The best credit cards for bad credit of July 2026

A credit score below 580 puts you in the bad credit category. If you fall within this range, you'll likely have trouble qualifying for a credit card, but that doesn't mean all hope is lost.

Even with a credit score that needs some work, there are still opportunities for you to get approved for a credit card; you just need to find the right one. While none of these will get you into airport lounges, they're great starting points — and some still offer rewards.

CNBC Select breaks down the best credit cards for people with bad credit, so you can choose a card designed to help you build credit. (See our methodology for more information on how we choose the best credit cards for bad credit.)

Who's this for? If you're looking for a secured card with a low deposit, the Capital One Platinum Secured Credit Card is your best option. This card has no annual fee and minimum security deposits starting as low as $49, $99 or $200, based on your creditworthiness.

Standout benefits: If you qualify for the low $49 or $99 deposits, you'll still receive at least a $200 credit limit. By using your card responsibly and making on-time payments, you may be able to improve your credit score — and be automatically considered for a credit line increase in as little as six months.

Who's this for? If you have bad credit and have struggled to be approved for cards in the past, you may want to consider a card that doesn't perform a credit check. The opensky® Secured Visa® Credit Card doesn't pull your credit when you apply.

Standout benefits: This card doesn't require a credit check and, on average, OpenSky users improve their credit scores by 50 points in six months.

Who's this for? The DCU Visa® Platinum Secured Credit Card offers one of the lowest interest rates for a no-annual-fee secured card at a variable APR of 15% to 18%, depending on your creditworthiness. While it's never recommended to carry a balance, if you do, the lower the APR, the better.

Standout benefits: The card does come with some additional perks that are uncommon in cards geared toward those with bad credit. These include protections like travel insurance, an auto rental collision damage waiver and extended warranty protection.

Who's this for? If you're looking for a card with some of the lowest fees, the Chime Card^™ doesn't charge annual fees, maintenance fees, international fees or interest.

Standout benefits: While the card does require a credit check, it's not a hard check, so it won't impact your credit score even if you are denied. The card also offers Chime's® SpotMe®² feature, which allows you to overdraft your account by up to $200 with no overdraft fees. The next time you make a deposit, it will be applied to your negative balance.

Who's this for? You can get approved for the Chase Freedom Rise with limited or fair credit, making it a great option for those who haven't owned a credit card yet. You can improve your approval odds by having a Chase checking or savings account with at least $250 in it.

Standout benefits: The card earns 3% cash back on dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery services, on up to $6,000 spent in the first six months. It also earns 1.5% back on all other purchases. You'll also receive a $25 statement credit for enrolling in automatic payments within the first three months, which also helps practice good credit habits.

Secured cards are typically the best choice for people with bad credit. These cards require a security deposit (often $200) that becomes your line of credit. When you use your secured card responsibly — paying your bill on time and in full each month — your credit score will start to improve.

Once you establish a fair (580 to 669) or good credit score (670 to 739), you can graduate to an unsecured card or apply for a new card. (Check out the difference between secured cards and unsecured cards.)

One of the most consistent ways you can build your credit is being approved for a credit card (secured or unsecured) that reports to all three credit bureaus and maintaining healthy spending habits, like paying your bill on time and in full. While this won't cause your score to increase drastically, you should start seeing gradual improvements fairly quickly.

Using a credit card isn't the only way to improve your credit score; certain services like Experian Boost can help earn you credit for paying bills that wouldn't otherwise be tracked, like your rent or phone bills. Once you sign up for your free Experian Boost account, you can link it to your checking or savings accounts or credit cards. You can then select any qualifying payments from the past two years and have them added to your Experian credit file.

If you have a family member or trusted friend with a credit card, you could ask to be added as an authorized user on their account, provided they have good habits. As an authorized user, when the card issuer reports the account to credit bureaus, they'll be added to your account as well. Both positive and negative behavior will be reported, so make sure you have a good relationship with whoever you'd be asking.

At CNBC Select, our mission is to provide our readers with high-quality service journalism and comprehensive consumer advice so they can make informed decisions with their money. Every credit card review is based on rigorous reporting by our team of expert writers and editors with extensive knowledge of credit card products. While CNBC Select earns a commission from affiliate partners on many offers and links, we create all our content without input from our commercial team or any outside third parties, and we pride ourselves on our journalistic standards and ethics. See our methodology for more information on how we choose the best credit cards for bad credit.

To determine which credit cards offer the best value, CNBC Select analyzed many of the most popular credit cards available in the U.S. We compared each card on a range of features, including: annual fee, minimum security deposit, credit limit, rewards program, introductory and standard APR, welcome bonuses and foreign transaction fees, as well as factors such as required credit score and customer reviews when available. We also took into account how easy it is to upgrade the card from secured to unsecured and how quickly you can get your security deposit back.

Because it's unusual for secured credit cards to have robust rewards programs, we did not specifically analyze how many rewards points you can earn in the first year, but did consider rewards overall. For cardholders who are looking to rebuild credit, it's more important to practice good credit card habits — spending within your means, paying your balance on time and in full — than try to optimize your points balance.

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Click here to view the Cardholder Agreement for the opensky® Secured Visa® Credit Card.

¹ Chime is a financial technology company, not a bank. Banking services provided by The Bancorp Bank, N.A. or Stride Bank, N.A., Members FDIC. The Chime Visa® Debit Card and The secured Chime Visa® Credit Card are issued by The Bancorp Bank, N.A. or Stride Bank, N.A. pursuant to a license from Visa U.S.A. Inc. and may be used everywhere Visa debit and credit cards are accepted. Please see the back of your Card for its issuing bank.

² SpotMe^® on Credit is an optional, no interest/no fee overdraft line of credit tied to the Secured Deposit Account. SpotMe on Debit is an optional, no fee service attached to your Chime Checking Account (individually or collectively, "SpotMe"). Eligibility for SpotMe requires $200 or more in qualifying direct deposits to your Chime Checking Account each month. Qualifying members will be allowed to overdraw their Chime Checking Account and/or their Secured Deposit Account up to $20 in total, but may be later eligible for a higher combined limit of up to $200 or more based on member's Chime account history, direct deposit frequency and amount, spending activity and other risk-based factors. Your SpotMe Limit will be displayed to you within the Chime mobile app. You will receive notice of any changes to your SpotMe Limit. SpotMe for Credit and SpotMe on Debit share a single SpotMe limit. Your SpotMe Limit may change at any time, at Chime or its banking partners' discretion. Although there are no overdraft fees, there may be out-of-network or third-party fees associated with ATM transactions or OTC cash withdrawal fees at retailers. SpotMe won't cover non-card transactions, including ACH transfers, Pay Anyone transfers, or Chime Checkbook transactions. SpotMe terms and conditions.