• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

FinanceJar

FinanceJar

Take the next step on your journey

  • Credit Scores
    • Get Free Credit Score
    • Get Your Free FICO Score
    • Credit Score Range
  • Credit Repair
  • Credit Reports
    • Credit Inquiries
  • Credit Cards
    • Credit Card Reviews
    • Best Credit Cards for Bad Credit
    • Fair Credit
    • No Credit
    • Building Credit
    • Secured
    • Unsecured
    • 0% Interest
    • No Annual Fee
    • Guaranteed Approval
    • No Credit Check
    • No Foreign Transaction Fee
    • Gas
    • Students
  • Debt
    • List of Collection Agencies
  • Loans
  • About Us
  • 24/7 Support:

    323-649-8707

Home Credit Cards Reviews Capital One Platinum Secured Credit Card

Capital One® Platinum Secured Credit Card 2025 Review: Build Credit with a Flexible Deposit

Written by Kari Dearie

Updated Dec 7, 2022

Fresh advice you can trust

We promise to always deliver the best financial advice that we can. Our writers and editors follow strict editorial standards and operate independently from our advertisers and affiliates. Learn more about how we make money.

Capital One® Platinum Secured Credit Card

Capital One Platinum credit card Apply Now

on Capital One's secure website

Rates & Fees
4.2
Rating Breakdown
Fees
5.0

The card boasts no annual fee, no foreign transaction fees, and standard fees for functions like cash advances.

APR
2.6

The card has a relatively high purchase APR, making it expensive to carry a balance on.

Rewards
1.0

Unfortunately, there are no cashback rewards on the Capital One® Platinum Secured.

Credit Reporting
5.0

Capital One reports to the three major credit bureaus, making this card a good option for building credit.

Security Deposit
4.6

This card has one of the best security deposit offers available, as you actually can put less money down then you get as a credit limit.

Other

We manually adjusted the card’s rating for factors like free credit scores and a fully refundable security deposit.

Our FinanceJar Star Rating represents an objective and unbiased evaluation of this card, without influence from advertisers and affiliates. Our scores are generated by a rubric and our reviews adhere to a strict editorial process. Learn more about how we rate credit cards.

Annual Fee

$0

Credit Score

300–669

Deposit

$49–$200

Purchase APR

26.49% (variable)

At a Glance

The Capital One® Platinum Secured is an affordable credit card for building credit. It offers a flexible security deposit of $49, $99, or $200 in exchange for a minimum initial credit limit of $200. It doesn’t charge annual fees or foreign transaction fees.

Capital One® Platinum Secured Review

The Capital One® Platinum Secured is one of the leading credit cards for building or rebuilding credit. We recommend it to borrowers with bad credit or limited credit who need to quickly improve their scores. Here’s what you need to know about the card:

  • Pay less for more: The Capital One® Platinum Secured is a unique secured card, as the security deposit you pay doesn’t necessarily equal your initial credit limit (as is the norm among secured credit cards). You can put down $49, $99, or $200 as a deposit and get a credit limit of $200. How much you’ll need to pay will depend on your creditworthiness. Along with the low deposit, the card doesn’t charge an annual fee, making it an inexpensive credit-building resource.
  • Build credit then upgrade: The card is geared toward building credit, offering three-bureau reporting and free credit tracking. Capital One even lets you graduate to an unsecured Platinum card and get your deposit refunded once you’ve improved your credit with responsible borrowing.
  • Increase your limit: One of the downsides of this card is its low initial credit limit of $200. However, you can get automatic credit limit increases in as few as 6 months if you keep up on your card’s monthly payments. Additionally, you can increase your initial credit limit up to $1,000 if you put down additional deposit money.

Pros & Cons

Pros:

  • Flexible security deposit
  • No annual fee
  • No foreign transaction fees
  • Credit limit increases available
  • Card graduation & deposit refund available

Cons:

  • Medium-high APR
  • No rewards
  • Low initial credit limit

Who Is the Capital One® Platinum Secured Best For?

The Capital One® Platinum Secured credit card is a good credit card option for the following types of borrowers:

  • Credit builders: Whether you haven’t established a borrowing history or you’re trying to rebuild a poor credit score, this card is a great way to build credit and prove you’re a responsible borrower. The low deposit and no annual fee makes it a low-cost solution, and Capital One helps you track your credit-building progress with CreditWise.
  • International travelers: Capital One credit cards don’t charge foreign transaction fees, making this a good credit card to take abroad or to use when shopping with non-US vendors online.
  • Reluctant secured card applicants: If your credit disqualifies you from most credit cards, you probably know a secured card is your best bet. If you’re hesitant to put down the money required for a secured credit card, this is a great choice, considering you can pay as little as $49 to open a card with a $200 limit.

