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First Progress Platinum Prestige Mastercard Secured Credit Card review A low-interest credit-building option

This card’s low APR and slightly forgiving terms make it a solid choice for building credit — just watch out for the annual fee. Written by Credit Card Reviews Writer Bankrate expert Garrett Yarbrough strives to make navigating credit cards and credit building smooth sailing for his readers. After regularly featuring his credit card, Nov. 8, 2022 Edited by Credit Cards Editor Courtney Mihocik is an editor at Bankrate Credit Cards and CreditCards.com specializing in credit card news and personal finance advice. Previously, she led insurance content at Reviewed by Personal Finance Writer Aja McClanahan is an author, blogger and speaker on personal finance and entrepreneurship. Aja is the author of “How a Mother Should Talk About Money with Her Nov. 8, 2022

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Snapshot

2.7 Our writers, editors and industry experts score credit cards based on a variety of factors including card features, bonus offers and independent research. Credit card issuers have no say or influence on how we rate cards. star icon star icon star icon star icon star icon star icon star icon star icon star icon star icon Bottom line The First Progress Platinum Prestige rewards cardholders as they show responsible credit use with possible higher credit limits and even forgives users the first time that they slip up on payments. Despite its lack of rewards and cardholder perks, credit-builders can zero in on boosting their score without possible overspending distractions. on First Progress's secure site

Best for low interest

First Progress Platinum Prestige Mastercard® Secured Credit Card

Rewards rate Annual fee Intro offer Intro offer is not available to this First Progress credit card Regular APR Recommended Credit Score A FICO score/credit score is used to represent the creditworthiness of a person and may be one indicator to the credit type you are eligible for. However, credit score alone does not guarantee or imply approval for any financial product.

First Progress Platinum Prestige Mastercard® Secured Credit Card Overview

The First Progress Platinum Prestige Mastercard Secured Credit Card is a secured credit card designed for people with no credit history or who are trying to get their credit score back on track. Though the card charges an annual fee of $49, you won't need to meet a minimum credit score to be approved or experience a hard pull on your credit when you apply. Since you aren't earning rewards, cutting costs with an introductory zero-interest offer or benefitting from premium features, the $49 annual fee is the biggest concern. The only differences between the three similarly named First Progress secured cards - including the and - are their rising annual fees and lower ongoing interest rates. The First Progress Platinum Prestige has the highest annual fee, but the only factor to offset this is its 13.74 percent variable APR, which is far below the even for cardholders with excellent credit. Ultimately, First Progress' Platinum Prestige card is only worth considering if you're rebuilding credit but you'll need a to occasionally carry a balance with - which is a very specific context that isn't too healthy for your credit score.

Pros and cons

Pros

The 13.74 percent variable APR is much lower than even many full-fledged credit cards’ rates An initial deposit of $200 up to $2,000 gives cardholders room to choose their credit limit and keep credit utilization low A potential secured credit limit increase of up to $5,000 upon request approval can further boost credit scores The late payment fee is only up to $29 (then up to $40 if you’re late again within six billing cycles) is pretty forgiving and not found on many secured cards

Cons

The $49 annual fee coupled with no rewards eats into this card’s value, but is standard for a credit-building secured card The low interest rate isn’t useful while building credit since you don’t want to carry a balance while building credit

A deeper look into the current card offer

Quick highlights

Rewards rate: N/A Welcome offer: N/A Annual fee: $49 Purchase intro APR: N/A Balance transfer intro APR: N/A Regular APR: 13.74 percent variable

Current welcome offer

Like the vast majority of secured credit cards, the First Progress Platinum Prestige doesn't come with an opportunity to earn a welcome bonus. You'll also miss out on fancy perks and won't be able to earn rewards. However, that's to be expected since secured credit cards are designed primarily for people looking to , not earn rewards.

Other cardholder perks

Despite the First Progress Platinum Prestige's lack of rewards and a welcome offer, it does have some features that are useful and convenient to people building credit.

