- Intro Offer
-
No current offer
- Annual fee
- $0 – $99
- APR
- 24.90%
- Recommended Credit A credit score is used to indicate an applicant’s credit worthiness and may provide guidance about account eligibility. It does not necessarily guarantee approval for any financial product.
-
300 – 579
Poor
- Rewards rate
-
N/A This card doesn’t offer cash back, miles, or points
If you’re just starting your credit journey, you probably don’t have many credit card options. But there are some credit cards designed specifically for beginners -- and the Indigo® Mastercard®* is one of them.
The Indigo Mastercard can be a helpful first credit card if you want to grow your credit score. It’s also worth considering if you’re rebuilding your score and want a credit card without a security deposit.
Here’s what to know about the Indigo Mastercard, how it works and other alternative cards to explore.
Card perks
The Indigo Mastercard has few perks because its focus is more about building credit and less about earning rewards. You won’t earn rewards with this card, but it also isn’t secured, which means it doesn’t require a security deposit like other credit-building secured credit cards.
You can also see if you’re eligible through prequalification -- this lets you know if you’re eligible for the card but doesn’t cause a hard credit check on your credit score. It’s definitely a perk if you’re shopping around for a card and don’t want to risk completing an application, getting denied and dinging your credit.
This card also reports to the three major credit bureaus -- Equifax, Experian and Transunion. For newbie credit users, this is important because that’s the only way to show how responsible you are with credit.
Fees and limitations
Since this card focuses more on credit-building and not necessarily perks are rewards, there are some limitations with the Indigo Mastercard, including:
- No rewards, welcome, sign-up, or introductory offer
- An annual fee ranging from $0 to $99
- Low maximum credit limit of up to $300
- High maximum APR at 24.90%
- A foreign transaction fee of 1%
Your annual fee depends on your credit score, and you won’t know your annual fee until after you complete an application. To compare, the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express* charges a $0 intro annual fee the first year, then $95 thereafter, but you earn a slew of rewards, like 6% cash back at U.S. supermarkets (up to $6,000 per year, then 1%) and on select U.S. streaming subscriptions. You don’t get any rewards from the Indigo Mastercard.
Many non-travel cards have a standard 3% foreign transaction fee, so we do like that the Indigo Mastercard’s fee is lower. This may be helpful if you’re traveling outside the country and need to use this card.
Terms apply to American Express benefits and offers. Enrollment may be required for select American Express benefits and offers. Visit americanexpress.com to learn more.
Comparable cards
Capital One Platinum Secured Credit Card*
This Capital One card is a secured card, but you get some bonus options even for low-entry deposits. For instance, you could make an initial deposit of $49 but still get the $200 credit line. You can increase your credit limit when you increase your deposit. After six months of proving credit responsibility, you may be able to convert to an unsecured line, and your deposit gets refunded.
Read our full review of the Capital One Platinum Secured Credit Card.
Discover it® Secured Credit Card
Like the Indigo Mastercard, you can see if you prequalify for this card without completing a full application. It’s still a secured card, which means your credit limit is based on your security deposit. After seven months, Discover will begin automatic monthly account reviews to see if you qualify to upgrade to an unsecured card get your deposit back. It’s one of the few secured cards that offer rewards: 2% cash back at restaurants and gas stations (up to $1,000 in combined purchases each quarter) plus 1% cash back on all other purchases.
Read our full review of the Discover it Secured Credit Card*.
How Indigo® Mastercard® compares to other cards
- Intro Offer
-
No current offer
- Annual fee
- $0 – $99
- APR
- 24.90%
- Intro Purchase APR
- N/A
- Recommended Credit A credit score is used to indicate an applicant’s credit worthiness and may provide guidance about account eligibility. It does not necessarily guarantee approval for any financial product.
- Poor
- Rewards rate
-
N/A This card doesn’t offer cash back, miles, or points
- Intro Offer
-
Cashback Match™ Intro Offer: Unlimited Cashback Match – only from Discover. Discover will automatically match all the cash back you’ve earned at the end of your first year! There’s no minimum spending or maximum rewards. Just a dollar-for-dollar match.
- Annual fee
- $0
- APR
- 28.24% Variable APR
- Intro Purchase APR
- N/A
- Recommended Credit A credit score is used to indicate an applicant’s credit worthiness and may provide guidance about account eligibility. It does not necessarily guarantee approval for any financial product.
- No Credit History
- Rewards rate
-
1% – 2% Earn 2% cash back at Gas Stations and Restaurants on up to $1,000 in combined purchases each quarter.; Earn unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases – automatically.
Petal® 2 “Cash Back, No Fees” Visa® Credit Card
- Intro Offer
-
No current offer
- Annual fee
- $0
- APR
- 18.24% – 32.24% (Variable)
- Intro Purchase APR
- N/A
- Recommended Credit A credit score is used to indicate an applicant’s credit worthiness and may provide guidance about account eligibility. It does not necessarily guarantee approval for any financial product.
- No Credit History
- Rewards rate
-
1% – 1.5% Up to 1.5% cash back on eligible purchases after making 12 on-time monthly payments.; 1% cash back on eligible purchases right away.
FAQs
The best credit card to repair your credit will depend on your credit score, history and financial situation. While secured cards can help you boost your credit with responsible use, they do require an upfront security deposit to serve as your credit line. A no-annual-fee card can also be helpful when rebuilding your credit, so you don’t have to worry about maximizing rewards to offset this fee.
If you are at least 18, have a valid Social Security number, and can complete an income and debt review, you might be eligible for an Indigo Mastercard. Remember that you can check your chances of approval first through prequalification, which doesn’t trigger a hard credit inquiry on your report. So even if you aren’t sure if you’d get approved, prequalifying will let you know if you’re a good candidate to complete a full application.
A secured card isn’t required to start building up credit, but it can be easier to get approved for than other cards. If you can find an issuer willing to take a chance on you -- say, with a lower credit limit than other borrowers -- then you may not need a secured card to start (or restart) your credit journey. But for some credit card users, a secured card might be the only option available.
*All information about the Indigo Mastercard, Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express, Capital One Platinum Secured Credit Card, and the Discover it Secured Credit Card has been collected independently by CNET and has not been reviewed by the issuer.
The editorial content on this page is based solely on objective, independent assessments by our writers and is not influenced by advertising or partnerships. It has not been provided or commissioned by any third party. However, we may receive compensation when you click on links to products or services offered by our partners.
