Secured Credit Card FAQs
If you are building a credit history, or looking to rebuild with credit responsible use , the Discover it®Secured Credit Card may be right for you.2 To see if you qualify for a secured credit card, Discover reviews your application, credit report and other information. You will need to be at least 18 years of age, have a Social security number, U.S. address and U.S. bank account, and provide all the required information in the online application. Be sure to have your bank routing number and account number handy when you apply. Applications are taken 24X7 on Discover.com. Apply Now A secured credit card requires you to make a deposit equal to the amount of your credit line, while an unsecured credit card requires no deposit. A secured credit card is designed for people who are looking to build or rebuild their credit. It looks and acts like a traditional credit card except that you provide a security deposit as collateral for your credit card account.1 Your credit line will equal the amount of this security deposit. And like a traditional credit card, as you use your credit card, you will need to make payments each month and your credit card account use is reported to the three major credit bureaus. So your on-time payments and responsible use can help build your credit.2 Starting seven months after you've been a secured credit card member, we'll review your account monthly to see if we can return your security deposit while you continue to enjoy your card benefits.3 These reviews will look for your responsible credit use across all your cards and loans, not just with Discover. Apply Now. 1. If you pay your balance in full and close your credit card account, we'll refund your security deposit, which can take up to two billing cycles plus ten days. 2. After 7 months, we begin automatic monthly account reviews to see if you qualify to upgrade to an 'unsecured' card and get your deposit back.3 These reviews are based on responsible credit management across all of your credit cards and loans, including Discover and others. Yes. Getting a secured credit card isn’t guaranteed. Your application can be turned down. A secured credit card reports your credit history to the major credit bureaus like other credit cards. So your continued responsible credit use can help you build a more appealing credit history over time.2 How long it takes to get the credit score you want depends on where you're starting and how you use your secured credit card, as well as other credit accounts and loans. With the Discover it Secured Credit Card,automatic reviews starting at 7 months to see if we can transition you to an unsecured line of credit and return your deposit.3 Your APR—or annual percentage rate—on a secured credit card is a statement of the interest rate as a yearly rate. Let's say you started a new term and charged $500 for books, with an 18% APR. If you never made any payments over the 12 months, you would owe an extra $90 annually. Discover requires a minimum deposit of $200 to open a secured credit card account, but you can choose a larger deposit amount up to $2,500 if you’re approved for it.1 When you're using your secured credit card to build a credit history, you need a credit limit that lets you easily make regular purchases and pay your bill responsibly. Yes, a credit card issuer will place a hard inquiry on your credit report when you apply for a new secured card, just as they would for an unsecured credit card application. This card is for people new to credit as well as people looking to rebuild their credit. To determine if you qualify for an account, we review the information that you provide on the application, information in your credit report, as well as other information we may have about your creditworthiness. If you are not approved, we will provide you with the score we obtained, which credit reporting agency it was obtained from, and the reasons we could not approve your application. Some secured credit cards can help you build or rebuild credit if used responsibly. For example, the Discover it® Secured credit card can help you build your credit if you responsibly use your account and pay your other loans on time.2 Be sure to make at least your minimum monthly payment due on time. It may also help to pay down existing credit card debt and dispute errors on your credit report. Apply for a Discover it® Secured card to begin building your credit with responsible use today.
How to get a secured credit card and build credit with responsible use2
When you're just starting out and you have no credit history at all, you need to find the right credit card that can help prepare you for the future. On-time payments can help put you on the right financial path. It's important to show a good credit score in case you want to rent an apartment, finance a car loan, get hired by employers who review credit reports, or use a mortgage to buy a house.
Check your credit score
Discover shows your FICO® Credit Score9 for free, so you can track it. Seeing how your credit score is affected by your credit actions can help you improve your credit knowledge.
Apply for the Discover it® Secured Card
With the Discover it® Secured Credit Card, you provide a refundable security deposit to back your credit line. You still make monthly payments, and can build credit with responsible use.2
Pay credit bills on time
The Discover it® Secured Card can help you build credit with responsible use2, like making your payments on time and in full each month. Payment history is reported to the credit bureaus.
Keep your balances low
Another part of responsible credit card use is to keep your balances low to improve your credit utilization ratio–using less of your available credit is viewed by credit bureaus more favorably.
