Getting a high credit limit with poor credit is challenging, but not impossible. As BadCredit.org notes, “Plenty of issuers offer credit cards with $1,000 credit limits — sometimes even to applicants with bad credit”. Lenders will often start credit-challenged borrowers with lower limits to manage risk, but with time “responsible use” of these cards can raise your limit.
Many of these cards use soft credit pulls: Discover explains that issuers may send pre-approval offers after “conducting soft credit inquiries… Soft pulls don’t impact your credit score”. Others require no credit check at all.
For example, the OpenSky Secured Visa® lets you open an account without a traditional credit pull and requires a refundable deposit that becomes your credit line (“if you deposit $100, your credit limit becomes $100”).
In the sections below we’ll cover secured and unsecured options that start around $1,000 limits, including cards with soft-pull preapproval or low-deposit requirements.
What to Expect from a $1,000 Credit Card for Bad Credit
In practice, $1,000-limit cards for bad credit tend to be either unsecured subprime cards or secured credit cards. Many offer high approval odds. For example, marketing materials for the Surge® Platinum Mastercard promise “assured approval regardless of your bad credit”, and the Reflex® Platinum Mastercard claims “guaranteed approval despite poor credit history”.
These cards still report to the credit bureaus when you make payments. Experian notes that Reflex will “report payment history to all three credit bureaus”. Likewise, OpenSky Secured Visa reports monthly to all three major bureaus. In short, on-time payments on these cards can build your credit profile.
However, these cards often carry high fees and APRs. For example, Reflex and Surge have steep ongoing interest rates. Secured cards typically require an upfront deposit (which sets your limit), and unsecured cards may charge annual or monthly fees.
If you can afford it, starting with a secured card can be safer: “A secured card requires a cash deposit” up front, which lowers the lender’s risk. By contrast, unsecured bad-credit cards skip the deposit but usually come with higher costs. In fact, it is recommended to get a secured card rather than a “high-fee unsecured card” when rebuilding credit.
Top Credit Cards with $1,000 Limits (or Higher)
OpenSky® Secured Visa® Credit Card
OpenSky’s Secured Visa is a classic secured card for rebuilding credit. The issuer advertises that there is no credit check to apply, so approval odds are high. You start with a refundable deposit (as low as $200) that becomes your credit line. The card charges an annual fee (typically $35) and offers rewards (up to 10% cash back on select purchases).
Importantly, OpenSky will “build your credit history with reporting to all three major credit bureaus”. After about six months of good payments, you can request a credit line increase or even an upgrade to an unsecured card.
Reflex® Platinum Mastercard®
The Reflex Platinum Mastercard is an unsecured credit builder with no security deposit. It’s offered by Continental Finance (BBB A+ rated) and targets subprime borrowers. Experian notes that Reflex provides an initial limit up to $1,000. The card “reports payment history to all three credit bureaus”, helping you rebuild credit when you pay on time.
Reflex is explicitly marketed as “guaranteed approval” despite bad credit. In practice, borrowers typically start with a low limit (around $300) and can earn increases. The Reflex card has an annual fee (often $75–$125) and high APR, but on-time use can eventually justify those costs by improving your score.
Fortiva® Cash Back Rewards Mastercard®
The Fortiva Cash Back Rewards Mastercard is an unsecured card aimed at borrowers with less-than-perfect credit. It offers a credit line up to $1,000 with no security deposit required. Fortiva’s card gives 3% cash back on common purchases (gas, groceries, utilities) and 1% on other spending, though it comes with high fees.
The issuer promotes “instant approval without a credit check” to streamline acceptance. In summary, Fortiva is a no-deposit card with generous rewards for essentials, at the cost of a hefty annual fee and interest rate. Cardholders report that on-time payments do get reported to all bureaus, so it can help build credit despite its drawbacks.
Tomo Credit Card
The Tomo Credit Card is an unconventional unsecured Mastercard designed to build credit. It requires no credit score or history to apply; instead of a credit check, applicants link a bank account. As Tomo’s CEO explains, “Tomo doesn’t do a hard pull on your credit report when you apply”. Tomo has no APR (you must pay balances weekly or monthly from your bank), but it does charge a $2.99 monthly fee.
After approval, Tomo may give generous limits: It’s “possible to get a credit limit of up to $10,000” depending on your financial profile. Like the others, Tomo reports all payments to Experian, TransUnion and Equifax. Its fee structure (monthly fee instead of interest) is uncommon, but if you pay on time, you build credit and even earn 1% cash back on purchases.
