$49 Capital One Platinum Secured, best for building credit
refundable deposit, $0 a year to hold
We ranked the 6 building credit cards we’ve confirmed.
The deposit starts at $49 instead of a flat few hundred, and Capital One says you could move to an unsecured card in as little as six months.
Ranked by the math
Ranked by what each card costs and how reliably it builds real credit, with no spending assumed.
- Rank 1. Capital One Platinum SecuredCredit check · $49 deposit · $0 a year · set path to unsecured · Built for thin or rebuilding credit.
- Rank 2. Capital One Quicksilver SecuredCredit check · $200 deposit · $0 a year · set path to unsecured
- Rank 3. OpenSky Plus Secured VisaNo credit check · $300 deposit · $0 a year · no set path
- Rank 4. Varo BelieveNo credit check · No deposit · $0 a year · no set path
- Rank 5. Chime CardNo credit check · No deposit · $0 a year · no set path
Capital One Quicksilver Secured comes second. It has the clearest way out: pay on time, get your deposit back, move to the unsecured Quicksilver.
This door ranks on judgment, not rewards, so the judgment is printed beside every card: what it costs to hold for a year, the deposit it asks for, whether it runs a hard credit check, and whether it has a set path to an unsecured card.
Cost breaks ties when two cards earn the same place.
Terms verified on each issuer’s own page: Capital One Platinum Secured on October 2, 2026, Capital One Quicksilver Secured on October 2, 2026, OpenSky Plus Secured Visa on October 2, 2026, Varo Believe on October 2, 2026 and Chime Card on October 2, 2026. Offers change; confirm on the issuer’s site before you apply.
6 hand-confirmed building credit cards were ranked. These are the cards we check, not the whole market.
Other rankings
- Best card for diningFor a family that spends $800 a month on groceries, $500 on dining, $250 on gas, $100 on travel and $600 on everything else, Robinhood Gold Card first, at $760 a year.
- Best card for groceriesFor a family that spends $800 a month on groceries, $200 on dining, $250 on gas, $100 on travel and $600 on everything else, Citi Double Cash first, at $668 in year one.
- Best card for travelFor a family that spends $800 a month on groceries, $200 on dining, $250 on gas, $500 on travel and $600 on everything else, Capital One Venture X first, at $1,319 in year one.
- Best card for a 0% balance transferOn a $5,000 balance at 24%, paid down $250 a month, Citi Diamond Preferred first, at $1,233 saved.