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First Progress Platinum Select Mastercard® Secured Credit Card review

 /  4 min
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Snapshot

1.0

Bankrate rating
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Rating: 1 stars out of 5
No Credit History
Apply nowLock

on First Progress's secure site

Intro offer

N/A

Rewards Rate

1% Cash Back Rewards

Annual fee

$39

Regular APR

18.49% (V)

1.0

Bankrate score

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Cost of membership

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2.0 / 5

Ease of building credit

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1.0 / 5

APR

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5.0 / 5

Features

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2.5 / 5
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First Progress Platinum Select Mastercard Secured Credit Card overview

Having bad credit can make qualifying for a credit card tricky—but that’s where the First Progress Platinum Select Mastercard Secured Credit Card comes in. This credit card is one of three secured cards offered by First Progress issued by Synovus Bank, and all of them can help you rebuild your credit. The Platinum Select Card has a fantastic APR and a reasonable annual fee compared to much of the competition.

Keep reading for everything you need to know about the First Progress Platinum Select Mastercard Secured Credit Card to see if it’s right for you.

What are the advantages and disadvantages?

Pros

  • Checkmark Icon

    Low APR for a secured card

  • Checkmark Icon

    Reasonable annual fee

  • Checkmark Icon

    Can help you build credit

Cons

  • Has a $39 annual fee

  • Charges a foreign transaction fee

A deeper look into the current card offer

Quick highlights

  • Rewards rate: N/A
  • Welcome offer: N/A
  • Annual fee: $39
  • Purchase intro APR: N/A
  • Balance transfer intro APR: N/A
  • Regular APR: 18.49% (V) APR

Current welcome offer

The First Progress Platinum Select Mastercard Secured Credit Card doesn’t currently have a welcome offer after you sign up. It’s typically a challenge to find a secured credit card with a rewards program or a welcome offer. This card from First Progress is no different, although it can help you build up your credit to get an unsecured card eventually—and one with a fantastic sign-up bonus.

Benefits

If you have bad credit or no credit, you’ll likely need to turn to a secured credit card. When you look at secured cards, you’ll want to think about things like APR, annual fee and whether it helps you build up your credit. This card excels in these categories, so check out the best benefits of this secured credit card.

No credit check

Usually, when you apply for a credit card, the credit card company checks your credit report. This check, or inquiry, can lower your credit score by a few points each time. But with this card, there’s no credit inquiry when you apply, so don’t have to worry about your credit score going down at all.

Helps build your credit score

When you make monthly payments on this secured card, those payments get reported to the three largest credit bureaus—Experian, Equifax and TransUnion. Because of this reporting, on-time payments help build up your credit score. But keep in mind that late payments will lower your credit score. Over time, if you don’t miss a monthly minimum payment, your credit score will increase.

Reasonable annual fee

You have to pay an annual fee no matter which of the First Progress cards you go with, but the Select charges a manageable fee of $39. Many cards charge more than this to use throughout the year, although it’s certainly possible to find secured cards with no annual fee. This fee isn’t the lowest available of the three First Progress cards, either, but a much lower APR balances it out.

Low APR

The interest rate you’ll pay with this credit card is 18.49% (V) APR, which is unusually low for a secured card. Typically, credit card issuers charge a higher annual fee on secured credit cards because you’re deemed a riskier customer but that’s not the case with this First Progress card.

Work up to a higher credit line

A secured card requires you to make a cash deposit upon opening your account, and this amount makes up your credit limit. The more you deposit, the higher your credit limit will be on the card. The First Progress Platinum Select Mastercard Secured Credit Card requires a minimum of $200 cash deposit, but you can initially deposit up to $2,000. Over time, you can work up to a $5,000 credit limit.

Rates and fees

The APR for this card is much lower than most secured credit cards at 18.49% (V) APR. It does require you to pay an annual fee of $39, however. If you use this card overseas, you’ll pay a 3 percent foreign transaction fee. You must maintain at least a $200 deposit to keep your credit limit, as well. There are no rewards or welcome offers when you sign up for this card.

How the First Progress Platinum Select Mastercard Secured compares to other secured credit cards

Two other secured credit cards worth exploring are the Discover it® Secured Credit Card and the Capital One Platinum Secured Credit Card. Neither of these two cards charges an annual fee, while the First Progress Platinum Select Mastercard Secured Credit Card costs $39 each year. However, the APR is much higher with the Discover it® Secured Credit Card and Capital One secured cards—27.49% Variable APR and 29.99% (Variable) (See Rates & Fees- Capital One Platinum Secured), respectively.

If you’re after rewards, the Discover it® Secured Credit Card is the only one of the bunch that offers them. You’ll get 2 percent cash back at gas stations and restaurants on up to $1,000 in combined purchases per quarter with the card, as well as 1 percent back on all other purchases. You won’t get rewards with the other two cards.

Image of First Progress Platinum Select Mastercard® Secured Credit Card
Bankrate Score
Apply now Lock Icon
on First Progress's secure site

Annual fee

$39

Intro offer

N/A

Rewards rate

1% Cash Back Rewards
Info Icon

Recommended Credit Score

No Credit History
Info Icon
Image of Capital One Platinum Secured Credit Card

Annual fee

$0

Intro offer

N/A

Rewards rate

N/A

Recommended Credit Score

No Credit History
Info Icon
Image of Discover it® Secured Credit Card

Annual fee

$0

Intro offer

Cashback Match™
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Rewards rate

1% - 2%
Info Icon

Recommended Credit Score

No Credit History
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Best cards to pair with the First Progress Platinum Secured

Because the First Progress Select Secured Card charges a 3 percent fee when you use it overseas, you might want to have a travel card in your wallet once you qualify. Many travel credit cards give you rewards for purchases, as well as travel protections and other perks. Additionally, you typically won’t have to pay when you use the card abroad. Otherwise, any credit card that offers rewards would be good to go with this First Progress card.

Bankrate’s Take—Is the First Progress Platinum Select Mastercard Secured worth it?

If you have bad credit and can’t qualify for another type of credit card, the First Progress Platinum Select Mastercard Secured Credit Card could be worth it. When comparing it to other secured credit cards, whether this one is worth it depends on what you want—a low annual fee or a low APR.

For anyone looking to keep a rolling balance on the card month-over-month, this is one of the best secured credit card options on the market, since the interest rate is so low. However, if you’re hoping to pay it off in full every month and pay the least amount possible annually, you might want to look elsewhere.

Written by
Garrett Yarbrough
Writer, Credit cards
Bankrate expert Garrett Yarbrough strives to make navigating credit cards and credit building smooth sailing for his readers. After regularly featuring his credit card, credit monitoring and identity theft analysis on NextAdvisor.com, he joined the CreditCards.com and Bankrate teams as a staff writer to develop product reviews and comprehensive credit card guides focused on cash back, credit scores and card offers.
Edited by Former Editor, Credit Cards
Reviewed by Former Senior Editor, Credit Cards

* See the online application for details about terms and conditions for these offers. Every reasonable effort has been made to maintain accurate information. However all credit card information is presented without warranty. After you click on the offer you desire you will be directed to the credit card issuer's web site where you can review the terms and conditions for your selected offer.

Editorial Disclosure: Opinions expressed here are the author's alone, and have not been reviewed or approved by any advertiser. The information, including card rates and fees, is accurate as of the publish date. All products or services are presented without warranty. Check the bank’s website for the most current information.