OpenSky Secured Credit Card Review
This article was last updated May 11, 2020. Terms and conditions may have changed. For the most accurate information, please consult the issuer website.
The OpenSky® Secured Visa® Credit Card — issued by Capital Bank — is a no-frills card that doesn’t require a credit check when you apply. It’s a secured credit card, meaning you must submit a security deposit to the issuer equal to your credit limit. In other respects, it works the same as an unsecured credit card.
However, the OpenSky® Secured Visa® Credit Card charges a $35 annual fee, but if you’d like to avoid a credit check when applying for a new credit card, the fee may be worth it.
- OpenSky® Secured Visa® Credit Card pros
- OpenSky® Secured Visa® Credit Card cons
- Alternative cards for building good credit
- Is the OpenSky® Secured Visa® Credit Card a good card?
OpenSky® Secured Visa® Credit Card pros
No credit check. If you have bad credit and are worried that it might stop you from getting approved for even a secured credit card, the OpenSky® Secured Visa® Credit Card could be your best option. It doesn’t require a credit check when you apply, so your bad credit won’t be a factor.
What’s a bad credit score? According to FICO, the scoring method most commonly used by lenders, a credit score of less than 580 is considered poor.
Know that when applying for the OpenSky® Secured Visa® Credit Card, you will have to provide the following financial information:
- Annual income
- Monthly housing payment
- Housing payment type
Reports to the credit bureaus. Your payment history will be reported to Equifax, Experian and TransUnion, meaning this is a good card for building credit history.
Intro APR. Secured credit cards don’t typically provide 0% intro APR periods, but the OpenSky® Secured Visa® Credit Card is now offering a unique benefit to assist customers dealing with financial strain due to the coronavirus. New cardholders now get 0% APR for first 6 months on purchases. After, an interest rate of 17.39% (variable) applies.
Reasonable APR. The OpenSky® Secured Visa® Credit Card’s interest rate is 17.39% (variable). Many secured credit cards have interest rates over 20%, so this is reasonable by comparison.
However, to avoid incurring interest charges, it’s smart to pay your card off in full each month.
$200 minimum security deposit. While some secured cards may require a minimum deposit as high as $500, the minimum deposit for the OpenSky® Secured Visa® Credit Card is $200. The maximum deposit is $3,000. Your options for paying the deposit include:
- With a debit card
- Through Western Union
- By mailing a check or money order
You can also request a credit limit increase through your online account. If approved, you’ll receive a letter with instructions on how to submit the additional deposit amount.
OpenSky® Secured Visa® Credit Card cons
Annual fee. The OpenSky® Secured Visa® Credit Card charges a $35 annual fee. If you’d prefer a secured card with no annual fee (but one that does require a credit check), check out the Discover it® Secured.
Take note that the annual fee will reduce your available credit until paid. For example, if you have an initial $200 credit limit, the $35 annual fee will reduce your available credit to $165.
You won’t be able to graduate to an unsecured card. With some secured cards, there’s a chance to transition to an unsecured card with the same issuer and get your deposit back after demonstrating responsible credit card usage. With the OpenSky® Secured Visa® Credit Card, there’s no such option. To get your deposit refunded, you must pay the card off in full and close the account. However, once your credit score dramatically improves with the card, you should be able to apply for an unsecured card with a different issuer.
Foreign transaction fee. If you happen to be traveling outside the United States, be aware that this credit card charges 3% of each Transaction in U.S. dollars.
Alternative cards for building good credit
Discover it® Secured and the AvantCard Credit Card
If you’re willing to undergo a credit check, there are cards that might fit your needs better than the OpenSky® Secured Visa® Credit Card. We’ll look at two — one secured and one unsecured.
| OpenSky® Secured Visa® Credit Card | Discover it® Secured | AvantCard Credit Card | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual fee | $35 | $0 | $39 |
| Minimum deposit | $200 | $200 | No deposit |
| Rewards | No rewards | 2% cash back at gas stations and restaurants on up to $1,000 in combined purchases each quarter. 1% unlimited cash back on all other purchases - automatically. | No Rewards |
| Sign-up bonus | No bonus | For new cardmembers, 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. | No bonus |
| Regular purchase APR | 17.39% (variable) | 22.99% variable | 25.99% variable |
The Discover it® Secured is an excellent choice for applicants looking to rebuild their credit or those who have no credit history and need a good first credit card that earns cash back (it’s rare for secured cards to offer rewards). And after eight months, Discover will begin monthly reviews of your account to see if you’re eligible to graduate to an unsecured Discover it® chrome and have your deposit refunded. Note that Discover considers your behavior across cards and loans from all issuers when making this decision.
If you can’t afford $200 upfront for a deposit on either the OpenSky® Secured Visa® Credit Card or the Discover it® Secured, consider the AvantCard Credit Card. It’s an unsecured card (meaning no deposit is required) for applicants with fair/limited/bad/poor credit, and charges a $39 annual fee.
Unlike some other unsecured cards for bad credit, AvantCard Credit Card doesn’t hit cardholders with additional, unexpected fees and convoluted terms. It’s a good tool for building or rebuilding credit. Plus, you can check on the Avant website to see if you prequalify. Just be aware that this card is not available to residents of Colorado, Iowa, Vermont, West Virginia or Wisconsin.
Is the OpenSky® Secured Visa® Credit Card a good card?
Depending on your situation, a card such as the Discover it® Secured might be better than the OpenSky® Secured Visa® Credit Card. The former charges no annual fee and offers cash back and regular account reviews to see if you’re eligible to get your deposit refunded. The latter charges a $35 annual fee and will refund the deposit only if your account is paid off and closed.
However, if you want to avoid a credit check in exchange for a small annual fee, the OpenSky® Secured Visa® Credit Card might be just what you’re looking for. It reports your payment history to the credit bureaus and provides an opportunity to demonstrate responsible credit behavior. In time, you can build a good credit score and apply for a card with rewards and benefits.
