Bad credit or no credit can make applying for a credit card difficult – if not almost impossible. A bad credit score disqualifies applicants for many credit cards, as lenders are often afraid of taking a chance on risky applicants. Is there another way, however? Are there credit cards that don’t require good credit? And if so, what credit cards do not have a credit check?
What Does “No Credit Check” Mean?
“No Credit Check” credit cards are something of a misleading term. When a card offer says no credit check is needed, what they mean is no hard inquiry.
Credit checks break down into two categories: hard inquiries and soft inquiries. A hard inquiry is when a lender pulls one of your credit reports to see your entire credit history. These inquiries are what most credit card, mortgage, and other loan applications require. A hard inquiry will show up on your credit report and will remain there for about two years.
A soft inquiry, in comparison, doesn’t require a full pull of your credit. When a lender does a soft pull, they check your basic credit information. These pulls occur when you check your credit score through free apps, or when a potential employer runs a background check. Soft inquiries don’t impact your credit score.
Credit Cards With No Credit Check – Secured Cards
Now that you know what “No Credit Check” really means, what cards don’t conduct a hard pull on your credit report?
Secured credit cards are your best bet if you have a damaged credit score but want a new credit card. These cards require a security deposit that also acts as the credit line. It’s this cash deposit that makes lenders much more willing to extend credit – even to those with poor credit. Many banks also don’t run credit checks for their secured card offers.
Fortunately, there are plenty of excellent secured cards that only require a soft pull of your credit and can help you repair your credit:
OpenSky® Secured Visa®
OpenSky® Secured Visa®
OpenSky® Secured Visa®
- 25.64% (variable) Regular Purchase APR
- 25.64% (variable) Cash Advance APR
At a Glance
The OpenSky® Secured Visa® is a secured credit card that offers requires a low minimum deposit and features no credit checks for approval. The card, issued by Capital Bank, provides an easy route to better credit by offering credit limits as low as $200, a moderate fixed-rate APR, and a reasonable $35 annual fee.
- Best Benefits
- Rates & Fees
- Why Should You Apply?
- Limited Time Offer: $51 funding voucher applied for all new accounts. Get a $200 credit line for $149. Click “Apply Now” to see additional terms and conditions.
- No credit check to apply. Zero credit risk to apply!
- Looking to build or rebuild your credit? 2/3 of cardholders receive a 48+ point improvement after making 3 on-time payments
- Extend your $200 credit line by getting considered for an unsecured credit line increase after 6 months – no additional deposit required!
- 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
- Join over 1.2 million cardholders who’ve used OpenSky to build their credit
- Regular Purchase APR: 25.64% (variable)
- Cash Advance APR: 25.64% (variable)
- Cash Advance Transaction Fee: Either $6 or 5% of the amount of each cash advance, whichever is greater.
- Annual Fee: $35
- Foreign Transaction Fee: 3% of each transaction in U.S. dollars
- Late Payment Penalty Fee: Up to $40
- Return Payment Penalty Fee: Up to $25
- Minimum Deposit Required: $200
- You’re struggling to get accepted for other secured credit cards
- You don’t have a credit history
- You have bad credit and want to improve your credit score
- You have a large deposit and want a quick pick-me-up for their credit score
- You want access to a useful knowledge base of credit information and resources
The OpenSky® Secured Visa® is a secured credit card that offers requires a low minimum deposit and features no credit checks for approval. The card, issued by Capital Bank, provides an easy route to better credit by offering credit limits as low as $200, a moderate fixed-rate APR, and a reasonable $35 annual fee.
Since the OpenSky Credit Card doesn’t require a pull on your credit score, how can they know who is – and isn’t – a good fit for the card? Since the card requires a security deposit, much of the worry a lender might have is greatly reduced, meaning Capital Bank only needs to verify critical parts of an applicant’s information before approving them – without checking their credit score.
Self Visa® Credit Card
Self Visa® Credit Card
Self Visa® Credit Card
- 29.24% (Variable) Regular Purchase APR
At a Glance
The Self Visa® Credit Card is a secured credit card that pairs with an existing Self Credit Builder Account. The card has no formal approval process. Instead, hopeful consumers simply need to open a Self account and save over $100 to fund the secured Visa account.
