DCU Visa Platinum Secured Credit Card Review

 Card Stats:

Minimum Security Deposit: $500
Maximum Security Deposit: $100,000

Interest Rate: 11.50%
Introductory Interest Rate: None
Grace Period: 25 days
Foreign Transaction Fees: None
Annual Fees: None, but you must be a member of DCU which costs $15 annually in donations for those otherwise not members.
Application Fees: None
Rewards Program: None
Signing Promotion: None
Interest Earned on Security Deposit: Yes, interest is based on the current savings account rates which can be viewed here, 0.05% at time of publishing.

Other Features:

• Free Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver
• Extensive Visa Travel Services
• Extended Warranty On Most Purchases
• Buy online easily and safely with V.me by Visa

Editor’s Review

This review was provided by William Charles, editor of Doctor of Credit. 

This card is in a class above most other secured cards, no annual fee and a low APR make it very attractive for those with a bad credit history. The only downside is that there is no rewards program, this shouldn’t be an issue for most people but if you’re planning on making a lot of purchases with this card there might be better options out there.

Annual Fees

This card doesn’t have any annual fees, but you do have to be a member of DCU. To become a member you can make a yearly donation of $15 to one of the participating charities. This’ll also let you set up a checking account with DCU, DCU checking account members get access to a free FICO score every month.

APRs

This card has an APR of 11.5%, this is one of the lowest on the market. There are some cards that have lower APRs (e.g Navy Federal nRewards Secured Card at 8.99%) but this is a variable APR based on an individuals credit history.

[Read: Secured Cards Sorted By APR]

Rewards Program

Unfortunately this card doesn’t have a rewards program. Click here to view all secured cards that have a rewards program.

Credit Reporting

This secured card reports to all three credit bureaus, it’s unknown whether it reports as a secured card or not, if you know please let us know in the comments.

Adding Funds

It’s possible to add funds to this card to increase the credit limit. Unfortunately it’s not known if this results in a soft or hard pull.

Upgrading To An Unsecured Card

This card doesn’t graduate in the same way most other cards do. In most other cases a secured card will graduate to a different credit card offered by the same card issuer – this is actually a product change even though it keeps the secured cards account age and history.

With DCU after a period of two years, they’ll usually release a card holders security deposit. Some users have had success calling up after a year to get the card unsecured, whilst others have had troubles getting it unsecured at all.

Approval

DCU will approved most, if not all applicants for their secured product. As they are a credit union, they offer stellar customer service. So if you’re unsure if they’ll approve or deny you, give them a call to find out.

Final Verdict

This is an excellent card for members of DCU, the only downside is that there is no rewards program. If you’re only making a few purchases on your credit card and wanting to rebuild your credit then this is a great card. For those wanting to earn a lot of rewards, this is not the card for you – but it could be the stepping stone needed to get a card that does have a great rewards program.

Click here to apply for DCU Visa Platinum Secured Credit Card