The Best Secured Credit Cards in Canada 2023
If you ever find yourself in a situation where your low credit score is getting in the way of your goals, don’t worry, there are ways to improve it. With the Best Secured Credit Cards in Canada, you can build your credit score, whether it’s starting at zero or doing a little credit recon.
In this article, you’ll learn about the best credit cards in Canada for this with low or no credit, how they work, and how they can help you get your credit score back on track.
Top 5 Secure Credit Cards Compared
5 / 5$0
22.99% / 26.99%
4.7 / 5$59
14.99%
No Available Promotion
4.6 / 5$0
19.99%
No Available Promotion
4.1 / 5$48
17.99%
3.8 / 5$59
19.8%
No Available Promotion
What Exactly Are Secured Credit Cards?
Secured credit cards are designed with two goals in mind:
- To help people with bad credit repair their credit score.
- To help people with no credit build a credit score.
In the eyes of a credit card company, people with no credit and bad credit both constitute potential risks for lending. If you have no credit, the company has no way of knowing whether you’ll handle their loan responsibly and pay your debt. If you have bad credit, the company can see that you may not have handled your debt responsibly in the past and may be reluctant to issue a credit card for that reason. Secured credit cards take the risk out of the equation for the credit card issuer while still allowing you to build credit (or repair your credit score).
When you open a secured credit card, you send a security deposit to the card company, then they issue you a credit card. The credit limit of the card usually starts out as the same amount you sent in, but it’s not a prepaid card – it’s an actual, working Visa or Mastercard.
The card company holds the security deposit for you, much like a rental company holds a damage deposit for an apartment. Secured credit cards are called that because the loan you receive is “secured”‚—that is, you have given the lender a deposit as collateral to reduce their risk.
You can use a secured credit card like you would any credit card, being sure to pay your bill monthly. The card company reports to the credit bureaus regularly, which builds your good credit. If you fail to pay your bill, the company closes your card and keeps the security deposit.
However, if you keep your account in good standing by paying your bills regularly and on time, and raise your credit score enough, you will eventually be able to qualify for a more traditional (unsecured) credit card and close your secured card. When that happens, the company will return your deposit.
Secured Credit Cards vs. Prepaid Cards
People often confuse prepaid cards and secured credit cards because they both involve sending the card company a hefty cheque to use the card. But beyond that similarity (and we understand why that would feel the same) the two cards function very differently.
Here’s a comparison between secured credit cards and prepaid cards to help make the differences clear:
Prepaid Cards:
- Are not actually credit cards
- You load them with money and then spend it.
- There is no loan involved, and the company does not report to credit bureaus.
- You cannot use prepaid cards to improve your credit (notice that the correct term is “prepaid card” and not “prepaid credit card” —there’s a reason for that)
Secured credit cards:
- You send the card company a cheque, but it’s set aside.
- You are then issued a secured credit card, which functions just like a regular credit card, with monthly bills and fees.
- The company reports regularly to the credit bureau.
- When you are finished with the card, you get your deposit back.
- You can use a secured credit card to improve your credit.
If you feel like a prepaid card might suit your needs better, check out our list of the best prepaid credit cards in Canada.
Secured Credit Cards Pros
- You can often get approved for a secured credit card when you wouldn’t get approved for a standard credit card. Some cards guarantee approval, and they often don’t take your credit rating or income into account.
- They report to credit bureaus
- Can help you repair or build your credit
Cons:
- You must come up with a security deposit to obtain the card, and that can be a challenge. If you have outstanding debts, you may want to pay those off first
- Almost all secured credit cards have annual fees, and some also have monthly fees
- Rewards are rare and perks are limited
Best Secured Credit Card in Canada: Neo Secured Credit Card
Neo Financial offers a wide range of products to help customers save, invest and even get a home loan. With the Neo Secured Credit card, you’ll pay nothing in annual or monthly fees. It’s true, there are other no-fee secured credit cards out there, but most of them won’t offer cashback bonuses.
The Neo Secured Credit card offers 5% cashback when you shop at any of their retail partners. So, shopping on Amazon, your Netflix subscription, getting your daily needs at Walmart, and more, will all earn you 5% cashback.