Get your deposit back
After 7 months, we begin automatic monthly account reviews to see if you qualify to upgrade to an 'unsecured' card and get your depositback.3
†† You earn a full 2%Cashback Bonus® on your first $1000 in combined purchases at Gas Stations (stand-alone), and Restaurants each calendar quarter. Calendar quarters begin January 1, April 1, July 1, and October 1. Purchases at Gas Stations and Restaurants over the quarterly cap, and all other purchases, earn 1% cash back. Gas Station purchases include those made at merchants classified as places that sell automotive gasoline that can be bought at the pump or inside the station, and some public electric vehicle charging stations. Gas Stations affiliated with supermarkets, supercenters, and wholesale clubs may not be eligible. Restaurant purchases include those made at merchants classified as full-service restaurants, cafes, cafeterias, fast-food locations, and restaurant delivery services. Purchases must be made with merchants in the U.S. To qualify for 2%, the purchase transaction date must be before or on the last day of the offer or promotion. For online purchases, the transaction date from the merchant may be the date when the item ships. Rewards are added to your account within two billing periods. Even if a purchase appears to fit in a 2% category, the merchant may not have a merchant category code (MCC) in that category. Merchants and payment processors are assigned an MCC based on their typical products and services. Discover Card does not assign MCCs to merchants. Certain third-party payment accounts and digital wallet transactions may not earn 2% if the technology does not provide sufficient transaction details or a qualifying MCC. Learn more atDiscover.com/digitalwallets.SeeCashback BonusProgram Terms and Conditionsformore information.
*Based on 2022 Discover it Secured credit card application data, applicants without a credit score may qualify. You must meet other applicable underwriting criteria. When we evaluate your creditworthiness, we consider all the information you provide on your application, your credit report, and other information. If you have a credit score, we may use that in our evaluation.
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Minimum Security Deposit:If approved, you must make a minimum security deposit of $200 (or more, in increments of $100 up to $2,500), which will equal your requested credit limit. Discover will determine your maximum credit limit by your income and ability to pay.
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Build credit with responsible use: Discover reports your credit history to the three major credit bureaus so it can help build/rebuild your credit if used responsibly. Late payments, delinquencies or other derogatory activity with your credit card accounts and loans mayadversely impact your ability to build/rebuild credit.
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Getting your deposit back:Monthly reviews start your seventh month as a customer. We will refund your security deposit if you have made all payments on time for the last six consecutive billing cycles on all your Discover accounts including any loans, and you've remained in "good status" on all credit accounts you are responsible for whether they are Discover accounts or not. "Good status" means: (1) your credit report shows no delinquencies, charge-offs, repossessions, or bankruptcies for the six months prior to our review; and (2) your Discover secured card is not in a prohibited status at the time of our review, including, but not limited to: closed, revoked, suspended, subject to tax levy, garnishment, deceased, lost/stolen, or fraud. Monthly reviews may be delayed if you change your payment due date. We typically process your refund in 2-3 business days based on your delivery preference. If you close your account and pay in full, we'll return your deposit within two billing cycles plus ten days.
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Cashback Match:Only from Discover as of March 2024. We'll match all the cash back rewards you've earned on your credit card from the day your new account is approved through your first 12 consecutive billing periods or 365 days, whichever is longer, and add it to your rewards account within two billing periods. You've earned cash back rewards only when they're processed, which may be after the transaction date. We will not match: rewards that are processed after your match period ends; statement credits; rewards transfers from Discover checking or other deposit accounts; or rewards for accounts that are closed. This promotional offer may not be available in the future and is exclusively for new cardmembers. No purchase minimums.
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Based on 2022 Discover it Secured credit card application data, applicants without a credit score may qualify. You must meet other applicable underwriting criteria. When we evaluate your creditworthiness, we consider all the information you provide on your application, your credit report, and other information. If you have a credit score, we may use that in our evaluation.
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Based on the preceding 12 months of Discover Student credit card application data, applicants without a credit score may qualify. You must meet other applicable underwriting criteria. When we evaluate your creditworthiness, we consider all the information you provide on your application, your credit report, and other information. If you have a credit score, we may use that in our evaluation.
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Discover® Identity Alerts (Alerts) are offered by Discover Bank at no cost, are available only online, and do not impact your credit score. The Alerts currently provide: (a) daily monitoring of your Experian® credit report and an alert when a new inquiry or account is listed on your report; (b) daily monitoring of thousands of Dark Web sites known for revealing personal information and an alert if your Social Security Number is found on such a website. Alerts are only provided to Primary cardmembers who agree to receive them online and whose accounts are open, in good standing, have a Social Security Number, and an email address on file. This benefit may change or end in the future. Discover Bank is not a credit repair organization as defined under federal or state law, including the Credit Repair Organizations Act. To see a list of Frequently Asked Questions, visit discover.com/freealerts.
