Credit Cards for No Credit History in 2026: Capital One, Bank of America and Petal Compared

Of the four cards compared here, Petal 2 Visa is the one to start with if you cannot post a deposit. Petal's card page lists no annual fee and no foreign transaction fee, and a variable APR of 28.24% to 30.24% that the issuer dates to January 5, 2026. If you can post a deposit, Capital One Platinum Secured has the smallest of the three required deposits here, at $49.

This page compares four cards from Capital One, Bank of America and Petal. Cards from other issuers, including Discover, Chase and Citi, are not included.

Financeradar data: Financeradar's card ranking tracks 67 credit cards, and 57 of the 58 in its main list were reviewed in the last 14 days, as of October 25, 2026 (Financeradar's card ranking). The order below is a fit ranking for a buyer with a thin credit file, not a score.

How the four cards are ranked

The ranking puts first the card that needs the least money up front and charges the fewest fees for a buyer with a thin file. Each card is followed by its main weakness, with a number. Each figure is dated in the text and linked to its source. The rate comparisons cite archived copies from December 2024, and the benchmark is the Federal Reserve's G.19 release. For cards outside this group, see the full credit card ranking.

As of October 25, 2026, the four cards compare as follows.

1. Petal 2 Visa: no deposit listed, no annual, late or foreign fees, and the highest top APR here

Petal 2 suits a buyer who cannot or does not want to post a deposit. Its card page lists no annual membership fee, no late fee, no returned payment fee and no foreign transaction fees. The variable APR runs from 28.24% to 30.24%, a range the page says was accurate as of January 5, 2026, and it moves with the Prime Rate. Petal says the cards are issued by WebBank, and the card page lists no security deposit.

The application is the trade-off. Petal's homepage says eligible applicants can link a bank account so that Petal can assess their cash flow, and that linked bank data increases the likelihood of an offer if a credit score alone would decline you. The pre-approval check is marked no credit check required, but Petal's disclosure says pre-approval does not guarantee an account approval.

The weakness is the top of the range. At that top rate, a $1,000 balance carried for a year costs about $302 in simple interest (calculated from the printed rate). Cash back is 1% to 1.5% on everyday purchases, and the 1% to 10% offers at select merchants are personalized and come with their own terms. Petal's fee line carries an asterisk for members acquired before May 16, 2023. For travel-focused options with no annual fee, see travel cards with no annual fee.

2. Capital One Platinum Secured: the smallest deposit of the three secured cards

Platinum Secured's minimum deposit starts at $49, the lowest of the three amounts Capital One lists. As of October 25, 2026 the card lists a $0 annual fee, no foreign transaction fees, no replacement card fees and no authorized user fees, plus a variable APR of 29.24%. The card carries no rewards.

A deposit above the minimum raises the starting line, up to a maximum deposit of $1,000. The card page says responsible use can earn the deposit back and upgrade the account to an unsecured Platinum card, and that a credit line increase can be considered in as little as six months.

The weakness is the rate. A $500 balance carried for a year costs about $146 in simple interest at that APR, with no rewards to offset it (calculated from the printed rate). An archived copy of the same page from December 18, 2024 shows a 29.99% variable APR, with the same $0 fee and the same deposit options, so the rate has fallen about three-quarters of a point (archived copy, December 18, 2024). The product page on Financeradar is Capital One Platinum Secured.

It fits a buyer who can post the minimum now and pays the statement balance in full each month.

3. Quicksilver Secured Rewards: unlimited cash back with a larger deposit

Capital One's Quicksilver Secured Rewards card lists no annual fee and no foreign transaction fees. The minimum refundable deposit is $200, and the variable APR is 29.24%, both as of October 25, 2026. The card describes its cash back as unlimited, with 1.5% on every purchase.

It fits a buyer who wants cash back on everything and can leave the deposit with the issuer while the account is open. The weakness is the deposit. It is more than four times Platinum Secured's $49 minimum, and $2,000 of purchases earns $30 of cash back a year (calculated from the printed rate). Its APR matches Platinum Secured's, so a carried balance costs the same on either card. If cash advances are on your mind, see credit card cash advance fees.

4. BankAmericard Secured: the lowest APR here, with a foreign fee

Bank of America's BankAmericard Secured card has no annual fee and a 26.24% variable purchase APR. The card terms say that rate moves with the Prime Rate, which the terms put at 7.0% as of September 30, 2026. The product page sets a minimum security deposit and a maximum of $5,000, and the card has no introductory APR and no new account bonus.

The terms list a 3% foreign transaction fee, a 5% balance transfer fee and a late payment fee of $30, or $41 for a repeat late payment within six billing cycles. The product page lists no rewards. For travel credits on other cards, see cards that pay for Global Entry and TSA PreCheck.

