Contents
Card Stats:
Minimum Security Deposit: $200
Maximum Security Deposit: $3,000
Interest Rate: 17.45%
Introductory Interest Rate: None
Grace Period: 25 days
Foreign Transaction Fees: 2% of each transaction in U.S. Dollars
Annual Fees: $36
Application Fees: None
Rewards Program: None
Signing Promotion: No
Interest Earned on Security Deposit: No
Other Features:
- Free FICO score if enrolled in paperless statements (TU-08 bankcard enhanced)
Editor’s Review
This review was provided by William Charles, editor of Doctor of Credit.
This is another secured card with a high annual fee and no rewards program, to make matters worse it doesn’t graduate and it’s not possible to add funds to increase the credit limit on the card.
Annual Fees
This card has an annual fee of $36, for the first year this is charged in full and appears on the first monthly statement. The second year $3 is charged per month. Some card holders have complained that being charged $3 per month is a hassle as they need to remember to pay the card monthly, even if they’ve made no new purchases.
APRs
This card has an APR of 17.45% which is in the middle of the road when it comes to secured credit cards. People looking to repair their credit shouldn’t be carrying a balance at all anyway, so the APR’s of secured cards matters very little.
Rewards Program
This card does not have a rewards program. A full list of secured cards with rewards programs can be found by clicking here.
Credit Reporting
This card reports to all three credit bureaus and reports as a secured credit card.
Adding Funds
It’s not possible to add funds to the security deposit to increase the credit limit on the secured card from Merrick Bank. Some card holders reported that they received a credit limit increase after six months without having to add any additional funds.
UPGRADING TO AN UNSECURED CARD
Merrick Bank does not upgrade their secured cards to an unsecured card. To be approved for an unsecured card with Merrick Bank a separate application must be made.
Approval
Merrick Bank will approved most applicants for their secured product, the main exception is those that have a bankruptcy on their credit report.
Final Verdict
Consumers looking to improve their credit score and credit history should look elsewhere, this card has a high annual fee and no rewards program. There is also no option to upgrade this card to an unsecured card and it’s not even possible to increase the credit limit on the card unless Merrick Bank decides to randomly increase it for you.
The only positive this card has is that it provides a free FICO score, but there are plenty of other ways to this score for free. If you’re looking for a secured credit card, we suggest reading our best secured credit cards article to find a better option.
Still want to apply? Use the link found below.
Apply for Secured Visa® from Merrick Bank
Frustrated….attempting to contact Board of Directors or Corporate Officers! If the true purpose of Unity Visa is to repair or help the consumer repair damaged credit which is their ” Mission Statement” I have found that to be a total contradiction based on the customer service segment they “claim” to provide. After several lengthy conversations with what is a third party ” call center”. This indicates that the CS provider is NOT employed by the bank….no offence to their “Third Party” CS call center employees…( I feel your pain) they are simply regurgitating the information they have been provided by the bank. I am purposely leaving thier information out of this complaint…the reason…it is Unity Bank who should be investigated and not the CS Call Center. For the most part they are pleasant and try under very difficult circumstances TRY to be courteous and polite. That being said….Unity Bank Pre-paid card services are extremely end user unfriendly…. Although the home page on their website indicated that they provide an online bill pay center I have since discovered that IS NOT the case in addition there is not even a pay by phone option. In order to pay your balance or any part of the balance you MUST mail it in or as the “third party CS Call Center advised you can also pay by bank draft. (after seeing the above feedback from a customer who utilized this option) I am not even considering this direction. They put a hold on funds they had received directly from that persons bank….and initiated a 7-10 hold on those funds before they were to become available to them. So…let me understand this….it was all that customers