Rates & Fees

Fees

Fees:

(5.0/5)

The Capital One® Platinum Secured is a high-scorer when it comes to fees. It has no annual fee or foreign transaction fees, plus balance transfer and cash advance fees are on the low end of the typical range.

  • Annual fee: $0
  • Cash advance fee: $10 or 3% (whichever is greater)
  • Balance transfer fee: 3% at the promotional balance transfer APR; none at the regular balance transfer APR
  • Late payment fee: Up to $40

Interest Rates

APR:

(2.6/5)

The Capital One® Platinum Secured has a medium-high purchase APR, meaning carrying balances on the card could get expensive.

  • Purchase APR: 26.49% (variable)
  • Cash advance APR: 26.49% (variable)
  • Balance transfer APR: 26.49% (variable)

If you don’t pay your credit card balance in full each month, your remaining amount will be charged interest. Your APR (annual percentage rate) determines the cost of interest. While the APR on this card isn’t awful, especially compared to other credit cards for bad credit, it still could amount to costly interest charges if you leave a balance from month to month.


Rewards

Rewards:

(1.0/5)

Unfortunately, the Capital One® Platinum Secured doesn’t offer any rewards. This isn’t a huge detriment, as the credit card doesn’t have an annual fee to offset and is primarily geared towards building credit.

Rewards aren’t common among credit cards for bad credit and limited credit, as most cashback, points, or miles cards are only accessible to holders of good and excellent credit. However, there are some exceptions out there, especially if you’re in the market for a secured card. If rewards are important to you, keep shopping around.


Credit Limit

The Capital One® Platinum Secured offers initial credit limits between $200–$1,000. No matter what, you’ll get an initial credit limit of $200, even if you only put down a $49 deposit. After your initial deposit is paid, you’ll have the chance to increase your limit up to $1,000 by adding additional deposit money.

Credit Limit Increases

The Capital One® Platinum Secured offers automatic credit limit increases after 6 months of card ownership. To qualify for a credit limit increase, you need to prove a responsible borrower by keeping up with your monthly payments.

If you qualify for an automatic credit limit increase, you will not need to pay any additional deposit money.


Benefits

The Capital One® Platinum Secured offers the standard selection of protections and account management benefits, but adds in a few helpful services. One of the most important benefits offered by the card is the ability to upgrade to an unsecured credit card.

Services

ServiceWhat It Does
Capital One appManage your account from your phone and access helpful resources, like monthly transaction tracking.
EnoEno acts as a personal credit card assistant. Get 24/7 help with questions, track your accounts, and get immediately notified of suspicious activity.
CreditWiseGet free credit score updates and tracking, with tailored information about your score’s progress.
AutopaySet up automatic payments through your mobile app or online account to ensure you never miss a payment.

CreditWise is an especially useful tool if you’re establishing credit for the first time or building back a damaged score, as you can track your progress and understand what aspects of your credit report need attention.

Protections

ProtectionWhat It Does
Account alertsGet immediately notified of any suspicious activity registered on your account.
Zero fraud liabilityYou won’t be held responsible for any unauthorized activity on your card.
Card lockLock your card instantly if you fear it’s been lost or stolen.
Emergency card replacementGet an emergency replacement card if yours is lost or stolen.
Digital card numbersAccess digital card numbers to pay for online purchases, so your actual card numbers aren’t submitted online.

Card Graduation

Capital One gives you the opportunity to graduate your Capital One® Platinum Secured to an unsecured Capital One® Platinum card.

The advantage of graduating cards is that you’ll get your deposit refunded and your card will be unsecured. However, the non-secured Platinum card also doesn’t come with rewards, so it shouldn’t be your be-all-end-all credit card. Instead, use it to continue building credit until you can qualify for better credit cards, ideally with rewards.

To qualify for card graduation, you’ll need to prove responsible borrowing by keeping up with your monthly payments.


How to Get a Capital One® Platinum Secured Credit Card

Capital One Platinum Secured credit card
The Capital One® Platinum Secured is a great option for building or rebuilding credit.

Credit Score Required

The Capital One® Platinum Secured is advertised as a credit card for “rebuilding credit.” Capital One specifies that this range includes borrowers who have:

  • Defaulted on a loan more than once
  • Been rejected for 3 credit cards in the past 3 months

Because of the card’s wide accessibility, you may still qualify even if your credit score is in the “bad” range of 300–580.

