Building credit can be challenging – especially if you are entirely new to credit cards. If you’re looking for some options, the Milestone Mastercard and the Verve Mastercard are two popular credit-building candidates. But which card is right for you?
Milestone® Mastercard® or Verve Mastercard®: Which Is Right for You?
Both the Milestone® Mastercard® and Verve Mastercard® are commonly-spotted credit card offers amongst those building their credit score, but which option is right for your credit journey? Let’s break down both cards into some key metrics:
Pre-Qualification Before Applying
Applying for a credit card often requires a credit check. These credit checks (or credit inquiries) normally look at your entire credit history and are known as “hard inquiries.” This means the bank pulls your full credit report before deciding on your credit card application. If you apply for a credit card and are declined, your credit score will likely take a minor hit. One way to avoid a negative impact on your credit score before getting a new credit card is by pre-qualifying before you apply.
Do the Milestone and Verve Cards Offer Pre-Qualification?
The Verve Mastercard does not provide online prequalification or preapproval. Despite this, Continental Finance may send out preapproved credit card offers by mail. Milestone also provides preapproval mail offers via pre-sorted mail. Additionally, Milestone provides a quick, online prequalification for potential applicants.
How to Apply
Here is all the information you’ll need to apply for both credit cards:
What Information Do You Need to Apply for a Milestone Mastercard?
- Full name
- Address
- Email address
- Contact phone number
- Date of birth
- Social Security Number
- Monthly income
- Monthly expenses
What Information Do You Need to Apply for the Verve Mastercard?
- Full name
- Address
- Email address
- Contact phone number
- Date of birth
- Social Security Number
- Monthly income
- SSN (for identification/verification purposes)
- External bank account information
Credit Score Needed
Because both cards are designed for those building or repairing credit, the typical FICO credit score for an applicant for the Milestone and Verve Cards is around 600 to 640. Both credit cards are available for applicants with credit scores ranging from 300 to 850.
Starting Credit Limits
The Milestone Mastercard has a $300 credit limit. Because Milestone charges the annual fee immediately, the starting credit limit will vary between $201 and $265. Once the annual fee is paid, the credit limit will return to $300.
The Verve Mastercard has a variable credit limit. New accounts can expect a starting credit limit of between $300 and $1,000. Like Milestone, the starting credit limit will vary depending on the annual fee.
Credit Limit Increases
The Verve Mastercard may offer cardholders a credit limit increase. For cardholders that make their first dix monthly payments on time, their initial credit limit will double. This means $300 to $1,000 becomes $600 to $2,000 – a generous increase.
The Milestone Mastercard does not currently provide credit limit increases. According to the card’s own FAQ page, “there is not a credit limit increase program at this time.”
Annual Fees
Annual fees with credit repair cards vary significantly. Cardholders can expect a higher annual fee, the lower their starting FICO or VantageScore credit score. As a general rule, expect to pay a yearly fee of up to $100 for a credit card of this type, with some charging significantly higher fees and no annual fees.
The Milestone Mastercard features a variable annual fee of between $35 and $99. Again, these yearly fees will vary depending on your offer.
The Verve Mastercard comes with a similar annual fee structure to the Milestone Mastercard but with a greater variation in additional fees and monthly maintenance charges. The Verve Card’s annual fee ranges as high as $99, with monthly servicing fees of $10 required for those with poor credit. There is also a one-time setup fee, currently $30.
Rewards
Neither Verve nor Milestone offers cash back rewards or points on select purchases. Neither 0% intro APR periods nor sign-up bonuses are associated with the cards.
Payment Network
Both the Verve and Milestone Card operate on the Mastercard payment network. While the Mastercard payment network is smaller than the Visa network, Mastercard products are accepted in more countries than Visa. Where the Visa logo can be seen in 200 countries, Mastercard is currently accepted in 212 countries worldwide.
Here is what cardholders can expect from Mastercard:
| Zero Liability Protection | Mastercard Global Services | ID Theft Protection |
Recap
Here is a quick recap of all the features of both cards:
 Milestone® Mastercard® |
 Verve Mastercard® |
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Related Article: The Best Credit Cards for Fair Credit
Featured image by Gam-Ol / PixaBay
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