money from the start. A secured credit card requires the user to deposit funds to guarantee the account. The credit line is based on the amount the customer has provided to the bank ( that customers money ….to clarify ) My concern instantly becomes to question the security of the information that a customer has to provide to Unity Bank in the initial processing process. They have now…1. Your legal Name 2. Your current address 3. Your email address 4. Phone number 5. Social Security Number 6. The maiden name of the customers mother. In essence a road map for any number of illicit security breaches…Identity fraud…. NOW HERE COMES THE KICKER FOLKS….Your bank account number from which you transferred the “SECURED FUNDS” to determine your spending limits. OK now I am getting frustrated b/c I wasn’t able to pay toward the balance on my card either online or by phone so I looked up the Unity One Bank online to see who ultimately is in charge. I had the need to share my frustratin with a member of their Board of Directors: What I found online nearly brought me to the point of throwing up my breakfast ….COO: John J Kauchak, CEO James Hughes, CPA, EVP Sales / Chief Administrative Officer: Janice Bolomey…yes low and behold some… Read more »
I HAVE A MAJOR PROBLEM!!! AND THIS EMAIL NEEDS TO BE FORWARDED TO THE MANAGER RESA MCFARLEY, OR WHOEVER IS THE APPROPIATE CONTACT IMMEDIATELY!! I JUST CALLED THE NUMBER ON THE BACK OF MY UNITY VISA CREDIT CARD, AND THE REP WHO ASSISTED ME (HANNA – U56032) SAID THAT SHE COULD NOT SEE WHY MY PAYMENT OF $570.84 HAD BEEN PLACED ON HOLD. SO SHE SAID I NEEDED TO SPEAK WITH A CREDIT CARD COORDINATOR. FROM THERE, SHE TRANSFERRED ME TO UNITY VISA’S 877# AND I SELECTED THE OPTION THAT WAS FOR CREDIT CARDS. AT THAT POINT, IT SAYS IF YOU ALREADY HAVE A CREDIT CARD PRESS 1, SO I PRESSED 1 AND IT SENT ME BACK TO THE NUMBER ON THE BACK OF MY CARD. THIS IS ALREADY RIDICULOUS! I CALLED THE 877# BACK AND DIALED 0. I DIDN’T GET THE NAME OF THE WOMAN I WAS JUST SPEAKING TO, BUT I EXPLAINED TO HER WHAT WAS GOING ON AND THAT I NEEDED TO SPEAK TO A CREDIT CARD COORDINATOR AND SHE PUT ME ON HOLD TO GET SOME INFORMATION. SHE ADVISED ME THAT ANY PAYMENT OVER $300 GETS PLACED ON AN AUTOMATIC 5-7 DAY HOLD. AND SHE ASKED IF IT WAS A CHECK. I TOLD HER NO, IT’S AN ELECTRONIC PAYMENT THAT WAS SENT DIRECTLY FORM MY CHECKING ACCOUNT. SHE SAID HOLD ON. SHE GETS BACK ON THE LINE AFTER 11 MINUTES TO TELL ME THERE IS NO WAY FOR THE FUNDS TO BE RELEASED BECAUSE WHEN THE PAYMENT IS OVER $500, IT NEEDS TO CLEAR. THIS IS THE DUMBEST THING I’VE EVER HEARD BEING THAT THERE IS NOTHING TO CLEAR!!! YOU PEOPLE HAVE MY MONEY AND I WANT IT AVAILABLE ON MY CREDIT CARD. ON TOP OF THAT, YOU ARE NOW PUTTING ME IN A TERRIBLE SITUATION WHERE I HAVE NO CREDIT CARD FOR MY NEEDS OF A HOTEL ROOM AND A RENTAL CAR WHILE I AM OUT OF TOWN, NOR DO I HAVE ACCESS TO THESE FUNDS THAT I NEED!!!!! THAT IS THE MOST RIDICULOUS THING I HAVE EVER HEARD!!!!! THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO WAY YOU CAN JUST TAKE SOMEONE’S FUNDS AWAY WITHOUT ANY TYPE OF NOTICE, OR WITHOUT EVER HAVING PROVIDED ANY INFORMATION ON A PAYMENT CAP FOR AVAILABILITY OF FUNDS. HAD I BEEN AWARE OF THE $300 CAP, I WOULD HAVE SENT TO PAYMENTS FOR $285.42, INSTEAD, YOU WANT TO PUT PEOPLE IN A SITUATION WHERE THEY HAVE NOTHING. I AM ABSOLUTELY LIVID RIGHT NOW!!!! THERE IS NO EXCUSE FOR THIS!!!! MY FUNDS NEED TO BE RELEASED IMMEDIATELY!! ON TOP OF THIS, THERE’S ABSOLUTELY NO REASON FOR THE FUNDS TO BE PLACED ON HOLD BECAUSE YOU HAVE THE MONEY!!! I DID NOT SEND YOU A CHECK OR MONEY ORDER PAYMENT THAT NEEDS TO WAIT TO BE CLEARED, NOR DID MY BANK SEND YOU ANY TYPE OF CHECK PAYMENT THAT HAS TO BE CLEARED. IT WAS AN ELECTRONIC TRANSFER/BILL PAYMENT FROM MY CHECKING ACCOUNT TO ONE UNITED BANK. THE MONEY HAS BEEN GONE FROM MY… Read more »
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No I have not applied yet, just got the unity card secured visa not impressed on the bank it self. would really like a boa card. I think i will apply for the merrick card seems fair enough if you stay on top of it. i really like how they raise your limit. I have a us bank one nice card but adding to my original deposit is not a snap. I will probably use this card more often because of loe interest rate. Some of my cards have high fees. They all suck when you have bad credit.i don’t really need the credit part just the utilization part. hope to raise enoughto get a young adult card. unsecured and just keep building.