The Discover it(R) Secured Credit Card* offers the best value when you’re looking to rebuild your credit score. This card has no annual fee, no credit requirement and rewards potential. It’s secured, meaning you’ll need to provide a security deposit that will be held as collateral. Unlike other secured cards, your deposit of $200 or more is refundable after a track record of on-time payments.

When rebuilding credit using secured cards, you’ll find that your card’s credit limit typically matches the deposit. It may be low at first, but Discover will automatically review your account starting at seven months to see if you can transition to an unsecured line of credit and have your deposit returned.

In addition to credit building and the opportunity to get upgraded to an unsecured card, the Discover it(R) Secured Credit Card is a great cash-back rewards card for this credit level. You’ll receive 2% cash back at restaurants and gas stations (on up to $1,000 in combined purchases each quarter, then 1%) and 1% unlimited cash back on all other purchases. Discover will also give you a Cashback Match at the end of your first year, which could essentially double the rewards you earned.

You can read our full review of the Discover it(R) Secured Credit Card for more details.

Most secured cards will require you to pay a security deposit equivalent to your credit limit. The Capital One Platinum Secured Credit Card will give you a starting credit limit of $200 but has three deposit tiers of $49, $99 or $200. This card doesn’t come with a lot of other frills — no rewards or welcome bonus — but it’s a great option for rebuilding your credit with responsible use.

In addition to potentially low deposit requirements, Capital One performs an automatic review of your account after the first six months to determine whether to increase your credit limit. And, you can receive your secured deposit back as a statement credit after a steady history of on-time payments.

You can also read our full review of the Capital One Platinum Secured Credit Card.

The Credit One Bank(R) Platinum Visa(R) for Rebuilding Credit* is known to approve applicants with average or below average FICO scores. There is no need to set aside part of your savings to serve as collateral. While the annual fee is definitely a cost you should weigh carefully, if you’re able to maximize your cash-back rewards, you could make up for this fee in rewards earned.

Credit One Bank reports your payment history to the three credit bureaus and automatically reviews your payment history regularly to potentially increase your credit limit. A higher credit limit can improve your credit utilization ratio, an important part of your FICO score. The more unused credit available to you, the faster you can work toward rebuilding credit. For the concept to work, avoid the temptation of spending more.

Chime may be best known for its free online checking account, known as a Spending Account, which offers no overdraft fees, account minimums or other hidden charges. But wait — why are we even talking about a checking account here? Well, Chime offers a Chime Credit Builder Visa(R) Credit Card that’s fairly unique and pairs up with its checking account. The Chime Credit Builder Visa is technically a secured card — it requires a deposit and reports payment activity to the credit bureaus — but functions like a prepaid debit card, in that you load money onto your card through your Chime checking account and there’s no interest to worry about.

While most credit-building accounts lock up a certain amount of your funds as a security deposit, Chime’s Visa works differently. You can move money from your Spending account into your Credit Builder account and the balance will serve as your credit limit. When your monthly bill arrives, you can use the funds in the account to pay off your card’s balance. There’s also no credit check involved in the application process.

Chime will report your payment activity to the three credit bureaus but not your credit utilization, so you don’t need to worry about getting penalized for having a low-limit card with a high balance. To get started, you will need to open a Chime Spending Account — don’t worry, it’s free — and have a direct deposit of at least $200 within the last year.

Most cards designed to rebuild credit offer minimum rewards. The First Tech Platinum Secured Mastercard(R)* is one of the rare cards that doesn’t demand a high FICO score to deliver premium travel perks. Despite its secured nature, it’s a Mastercard, which means there are no foreign transaction fees to worry about when you travel overseas. You’ll also have access to rental coverage and travel insurance for lost/damaged luggage and trip cancellation.

The purchases you make can earn up to one point for every dollar spent. As with a typical rewards card, the points can be redeemed for travel, merchandise and more. And if you keep up the responsible spending and payment habits, your security deposit could be refunded.

If you’re looking to avoid any dings on your credit score, the OpenSky(R) Secured Visa(R) Credit Card would be a good choice. There’s no credit check necessary to apply, just a one-time, refundable security deposit of $200 to $3,000 upon approval, which will act as your credit limit. There is also a $35 annual fee.

