Summit National
Summit Cash Preferred
- Rewards
- 2% on everything
- Intro offer
- $200 after $1,500 spend in 3 months
- Annual fee
- $0
- Flat-rate cash back
- No annual fee
- Cell phone protection
Best secured credit cards
A secured card is backed by a refundable deposit — usually $49 to $300 — that becomes your credit limit. Used lightly and paid on time, it builds history exactly like an unsecured card, and the best ones graduate you and return the deposit automatically.
excellent odds
Meridian Bank
Meridian Travel Elevate
- Rewards
- 3x travel & dining, 1x other
- Intro offer
- 60,000 points after $4,000 spend
- Annual fee
- $95
- No foreign transaction fees
- Transfer partners
- $50 annual hotel credit
Atlas Financial
Atlas Balance Builder
- Rewards
- 1.5% on everything
- Intro offer
- 0% APR on balance transfers for 18 months
- Annual fee
- $0
- Longest 0% window matched
- 3% transfer fee
- Free credit score tracking
Advertiser disclosure: card details are provided by partners and may change. Sample offers shown until partner integrations go live.
Secured cards: FAQs
Do I get my deposit back?
Yes — when you close the account in good standing or when the issuer graduates you to an unsecured card.
Do secured cards check credit?
Most run a soft or lenient check and approve applicants with damaged or no credit. Some require no credit check at all.
How much should I deposit?
A higher deposit means a higher limit, which makes low utilization easier. If you can, deposit enough that normal use stays under 30% of the limit.