USAA Secured Visa Platinum

The most useful number on USAA's Secured Visa Platinum is its ongoing APR of 11.4% to 21.4%, which is low for a card aimed at people still building credit, and it comes with no annual fee. That matters because a secured card is where an unexpected carried balance is most likely to happen, and the interest cost here is far less punishing than on most credit builders. There is also no foreign transaction fee, so it travels without a surcharge. The honest limitation is that it earns nothing: no cash back, no points, no categories, just a deposit-backed line that reports your payment history. Open it to establish credit at a low rate, then move your everyday spending to a rewards card once you qualify.