- Annual Fee: $0
- Security Deposit: $50 minimum $10,000 maximum
- Interest Rate: 19.99% – 26.99% for purchases and 22.99% – 28.99% for cash advances
- Perks: 5% cashback on qualifying purchases and a free 0.5% cashback top up if your overall cashback falls below 0.5%.
On top of the great perks, the Neo Secured Credit card will automatically approve your application without a credit check. For these reasons, the Neo Secured Credit card earns the top spot on our list of the Best Secured Credit Cards in Canada.
Best Secured Credit Card with No Annual Fee: HomeTrust No-Fee Secured Visa
HomeTrust offers two secured credit cards, both of which are featured in this Best Secured Credit Cards list. The Home Trust No-Fee Secured Visa is worth considering because no-fee secured credit cards are rare—as you’ll see on our list, it’s more typical to pay at least $50/year for a card.
Despite charging no annual fee, the HomeTrust No-Fee Secured Credit card offers a 19.99% interest rate, which is on par with any average fixed-rate credit card on the market right now. They’ve been featured on several Best Secured Credit Card lists this year, and it’s easy to see why.
Annual Fee: $0
Security Deposit: $500-$10,000 (credit limit is the same as the security deposit)
Interest Rate: 19.99%
Perks: 90-day purchase security
The HomeTrust Secured Credit Card is a bare-bones card in terms of perks, offering 90-day purchase security only. However, they do what they do extremely well: offering cardholders with bad or no credit a reliable option that works just like a regular Visa card and doesn’t cost anything other than the security deposit.
Note: this card is not available to residents of Quebec
Best Secured Credit Card with Low Interest: HomeTrust Secured Visa
HomeTrust’s low interest secured credit card option comes with an annual fee of $59 but offers a competitive interest rate of 14.99%. If you’re likely to carry a balance on your card, you could save a significant amount of money with this option, depending on your credit limit.
For example, a cardholder with a $5,000 balance who pays $200 toward their debt every month will end up paying $1,031.77 in interest with this card, as opposed to $1521.02 on the no-fee card. Even if you factor in several years’ worth of annual fees, that’s still a savings of several hundred dollars.
Annual Fee: $59
Security Deposit: $500-$10,000 (credit limit is the same as the security deposit)
Interest Rate: 14.99%
Perks: 90-day purchase security
HomeTrust has been in business since 1977 and has a reputation for helping Canadians achieve their financial goals. In the case of their secured credit cards, this reputation is well earned. Our editorial team appreciates their commitment to offering a lower interest option for Canadians with bad or no credit.
Note: this card is not available to residents of Quebec
Best Secured Credit Card with Rewards: Plastk Secured Visa Credit Card
Most secured credit cards are designed with a single purpose in mind, which means that perks are generally minimal at best, and rewards are nearly unheard of. The Plastk Secured Credit Card stands out because it gives cardholders rewards earning potential, plus a welcome bonus, and that’s worth celebrating.
Plastk gives cardholders a welcome bonus of 5,000 points (a $20 value) if their account remains in good standing after 3 months. They also give new cardholders 0% APR for the first 3 months. Cardholders earn rewards points for all purchases at a rate of 1 point per dollar spent, with no cap on the amount they can earn. Plastk also offers a referral program that allows cardholders to earn bonus points for sharing their link.
Annual Fee: $48 plus $6/month maintenance fee ($120 total)
Security Deposit: $300-$10,000 (credit limit is the same as the security deposit)
Interest Rate: 17.99%
Welcome Bonus: 0% APR for the first 3 months, 5,000 points ($20 value) after the first 3 months
Earn rate: 1 point per dollar spent, unlimited rewards
Perks:
- Referral Program (earn extra rewards points)
- 25-day grace period
- Monthly credit score, credit education, and insights
Plastk’s fees are higher than the other cards on our list: a $48 annual fee plus a $6 maintenance fee, which puts the total fees at $120 annually.
However, they do provide cardholders with the feel of a typical credit card that could be worth the cost, especially if rewards are important to you. And with unique perks like a monthly credit score and credit education, plus an interest rate that’s lower than many, it’s earned its spot on our list.