Potential for a higher credit limit

Your initial security deposit becomes your credit limit, and with the First Progress Platinum Prestige, this can be any amount from $200 to $2,000. If you decide to deposit more than $200, your security deposit must be at least $350. We suggest going for the high end of this range if you can because it'll be less challenging to keep your credit utilization at or below the recommended level. Keeping a low will help improve your credit score faster, which can be challenging with a lower limit. The general guideline is to keep this ratio under 30 percent, but the minimum $200 credit limit means you'll need to keep your balance below a mere $60. This is especially important since the annual fee will eat into your credit limit when you first open your account and when it's charged each year. That means if you start with the minimum $200 credit limit, you'll actually have just $151 available on your card in your first billing cycle. Luckily, you can eventually request a higher credit limit for up to $5,000 by increasing your security deposit (which is, oddly, only achievable by mailing a check) after issuer approval. Still, $2,000 isn't the highest initial credit limit on the secured card market. Some of even the offer well over the $2,000 to $2,500 credit limit you'll typically find, such as the , and it's up to $4,900 deposit-backed limit.

Credit reporting to all three bureaus

First Progress reports to all three major credit bureaus (Experian, Equifax and TransUnion) each month, so you'll be able to improve on your credit standing provided you use your card responsibly.

Worldwide acceptance

Since it's a , you can use your First Progress Platinum Prestige nearly anywhere that accepts credit cards nationwide and internationally. Just remember that there's a 3 percent foreign transaction fee for purchases abroad.

Easy application

You can easily apply for the First Progress Platinum Prestige online with only a on your credit, so there will be no negative impact on your credit score. It's up to you whether skipping the potential three weeks to arrive is worth the additional fee, but First Progress also provides an expedited processing option where your application can be fast-tracked by seven days for $19.95.

Rates and fees

While the First Progress Platinum Prestige's annual fee is $49, which is expensive compared to other cards of its caliber, its rock-bottom 13.74 percent variable APR is about half the for someone with limited credit. By comparison, the has no annual fee but it does have a 28.49 percent variable APR. If you're interested in the low APR because you'll carry a balance from time to time, you should be aware of the card's other fees. The First Progress Platinum Prestige charges up to $29 for your first late payment, then up to $40 if you're late again in the following six billing cycles. This adds a layer of grace not typically seen among secured credit cards. There are also a few optional fees to know just in case. If you can't pay your bill online or you're worried your payment will be posted too late, you can make an expedited telephone payment in exchange for a $10 fee. There is also a $1 fee if you ever need to request a copy of a billing statement over six months old.

How the First Progress Platinum Prestige compares to other secured credit cards

As far as cards for applicants with no credit history or bad credit go, the First Progress Platinum Prestige Mastercard is notable for its incredibly low ongoing APR and fast approval process with no hard credit pull. Granted, the APR shouldn't be much of a deal-breaker since you most likely aren't carrying a balance while trying to improve your credit score anyway. The Platinum Prestige is a more practical and possibly less expensive way to compared to other options like , but its steep $49 annual fee is also noteworthy when other secured credit cards offer more effective features for no yearly cost.

First Progress Platinum Prestige Mastercard® Secured Credit Card

star icon star icon star icon star icon star icon star icon star icon star icon star icon star icon Bankrate Score Our writers, editors and industry experts score credit cards based on a variety of factors including card features, bonus offers and independent research. Credit card issuers have no say or influence on how we rate cards. on First Progress's secure site Annual fee Intro offer Intro offer is not available to this First Progress credit card Rewards rate Recommended credit A FICO score/credit score is used to represent the creditworthiness of a person and may be one indicator to the credit type you are eligible for. However, credit score alone does not guarantee or imply approval for any financial product.

Discover it® Secured Credit Card

on Discover's secure site Annual fee Intro offer 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. Rewards rate 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. Recommended credit A FICO score/credit score is used to represent the creditworthiness of a person and may be one indicator to the credit type you are eligible for. However, credit score alone does not guarantee or imply approval for any financial product.

Capital One Platinum Secured Credit Card

on Capital One's secure site Annual fee Intro offer Intro offer is not available to this Capital One credit card Rewards rate Recommended credit A FICO score/credit score is used to represent the creditworthiness of a person and may be one indicator to the credit type you are eligible for. However, credit score alone does not guarantee or imply approval for any financial product.