The weakness is the foreign fee. On $500 spent in a foreign currency it adds $15 (calculated from the printed rate), and the deposit comes with no cash back to offset it. This is the only card in the list with a foreign transaction fee. The product page structured data reads 25.24%, the same figure as in an archived copy from December 12, 2024. The displayed standard APR is 26.24% variable, and this page uses that figure. The card terms are on Bank of America's terms page.

It ranks last here because it is the one card with a foreign fee and it has no rewards. Its lower APR helps mainly a buyer who carries a balance.

How the rates compare with the market

The Federal Reserve's G.19 release, last updated October 7, 2026, puts the commercial bank rate on credit card accounts assessed interest at 22.36% for August 2026 (preliminary; all accounts: 21.19%) (Federal Reserve G.19 release). All four cards sit above that average, from BankAmericard Secured's rate up to the top of Petal 2's range. The Fed figure covers every account that carries interest, not only thin-file accounts, so it is a benchmark rather than a like-for-like comparison.

What the deposit buys

A secured card holds the deposit as collateral against the credit line while the account stays open. Capital One's card page says so, and it says responsible use can earn the deposit back. Bank of America's product page says the bank periodically reviews the account, and that a customer may qualify to have the deposit returned, but not all customers will. Petal's card page lists no security deposit at all, and it says Petal reports to the major credit bureaus, so on-time payments can count toward a score. For a buyer who wants to build a file quickly, the deposit question comes before the rewards question.

Who should skip

• Skip all four if you plan to carry a balance, because each APR sits above the Fed average.
• Skip Petal 2 if you would rather not link a bank account to the application.
• Skip Quicksilver Secured Rewards if the deposit is more than you can keep with the issuer. Platinum Secured is the alternative.
• Skip BankAmericard Secured for trips abroad, because its foreign fee applies to every foreign-currency purchase.
• For a grocery card instead, see our guide to credit cards for groceries. For a card built around a payment app, see our Venmo card review.

FAQ

Which card should someone with no credit history start with?

Petal 2 Visa, if you cannot post a deposit, because its card page lists no annual fee, no foreign transaction fee and no security deposit. Capital One Platinum Secured, if you can post a deposit, because its minimum is the smallest of the secured cards here.

Does Petal 2 charge a foreign transaction fee?

No. Its card page says there are no foreign transaction fees, and it lists no late fee or returned payment fee either.

How much deposit does Capital One Platinum Secured need?

Capital One's page lists three minimum amounts, and a larger deposit, up to $1,000, raises the starting credit line.

Does the BankAmericard Secured card charge foreign transaction fees?

Yes. The card terms list a 3% fee on each purchase made in a foreign currency, in addition to any other fee on that transaction.

Have the APRs on these cards changed?

Platinum Secured's displayed rate was 29.99% in an archived copy from December 18, 2024, and it is 29.24% today. For BankAmericard Secured, the product page's structured data reads 25.24% in an archived copy from December 12, 2024 and still reads 25.24% today, while the displayed standard APR is 26.24%. Both rates are variable, so they can move again.

What is the Fed's average rate on credit card accounts?

The Federal Reserve's G.19 release puts the commercial bank rate on credit card accounts assessed interest at 22.36% for August 2026, a preliminary figure. For all credit card accounts, the same table shows 21.19%. Every card on this list sits above both figures, so the rate on your own offer decides how it compares.

Does Quicksilver Secured Rewards pay cash back on every purchase?

Its card page describes unlimited cash back on every purchase, with no annual fee and a refundable minimum deposit.

Bottom line

Among these four cards, Petal 2 Visa is the pick for a thin file with no deposit to post, if its variable range and a bank-account link suit you. Platinum Secured is the pick when the deposit is the constraint, because its minimum is the smallest of the three required deposits. Quicksilver Secured Rewards suits a buyer who will leave the deposit with the issuer and wants cash back on everything. BankAmericard Secured suits a buyer who expects to carry a balance at home, because its 26.24% APR is the lowest of the four. A carried balance is the costly use on any of them, since each APR sits above the Fed average.

For fee structures in general, see credit card fees compared, and for the difference between charge cards and credit cards, see charge cards versus credit cards.

Financeradar may earn a commission from some links; it never affects rankings (how we make money).

This page is general information, not personalized financial advice. Confirm the terms with the provider before you apply, because APRs, fees and deposit rules can change.

Cite this: Financeradar, "Credit Cards for No Credit History in 2026: Capital One, Bank of America and Petal Compared", October 2026.