How to Apply

To apply for the Capital One® Platinum Secured credit card, first go through the pre-approval process on the Capital One website. The pre-approval process won’t affect your credit score, but will help you determine whether you’re likely to qualify for the card and what deposit amount you’ll be asked to pay.

Once you submit an official application for the card, Capital One will conduct a hard inquiry, which may knock a few points off your credit score.


Building Credit with a Capital One® Platinum Secured Credit Card

Security Deposit

Security Deposit:

(4.6/5)

The Capital One® Platinum Secured offers a great security deposit, as you can pay less than the initial credit limit you’ll receive. This is uncommon among secured cards, as your security deposit usually determines an equal credit limit.

To get a credit limit of $200, you’ll need to put down a security deposit of $49, $99, or $200. The amount you’ll be asked to pay will be determined by your creditworthiness. Once you’ve paid your initial deposit, you can add security deposit funds to your card to get an initial credit limit up to $1,000.

Whether or not you should add money to your deposit to get a credit limit above $200 depends on your spending habits. It’s important to only borrow 30% or less of your credit at a time to improve your credit score. If $200 is too low of a limit to accommodate your spending needs, we recommend adding deposit funds to get a higher limit.

Credit Reporting

Credit Reporting:

(5.0/5)

Capital One reports to the three major credit bureaus, scoring this card a perfect 5. Credit reporting is an important part of building credit, as your credit report is updated based on the information your lenders voluntarily provide.

Capital One reports your credit card activity every month within 3 days of your card’s statement closing date. This means you should try to have a low balance by your statement closing date in order to have a healthy billing cycle reported to the credit bureaus.

Tips for Building Credit

Follow these tips to improve or establish a good credit score:

  • Always pay on time: The most important step in maintaining a good credit score is to never miss a monthly payment. Set up autopay to ensure your bills are always paid on time.
  • Don’t borrow too much: How much you borrow at a time is a big factor in your credit score. Try to borrow 30% or less of your total credit limit at any time.
  • Pay often: Make small frequent payments to your card account to keep your balance low and your available credit high.

Comparable Cards

Check out similar options you can consider if the Capital One® Platinum Secured isn’t quite right for you.

Discover it® Secured Credit Card

Discover It secured credit card Apply Now

on Discover's secure site

Rates & Fees
4.8
Rating Breakdown
Fees
4.9

No annual fee and no foreign transaction fees score this card a high rating in the fees department.

APR
2.7

Carrying a balance could get costly on this card, given the high purchase APR.

Rewards
4.4

Considering it’s a secured card, the Discover it® Secured offers impressive rewards and even a cashback welcome bonus.

Credit Reporting
5.0

Discover reports to the major credit bureaus, which can help you build your credit.

Security Deposit
4.0

The minimum and maximum security deposit allow a good range of flexibility for you to determine your credit limit.

Other

We adjusted for factors like free credit scores and a fully refundable security deposit.

Our FinanceJar Star Rating represents an objective and unbiased evaluation of this card, without influence from advertisers and affiliates. Our scores are generated by a rubric and our reviews adhere to a strict editorial process. Learn more about how we rate credit cards.

Annual Fee

$0

Credit Score

300–669

Deposit

$200–$2,500

Purchase APR

25.99% (variable)

Rewards

  • Welcome Bonus

    Cashback Match earns you a dollar-for-dollar match on your first-year rewards

  • Gas & Restaurants

    2% cash back up to $1,000 in combined spending each quarter

  • Everything Else

    1% cash back on all eligible purchases

Why It's Great

The Discover It® Secured is another secured credit card great for building or repairing credit. Among its many benefits, it has no annual fee, 1%–2% cashback rewards, a welcome bonus, and a flexible security deposit between $200–$2,500.

While you may be able to pay less on your deposit with the Capital One card, we recommend first seeing if you pre-qualify for the Discover It® Secured if you’re willing to put down at least $200 in deposit money. The cashback rewards and welcome bonus make it an overall better card.

Pros & Cons

Pros

  • 1%–2% cashback rewards
  • Dollar-for-dollar Cashback Match
  • No annual fee
  • No foreign transaction fees
  • Free credit scores

Cons

  • Security deposit required
  • Medium-high APR

Citi® Secured Mastercard®

Citi Secured Mastercard credit card Apply Now

on Citi's secure site

Rates & Fees
3.8
Annual Fee

$0

Credit Score

300–669

Deposit

$200–$2,500

Purchase APR

26.24% (variable)

Why It's Great

The Citi® Secured Mastercard® is another secured card that doesn’t charge an annual fee. It offers credit limits between $200–$2,500 with an equivalent security deposit. While this is a good choice for borrowers who need higher credit limits, we first recommend the Capital One card for its credit-building tools and more flexible deposit structure.

