Last updated on October 17, 2022
When it comes to considering secured credit cards in Canada, you have quite an array of options to choose from. They come with different interest rates, annual fees, rewards, benefits, and minimum deposits. Here are some factors to consider regarding guaranteed credit cards, and a side-by-side comparison of Canada’s top ten!
What is a Secured Credit Card?
A secured, or guaranteed, credit card works on the same principle as a secured loan. With a secured loan, the lender has some tangible guarantee (like a home or car) that can be taken as collateral if the borrower should default on the loan. That’s why mortgage companies and lenders are willing to loan out large sums of money to people—because they know they’ll get either the money (and interest) in payment, or else they’ll get the property that was put up to secure the loan.
In the case of a secured credit card, the collateral is a sum of money you deposit when you are issued the card. The lender can be confident that you’re not a risk, because they already have your money in hand.
What Are Secured Credit Cards Good For?
So why even get a secured card? If you have the cash-in-hand sufficient for a deposit, you could just use your cash, right? Well, maybe not. You can’t use cash to purchase merchandise online, to make reservations, or even to pay some bills. Where a check or credit card is required, you’ll be out of luck if you don’t have a bank account or a card.
If your poor credit prevents you from qualifying for a regular credit card, or if you don’t yet have a credit history in Canada, you can still enjoy the convenience of paying for goods and services that require credit cards. You can also use that card to build (or rebuild) that credit score so you qualify for bigger things in the future.
Rebuilding Your Credit with a Secured Credit Card
If you’re looking to repair your credit rating, a secured credit card is one of the best tools at your disposal. You might think it’s wiser to “play it safe” and use cash, but that actually hurts your credit score. You actually need credit transactions in order to build up your score, so it’s important to use your secured card with intentional care.
Make sure that you make all your payments on time. That’s the number one thing you can do to repair your credit. A late payment of even a few days will undo a lot of your work toward credit repair. After a period of time making punctual payments, however, you will see your credit score improving visibly.
Top Canadian secured credit cards
Refresh Secured Card
* Annual fee: $12.95
* Interest: 17.99%
* Maintenance fee: $3/month
* Credit limit: $200 – $10,000
*This card is no longer offered. Check out Refresh Credit Builder Loan instead. This Secured Card from Refresh is easy to get and is a great option for people with less than perfect credit. It’s important to mention that no credit check is required to get approved. Clients are asked to provide personal information, email, choose a credit pack that matches their needs, and provide government issued ID and banking details. They also have to provide security deposit of at least $200. The main benefit for users is that timely payments are reported to the credit bureaus and this ultimately helps rebuilding your credit. There are also helpful videos offering financial advice.
Neo Secured Card
* Annual fee: $0
* Interest rates: 19.99%-24.99%
* Rewards: 1% minimum cashback, average 5% cashback at partners
This card is a great option for those who may have a lower credit score or are looking to begin their credit history. Neo guarantees immediate approval with no hard credit checks. The card requires a low security deposit of $50 with no monthly or annual fees, regardless of your current score or history. This means that you can start building your credit score quickly and with ease, even if you don’t want to spend a lot. Neo offers an average of 5% unlimited cashback2 at their thousands of partners. You can also get up to 15% cashback2 on your first purchase across participating partners, along with 1% cashback with all other purchases.
Peoples’ Trust Secured Credit Card
* Annual fee: $70
* Interest: 12.99% on purchases, 24.5% on cash advances
* Minimum required deposit: $500
The relatively low interest rate on this card makes it attractive to people who might be carrying a balance on the card. Applicants need to have a bank account and a verified income in order to apply for this card. This card charges a fee of $5 for cash advances, and a $5 fee if you overreach your credit limit. *Please note that this card is no longer available.
Home Trust Secured No Annual Fee Visa
* No annual fee
* Interest: 19.99%
* Minimum required deposit: $500
This card is ideal for people who expect to pay their balance in full every month. The interest rate is higher, compensating for the lack of annual fee, but this won’t affect you if you’re going to be paying your balance in full every month. The Home Trust card enables you to add another authorized user, and its credit limit may be as much as $10,000.
