Best rewards for fair credit
Capital One QuicksilverOne Cash Rewards
Capital One · Unsecured
- Annual fee
- $39
- Purchase APR
- 29.99%
- Deposit
- None
- Min. score
- 580
Unlimited 1.5% cash back on every purchase
Approval odds
Fair
What works
- Higher limits than most subprime cards
- Clear limit-increase path
- Accepts poor credit
What to watch
- $99 annual fee plus possible monthly maintenance fee
- Very high APR
- 3% foreign transaction fee
The full terms
| Annual fee | $99 |
|---|---|
| Purchase APR | 35.90% variable |
| Security deposit | None required |
| Credit limit | $300 – $2,000 |
| Minimum score | 500+ (Poor) |
| Foreign transaction fee | 3% |
| Reports to | Experian, Equifax, TransUnion |
| Upgrade path | Potential credit-limit increase after 6 months of on-time payments |
| Pre-qualification | Yes — soft pull, no impact to your score |
Who this card suits
Surge® Platinum Mastercard® is aimed at people in the poor range. It's unsecured, so no deposit is tied up — but that convenience is paid for through the annual fee and a higher APR. Check whether a secured card would cost you less overall.
Worth doing the maths. The $99 annual fee against a starting limit of $300 means roughly 33% of your available credit goes to the fee in year one. A secured card with a refundable deposit is often cheaper over two years — compare before you apply.
Using it to actually raise your score
- Pay on time, every time. Payment history is the biggest single factor in your FICO score. Set autopay for at least the minimum.
- Keep utilisation low. Stay under 30% of your limit, ideally under 10%. On the starting limit of $300 that's $90 and $30 respectively.
- Don't chase more cards yet. Every application is a hard inquiry. Let this one age.
- Watch for the review. Potential credit-limit increase after 6 months of on-time payments Keep the account clean until then.
Before you apply. Rates, fees and deposit requirements are set by the issuer and change often. Confirm the current terms on the issuer's own application page — the figures here were last reviewed 2026-08-24 and are not a guarantee of the terms you'll be offered.
Also consider
Similar unsecured cards
Best unsecured, no deposit
Mission Lane Visa® Credit Card
Mission Lane · Unsecured
- Annual fee
- $0
- Purchase APR
- 26.99%
- Deposit
- None
- Min. score
- 540
No rewards on the base card
Approval odds
Good
Best for thin credit files
Petal® 1 "No Annual Fee" Visa®
WebBank · Unsecured
- Annual fee
- $0
- Purchase APR
- 27.24%
- Deposit
- None
- Min. score
- 520
2%–10% cash back at select merchants
Approval odds
Fair