The best Credit One credit cards
Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.
You may be familiar with popular credit card issuers such as Capital One, Discover, Chase, Citi and American Express. But there are also some less well-known banks that issue credit cards.
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One such bank is Credit One Bank, which currently offers seven cash-back rewards credit cards. Some of these credit cards are targeted toward consumers with average to excellent credit scores, while others are designed for consumers who are working to build or repair their credit. Let's take a closer look at Credit One's credit cards.
Best Credit One credit cards for 2020
- Credit One Bank® Platinum X5 Visa®: Best for cash-back rewards
- Credit One Bank® Platinum Rewards Visa with No Annual Fee: Best for cash-back rewards with no annual fee
- Credit One Bank American Express® Card: Best for shopping
- Credit One Bank® Platinum Visa® Best for consumers with average credit
- Credit One Bank® Platinum Visa® for Rebuilding Credit: Best for rebuilding credit
- Vegas Golden Knights Credit Card: Best for Vegas Golden Knights fans
Comparing the best Credit One credit cards
| Credit card | Best for | Credit level | Rewards rate | Annual fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Credit One Bank Platinum X5 Visa | Cash-back rewards | Average to excellent | 5% cash-back rewards on the first $5,000 of eligible purchases each year
Unlimited 1% cash-back rewards on all other purchases | $95 |
| Platinum Rewards Visa with No Annual Fee | Cash-back rewards with no annual fee | Average to excellent | 2% cash-back rewards on eligible purchases | $0 |
| Credit One Bank American Express Card | Shopping | Average to excellent | Unlimited 1% cash-back rewards on all purchases | $39 |
| Credit One Bank Platinum Visa | Consumers with average credit | Average | 1% cash-back rewards on eligible purchases | $39 |
| Credit One Bank® Platinum Visa® for Rebuilding Credit | Rebuilding credit | Rebuilding | 1% cash-back rewards on eligible gas and groceries as well as your monthly mobile phone, internet, cable and satellite TV services | $75 for the first year. After that, $99 annually (billed monthly at $8.25) |
| Vegas Golden Knights Credit Card | Vegas Golden Knights fans | Rebuilding to excellent | 1% cash-back rewards on eligible purchases | $0 to $99 |
The information for the Vegas Golden Knights Credit Card and Credit One Bank Platinum Visa for Rebuilding credit card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
More details on the best Credit One credit cards
Let's take a look at the details of each of the Credit One credit cards currently accepting applications.
Platinum X5 Visa: Best for cash-back rewards
Why this is the best for cash-back rewards: You can earn 5% cash back on select purchases, as well as 1% cash back on all other purchases.
Rewards rate: Earn 5% cash-back rewards on the first $5,000 of eligible gas, grocery, internet, cable, satellite TV and mobile phone service purchases each year, then 1% thereafter. Earn unlimited 1% cash-back rewards on all other purchases you make with this card.
Annual fee: $95
Credit level: Average to excellent
Benefits:
- Get up to 10% More Cash Back Rewards from participating merchants
- Free online access to your Experian credit score every month
- Zero fraud liability protects you against any unauthorized charges if your card is lost or stolen
- Choose your payment due date
- Access to Visa Offers and Perks
Who should apply: 5% cash back on select purchases may be appealing, especially if you don't have a good enough credit score to be approved for some of the more popular cash-back rewards credit cards. If you max out the 5% bonus categories each year you'll get $250 of cash back on $5,000 in eligible purchases. But, especially if you don't spend that much in the card's bonus categories or frequently make purchases outside of the 5% bonus categories, you may be better off with a different card.
Further reading: The best cash-back credit cards for each bonus category
Platinum Rewards Visa with No Annual Fee: Best for cash-back rewards with no annual fee
Why this is the best for cash-back rewards with no annual fee: You can earn 2% cash back on select purchases with no annual fee. Granted, this isn't great when compared to cards outside the Credit One portfolio.
Rewards rate: Earn 2% cash-back rewards on eligible gas and grocery purchases as well as mobile phone, internet, cable and satellite TV services.
Annual fee: None
Credit level: Average to excellent
Benefits:
- Get up to 10% More Cash Back Rewards from participating merchants
- Free online access to your Experian credit score every month
- Zero fraud liability protects you against any unauthorized charges if your card is lost or stolen
- Choose your payment due date
- Access to Visa Offers and Perks
Who should apply: If you don't have good enough credit to be approved for a no-annual-fee cash back card that earns 2% back on all purchases (1% when you buy and 1% when you pay) such as the Citi® Double Cash Card, then Credit One's Platinum Rewards Visa with No Annual Fee may be a good choice. But it's worth considering whether it's worth paying the $95 annual fee on the Platinum X5 Visa to get higher earning rates.
Further reading: What credit score do you need to get the Citi Double Cash Card?