Mission Lane® Visa® Credit Card
Mission Lane offers two unsecured Visa cards with top limits of $3,000 for good customers. Both the Green Line and Silver Line Visa start with credit limits from $300 up to $3,000. The Green Line Visa (for fair credit) explicitly requires no security deposit. The Silver Line Visa (for better credit) offers 1.5% unlimited cash back on all purchases.
In practice, new Mission Lane cardholders often get small limits initially and can qualify for increases over time. Importantly, all Mission Lane Visa cards report to the credit bureaus and allow you to apply with just a soft inquiry (no impact to your score).
No-Deposit Options for a $1,000 Limit
The only $1,000-limit cards that require no security deposit are unsecured cards like Fortiva and Tomo. The Fortiva Cash Back Rewards Mastercard provides an unsecured line up to $1,000 with no deposit needed. Likewise, the Tomo Credit Card is fully unsecured (you simply link your bank account). Both cards report payments to all three bureaus, so on-time use builds credit. The trade-off is cost: Fortiva carries a large annual fee, and Tomo charges a $2.99 monthly fee.
By contrast, secured cards like OpenSky require you to post a deposit (as low as $100–$200) that becomes your credit limit. A secured card requires a cash deposit up front. If you have the cash, secured cards can be easier to qualify for. Unsecured no-deposit cards spare the deposit, but issuers often impose higher fees. When rebuilding credit, it may be better to use a secured card than a “high-fee unsecured card”.
Pre-Approval & Guaranteed Approval
Pre-approval means an issuer has done a soft credit check and believes you meet the basic requirements for a card offer. As Discover explains, a “pre-approved credit card offer simply indicates that you’ve met many of the credit card company’s basic qualifications for approval”. These offers come after “soft credit inquiries… that don’t impact your credit score”.
In practice, you might see pre-approval or pre-qualification promotions for cards like Fortiva or Mission Lane – you answer some questions and the issuer tells you if you likely qualify without hurting your score.
By contrast, guaranteed approval is largely a marketing term. In reality “there’s no such thing as guaranteed approval” for credit cards. U.S. law requires lenders to consider your creditworthiness before extending credit.
Some bad-credit cards advertise as “easy” or “guaranteed” approval, but this just means they have very low barriers.
For example, Surge Platinum says “assured approval regardless of your bad credit” and Reflex Platinum promises “guaranteed approval”. Fortiva also touts “instant approval without a credit check”.
In all cases, however, you must still meet basic criteria (e.g. income, identity). In summary, pre-approval offers (soft inquiries) are a better sign of likely approval than claims of guarantee.
FAQ
Can I get a $1,000 credit card with bad credit and no deposit?
Yes. Some unsecured cards give $1,000 lines without any deposit. For example, the Fortiva Cash Back Rewards Mastercard offers an unsecured credit line of up to $1,000 “with no security deposit needed”. The Tomo Credit Card is also unsecured (no deposit) and accepts applicants with little or no credit. Both cards report to all three bureaus, so they can build credit. Keep in mind these cards often have higher fees and APRs to compensate for the risk.
Does OpenSky increase credit limit over time?
Yes. OpenSky says that after you have the card for a while, you can ask for more credit. In particular, OpenSky notes: “After 6 months, you may be eligible for limit increases or upgrades to our unsecured card”. In other words, if you make on-time payments on OpenSky for six months, you can request a higher limit or even a transition to an unsecured card.
What credit score is needed for Fortiva/Mission Lane?
Both Fortiva and Mission Lane are designed for low or limited credit. Fortiva, issued by The Bank of Missouri, does not require a high score; reviewers note that “the credit score for Fortiva… doesn’t need to be high for approval”. Mission Lane is even more flexible: WalletHub reports that the Mission Lane Visa is “available to people with limited credit. That means you do not need to have a credit score to get approved”. In practice, income and other factors matter more than score for these subprime cards.
Are Reflex and Surge cards safe for building credit?
Yes. Both the Reflex Platinum Mastercard and the Surge Platinum Mastercard are legitimate credit-builder cards from Continental Finance. Continental Finance is rated A+ by the Better Business Bureau. Importantly, on-time use of these cards will be reported to the bureaus: Reflex/Surge “reports your payments to the three major credit bureaus”. CoinCodex notes that the Surge card “reports to major credit bureaus on a monthly basis”. Therefore, as long as you make payments in full and on time, using Reflex or Surge will help rebuild your credit profile.
