The Best Unsecured Credit Cards (2022)

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Lifestyle

There are a multitude of choices when it comes to picking an unsecured credit card. Many of them offer big rewards and incentives for the cardholder who chooses to use them. Some offer lower interest rates, rewards on spending, and other perks that come with membership. Let’s take a look at some of the best options for unsecured credit cards in 2022.

What is an unsecured credit card? And how does it differ from a secured credit card? First off, an unsecured credit card is what most people would consider to be a normal credit card. It’s referred to as unsecured because its credit limit is not secured by an initial deposit made by the cardholder.[1] Approval for these types of credit cards usually requires a certain range of credit scores, often between 670-850. The higher the cardholder’s credit score is, the better the terms are for the credit card. This may include lower interest rates and higher credit limits.

However, these types of credit cards often do come with a higher annual percentage rate on interest. Because you can either pay your entire balance at the end of a month or choose to carry over some or most of it, the credit card company makes their money off of charging the cardholder a higher interest rate much of the time.[2]

A secured credit card is one in which a customer puts down in cash a set amount to be used when they use the credit card. [3] This is a lower risk to the credit card company and they will often give the customer a lower interest rate because of that. These types of cards are easier to get approved for because the client is using their own money to establish their credit. [4] They will often graduate from using this secured credit card and are offered an unsecured credit card when they’ve proven themselves and raised their credit scores over time.

Here is a short list of some of the best unsecured credit cards in 2022:

1. Capital One QuicksilverOne Cash Rewards Credit Cards

The Capital One QuicksilverOne Cash Rewards Credit Card is a great choice for anyone spending a normal amount of money using this card over the year. While it does come with a $39 annual fee and 26.99 variable AVR, it also offers 1.5% cashback on every purchase the cardholder makes.

2. Capital One Platinum Credit Card

The Capital One Platinum Credit Card is also a great choice as an unsecured credit card. It boasts not having a yearly fee to use it, though its 26.99 variable APR is a little bit on the higher side. It also offers automatic credit reviews, access to Creditwise, to help monitor your credit profile, and has complete protection against fraud if your card is ever stolen.

3. Discover it® Student chrome

The Discover it® Student chrome credit card is geared toward students spending at gas stations and restaurants. It offers 2% cash back on purchases at each type of business, per quarter. With no annual fee and a 0% introductory interest rate which changes to 10.99 after that period, it’s a lower interest rate credit card than many.

4. Discover it® Student Cash Back

The Discover it® Student Cash Back credit card is a wonderful option for a student who is just learning about building credit through the use of a credit card. It offers a zero percent introductory percentage rate for 6 months. It has no annual fee. They will match however much cash back you earn at the end of the year. They’ll even forgive your first late payment with no consequences. This is very much a student-friendly card that you’ll want to look into during college.

5. Journey Student Rewards from Capital One

Journey Student Rewards from Capital One is another great option for college-aged young adults to look into when initially building their credit scores. You don’t even have to be a student to take advantage of these great terms they offer. There is no annual fee to use this card. You earn 1% cashback on all purchases, plus an additional 0.25% back if you pay your bill on time. There are no foreign fees if you’re studying and traveling abroad and using the card. You can get approved with an average credit score for this card, as well.

Building credit during your younger years is an important part of life.[5] Choosing the right credit card is a big step in that process. Whether you prefer having no annual fee, a lower percentage rate on purchases, or earning significant cashback rewards on your purchases, these cards will have you covered. Look into the five choices we’ve mentioned here and find the one that works best for you.

sources:

[1] https://www.nerdwallet.com/article/credit-cards/what-is-unsecured-credit-card#:~:text=Most%20credit%20cards%20are%20unsecured,backed%20or%20secured%20by%20collateral.

[2] https://www.valuepenguin.com/how-do-credit-card-companies-make-money

[3] https://www.investopedia.com/terms/s/securedcard.asp

[4] https://creditcardgenius.ca/blog/guaranteed-approval-credit-cards

[5] https://www.experian.com/blogs/ask-experian/why-it-is-important-to-establish-credit-when-you-are-young/#:~:text=Why%20Establishing%20Credit%20Young%20Is%20Important&text=It%20may%20play%20a%20part%20in%20approving%20your%20apartment%20application.&text=Your%20credit%20history%20will%20play,to%20pay%20additional%20security%20deposits.

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