Credit One Bank American Express Card: Best for shopping
Why this is the best for shopping: The Credit One Bank American Express Card has access to Amex's shopping protections such as purchase protection, extended warranty protection and return protection -- as well as access to Amex Offers that can save you money.
Rewards rate: Earn unlimited 1% cash-back rewards on all purchases
Annual fee: $39
Credit level: Average to excellent
Benefits:
- Access to Amex Offers
- Purchases made with your card are covered by:
- Retail protection, which protects a covered item purchased entirely with the card against accidental damage and theft for 90 days from the date of purchase
- Extended warranty protection, which extends the terms of original manufacturers' warranties (of 12 months or less) on a covered product purchased entirely with the card for a period of time equal to the duration of the original manufacturer's warranty, up to one additional year, on products purchased in the United States
- Return protection, which enables covered cardmembers to be reimbursed for covered items if they attempt to return them undamaged to the retailer, but the retailer will not accept the return
- Get up to $150,000 in travel accident insurance coverage when you travel using your card
- Get car rental loss and damage insurance that provides coverage against damage to or loss of a rental automobile rented in the U.S. or Canada with your card
- Free online access to your Experian credit score every month
- Zero fraud liability protects you against any unauthorized charges if your card is lost or stolen
- Choose your payment due date
- Pre-sale ticket access to select concert, theater and sporting events nationwide all year long
Who should apply: If your credit score isn't high enough to be approved for more popular American Express credit cards that offer better earning opportunities, the Credit One Bank American Express Card could be a good way to gain access to many of the same shopping benefits. These shopping benefits can save you serious money, so it may be worth keeping this card in your wallet just for Amex Offers and purchases where you might need shopping protections.
Related reading: What credit scores do you need for Amex credit cards?
Credit One Bank Platinum Visa: Best for consumers with average credit
Why this is the best for average credit: If you have average credit, this card may be one of the few credit cards in the Credit One portfolio for which you'll be pre-qualified.
Rewards rate: Earn 1% cash-back rewards on eligible gas and grocery purchases as well as mobile phone, internet, cable and satellite TV services
Annual fee: $39
Credit level: Average
Benefits:
- Get up to 10% More Cash Back Rewards from participating merchants
- Free online access to your Experian credit score every month
- Zero fraud liability protects you against any unauthorized charges if your card is lost or stolen
- Choose your payment due date
- Access to Visa Offers and Perks
Who should apply: If you are pre-qualified for other Credit One cards, such as the Credit One Bank American Express Card or the Platinum Rewards Visa with No Annual Fee, these cards will be a better choice since they provide either more benefits or a lower annual fee. Likewise, it's worth considering whether you may be able to be approved for no-annual-fee cash-back cards with higher earning rates, such as the Citi® Double Cash Card or Chase Freedom Unlimited.
Related reading: How to earn points and miles with fair to poor credit
Credit One Bank® Platinum Visa® for Rebuilding Credit: Best for rebuilding credit
Why this is the best for rebuilding credit: If you're working to build or repair your credit and don't want to use a secured credit card, you may be able to be approved for Credit One's Card For Rebuilding Credit.
Rewards rate: Earn 1% cash-back rewards on eligible gas and groceries as well as your monthly mobile phone, internet, cable and satellite TV services
Annual fee: $75 for the first year, then $99 annually. For some accounts, the annual fee for the second and future years will be divided into 12 equal portions and one portion will be billed each month of the applicable year. For other accounts, the annual fee for the second year and future years will be billed annually.
Credit level: Rebuilding
Benefits:
- Free online access to your Experian credit score every month
- Zero fraud liability protects you against any unauthorized charges if your card is lost or stolen
- Choose your payment due date
- Access to Visa Offers and Perks
Who should apply: If you're looking to build or repair your credit, this card may be one of the few unsecured credit cards for which you can get approved. If you have a low credit score, the Platinum Visa For Rebuilding Credit may be a good alternative to a secured credit card.
Related reading: Trying to build your credit? Consider these secured credit cards
Vegas Golden Knights Credit Card: Best for Vegas Golden Knights fans
Why this is the best for Vegas Golden Knights fans: This card advertises that exclusive deals, discounts and experiences for Vegas Golden Knights fans are coming soon.
Rewards rate: Earn 1% cash back rewards on eligible purchases, but no definition of eligible purchases is provided.
Annual fee: $0 to $95 for the first year, then $0 to $99. For some accounts, the annual fee for the second and future years will be divided into 12 equal portions and one portion will be billed each month of the applicable year. For other accounts, the annual fee for the second year and future years will be billed annually. Your annual fee will be based on your creditworthiness.
Credit level: Rebuilding to excellent
Benefits:
- Exclusive deals, discounts and experiences for Vegas Golden Knights fans are coming soon
- Get up to 10% More Cash Back Rewards from participating merchants
- Free online access to your Experian credit score every month
- Zero fraud liability protects you against any unauthorized charges if your card is lost or stolen
- Choose your payment due date
Who should apply: Since no exclusive deals, discounts and experiences are currently being provided for Vegas Golden Knights fans, I'd suggest that fans wait to apply until more information is released about these perks. Depending on your annual fee, you may find the card worth having for the exclusive perks, but you'll probably also want another card to earn better rewards on most of your purchases.
