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Self Visa Card review

Updated September 28, 2026 · SumCue Editorial Team · Facts checked September 26, 2026

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Our verdict

Self Visa Card is a secured credit card for borrowers rebuilding a thin credit file, since it asks for a refundable security deposit and needs no hard credit inquiry. The trade-off is cost: an APR of 27.49% and an annual fee of $25 sit above most of what is listed here.

Key facts

Best for
Rebuilding a US credit history on a secured card.
Annual fee
$25↗
APR
27.49%↗
Credit needed
Poor↗
Perks
No hard credit inquiry required, $100 minimum refundable security deposit, Payment history reported to all three credit bureaus, Instant debit for a $3.50 fee↗
Card kind
Credit↗
Legal entity
Self Financial, Inc.↗
Headquarters
United States↗
Founded
2015↗
Support channels
Phone, Chat, Help-centre↗
Features
Secured
Official website
self.inc

Facts checked September 26, 2026, 2 sources

Apps and profiles

Get the app
App StoreGoogle Play
Elsewhere
LinkedInXfacebook.com

Pros and cons

Pros

  • No hard credit inquiry is required, and payment history is reported to the credit bureaus, which is what a thin file needs most.
  • The card is secured, with a refundable security deposit, so approval does not rest on a strong credit file.
  • Instant debit is available for a fee, so cash is reachable without a bank transfer.
  • Support runs on phone, chat and help centre, so phone, chat and the help centre are all listed.

Cons

  • An APR of 27.49% sits well above the site median of 15.5%, so a carried balance is expensive.
  • The annual fee of $25 applies on top of that rate, so holding the card costs money even in a quiet month.
  • The card is aimed at poor credit, so a stronger file has little reason to pick it.
Self Visa Card

Ready to try Self Visa Card?

Scored 8.5 / 10 by SumCue.

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Who it suits

  • Borrowers with poor credit who want a card that reports to the credit bureaus without a hard credit inquiry.
  • Anyone in US rebuilding a credit file, since payment history on the card goes to the credit bureaus.
  • Cardholders who clear balances each month, since the APR of 27.49% makes revolving the expensive part.

Who should look elsewhere

  • bunq, if the annual fee is your main concern, since bunq lists €0 against $25 here.
  • Varo Believe Secured Credit Card, whose annual fee of $0 sits below $25 here.

Fees and FX

The annual fee on the Self Visa Card is $25 for the account, and it is a credit card, so interest applies on top. The APR is 27.49% on balances. Together those figures set the running cost of holding and using the card, and paying the balance in full each month leaves only the annual fee to pay.

How Self Visa Card compares

Where Self Visa Card is available

Available
United States
Licence in United States
NMLS (Self Credit LLC) (2167345), checked September 26, 2026
Licence in United States
Texas Regulated Lender (167469), checked September 26, 2026
Licence in United States
Rhode Island Loan Broker (20234580LB), checked September 26, 2026
Licence in United States
South Dakota Money Lender (2167345.MYL), checked September 26, 2026
Licence in United States
Ohio Consumer Installment Loan (CI.550092.000), checked September 26, 2026
Licence in United States
Connecticut Small Loan Company (SLC-2167345), checked September 26, 2026
Licence in United States
Iowa Master Loan Company (88893627), checked September 26, 2026
Licence in United States
New Hampshire Small Loan (24484-SM), checked September 26, 2026
Licence in United States
Arizona Collection Agency (1045086), checked September 26, 2026

Countries from the brand (Source, checked September 26, 2026)

Frequently asked questions

What does the Self Visa Card cost to hold?+

The annual fee is $25. Borrowing costs more: the APR is 27.49%, so a balance left outstanding is the expensive part, not the fee. Hold the card, clear the balance each month, and the annual fee is the only standing charge listed.

Does applying need a credit check?+

No hard credit inquiry is required, and the card is listed as secured. The trade-off is a refundable security deposit, so cash sits with the card while you hold it, and a missed payment still shows on your file.

Who is this card aimed at?+

The card is built for poor credit, and it is a credit card. Payment history is reported to the credit bureaus, which is the point for anyone with a thin file, though the annual fee of $25 still applies each year.

Is the provider regulated?+

Self Financial, Inc. is the legal entity, and the licences held include an NMLS registration for Self Credit LLC with id 2167345 and a Texas Regulated Lender licence with id 167469, alongside licences in several other states.

How do you get help?+

Support runs on phone, chat and help centre, so phone, live chat and the help centre are all available. For a secured card the common questions concern the deposit and the credit reporting, and each of those routes can take them.

Where is the provider based and how long has it run?+

Self is headquartered in the United States and was founded in 2015. The legal entity behind the card is Self Financial, Inc. The card itself is a Visa secured card aimed at poor credit.

Can I get cash from the card?+

Instant debit is offered for a fee, alongside the refundable security deposit and bureau reporting listed as features. The annual fee of $25 and an APR of 27.49% still apply on top, so treat instant debit as an extra cost rather than a free one.

How does the fee compare with bunq and Wise?+

On annual fees alone, bunq lists €0 and Wise lists £0, against $25 here. Those figures are not like for like across products, so weigh the annual fee against the APR of 27.49% and what you need the card to do.

Sources

Compiled from 4 source pages, checked September 26, 2026. We did not open an account.

Not confirmed yet: Currency conversion fee, Rewards type.

Self Visa Card

Self Visa Card

Rebuilding a US credit history on a secured card.

8.5/10See alternatives