9 Easiest Credit Cards to Get in December 2024

The Discover it^® Secured Credit Card is our pick for the easiest credit card to get because it is designed for people with limited / poor credit scores. It comes with a $0 annual fee, great cash back rewards and a sign-up bonus for new cardmembers. Plus, you can find out if you’re preapproved without affecting your credit score. It’s consistently one of our top credit card choices for building credit.

Secured cards like the Discover it^® Secured Credit Card require a security deposit equal to the amount of your credit line (what you can charge to the card at one time). If you don’t pay off what you charge, Discover will use the deposit to recoup that loss.

But if you consistently make on-time payments, Discover may upgrade you to an unsecured card. They’ll also start conducting regular reviews of your account after seven months to see if you’re eligible to upgrade and get your deposit back.

The AvantCard Credit Card is one of the easiest unsecured credit cards to get with bad credit because you can quickly prequalify online with no impact to your credit score.

It’s also easy to get because you won’t have to put up a lot of cash upfront. As an unsecured card, the AvantCard Credit Card doesn’t require a security deposit in order to open an account. Instead, you’ll pay an annual fee of up to $59, which is on the low end for unsecured credit cards for people with low credit scores. You’ll also pay a fee for late payments.

Look elsewhere if you won’t be able to pay off your card in full every month. The AvantCard Credit Card has a high APR, so while it may be relatively easy to get, it’ll be hard to pay off if you have to carry a balance.

The Secured Chime Credit Builder Visa^® Credit Card is one of the easiest credit cards to get because it doesn’t require a credit check. Plus, it has other fantastic features for someone trying to build or rebuild their credit. It doesn’t have an annual fee or foreign transaction fees. You can deposit any amount into your Credit Builder account to fund your credit line**, making it much more affordable than most secured credit cards. And since you have to pay off your account each month, you don’t have to worry about accumulating debt or interest***. On the downside, you’ll need an account with Chime to get started, and you’ll need to add funds to your account on a regular basis to replenish your credit limit.

If you have limited / fair credit and don’t want to submit a security deposit, the Capital One QuicksilverOne Cash Rewards Credit Card might be the right card for you. It’s a solid pick for cash back rewards on all purchases, and we love that there’s no foreign transaction fee. You’ll pay a $39 annual fee to carry the card, but you’ll earn that amount in cash back if you spend $2,600 on purchases every year. The APR on this card is high at 29.99% (variable). If you’re planning to pay off a big purchase over time or if you need to carry a balance month to month, consider a card with a lower APR that will make repayment less costly.

While some business credit cards require good or excellent credit, the Capital One Spark Classic for Business is designed for business owners with fair credit. It’s a $0-annual-fee* cash back card that’s worth considering if you think you’ll struggle to qualify for other business credit cards. There’s no foreign transaction fee* and no charge for extra cards to issue to your employees.

As a card designed for business owners with fair credit, it has limited rewards. Use the card responsibly and as your credit score rises, you can apply for a business card with better rewards. You should also note the card’s high APR — currently 29.99% (variable)* — so make sure you pay off your balance in full every month.

If you’re looking for a $0-annual-fee credit card for consumers with limited / fair credit that doesn’t require a security deposit, we recommend the Capital One Platinum Credit Card. It’s a non-rewards card, but you might be able to upgrade to another Capital One card offering cash back or miles after you’ve created a record of making on-time payments.

Capital One automatically reviews your credit line after six months to see if you qualify for a higher credit limit. Your initial credit limit may be low, which is typical for cards marketed to people looking to build their credit profiles.

If you carry a balance from month to month on your Capital One Platinum Credit Card, you will be subject to a high purchase APR of 29.99% (variable). That said, high interest rates are common for credit cards designed to help you build or establish credit.

If you’re a college student with limited / fair credit and you spend frequently on groceries, dining or entertainment, check out the Capital One SavorOne Student Cash Rewards Credit Card. It’s an excellent cash back card designed for students, so the approval requirements are lower than those on a typical card.

You can check to see if you’re preapproved for the card without risking any damage to your credit score. And Capital One will report your spending and payment activity to the credit bureaus, so you’ll build credit history while earning cash back at a competitive rate.

There’s a $0 annual fee, and if you travel outside the United States to study abroad, you can rest easy knowing that you won’t have to pay a foreign transaction fee, either. Cardholders with low credit scores will likely be subject to high interest rates, though, which will make carrying a balance on this card very expensive.

The Target Circle™ Card is our pick for the easiest store card to get. It has a $0 annual fee and several perks, including free shipping and 5% off every day at Target and Target.com. Earn 2% on dining and gas purchases and 1% everywhere else outside of Target. It’s easy to get the ongoing discount because it’s instantly applied at checkout. The Target Circle™ Card is best for Target shoppers, since you can’t use it outside of Target and Target.com.

Store cards are generally much easier to qualify for than other credit cards, as they tend to have lower credit limits and higher APRs. These high interest rates make this card a poor choice for anyone who needs to carry a balance.

If you do the bulk of your online shopping at Amazon and are already a Prime member, getting the Amazon Prime Store Card makes good sense. Prime cardholders can earn 5% back at Amazon.com. This is a generous rate, especially for a store card. There’s no annual fee, but you’ll need to pay for an Amazon Prime membership in order to earn cash back.

To justify the Prime membership cost based on what you earn with the card, you’d need to spend at least $2,780 per year (or $1,380 for the annual student membership) on purchases earning 5% cash back.