Related reading: The best credit cards for sports fans
How we chose the best Credit One credit cards
Credit One only offers seven credit cards, so I compared all of the Credit One cards in this guide. The best card for you will depend on your credit score, what type of annual fee you're comfortable paying and what type of perks you value.
Related reading: How to choose the right credit card for you
Pros and cons of Credit One credit cards
Credit One credit cards can provide a rewards-earning option for consumers who don't have strong enough credit to be approved for many of the top rewards credit cards. Here are some of the positives of Credit One credit cards:
- Options for various levels of credit, from rebuilding to excellent
- All cards provide cash-back rewards
- All cards provide free online access to your Experian credit score every month
- All cards offer zero fraud liability if your card is lost or stolen
- All cardholders receive automatic account reviews for credit line increase opportunities
- Visa cards offer access to Visa Offers and Perks while Amex cards offer access to Amex Offers
- All cards offer optional credit protection, which may pay the minimum payment due on your billing statement for up to six benefit payments if the primary cardholder enrolls and then becomes involuntarily unemployed or disabled.
Even the most competitive of the Credit One cards, the Platinum X5 Visa, isn't all that competitive in the cash-back credit cards landscape though. Here are some of the primary negatives of Credit One credit cards:
- The earning rates aren't competitive, especially considering the annual fees
- The perks and protections on these cards aren't competitive, especially if you travel frequently
- All cards charge foreign transaction fees when you use your card outside the U.S. of either $1 or 3% of each purchase in U.S. dollars, whichever is greater
- The earning rate and annual fee you'll be charged isn't transparent during the pre-qualification and application process for some cards
- Some cards may not offer a grace period for paying interest, in which case interest would be charged on purchases from the posting date
Related reading: How to apply for a credit card
Frequently asked questions about Credit One credit cards
How do I apply for a Credit One credit card?
Unless you happen to have a pre-approved offered that you received in the mail, you'll need to see if you pre-qualify on the Credit One website before you can apply. To see if you are pre-qualified, you'll need to enter your first name, last name and the last four digits of your social security number. Credit One then may present you some offers or you may need to enter more information to receive offers.
Related reading: How to find the best pre-qualified credit card offers
Where can I pay my Credit One credit card?
You can pay your Credit One credit card bill online using a linked bank account or a debit card, or you can mail your payment along with the payment coupon attached to your monthly statement. You also could send your payment using MoneyGram's ExpressPayment service or Western Union, but both of these companies charge fees for sending money.
Related reading: The right way to pay your credit card bills
How do I pay my Credit One bill online?
To pay your Credit One bill online, you'll need to log in to your Credit One account and make a payment using a linked bank account or a debit card.
Related reading: 6 simple rules to stay out of credit card debt
What credit score do you need for a Credit One credit card?
Credit One offers seven different cards. Some Credit One cards may accept consumers who are working to build or repair their credit, while other Credit One cards require between average and excellent credit.
Related reading: How to recession-proof your credit score
What is the maximum credit line for Credit One?
The minimum credit line on most Credit One credit cards is $300. However, there is no published maximum credit line for Credit One. If you are approved for a card, Credit One will inform you of your credit limit.
Related reading: Don't be surprised if banks start cutting credit limits in the coming months
Does Credit One give credit limit increases?
Yes, Credit One accounts are automatically reviewed for credit line increase eligibility. However, if you'd like to request a credit line increase you can call Credit One's customer service department at 1-877-825-3242 for more information.
Related reading: How to increase your credit limit
Should I enroll in Credit One's credit protection program?
All Credit One credit cards offer optional credit protection, which will pay the minimum payment due on your billing statement for up to six benefit payments if the primary cardholder enrolls and then becomes involuntarily unemployed or disabled. Credit protection cancels the full balance (up to $10,000) in the event of death.
The monthly cost of optional credit protection is $0.96 for each $100, or part thereof, of the new balance on your monthly billing statement. If you take advantage of the optional credit protection, you'll continue to accrue interest and other fees during the benefit period but you will not be able to use your account for any purpose. So, for most cardholders, it will be best to turn down the optional credit protection program and instead work on creating an emergency fund.
Related reading: 7 ways to improve your finances in 1 week
Is Credit One Bank a legitimate company?
Yes, Credit One Bank is a financial services company based in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Related reading: Credit card fraud: How to spot and report it
Bottom line
Credit One currently advertises seven cash-back rewards credit cards. Although these cards can't compete with some of the top cash back credit cards that are available to consumers with excellent credit, they may provide a middle ground between secured credit cards and top rewards credit cards.