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Freeze it®:When you freeze your account, Discover will not authorize new purchases, cash advances or balance transfers (including checks). However, some activity will continue including charges from merchants where your card is stored or billed regularly, as well as returns, credits, dispute adjustments, delayed authorizations (such as some transit purchases), payments, Discover protection product fees, other account fees, interest, rewards redemptions and certain other exempted transactions.
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FICO® Credit Score Terms: Your FICO® Credit Score, key factors and other credit information are based on data from TransUnion® and may be different from other credit scores and other credit information provided by different bureaus. This information is intended for and only provided to Primary account holders who have an available score. See Discover.com/FICO about the availability of your score. Your score, key factors and other credit information are available on Discover.com and cardmembers are also provided a score on statements. Customers will see up to a year of recent scores online. Discover and other lenders may use different inputs, such as FICO® Credit Scores, other credit scores and more information in credit decisions. This benefit may change or end in the future. FICO is a registered trademark of Fair Isaac Corporation in the United States and other countries.
If you prefer not to receive your FICO® Credit Score just call us at 1-800-DISCOVER (1-800-347-2683). Please give us two billing cycles to process your request.
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Acceptance: According to the Feb 2023 issue of the Nilson Report.
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Rewards Redemption:Rewards never expire. We reserve the right to determine the method to disburse your rewards balance. We will credit your Account or send you a check with your rewards balance if your Account is closed or if you have not used it within 18 months.
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Use Rewards at Amazon.com:For complete details on how to Pay with Rewards atAmazon.comseeAmazon.com/DiscoverRewards. Amazon is not a sponsor of this promotion. Amazon, the Amazon.com logo, the smile logo and all related marks are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates. To redeem your rewards at checkout, you must select the Discover Card from which you want to redeem rewards. If you do not pay for your full purchase with rewards, you may use the Discover Card from which the rewards were applied or an Amazon.com Gift Card to pay for the remainder of your purchase. You may not use a credit card from an issuer other than Discover or another Discover credit card enrolled in Shop with Points in conjunction with the rewards transaction.
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Use Rewards with PayPal: For complete details on how to Pay with Rewards with PayPal see PayPal.com/Discover. Pay with Rewardswith PayPal will be available for eligible credit cards on eligible purchases orrewards can be donated to support a charitable cause with PayPal Giving Fund. To learn more about Pay with Rewards, see terms and conditions.
All reward redemptions are subject to Discover’s reward program terms.To redeem your rewards at checkout, you must select the Discover Card from which you want to redeem rewards. If you do not pay for your full purchase with rewards, you must use the Discover Card from which the rewards were applied to pay for the remainder of your purchase. You may not use a credit card from an issuer other than Discover or another Discover credit card enrolled in Pay with Rewards in conjunction with the rewards transaction.
PayPal, and the PayPal logo are trademarks of PayPal and its Affiliates.
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Free Overnight Card Replacement: Free overnight shipping is not available to P.O. boxes or addresses outside the U.S. Carrier overnight shipping limitations apply that may impact the exact delivery date.
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$0 Fraud Liability:An “unauthorized purchase” is a purchase where you have not given access to your card information to another person or a merchant for one-time or repeated charges. Please use reasonable care to protect your card and do not share it with employees, relatives, or friends. Learn more atDiscover.com/fraudFAQ.
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About product reviews: We calculate the average product rating based on ratings that customers submit. We exclude some reviews from being displayed for reasons such as the customer included profanity, reviewed the wrong product, submitted inappropriate or irrelevant content, or revealed personally identifying information. Reviews are not filtered, edited, or deleted simply because they are negative or are lower rated. If a review is excluded, the associated rating is not calculated in the average product rating.
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Online Privacy Protection:Online Privacy Protection is offered by Discover Bank at no cost and only available in the mobile app. About every 90 days we will scan at least 10 people-search sites for your online personal information and help you submit opt-out requests. Types of personal information found on these sites will vary.
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100% U.S. Based Customer Service:You can reach a live agent any time by calling 1-800-Discover (1-800-347-2683). Certain specialized customer service agents may not be available 24/7.
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There is no hard inquiry to your credit report to check if you’re pre-approved. If you’re pre-approved, and you move forward with submitting an application for the credit card, it will result in a hard inquiry which may impact your credit score. Receiving a pre-approval offer does not guarantee approval. Applicants applying without a social security number are not eligible to receive pre-approval offers. Card applicants cannot be pre-approved for the NHL Discover Card.
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