Petal 1 vs. Petal 2: How the Petal Cards Compare

Petal® 1 "No Annual Fee" Visa® Credit Card and Petal® 2 "Cash Back, No Fees" Visa® Credit Card are both cards that target folks with less-than-perfect credit. While they share many of the same features, there are some distinct differences between them. We compare these cards so you can understand the differences before you apply.

Petal® 1 "No Annual Fee" Visa® Credit Card

Overall Rating
4.5

Welcome Offer
Earn a credit limit increase in as little as 6 months.

Rewards Range
None

Annual Fee
$0

Regular APR
25.24% - 34.74%

0% APR on Purchases
None

0% APR on Balance Transfers
None

Foreign Transaction Fee
N/A

Petal® 2 "Cash Back, No Fees" Visa® Credit Card

Overall Rating
4.6

Welcome Offer
No fees whatsoever.

Rewards Range
1% - 10%

Annual Fee
$0

Regular APR
18.24% - 32.24%

0% APR on Purchases
None

0% APR on Balance Transfers
None

Foreign Transaction Fee
$0

There are three credit cards in the Petal Credit card family: Petal 1, Petal 2, and the newest one, Petal 1 Rise. All three Visa cards offer a pre-approval process that will not hurt your credit score if you have one, and all are available to those with no credit history. But how do the Petal cards compare?

Welcome Offer

This is an easy one: none of the Petal cards have a welcome offer.

Cash Back Rewards

The Petal® 2 "Cash Back, No Fees" Visa® Credit Card offers cash back ranging from 1% to 1.5% on every purchase. Cardholders begin with 1%, and then move to 1.25% after six months of on-time payments. They go up to 1.5% cash back after a total of 12 months of on-time payments.

Petal® 1 "No Annual Fee" Visa® Credit Card does not offer cash back on everyday purchases. Both cards, however, offer up to 10% cash back on purchases from select merchants. According to Petal, these merchants are personalized and “offers are based on each member’s spending history, location, and other factors.” Some merchants that have offered cash back rewards in the past are:

  • Adidas
  • Shake Shack
  • Old Navy
  • Healthypets.com
  • Charlotte Tilbury
  • Lowe’s

But these merchants change frequently, so these merchants might not be offered to you.

Petal® 1 "No Annual Fee" Visa® Credit Card 

Rewards:  

2% cash back
Select Categories
2% - 10% cash back at select merchants
10% cash back
Select Categories
2% - 10% cash back at select merchants

Petal® 2 "Cash Back, No Fees" Visa® Credit Card

Rewards: 

1% cash back
All eligible purchases
1% cash back on eligible purchases right away
1.5% cash back
Select Categories
Up to 1.5% cash back on eligible purchases after making 12 on-time monthly payments
2% cash back
Select Categories
2% - 10% cash back at select merchants

Clearly, Petal® 2 "Cash Back, No Fees" Visa® Credit Card wins this round.

Rates and Fees

Neither card has a 0% introductory offer. Neither has an annual fee. The Petal 1 Rise has an annual fee, as well as other fees, but we’ll get to that in a minute.

None of the Petal cards have foreign transaction fees, which is a nice surprise.

Interest rate 

The APR for Petal 1 is higher than for Petal 2. The APR on the Petal® 1 "No Annual Fee" Visa® Credit Card card ranges from 25.24% - 34.74%.

The APR for the Petal 2 card ranges from 18.24% - 32.24%.

Application Process

There’s a pre-approval process. You’ll fill out the form, and then Petal considers you for all three cards. In a way, this is helpful because the pre-approval process doesn’t affect your credit score. Petal tells you which card you’re eligible for, and then it’s up to you whether you want to continue your application or not.

While Petal is designed for those without a credit history, it will consider the credit for those who have an established credit history. In those cases, the credit required for approval of each card is different. Petal 2 requires better credit than Petal 1.

  • Petal 1: Low to fair credit (580 to 669)
  • Petal 2: Fair to good credit (670 to 739)

What is Petal 1 Rise and Why is it Important?

Petal 1 Rise is the newest offering from Petal. According to Petal users, some Petal 2 accounts were switched to Petal 1 Rise accounts back in June. As you might imagine, this led to a spirited discussion, and there were some feelings. You can read all about the discussion on Reddit.

This meant these customers were suddenly hit with the following fees:

  • Annual fee of $59
  • Monthly fee of $8 (or $96 a year)
  • Transaction Fee Cash Like transaction: Either $10 or 3% of the amount of each transaction, whichever is greater.
  • Late payment: up to $40
  • Returned payment: up to $29

In addition, interest rates went from  18.24% - 32.24% on the Petal® 2 "Cash Back, No Fees" Visa® Credit Card  to  28.49% – 35.74% on the Petal 1 Rise. 

Is Petal Right for You?

Petal cards are ideal for those who have no credit history. The cards are also well suited for those with credit scores in the range of fair to good. Keep in mind you’ll need to connect your bank account, which may deter some people.

For those with good to excellent credit, however, Petal is not the best option. There are better cash back and travel rewards credit cards for those with credit scores of 720 or higher.

Petal 1 vs Petal 2 Video

Approval Odds

Petal® 1 "No Annual Fee" Visa® Credit Card 

App StatusDateCredit ScoreBureauCredit Limit
Approved12/05/2023
610
Experian
$3,500
Approved03/17/2023
656
Experian
$1,000

Petal® 2 "Cash Back, No Fees" Visa® Credit Card

App StatusDateCredit ScoreBureauCredit Limit
Approved08/08/2022
710
Experian
$4,500
Approved07/25/2022
751
Experian
$2,500
Approved07/25/2022
777
Equifax
$2,500
Approved07/25/2022
780
TransUnion
$2,500
Approved07/02/2022
655
Equifax
$2,600
Approved07/02/2022
670
Experian
$2,600
Approved07/02/2022
677
TransUnion
$2,600

Final Thoughts

Petal cards are ideal for those who have not established a credit history. They offer a pre-approval process that will not affect your credit score and can help you establish a good credit score. At the same time, the Petal 2 card offers Cash Back Rewards, a higher potential credit limit, lower interest rates, and lower fees.