Home Trust Secured Low Interest Visa
* Annual fee $59
* Interest: 14.9%
* Minimum required deposit: $500
Of the two Home Trust cards, this version is preferable for people who might be carrying a balance from month to month, because the interest applied to that balance will be lower with this card. Applicants need to have a bank account in order to apply for this card.
Capital One Guaranteed Secured MasterCard
* Annual fee: $59
* Interest: 19.8%
* Minimum required deposit: $75
This easy to get credit card has one of the lowest minimum deposits, so it’s a good choice if you don’t have the $500 required by many of the other card companies. Its uses are less advantageous, since it has both an annual fee and a high interest rate, but it’s an option that’s open to you if you can’t afford the bigger deposit to get started.
Vancity Enviro Secured Visa
* No annual fee
* Interest: 19.5%
* Minimum required deposit: $500
Vancity offers a variety of extra perks, including insurance for travel accidents, price protection, and insurance for lost baggage. The card also has a system of reward-points for spending, called My Visa Reward Plus. The rewards include options like travel, redeeming for purchases, and charity donations.
The Vancity line of Classic credit cards includes several combinations of annual fee and interest rates, allowing you to choose the best solution for your situation. The options range from no annual fee and higher interest of 19.5% (for people who don’t plan to carry a balance) to a card with a $50 annual fee with lower interest of 11.25%.
Secured Credit Cards Offered by the Big 5 Canadian Banks
Secured cards are offered by all of the “Big Five” Canadian banks, and with relatively similar features. You will find that it’s difficult to uncover information on these cards online, and almost all of them require you to apply in person at the branch office.
You can inquire about details at the branch nearest you—and that’s not a bad thing. Although we’re accustomed these days to be able to do almost anything online, there’s something to be said for a face-to-face conversation with an expert who can talk to you about the pros and cons and details of the card for which you’re applying. So take the information below if it helps you to decide on which bank you’d like to visit, but know that any of these five banks will likely require you to apply in person.
Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) Secured Credit Card
* Annual fee $20
* Interest 11.99 on purchases & cash advances
* Minimum required deposit: $500
This low interest card with its modest annual fee is well suited for people who expect to be carrying a balance from month to month. Its optional extra features include travel insurance, roadside assistance, credit monitoring, and automatic payment options.
The RBC secured credit card charges fees of $3.50 for a cash advance ($5 if you’re out of the country) and an overlimit fee of $29 per statement period if your balance goes above your credit limit.
Bank of Montreal (BMO) Prepaid Credit Card
* Annual fee: $6.95
* No interest
The Bank of Montreal uses a prepaid model as its secured card option, meaning you can choose what amount you’d like to load to the card. It gives you more flexibility upfront (you don’t have the $500 minimum many other cards require) but doesn’t allow you to spend more money than you have on the card, or to take cash advances. The card itself operates much like a debit card, but without the associated checking account.
Toronto-Dominion (TD) Secured Credit Card
* Annual fee: $29
* Interest: 19.9%
* Minimum required deposit: $500
To apply for a Toronto-Dominion card, stop in at a TD branch office for an application. Your credit limit will be equal to whatever amount you are approved for, and deposit up front. If you maintain your TD secured credit card successfully for seven consecutive months, you can be eligible for an unsecured card as the next step toward repairing your credit.
Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CIBC) Secured Credit Card
* Annual fee: $29
* Interest: 19.9%
* Minimum required deposit: $500
Like the TD card, you will need to apply in person for a CIBC secured credit card, by stopping in at a TD branch office for an application. Your credit limit will be equal to whatever amount you are approved for, and you make the deposit up front.
CIBC will give you a card for a specific term, usually two years. At the end of the two years they’ll refund your deposit—and by that time you will probably qualify for an unsecured card if you’ve used your secured card wisely.
Scotiabank Secured Credit Card
* No annual fee, no balance transfer fee
* Interest: 16.99%
* Minimum required deposit: $500
The no-fee Value Visa card is a great option if you’re looking to transfer balances from other credit cards. There’s no fee for balance transfer, and the introductory APR is a low 3.99 percent for the first six months. (That rate goes up to 16.99 percent after the introductory period, so try to pay off your balance before you hit the six-month mark.)