- Best Benefits
- Rates & Fees
- Why Should You Apply?
- Make at least 3 monthly payments on time, have $100 or more in savings progress in your Credit Builder Account, and be in good standing. Then, you’ll be eligible for the Self Visa Credit Card*, without a hard credit check
- Build credit and savings at the same time
- Start with a Credit Builder Account* that reports monthly payments to all 3 major credit bureaus
- At the end of your plan, unlock the savings you built — minus interest and fees
- The Self Visa® Credit Card* is accepted at millions of locations in the U.S.
- *All Credit Builder Accounts made by Lead Bank, Member FDIC, Equal Housing Lender, Sunrise Banks, N.A. Member FDIC, Equal Housing Lender or SouthState Bank, N.A. Member FDIC, Equal Housing Lender. Subject to ID Verification. Individual borrowers must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident and at least 18 years old. Valid bank account and Social Security Number are required. All loans are subject to consumer report review and approval. All Certificates of Deposit (CD) are deposited in Lead Bank, Member FDIC, Sunrise Banks, N.A., Member FDIC or SouthState Bank, N.A., Member FDIC. The Self Visa® Credit Card is issued by Lead Bank, Member FDIC, Equal Housing Lender or SouthState Bank, N.A., Member FDIC, Equal Housing Lender. Individual results will vary. Visit self.inc for more details.
- Regular Purchase APR: 29.24% (Variable)
- Annual Fee: $25
- Late Payment Penalty Fee: Up to $15
- Return Payment Penalty Fee: Up to $15
- You’re serious about raising your credit score
- You already have a Self Credit Builder Account
- You don’t mind the card’s $25 annual fee
- You plan to pay your card balance in full every month
The Self Visa® Credit Card approval process is a little different than other secured credit card accounts. Because Self is a credit builder startup, the process involves a potential applicant getting their hands dirty with the company and growing their credit portfolio.
This process begins with opening a Self Credit Builder Account. Self’s Credit Builder Account is a unique loan product where individuals with no credit history or poor credit open a loan account to “pay off” the loan into a certificate of deposit (CD) account.
Once the account holder makes three monthly payments on time – and has more than $100 in their CD account, they can select to open a Self Visa® Credit Card account. They can choose their initial deposit level (at least $100) and order their secured card. There are no credit checks, meaning there is no impact on a person’s credit score to open the account. Because there are no credit checks and no formal application process, no one can be denied the Self Visa Secured Card.
First Progress
Like the OpenSky, First Progress is another financial institution known for their secured cards for bad credit scores. Their cards also don’t require a credit check.
First Progress secured cards act like a regular credit card. This means that you can use them anywhere Mastercard is accepted worldwide – currently over 200 million retailers. First Progress features three unique secured cards – all of which require a deposit of at least $200 to open:
 First Progress Platinum Elite |
 First Progress Platinum Select |
 First Progress Platinum Prestige |
| $29 annual fee | $39 annual fee | $49 annual fee |
| No credit history needed | No credit inquiry required | First Progresses lowest rate |
| Does not earn rewards | 1% cash back rewards | 1% cash back rewards |
The First Progress Platinum Prestige Mastercard® is the first – and possibly best – of the card issuers’ secured card offerings. The card has a higher annual fee than other products from the bank($49 per year) but features one of the lowest APRs available.
The First Progress Platinum Select Mastercard® is the mid-range card from First Progress, designed for people who want a solid interest rate and a lower annual fee. The card has a mid-range APR on purchases, and it has a lower annual fee of $39, which is comparable to the OpenSky Visa.
Finally, the First Progress Platinum Elite Mastercard® is an entry-level card, offering a competitive APR and low annual fee. The interest rate with this card is in line with the national average and is perfect for those who don’t plan on carrying a balance every month.
Conclusion
Getting a credit card doesn’t have to mean having a hard inquiry on your credit report. There are a variety of credit cards with no hard credit check required, including the offers listed above. These cards provide the ability to establish or rebuild your credit, thanks to regular reporting to the major credit bureaus – Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion. Keep in mind, however, that building credit means paying the statement balance on-time, keeping credit utilization low, and practicing financial responsibility.
Related Article: The Best Secured Credit Cards
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