OpenSky will report your behavior to the three major credit bureaus — TransUnion, Equifax and Experian — so be sure you’re making all of your payments on time to build your credit. It’s worth noting that there are other secured cards that do the same but ask for no annual fee, and even some that earn rewards.

With the Capital One Quicksilver Secured Cash Rewards Credit Card*, you could rebuild your credit with responsible use and while earning a solid return on your spending. In exchange for a one-time, refundable security deposit of $200 to $3,000, you earn 1.5% cash back for your purchases.

The security deposit will form your credit limit, so deposit as much as you’re comfortable with. According to Capital One, the security deposit could be refunded as a statement credit (applied to your credit account, lowering any balance you may have on it) following responsible behavior. Responsible behavior means using the card regularly and paying it off on time each month.

If you’re looking to establish a positive credit history but don’t want to go the secured card route, the Destiny(R) Mastercard(R)* could be an option. However, it carries an annual fee of $59 to $99 (determined by your creditworthiness) which is taken out of your credit limit when you activate the card. You’re able to check for credit card pre-qualification before applying, which can help you understand if applying will be worth it.

There are two card versions: one with an initial annual fee of $75, which increases to $99 the next year, and a version with a $59 fee. Both cards have a low credit limit of $300, which will start off as $225 and $241 respectively due to maintenance fees. It’s a relatively expensive option, but if you’re looking for an easy way to manage spending, the lower credit limit could be a good thing. That said, there are other cards that cost less yearly that do the same thing — such as the Discover it Secured Credit Card — that you may want to consider first.

The Self Secured Visa(R) Credit Card* works a bit differently than most secured cards. To qualify, you’ll first need to have a Self – Credit Builder Account. It’s a credit builder loan with monthly payments. You pledge to pay either $25 or $35 over 24 months, or $48 or $150 over 12 months. At the end of the period, you’ll have an established credit history and will receive a pay out of $520, $724, $539, or $1,663 respectively.

Upon making three monthly payments on time, having more than $100 in savings progress (made by making your payments) and having an account in good standing, you’ll be eligible for the Self Visa Credit Card. There’s no hard credit check required and your $100 in savings will be used to set your credit limit. You can choose to have more than $100 for your credit limit, but it depends on your savings progress.

So it takes a bit more time and effort than a standard credit card, but it does help reinforce good habits that could set you on the path toward better credit. You could also potentially receive a credit limit increase following good card habits, which means using the card regularly and making your payments on time.

The PREMIER Bankcard(R) Mastercard(R) Credit Card* offers a way to build credit with multiple starting credit limits, based on your creditworthiness. However, there are a ton of fees: monthly, annual and a one-time initial program fee based on your credit limit.

For example, if you’re approved with a starting credit limit of $200, you’ll need to pay a one-time program fee of $95, plus $50 annually for the first year (then $45), on top of a monthly fee of $6.25 ($75 annually) after the first year and you’ll start with a credit limit of $150 until the following year.

The highest credit limit is $700 with an initial program fee of $55, an annual fee of $79 the first year then $49, and a monthly payment of $8 ($96 annually) for the first year then $10.40 ($124.80 annually). It also carries an APR of 36% which is ridiculously high. Suffice to say you’d be better off choosing a different card to build credit with.

The Avant Credit Card offers cardholders a chance to rebuild their credit with responsible use. This unsecured credit card features an annual fee of $59 and a credit limit $300. The card reports to the three major credit bureaus, so as long as you make your payments on time, your credit score should improve.

The Mission Lane Visa(R) Credit Card* is another tool to use to rebuild your credit. You can monitor your credit score, access credit-building educational resources, and gain access to a higher credit line if you’re in good standing after making your first six payments on time. You can check to see if you’re pre-qualified before putting in a formal application.

The Milestone(R) Mastercard(R)* is an unsecured credit card meant to help establish a better credit score. You can see if you’re pre-qualified before applying, which doesn’t impact your credit score, and because it’s an unsecured card, you won’t have to make any initial deposits. There is, however, a $35 to $99 annual fee to be aware of. Use the card responsibly and you should start to see an improvement in your credit.