In Conclusion
Secured credit cards are the best way to improve your credit score, or to establish one if you are new to Canada and don’t have a financial history in this country. With your secured credit card you will enjoy all the benefits of credit card membership, like making purchases online and over the phone, or accessing cash from ATMs.
Your life will feel easier and your daily transactions will be smoother once you have a secured credit card at your disposal. Enjoy all the advantages of having a card, like being able to make reservations or purchase items online. And build your credit score as you go, by making sure to handle your card finances wisely.
Your secured credit card can serve as a stepping-stone to bigger things, like unsecured cards, car loans, or even a mortgage. Used wisely, the secured credit card is a gateway to your future. Let your credit score soar!
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2 See Merchant web site
MBNA offers a travel credit card with a welcome bonus of 10,000 points after the first purchase or transaction. Customers earn 2 points per each $1 they spend for an annual fee of $89. The points you accumulate have no expiration date, and there is no limit on the points you can earn. You can redeem them in different ways, including electronics and featured items and merchandise such as sunglasses, necklaces, pizza sets, flatware, electric shavers, microwaves, cordless gas trimmers, and a lot more. There are added incentives such as travel coverage, including legal and lost luggage assistance and lost ticket and document replacement. Customers with a combined household income of $150,000 qualify (or personal income of $80,000).
This Visa card by RBC also offers great travel benefits such as comprehensive insurance coverage, including rental car insurance, hotel, trip, and emergency medical coverage, and trip cancellation. In addition to extensive coverage, customers also benefit from the fact that there are no seat restrictions, whether traveling during low season or peak season. RBC also guarantees that there are no blackouts and features a generous rewards program whereby $1 spent on the card equals 1 bonus point. Travel purchases bring an extra 25 percent. A generous welcome bonus of 15,000 points is an added incentive to start collecting points.
Offered by Capital One, this rewards card also tops the list of travel products with extensive insurance coverage, including trip cancellation, flight delay, and emergency medical coverage. In addition to travel assistance, cardholders are also offered car rental collision and baggage delay insurance. The card also goes with baggage loss and flight delay insurance as well as trip interruption coverage. There are added benefits such as the option to add an authorized user free of charge. Each dollar in purchases earns 2 bonus points. The welcome bonus of 400,000 is offered to customers who charge $1,000 on the card during the first three months. This equals $400 that can go toward travel or other purchases. There are no restrictions or limits on the points you can accumulate. Customers with spotless credit qualify provided that they can show proof of household income of at least $150,000 or personal income of at least $80,000. If you meet the eligibility criteria, you also enjoy concierge services such as tickets for exclusive events, special privileges, dining reservations, and plenty more.
This rewards card offered by American Express is also worth a quick look when it comes to travel benefits. Amex offers a welcome bonus of 25,000 travel points on the first $1,500 charged during a 3-month period. While it is a charge card, you collect 2 rewards points per each dollar spent on purchases, including travel expenses such as cruise and flight travel, grocery and gas, etc. The annual fee for primary cardholders is $150. Extensive insurance is offered, including lost baggage and trip interruption coverage.
CIBC also has a great specialty card on offer, available to customers with a household income of at least $200,000. The Aerogold Visa Infinite Privilege Card features comprehensive insurance benefits such as trip cancellation and emergency medical coverage for out-of-province travel. Air Canada benefits are also offered, including first checked bag, priority boarding, etc. Each dollar you spend earns a total of 1.25 rewards points on regular purchases and 1.5 points on purchases at aircanada.com as well as drugstore and grocery store purchases and gas. Customers are offered bonus rewards points at select online and other retailers. Cardholders with a diamond, black, and silver status benefit from additional privileges and need fewer points for flight bookings. When you book an Air Canada-operated flight, you are entitled to a discount companion Business Class ticket (50 percent off). What is more, you are free to cancel and book flights at any time and up to 120 minutes before departure. Additional benefits for cardholders include luxury hotel benefits, access to live music events, attractive ski offers, and plenty more. The list of added incentives includes priority access to fast lanes, discounts on valet services and parking, as well as limo and taxi services. Priority Pass allows cardholders to take advantage of lounge visits up to 6 times a year at more than 850 airport lounges around the world.
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