Self Secured Visa Credit Card

The Self Secured Visa Credit Card is part of Self’s Credit Builder Loan program. It’s similar to other secured credit cards, with a couple of extra steps. In order to be considered for the Secured Visa, first you need to open a Self Credit Builder account. The money is held in a CD and acts like a loan. You make payments to pay off the loan in fixed installments, which are reported to the credit bureaus.

Once you’ve saved at least $100 and made at least three on-time payments, you can apply for the credit card. There is a $9 service fee plus a $25 annual fee. There are no hard inquires on your credit report to open a credit builder loan. On the other hand, there is no way to graduate to an unsecured credit card and there are no rewards. Also, this card can be quite expensive, as you may have to make interest payments on both the loan and the credit card at the same time. We dive into the details and your approval odds in this Self Secured review.

Self Secured Credit Card

Our Rating

4.0/5.0

Welcome Offer

N/A

Annual Fee

$25

0% Intro on Purchases

N/a

Reward Rate

N/a

0% Intro on Balance Transfers

N/a

Editorial Review

Features & Benefits

SecurityEMV Chip Enabled, Fraud Monitoring, Zero Liability, Identity theft protection
Contactless PaymentsApple Pay, Google Pay, Samsung Pay
Benefits24/7 customer service
Travel PerksRoadside Assistance

Rewards

Interest Rates & Fees

Annual Fee$25
Foreign Transaction FeeNone
Regular APR29.24% (V) APR

Pros & Cons

Pros

  • Relatively low annual fee
  • Reports to all 3 credit bureaus

Cons

  • Requires a credit builder loan first
  • No rewards

What Are the Best Alternatives?

Discover It® Secured Credit Card
Discover It® Secured Credit Card

Rating

4.0

Rewards Range

1% - 2% cash back

Annual Fee

$0

Capital One Quicksilver Secured Cash Rewards Credit Card
Capital One Quicksilver Secured Cash Rewards Credit Card

Rating

3.8

Rewards Range

1.5%

Annual Fee

$0

OpenSky® Secured Visa® Credit Card
OpenSky® Secured Visa® Credit Card

Rating

3.0

Rewards Range

N/A

Annual Fee

$35

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