US Bank Secured

The case for the U.S. Bank Secured is narrow and honest: it's a real Visa with no annual fee, which matters more than anything else in the secured category because many competitors charge one just to let you build credit. It currently sits at #5 on our list of the best secured cards, largely on that basis. What you give up is everything else, since there are no rewards, no signup bonus, and no intro APR, and the ongoing rate is a flat 27.49%, so this only works if you pay the balance in full every month. It also charges foreign transaction fees, which rules it out for travel. Use it to build a payment history for a year or so, then graduate to a card that actually earns something.