“Fair credit” is not easy to define, because different banks will treat customers in different ways. FICO defines fair credit as those having credit scores between 580-669. But some credit card issuers consider fair credit to be in a higher range, topping at about a 700 credit score. (Last year FICO said the average credit score was 704.) For our purposes, we consider fair credit cards to be in the credit score range of 600-700. The cards below accept fair credit customers, and we’ve listed them based on your chances for approval — the higher the card is on this list, the better your approval odds. But this is not an exact science! (Don’t know your credit score? It’s easy to get it for free with no strings attached.)
Open to lower end of fair credit:
- Capital One Platinum Mastercard – No frills credit card has a high interest rate of at least 22% (but possibly higher depending on your credit history) but no annual fee. No rewards. Not a great credit card, but if your credit score is on the lower end of “fair,” this might be your best shot at getting an unsecured credit card from one of the biggest card issuers.
- Capital One QuicksilverOne Rewards – Good rewards card offering 1.5% cash back on all your purchases, but it comes with a $39 annual fee and a high interest rate of at least 22% (but maybe higher).
- Blue from American Express – The rewards are paltry at 1 point per dollar charged to the card, but it’s probably the easiest American Express card to get. High interest rate at 26.24%.
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