Your wallet, one card away.
Best for cashback + credit building (1.5% cashback) Top offer
Why you’ll like this: no security deposit, 1.5% Cashback Rewards on purchases, and it reports to all 3 bureaus while you build.
Best for establishing credit history
USARateHub score 3.5
Why you’ll like this: a real Visa accepted nationwide with no security deposit - it reports to the 3 major bureaus as you establish history.
For August 2026, the Destiny Mastercard leads for fair-credit applicants - 1.5% cashback rewards, no security deposit and reporting to all 3 bureaus - while the Total Visa® Card is the pick for building history at any credit level. Both are unsecured cards; annual fees apply, so compare those as carefully as the perks.
| Card | Best for | Annual fee | Deposit | Credit needed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Destiny Mastercard | Cashback + credit building | $175 yr 1, then $49 | None | Fair |
| Total Visa® Card | Establishing credit history | $50–$125 first yr | None | Any |
We compared annual fees, rewards, security-deposit requirements, credit requirements, credit-bureau reporting and published APRs where disclosed across the two cards, as published on 3 June 2026. Ranking is editorial: compensation from partners affects which cards appear and can affect order. APRs, fees and credit limits vary by applicant credit profile - figures shown are as published, not offers. See each card’s terms for full details. Full detail in our editorial policy.
Yes. Unsecured cards built for limited or damaged credit exist, and both cards on this page require no security deposit. The trade-off is cost: annual fees and higher APRs stand in for the deposit, so read the fee schedule before you apply and treat the card as a rebuilding tool, not a spending line.
A full application normally triggers a hard inquiry, which can cause a small, temporary dip in your score. One inquiry rarely matters much; several in a short window can. Decide which card fits first, then submit a single application rather than applying broadly.
Issuers report your payment history to the credit bureaus - both cards here report to all 3 - and on-time payments are the single biggest input to your score. Keeping your balance low relative to your limit helps too, since utilisation is weighed heavily.
A secured card holds a refundable deposit as collateral and lends against it; an unsecured card lends on your profile alone. Both cards on this page are unsecured, which is why they carry annual fees - the fee does the work the deposit would otherwise do.
