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When you’re new to credit, it can be hard to know where to start. Secured credit cards help you get started by offering the features of traditional credit cards – a credit limit, interest charges and sometimes even rewards – but with the added requirement of making a security deposit at the time of payment. advance.
Those with past credit errors, bad credit, limited/no credit, or who do not have U.S. citizenship should consider, in particular, the Sable Secure Card. Cardholders earn up to 2% cash back, and interested applicants don’t need a US credit history or Social Security number to apply.
There is also no credit check, so applying for the card will not affect your credit score (i.e. no further investigation of your credit report) and approval may be a fairly transparent process.
Credit newbies, take note: Here’s what you can expect with the Sable Secure Card.
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Sable Secure Card Review
Sable Secure Card
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Awards
Earn unlimited 2% cash back on purchases made with Amazon, Hulu, Netflix, Spotify, Uber Eats, and Whole Foods, plus 1% everywhere else
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welcome bonus
Sable will match any cash back you have earned at the end of your first year
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Annual subscription
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Introduction AVR
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Regular APR
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Balance Transfer Fee
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Foreign transaction fees
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Credit needed
Advantages
- cash back program
- Generous welcome bonus
- No annual fee
- Switch to a traditional credit card in as little as four months after account opening
- Benefits such as Cell Phone Protection, Rental Car Insurance, Extended Warranty Coverage, Guaranteed Zero Liability, Satisfaction Guarantee, and Price and Purchase Protection
The inconvenients
- 2% cash back is limited to purchases made with Amazon, Hulu, Netflix, Spotify, Uber Eats and Whole Foods
- Low credit line prevents cardholders from charging big ticket items or many expenses
welcome bonus
As a welcome bonus, Sable Secure Card members will receive a dollar-for-dollar rewards match at the end of their first year of card membership, which automatically doubles their cash back earnings. So if you earned $300 in cashback in the first year, Sable will double that amount, leaving you with $600 in cashback.
Awards
Sable Secure Card members earn unlimited 2% cash back on purchases made with Amazon, Hulu, Netflix, Spotify, Uber Eats, and Whole Foods, plus 1% everywhere else.
Advantages
Beyond cash back and the annual game, Sable offers benefits when you use your card that you would traditionally find with an unsecured credit card. These include mobile phone protection in the event of theft or damage (including a cracked screen), rental car insurance, extended warranty coverage on products purchased with the card, zero liability warranty on unauthorized purchases, satisfaction guarantee on most purchases you don’t want within 60 days of purchase, plus price and purchase protection.
According to Sable website, secured cardholders can switch to a traditional credit card 3 times faster than with other secured cards, or in as little as four months after opening their account (although this is not guaranteed) . Upgrading to unsecured credit requires paying your credit card bill on time each month, making more than 15 purchases per month (including at least one over $250), maintaining a credit limit more than $500 for the last four months and receive a minimum of $500 per month via direct deposit into your Sable bank account over the past four months.
Sable reports to the credit bureaus monthly so you can see your credit score increase effectively when you behave responsibly.
Rates and Fees
the Sable Secure Card has no annual fee or late payment penalty. There is a 2% foreign transaction fee on purchases made outside of the United States
As with most secured credit cards, new Sable cardholders will be required to pay a security deposit up front, which becomes their credit limit. For example, paying a $1,000 security deposit would mean your credit limit is $1,000. There is no minimum deposit required and you can deposit up to a maximum of $10,000. These secured funds are returned once you reduce your credit limit (the amount refunded is equal to the amount by which you reduced the credit limit), switch to an unsecured credit card, or close your account with Sable. .
To subscribe to the Sable Secured Card, you must have a Sable bank account to fund the deposit, but the good news is that the Sable debit card offers 1% cash back on the same services as the credit card.
The Sable Secured Card charges a variable APR of 10.49%, which is considerably low compared to other credit cards, although we recommend that you always pay your bill on time and in full to avoid interest and charges. delay. This is even more important with secured credit cards because holding onto a balance eats away at your credit limit or the deposit you originally made. You would essentially be paying interest on a loan you took out to withdraw the card in the first place.
At the end of the line
the Sable Secure Card makes more sense for those who have no credit history or need to rebuild damaged credit. Sable gives cardholders the ability to build credit while earning cash back.
An alternative option would be Discover it® Secure credit card, which has no annual fee and offers 2% cash back at gas stations and restaurants on up to $1,000 in combined purchases each quarter, then 1%. Plus, you can automatically earn unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases.
Discover’s rewards are similar to Sable’s in that new card members in their first year only will have their cash back earnings automatically matched.
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For Discover it® secure credit card rates and fees, click here.
Editorial note: Any opinions, analyses, criticisms or recommendations expressed in this article are those of Select’s editorial staff only and have not been reviewed, endorsed or otherwise endorsed by any third party.