Best Secured Credit Card with Guaranteed Approval and Best Perks: Capital One Guaranteed Secured Mastercard
The Capital One Guaranteed Mastercard is on this list for two reasons:
1. It actually does have a guaranteed approval.
2. It has the most generous set of perks we found—including travel insurance
Some cards claim to guarantee approval and don’t deliver, but in the case of the Capital One Guaranteed Secured Mastercard, as long as you’re over the age of majority and you don’t have an existing Capital One account, a pending application for one, or a past account not in good standing, you’re good to go.
The Capital One Guaranteed Secured Mastercard is one of the few secured credit cards that doesn’t necessarily tie your credit limit to the amount of security funds they require. Capital One will process your application and then tell you whether you need to send $75 or $300. Your credit limit may be higher than your deposit. However, this is a double-edged sword: Capital One reserves the right to lower your credit limit at any time without telling you in advance, whereas with other cards, your credit limit is dictated by the amount of your security deposit, and is therefore predictable.
Annual Fee: $59
Security Deposit: $75-300 (credit limit is not necessarily the same as the security deposit)
Interest Rate: 19.8%
Travel Insurance:
- 250,000 common carrier travel accident insurance
- Car rental insurance up to 31 days
- Up to $100/day for up to 3 days if baggage is delayed by 4 hours or more
Perks:
- 60-day Price Protection
- Purchase Assurance (120 days)
- Extended Warranty (up to 2 years)
The thing that really stands out for us, in addition to Capital One’s approval guarantee, is their set of perks. Not only does this card offer Price Protection, Purchase Assurance, and an Extended Warranty for up to 2 years (better than many unsecured credit cards out there), it also offers travel insurance.
Capital One Guaranteed Secured Mastercard cardholders and their family members receive common carrier travel accident insurance as well as car rental and baggage insurance.
It’s not a huge amount of coverage compared to some more premium cards, but it’s nearly unheard of among secured credit cards. Our team appreciates a card that offers something extra, and the Capital One Guaranteed Secured Mastercard does.
How to Get a Secured Credit Card
Requirements
Due to the nature of the cards, there generally aren’t any set requirements for secured credit cards in Canada. Some cards, like the Neo Secured Credit card, won’t even run a credit check.
However, you will be required to make a secured deposit, which depending on the card can be anywhere from $50 to $10,000.
When you close your account, you should be entitled to receive your deposit, as long as your account is in good standing.
Some cards, such as the Home Trust Secured Visa card, require some source of income and applicants cannot be in bankruptcy. Others, such as the Plastk Credit Card, do not.
Eligibility
Legal residents of Canada over the age of 18 or 19, depending on the province, are eligible to apply for a secured credit card. In addition, you must be able to make the required security deposit amount to start using the card.
Application Process
The application process for a secured credit card will be the same as applying for any other credit card. After you have chosen the card you want, simply complete the following steps:
- Visit the application page on your chosen secured credit card’s website.
- Carefully read the terms and conditions so you understand exactly what will be required and how the card works.
- Fill in the required information, such as your legal name, address, and so on.
- Once approved, pay the security deposit right away so you can start building your credit as soon as possible.
Canadian Secured Credit Cards FAQ
Canadian Secured Credit Cards Comparison: Final Verdict
There are a number of great secured credit cards on offer to help those with no or low credit start building up to an excellent credit score. The great thing is that the options reviewed in this comparison won’t penalize you with over the top fees and interest rates.
All things considered, if you like the idea of earning cashback or other rewards while you build your credit, the Neo Secured Credit and Plastk are great choices.
If low interest rates are more important to you, as you want to save while paying down your balance, then you might be better off with the HomeTrust Annual Fee Secured Visa.
The sooner you start building credit with one of these Visa or Mastercard backed cards, the sooner you can reach those important life milestones. Think of these cards as a stepping stone to bigger and better options that await once your credit score is solid.
When you’re ready, check out some of The Best Free Rewards Credit Cards or The Best Low Interest Credit Cards to learn how you will be able to benefit even more from those good credit habits.
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