Pros & Cons

Pros

  • Available to limited credit borrowers
  • $0 annual fee
  • Reports to all three credit bureaus

Cons

  • Medium-high APR
  • Requires a security deposit
  • No rewards

Capital One Platinum® Mastercard®

Capital One Platinum Mastercard Apply Now

on Capital One's secure website

Rates & Fees
3.8
Annual Fee

$0

Credit Score

580–739

Purchase APR

28.49% (variable)

Why It's Great

The Capital One® Platinum Mastercard® and the Capital One® Platinum Secured can easily be confused as they’re nearly identical. The big difference is that the secured card requires a deposit, while the unsecured version doesn’t require any money upfront.

Importantly, the Capital One® Platinum Mastercard® isn’t as accessible as the Secured, as Capital One advertises it as suitable for borrowers with fair credit. If you have bad credit, we recommend getting the Capital One® Platinum Secured and using it responsibly so you can automatically upgrade to the unsecured version.

Pros & Cons

Pros

  • No annual fee
  • No foreign transaction fees
  • Credit tracking
  • Credit limit increases after 6 months

Cons

  • No rewards
  • Medium-high APR
  • Limited Capital One benefits

Capital One® Platinum Secured FAQs

Can I use a Capital One® Platinum Secured credit card for a cash advance?

You can use a Capital One® Platinum Secured credit card to take out a cash advance (getting cash or cash equivalent, for example, from an ATM). However, cash advances are expensive due to the fee of 3% or $10 (whichever is greater) and the cash advance APR of 26.49% (variable).

Can I make a balance transfer on a Capital One® Platinum Secured card?

Yes, you can transfer a balance to a Capital One® Platinum Secured credit card to consolidate debt. However, you need a credit limit high enough to accommodate the balance, which may be difficult on this card.

Balance transfers won’t be charged a fee if they’re subject to the normal balance transfer APR of 26.49% (variable). However, if you’re offered a promotional reduced APR, your balance transfer will be charged a fee of 3% of the transfer amount.

Can I use a Capital One® Platinum Secured card abroad?

You can use your Capital One® Platinum Secured card abroad or with non-US online vendors. Best of all, Capital One won’t charge any foreign transaction fees.

Can I add an authorized user to a Capital One® Platinum Secured credit card?

You can add authorized users to your Capital One® Platinum Secured credit card. There are no authorized user fees, and you can separately track authorized user spending in your Capital One app. However, only the primary cardholder is responsible for paying the credit card’s bills, so add authorized users with caution.

How we rate our credit cards

Applying for a new credit card is a big decision, especially if you're a new borrow. That's why FinanceJar's card experts carefully studied the following details of the Capital One® Platinum Secured credit card to determine whether or not it's a good choice:

  • Security Deposit
  • Credit Limit
  • Fees
  • Interest Rates
  • Credit Score Required
  • Credit Reporting

These factors, among many others, are part of our 5-star credit card rating methodology for all card categories. Our star ratings are unbiased and independent of our affiliates and advertisers.

sidebar

Table of Contents

  1. Capital One® Platinum Secured Review
  2. Rates & Fees
  3. Rewards
  4. Credit Limit
  5. Benefits
  6. How to Get a Capital One® Platinum Secured Credit Card
  7. Building Credit with a Capital One® Platinum Secured Credit Card
  8. Comparable Cards
  9. Capital One® Platinum Secured FAQs

Kari Dearie

Credit Cards Editor

View Author

Kari Dearie is an editor for FinanceJar specializing in credit and personal finance. She previously managed a B2B website in the data privacy and digital compliance industry.

Related Articles

Credit report showing SYNCB/PPC
Credit Inquiries

Nov 5, 2021

SYNCB/PPC: What Is It and Why Is It on My Credit Report?

SYNCB/PPC stands for Synchrony Bank/PayPal Credit. There are a few...

FinanceJar Team
Polar bear guarding credit report in ice, representing how to freeze your credit
Credit Reports

Sep 22, 2021

How to Freeze Your Credit

A credit freeze prevents prospective lenders and creditors from...

Samuel Osbourne
new credit card envelope does it hurt credit
Credit Scores

Oct 1, 2021

Does Opening a Credit Card Hurt Your Credit?

Opening a new credit card can hurt your credit score slightly in...

FinanceJar Team
Black car being repossessed which has an impact on credit
Credit Repair

Aug 5, 2022

How Long Does a Repo Stay on Your Credit?

A repossession takes 7 years to come off your credit report,...

FinanceJar Team
Gauge representing credit utilization rate
Credit Scores

Oct 6, 2021

Credit Utilization: What It Is and How It Affects Your Credit Score

Your credit utilization is the amount of your revolving credit that...