The First Progress Platinum Prestige card vs The Capital One Platinum Secured Credit Card

The is accepted at all of the same merchants, but depending on your creditworthiness, you may be able to get the same $200 minimum credit line with a smaller $49 or $99 security deposit. Plus, Capital One can automatically review your account for positive credit activity after six months and may increase your limit or upgrade you to an unsecured credit card. With the First Progress Platinum Prestige, that same credit limit increase means putting down more funds for a security deposit, so the Capital One Platinum Secured is much more lenient with increasing credit limits. This leniency makes it easier - and cheaper - to boost your credit score with Capital One. Keep in mind the Capital One Platinum Secured comes with a 28.49 percent variable APR, almost three times the Platinum Prestige's 13.74 percent variable. However, that higher APR also comes with no annual fee. If you carry a balance often, the First Progress Platinum Prestige may be a better fit, but overall the Capital One Platinum Secured checks more boxes in helping people build credit.

The First Progress Platinum Prestige card vs Discover it® Secured Credit Card

The is one of the only secured cards to earn on all purchases: 2 percent back at gas stations and restaurants (on up to $1,000 in combined spending per quarter, then 1 percent) and 1 percent on everything else. This cash back potential, plus its lack of an annual fee, sets it far above the First Progress Platinum Prestige, which earns no rewards and charges an annual fee. Again, if you are laser-focused on building credit and may be tempted to overspend just to earn cash back, the Platinum Prestige will help you build credit with no distractions. But if you can use the Discover it Secured responsibly, it's a more rewarding stepping stone to unsecured credit cards. Discover will automatically review your account for an upgrade to an unsecured card after seven months. The Discover it Secured card is slightly more forgiving with missed payments than the First Progress Platinum Prestige. In case you ever miss your payment deadline, Discover doesn't charge a penalty APR and your first late payment fee will be waived (up to $41 after that). With the First Progress Platinum Prestige, the penalty is $29 but up to $40 if another payment is missed within six billing cycles.

Best cards to pair with this card

Since this card has an annual fee and no rewards, we recommend pairing it with one of the - the Discover it Secured. While Discover's secured credit card is Platinum Prestige's top competitor, cardholders can use Discover's lack of an annual fee and modest cash back rate to offset the First Progress Platinum Prestige's annual fee. While pairing two credit cards - and thus taking two hard credit pulls - when you already have no credit or bad credit isn't ideal, First Progress only requires a soft credit pull for applications, so pairing these two cards won't tank your credit.

Bankrate s Take Is the First Progress Platinum Prestige worth it

The First Progress Platinum Prestige Mastercard Secured Credit Card could be a decent choice, particularly if paying off your card in full each month could be an issue. However, you'll usually avoid carrying a balance if you're focused on credit-building, so there are plenty of other secured cards with better perks than a low interest rate. The other two secured First Progress cards trade higher APRs for lower annual fees, but you can find secured cards from major issuers with lower upfront deposits, higher initial credit limits or even reward programs. Ultimately, the First Progress Platinum Prestige may offer marginally better terms than the other First Progress secured cards, but its annual fee doesn't entirely offset any potential benefits compared to its siblings and other popular secured credit cards.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the First Progress Platinum Prestige Mastercard Secured card do a hard pull when applying

When applying for the First Progress Platinum Prestige Mastercard Secured card, your credit report will be soft pulled rather than hard pulled, meaning it will have no impact on your credit score and no record of an inquiry.

What is the credit limit on the First Progress Platinum Prestige Mastercard Secured card

First Progress, which is issued by Synovus Bank, usually offers credit limits of $200 (minimum deposit) to $2,000, but it will depend on the amount of the first deposit.

How often does the First Progress Platinum Prestige Mastercard Secured card report to credit bureaus

Every month, First Progress reports your credit card usage to each of the three credit agencies (Experian, TransUnion, and Equifax), which gives you the opportunity to increase your credit score over time as long as you make on-time payments and use the card responsibly.

Can I get a credit increase with the First Progress Platinum Prestige Mastercard Secured card

Yes, it is possible for First Progress to increase your credit limit in the future without requiring you to make an additional deposit. However, if you must pay an additional deposit, the best alternative option would be to apply for an unsecured credit card that offers better terms or offers additional benefits to cardholders.

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Written by Garrett Yarbrough Credit Card Reviews Writer Bankrate expert Garrett Yarbrough strives to make navigating credit cards and credit building smooth sailing for his readers. After regularly featuring his credit card, credit monitoring and identity theft analysis on NextAdvisor.com, he joined the CreditCards.com and Bankrate.com teams as a staff writer to develop product reviews and comprehensive credit card guides focused on cash back, credit scores and card offers. Edited by Credit Cards Editor Reviewed by Personal Finance Writer

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