Mastercard®. This seems to be true even of those who found success building their credit score using the Surge Mastercard® card.
I was quite ignorant when I got this card. Did not do much research. Having said that, my score did go from 570 to 650 within nine months of using this card. But now that I know better, I would rather get a secured card like OpenSky. — Surge Mastercard® Reviewer
Of course, like any internet review, you’ll need to take both sides into account — and then form your own opinion. Not only should you investigate the terms and fees of the Surge Mastercard®, be sure to look at your own credit situation so you can effectively explore your other available options for a credit-building card.
Applying, Checking Your Status & Using Your Card
If you decide you’d like to apply for the Surge Mastercard®, you can do so through the easy online application using the link below. You’ll need to provide standard personal and financial information, including your name, address, and income, as well as verifying that you have an active checking account (an approval requirement).
In most cases, you should receive an answer within minutes of completing your application. For some applicants, the automatic application algorithm may be unable to make a decision, so it will send your application to be reviewed by a human representative. To check the status of a pending application, you can call the Surge Mastercard® customer service at:
1-866-449-4514
You can also check your application status online through the Continental Finance sign-in portal. This is also where you can make online payments, as well as indicate your choice to receive electronic statements instead of paper bills.
When it comes to using your card, the best method for most cardholders will be to charge a small purchase on the card each month, paying off the balance entirely before the billing date to avoid interest fees. Because of the high APR, you’ll want to avoid carrying a balance from month to month when at all possible. Over time, these on-time payments will be reported to the credit bureaus, helping you build a positive payment history.
Top 3 Alternative Credit Card Options
Based on the reviews — and the rates and fees — the Surge Mastercard® may not be the right option for everyone, even those with poor credit. Thankfully, the subprime credit card market is full of issuers willing to accept a broad range of credit types, making it easy for most consumers to find other card options. You can explore some of our expert-rated credit card options below.
- Earn 3% Cash Back Rewards* on Gas, Groceries and Utility Bill Payments
- Earn 1% Cash Back Rewards* on all other eligible purchases
- Good anywhere Mastercard® is accepted
- $0 fraud liability**
- Free access to your VantageScore 4.0 credit score from TransUnion®†
*See Program Terms for important information about the cash back rewards program.
**Fraud liability subject to Mastercard® rules.
† Your credit score will be available in your online account starting 60 days after your account is opened. (Registration required.) The free VantageScore 4.0 credit score provided by TransUnion® is for educational purposes only. This score may not be used by The Bank of Missouri (the issuer of this card) or other creditors to make credit decisions.
| Application Length | Interest Rate | Reports Monthly | Reputation Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7 minutes | 29.99% or 36% Fixed | Yes | 8.0/10 |
- Up to $1,000 credit limit doubles up to $2,000! (Simply make your first 6 monthly minimum payments on time)
- See if you’re Pre-Qualified with no impact to your credit score
- All credit types welcome to apply
- Access to your Vantage 3.0 score from Experian (When you sign up for e-statements)
- Initial Credit Limit of $300 – $1,000 (subject to available credit)
- Monthly reporting to the three major credit bureaus
- Fast and easy application process; results in seconds
- Use your card at locations everywhere Mastercard® is accepted
- Checking Account Required
| Application Length | Interest Rate | Reports Monthly | Reputation Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8 minutes | 29.99% APR (Variable) | Yes | 8.0/10 |
- 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
| Application Length | Interest Rate | Reports Monthly | Reputation Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9 minutes | 35.99%* | Yes | 8.5/10 |
+See More Credit Cards for Bad Credit
When choosing the right credit card to rebuild credit, make sure the issuer will report your payments to the three major credit bureaus. You should also be careful to look at all applicable fees, especially those that will be charged right away, including annual and monthly maintenance fees, as well as any processing, program, or application fees.
Read through the terms and conditions document (sometimes called the cardholder agreement) carefully before filling out an application.
Building Credit Takes Time
As a child, many things can be downright terrifying — including bullies, boogeymen, and broccoli — but few things can be quite as scary as being face-to-face with a kid infested with cooties. Thankfully, it takes just a few moments to rid yourself of cooties-based stigma on the playground — and the risk vanishes entirely as you reach adulthood.
Unfortunately, as adults, we have far more serious threats, not the least of which is bad credit. Worse, there isn’t a rhyme in the world that can cure you of bad credit. No, it simply takes time, hard work, and, often, the right credit-building credit card.
For those willing to overlook the high rates and fees (or who have no lower-cost choices), a Surge card can be an effective way to rebuild your payment history, improve your credit utilization rate, and start treating your bad-credit ills. Once you’ve raised your credit score enough to eliminate the stigma, however, you should strongly consider trading in your Surge card for a more affordable alternative.
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