FinanceJar Team
Man disputing an item on his credit report with the credit bureaus
Credit Repair

Sep 13, 2021

How to Dispute an Item on Your Credit Report

If you suspect you have inaccurate information on your credit...

Victoria Scanlon
FinanceJar

Footer

Credit

  • Credit Scores
  • Credit Repair
  • Credit Reports
  • Credit Cards
  • Debt

Company

  • About Us
  • Contact Us

Legal

  • Terms & Conditions
  • Privacy Policy

Call Us

9AM – 9PM EST: 347-527-4868
24/7 Help Line: 323-649-8707

How We Make Money

We make money from advertising. We place links on our website to our affiliates, and when you click those links, our affiliates compensate us for it. Our relationships with our affiliates may affect which products we feature on our site and where these products appear in our articles.

Facebook Twitter Instagram TikTok YouTube LinkedIn Pinterest

© 2025 – ONR Financial Networks LLC – All Rights Reserved.

  • Credit Scores
    • Get Free Credit Score
    • Get Your Free FICO Score
    • Credit Score Range
  • Credit Repair
  • Credit Reports
    • Credit Inquiries
  • Credit Cards
    • Credit Card Reviews
    • Best Credit Cards for Bad Credit
    • Fair Credit
    • No Credit
    • Building Credit
    • Secured
    • Unsecured
    • 0% Interest
    • No Annual Fee
    • Guaranteed Approval
    • No Credit Check
    • No Foreign Transaction Fee
    • Gas
    • Students
  • Debt
    • List of Collection Agencies
  • Loans
  • About Us
  • 24/7 Support:

    323-649-8707

We hope this template helps you achieve your goals.

Would you please review us?

A review would mean a lot to us — and takes less than 20 seconds. Let us know what you think. Thanks!

Leave My Review

What you’ll get

  • Assess

    Fill in your information and we will securely pull your TransUnion credit report.

  • Address

    We challenge inaccurate negative items with the bureaus and your creditors.

  • Advise

    We will give you advice for how you can improve your credit. Don’t want to wait? Call us now.

Don’t want to wait? Call us!

Monday to Friday, 10AM - 7PM EST

FinanceJar

Get a FREE 5-minute credit consultation.

Get a credit improvement plan that works for you with 1 phone call.

What you’ll get

1
Assess

Fill in your information and we will securely pull your TransUnion credit report.

2
Address

We challenge inaccurate negative items with the bureaus and your creditors.

3
Advise

We will give you advice for how you can improve your credit. Don’t want to wait? Call us now.

This is completely secure and won’t hurt your credit score.

By clicking "Submit" I agree by electronic signature to: (1) be contacted about credit repair or credit repair marketing by a live agent, artificial or prerecorded voice and SMS text at my residential or cellular number, dialed manually or by autodialer, and by email (consent to be contacted is not a condition to purchase services); and (2) the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.

Don’t want to wait? Call (888) 859-0871 now

FinanceJar

Advertising Disclosure

Some of our articles feature links to our partners, who compensate us when you click them. This may affect the products and services that we showcase in our articles and how we place and order them. It does not affect our evaluations of them, which our writers and editors create independently, without considering our relationships with our partners.

FinanceJar

Editorial Standards

We promise to always deliver the best financial advice that we can. That’s our first priority, and we take it seriously.

To ensure that our articles and reviews are objective and unbiased, our writers and editors operate independently from our advertisers and affiliates. Our writers do not take FinanceJar’s relationship with its affiliates into consideration when writing their reviews and articles.

Everything we publish is as accurate and as complete as we can make it. All of our articles undergo several rounds of fact-checking before we publish them, and we do our best to keep them as no-nonsense and jargon-free as possible while still delivering the information that you need.

We know that taking financial advice from us requires a lot of trust on your part. We’re grateful for that trust, and we won’t abuse it. Learn more about our editorial standards.

FinanceJar

How We Make Money

FinanceJar partners with other companies in the credit and finance industry, such as credit card issuers and credit repair companies.

We make money through advertising. Our pages feature links to our partners’ websites. If you click on one of those links, we get paid.

The links to our partners are always clearly marked. You’ll always be able to tell what you’re clicking. We’ll never try to trick you into clicking anything you’re not genuinely interested in.

That’s the only way that we make money. We don’t accept compensation in exchange for reviews or articles, and we don’t directly sell any products or services ourselves. Our editorial team operates independently (with no influence from our affiliates or our advertising team) so as to avoid compromising the objectivity of our reviews. Learn more about how we make money.