USAA Secured American Express

USAA dropped this card's annual fee from $35 to $0 in April 2026, which removes the main reason to skip it and makes it a genuinely free way to build credit with a deposit. Add no foreign transaction fees, unusual for a secured card, and it works for someone building history who also spends abroad. The tradeoffs are what you'd expect from a starter product: there are no rewards of any kind, so the card gives you nothing back on your spending, and the APR is a flat 26.4%, which means carrying a balance is expensive. As an American Express, acceptance abroad can also be narrower than a Visa. Use it to establish payment history, pay in full every month, and plan to graduate to a rewards card once your score supports it.