OpenSky® Plus Secured Visa® Credit Card
Why We Like It: The OpenSky Plus Credit Card is the best instant approval credit card for bad credit because it has no credit check and no annual fee. OpenSky just has to validate your identity, income and a few other details.
As a result, the OpenSky Plus Card allows people with poor credit or no credit to get instant approval and begin improving their credit standing at a low cost. OpenSky also reports account information to all three major credit bureaus monthly.
What We Don’t Like: You have to place a security deposit of $300+. In addition, there is a $0 annual fee.
Who Should Get It: Consider applying for the OpenSky® Plus Secured Visa® Credit Card if you want the chance to be approved instantly despite having bad credit. It’s particularly good for people whose top priority is credit improvement.
Alternatives to Consider: The First Progress Platinum Prestige is another goodoption with no credit check.
Discover it® Secured Credit Card
Why We Like It: The Discover it® Secured Credit Card is one of the best rewards credit cards that offers most applicants a good chance of getting approved instantly. While an instant decision might be possible, that does not mean the approval is always guaranteed. The card offers 2% cash back at gas stations and restaurants (up to $1,000 spent each quarter combined), and 1% back on all other purchases, and does not charge an annual fee. All the rewards you earn during the first 12 months as a new cardmember also get doubled after your first account anniversary.
What We Don’t Like: You have to place a security deposit of $200+, and the amount you put down becomes your spending limit.
Who Should Get It: Consider applying for this card if you have limited or bad credit, don’t mind placing a refundable security deposit, and will be able to take full advantage of the card’s bonus rewards.
Alternatives to Consider: The Capital One Quicksilver Secured offers very good rewards too.
Capital One Quicksilver Secured Cash Rewards Credit Card
Why We Like It: The best instant approval credit card for bad credit is the Capital One Quicksilver Secured Cash Rewards Credit Card (see ). It’s meant for people with limited-to-bad credit history, so your approval odds should be high, and you could get instant approval if your online application is complete and everything checks out on Capital One’s end.
Having this card can help you build positive credit history, as it reports to the three major credit bureaus monthly. The Capital One Quicksilver Secured Cash Rewards Credit Card also offers good rewards and has no annual fee.
What We Don’t Like: You have to place a refundable security deposit, the amount of which will be your spending limit.
Who Should Get It: Consider applying for the Capital One Quicksilver Secured if you want to build credit at a low cost and earn rewards along the way.
Alternatives to Consider: Discover it Secured Credit Card offers very good rewards to people with limited or bad credit.
Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card
Why We Like It:Capital One Quicksilver (see ) offers the chance for instant approval when you apply online, has a $0 annual fee, and rewards cardholders handsomely. The rewards start with an initial bonus of $200 for spending $500 in the first 3 months and continue with 5% cash back on hotel and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, as well as 1.5% cash back on all other purchases.
Plus, new cardholders enjoy an introductory APR of 0% for 15 months.
What We Don’t Like: The card’s regular APR -19.99% - 29.99% (V) - will make carrying a balance from month to month quite expensive after the intro APR promotion expires. Plus, the card has a balance transfer fee of3% for the first 15 months, 4% at a promo APR that Capital One may offer you at any other time.
Who Should Get It: People with good-to-excellent credit should consider applying for the Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card if its rewards suit their spending habits.
Alternatives to Consider: Wells Fargo Active Cash is another great cash back credit card that you could get instantly approved for if you apply online.
Credit One Bank® Platinum Visa® for Rebuilding Credit
Why We Like It: The Credit One Bank® Platinum Visa® for Rebuilding Credit is the best unsecured credit card for people with bad credit who want instant approval. The Credit One Visa certainly is not cheap, but it could help you afford minor emergency expenses as well as improve your credit standing, if used responsibly. And if you apply online, you could be instantly approved.
What We Don’t Like: The Credit One Visa is pretty expensive, charging up to $99 in annual fees($75 the first year) as well as an APR of 29.74% (V). You won’t be able to borrow too much, either, as the card’s minimum credit limit is just $300.
Who Should Get It: Consider applying for the Credit One Visa if you have bad credit and need to borrow a small amount of money for an emergency expense.
Alternatives to Consider: If you don’t need to borrow for an emergency, consider a secured card like the Capital One Quicksilver Secured. Otherwise, find the least expensive unsecured card for bad credit.
Bottom Line:
All credit cards offer instant approval, at least when you apply online. They just don’t offer it to everyone. You need to be an ideal applicant. And the higher a card’s approval requirements are, the fewer ideal applicants there will be.
So if you really want instant approval, the trick is to pick a conservative target. One way to do that is to apply for a credit card whose minimum credit requirement is one level below your credit standing. For example, if you have good credit, consider applying for a fair-credit credit card. You can check your latest credit score for free on WalletHub.
For your convenience, we’ll also recap WalletHub’s editors’ picks for the best credit cards for instant approval right now, which were selected from 1,000+ offers due to their standout terms and the possibility for quick application decisions. You can find them grouped by category below.
Best Instant Approval Credit Cards Comparison
| Credit Card | Best For | Annual Fee | Min. Credit Required |
| Discover it® Secured Credit Card | Rewards | $0 | Bad |
| Capital One Quicksilver Secured Cash Rewards Credit Card (see ) | Bad Credit | $0 | Bad |
| Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card (see ) | Good Credit | $0 | Good |
| OpenSky® Secured Visa® Credit Card | No Credit Check Approval | $35 | Bad |
| Credit One Bank® Platinum Visa® for Rebuilding Credit | No Deposit | $75 intro 1st yr, $99 after | Bad |
If you’re still not sure which credit card is right for you, check out WalletHub’s guide on how to choose the best credit card for some helpful tips and info.
