The myth surrounding credit cards for fair credit is that they're kind of, well ... meh. Average credit may not be perfect, but it does vault consumers into a different category of credit cards they're likely to get approved for; the best fair credit cards include cash back opportunities, 0 percent interest periods and - most importantly - the opportunity to build your credit score further with active and responsible usage.
Here are 3 credit cards for fair credit that are anything but "meh"...
1.) Discover it™ Card for Students
This credit card is set aside for college students with fair credit. But for students interested in building their credit score while taking advantage of better-than-average cash back opportunities, there's no better card than the Discover it™ Card for Students. Students can earn 5 percent cash back on up to $1,500 in purchases made in rotating categories that change each quarter, there's a 6-month 0 percent interest period applied to new purchases and the ongoing APR maxes out at 18.99 percent, and there's no annual fee. Click the "Apply" button to the left for full details.
2.) Barclaycard® Rewards MasterCard® - Average Credit
Barclaycard has become a real player in the fair credit game thanks to this card. It's one of the only fair credit cards available today that offers a 0 percent interest period applied to new purchases and balance transfers (for 6 months), and it's the ONLY card for this credit level that includes a first purchase bonus. Cardholders can earn 2,500 bonus points after their first purchase - which according to them is the equivalent of a $25 gift card. There's also no annual fee, though the ongoing APR is the highest of these cards and starts at a 24.99 percent variable.
3.) Citi® Dividend® Card for College Students
Finally, this college student credit card from Citi is similar to the aforementioned Discover card since it offers bonus cash back in rotating categories that change each quarter. The 0 percent intro period applied to new purchases is 7 months, and the ongoing APR starts as low as 13.99 percent but can go as high as 23.99 percent. There's also no annual fee, making this a solid option for students with fair credit in search of a card to build their credit with.