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OpenSky Secured Visa Credit Card review 2026

A secured card with no credit check at all. Your refundable deposit becomes your limit, payments are reported to all three bureaus, and it costs US$35 a year. Use it as a 12 to 18 month stepping stone, not a keeper.

MGBy the MinimalGuy teamUpdated August 27, 2026

We are not a bank or a card issuer. Every rate and fee below comes from the issuer's own terms page, with the date we checked it.

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Bottom line

The door that opens when the others stay shut. There's no hard pull at all, so a thin file or a bankruptcy doesn't sink the application, and OpenSky reports to all three bureaus every month. What you pay for that is US$35 a year plus a deposit sitting idle. Use it for 12 to 18 months of perfect payments and then move to a card that costs nothing to keep.Jump to:The detailed review
How to apply On OpenSky's secure site
OpenSky Secured Visa Credit Card
Ongoing APR21.14% variableU.S. News, checked 08/27/2026 — confirm on the issuer page
Intro APRNone
Credit limitUS$200 to US$3,000your deposit is your limit
FeesUS$35 a year, 3% foreign transaction fee
Annual feeUS$35
Who it's forPeople with no credit history, or rebuilding after real damage
How to applyOnline

Rates and fees

Card details

  • No credit check to apply, identity verification only
  • Your deposit sets your credit limit, dollar for dollar
  • Payments reported monthly to Experian, Equifax and TransUnion
  • Possible limit increase after about six months of responsible use, without adding to the deposit
  • Deposit comes back when the balance hits zero and the account closes
  • Issued by Capital Bank, N.A., on the Visa network
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Pros and cons

What we like

  • No hard credit pull, so approval odds are high even after serious damage

  • Reports to all three bureaus every month, which is the point of a builder card

  • Deposit starts at US$200 and is refundable

  • Lowest APR in OpenSky's secured lineup

What to watch

  • US$35 a year, when several competing secured cards charge nothing

  • Your deposit is money tied up while the account is open

  • 3% foreign transaction fee

  • No clear upgrade path to an unsecured OpenSky card

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The detailed review

Most cards start with a credit check, and that's exactly where people with no file or a damaged one get stopped. This card skips it. OpenSky verifies who you are, you fund a deposit of US$200 or more, and that deposit becomes your limit. There's no hard inquiry to nick your score on the way in.

From there the card does one job well: it reports to Experian, Equifax and TransUnion every month. Keep the balance small, pay on time, and you're building the payment history that every future application looks at. You don't need to spend much for that to work.

The cost is real, though. US$35 a year is above what several competing secured cards charge, including OpenSky's own no-fee tier, which asks for a bigger deposit instead. Add a 3% foreign transaction fee and this is not a card to travel with. Think of it as a 12 to 18 month rental: pay perfectly, watch the score climb, then apply for something better and get your deposit back.

» MORE: Once your score recovers, a no-fee cash back card is the next step

» MORE: Carrying a balance too? See the 21-month 0% card

The basics

Annual fee: US$35

Deposit: US$200 to US$3,000, refundable, equal to your limit

Credit check: none

Rewards: none on this card

Ongoing APR: 21.14% variable

Credit needed: none, including no history at all

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How it compares

OpenSky Secured Visa Credit Card
How to apply
Ongoing APR21.14% variable checked 08/27/2026
Credit limitUS$200 to US$3,000
Intro APRNone
Who it's forNo credit check, deposit required
Discover it Cash Back
Read the review
Ongoing APR17.49%–26.49% variable checked 08/27/2026
Credit limitSet at approval
Intro APR0% for 15 months
Who it's forGood credit or better
Wells Fargo Reflect Card
Read the review
Ongoing APR17.49%, 23.99% or 28.24% variable checked 08/27/2026
Credit limitSet at approval
Intro APR0% for 21 months
Who it's forGood to excellent credit

Rates and fees from each issuer's terms, checked 08/27/2026.

Compare before you applySee all three cards side by side, with the fine print in one place.
COMPARE CARDS
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Where this card earns its keep

The no-credit-check approval is the whole reason this card exists, and for someone who has been turned down repeatedly it's worth more than any fee comparison.

Three-bureau reporting

Monthly reporting to all three bureaus is what turns on-time payments into a score. Some builder products only report to one, which slows everything down.

You set the limit

Deposit US$200 and your limit is US$200. That caps what you can spend, which is a feature when you're rebuilding after trouble.

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Where it falls short

The annual fee is the weak point. Competing secured cards, including OpenSky's own no-fee version, get you the same three-bureau reporting for nothing, in exchange for a larger deposit. If you can fund the bigger deposit, do the comparison first.

There's also no defined graduation path to an unsecured OpenSky card, so the exit is applying somewhere else. Plan that exit from day one instead of letting the fee renew year after year.

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Should you get it?

Get it if you've been declined elsewhere, can't take another hard inquiry, and can spare US$200 for a deposit. Skip it if your credit is already fair or better, because you can qualify for a card with no fee and real rewards.

Next step up
Discover it Cash Back

No annual fee, no deposit, 5% on rotating categories, and a first-year match on everything you earn. Needs good credit.

Read the review

Common questions

Is there really no credit check?
Right. OpenSky verifies your identity instead of pulling your credit, so there's no hard inquiry on your report.
How much deposit do I need?
At least US$200, up to US$3,000. Whatever you put down becomes your credit limit.
Do I get the deposit back?
Yes. It's refundable once you bring the balance to zero and close the account.
What does it cost to hold?
US$35 a year, plus 3% on purchases made in a foreign currency.
Does it help my credit score?
It reports to all three bureaus every month, so on-time payments build history. How fast your score moves depends on the rest of your file.
Can I upgrade to an unsecured card later?
There's no defined upgrade path at OpenSky, so the usual move is applying for a different card once your score recovers.

About the author

MG

MinimalGuy team

We read the card agreements so you don't have to, and we put the date we checked next to every number.