Key takeaways
- Continental Finance presents unsecured bank cards tailor-made for individuals with restricted or poor credit score, emphasizing accessibility and credit-building alternatives.
- Regardless that Continental Finance’s roster of playing cards can definitely assist you to get on the appropriate path towards constructing higher credit score, it’s exhausting to disregard the downsides, akin to excessive charges and rates of interest, in addition to low credit score limits.
- There are many different choices to contemplate, akin to secured playing cards, credit-builder playing cards, different playing cards like Tomo and scholar playing cards.
You probably have a low credit score rating or no established credit score, turning to a subprime credit score issuer may assist you to with bank card approval. One firm to contemplate is Continental Finance, which presents a handful of playing cards out there to these with poor credit score.
Take the time to be taught extra about Continental Finance bank cards, weighing the professionals and cons of every card, earlier than deciding whether or not its playing cards are best for you.
What’s Continental Finance?
Continental Finance is a bank card firm that focuses on providing playing cards focused for shoppers with low credit score scores or no credit score in any respect. A subprime credit score issuer, the corporate markets itself as providing accessible monetary merchandise to underserved shoppers, serving to them rebuild or set up their credit score.
“Continental Finance sometimes targets people going through challenges in acquiring conventional bank cards because of previous monetary points,” says Baruch Silvermann, founding father of The Sensible Investor. “They concentrate on offering a pathway to accountable credit score utilization, supporting prospects in enhancing their creditworthiness over time.”
Its client underwriting, advertising and servicing platform is designed to offer a wide range of providers to shoppers when different monetary establishments won’t accommodate them. The corporate claims to have managed greater than 2.6 million bank cards since its founding in 2005, and it boasts an A+ score from the Higher Enterprise Bureau.
Continental Finance bank cards
Continental Finance presents a number of unsecured bank cards for individuals with restricted or bad credit report, sometimes these with FICO scores of 300 to 669.
Every of Continental Finance’s bank cards experiences month-to-month to the three main credit score bureaus, which helps set up and enhance credit score. Plus, with Mastercard Zero Legal responsibility Safety, you aren’t held liable for unauthorized expenses in your card. You additionally get a free month-to-month credit score rating if you enroll in e-statements.
Nonetheless, Continental Finance’s playing cards do have downsides.
Whereas these playing cards have completely different names and barely completely different phrases, all of them observe the identical blueprint. They’ve low credit score limits, cost hefty charges and don’t provide rewards.
— Ted Rossman, Bankrate Senior Trade Analyst
Breaking down Continental Finance playing cards
| Bank card | Issuing financial institution | Annual price | Preliminary credit score restrict | Different charges |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cerulean Mastercard®* | Financial institution of Missouri | $125 annual price | $300 to $1,000 preliminary credit score restrict | No month-to-month price |
| FIT Mastercard®* | Financial institution of Missouri | $99 annual price | $400 preliminary credit score restrict | One-time $89 price $6.25 month-to-month upkeep price — or $75 yearly — after 12 months |
| Reflex Mastercard®* | Financial institution of Missouri | $75 to $125 for first 12 months, then $99 to $125 yearly after | $300 to $1,000 preliminary credit score restrict | As much as $12.50 month-to-month price after 12 months |
| Revel Mastercard®* | Financial institution of Missouri | $75 to $125 for the primary 12 months, then $99 to $125 yearly after | $300 to $1,000 preliminary credit score restrict | As much as $12.50 month-to-month price after 12 months |
| Surge® Platinum Mastercard®* | Celtic Financial institution | $75 to $125 for the primary 12 months, then $99 to $125 yearly after | $300 to $1,000 preliminary credit score restrict | As much as $12.50 month-to-month price after 12 months |
| Verve Mastercard®* | Celtic Financial institution | $75 to $175 for the primary 12 months, then $49 to $175 yearly after | $300 to $1,000 preliminary credit score restrict | As much as $12.50 month-to-month price after 12 months |
| At the moment Card® Mastercard®* | Financial institution of Missouri | – | – | – |
| Matrix Mastercard®* | Financial institution of Missouri | – | – | – |
| Construct Mastercard®* | Financial institution of Missouri | – | $500 preliminary credit score restrict | – |
Please observe that the bank card info, together with rates of interest, annual charges, and different phrases displayed within the desk, will not be absolutely up-to-date or correct. It is because Continental Finance sometimes offers entry to particular charges and charges for sure playing cards solely after a person applies for a bank card and is authorized. Due to this fact, we suggest verifying probably the most present and correct bank card phrases straight with the issuer earlier than making any monetary selections.
Advantages of Continental Finance bank cards
With every of those playing cards, the primary advantages boil all the way down to entry to credit score and constructing credit score.
“You get entry to credit score, though most likely with a low credit score restrict, and you’ll construct your credit score up in case you use your card responsibly,” Rossman explains. “Continental Finance pledges to double your credit score limits after you make your first six month-to-month funds on time. Plus, these are unsecured bank cards, so that you don’t have to put down a safety deposit.”
Silvermann additionally factors out that these playing cards boast greater approval charges than many anticipate, they usually provide account administration instruments that present customers with handy methods to trace their progress.
“The long-term benefits of those playing cards lie within the alternative to enhance your credit score scores, enabling cardholders to finally entry higher monetary alternatives sooner or later,” says Silvermann.
Drawbacks of Continental Finance bank cards
Even with the potential advantages, you may’t ignore the downsides — specifically the excessive charges.
“The annual and month-to-month charges are vital, particularly for merchandise that don’t provide bank card rewards,” provides Rossman. “Additionally, for the reason that credit score limits on these playing cards are comparatively low, your buying energy is proscribed.”
As well as, depend on paying excessive rates of interest, because the APRs on many of those playing cards have been as much as 35.90 p.c as of April 2025, and have been beforehand as much as 29.99 p.c as of November 2023 — a virtually 6 p.c enhance in lower than two years.
Whereas designed for these with restricted credit score, the chance of falling right into a cycle of debt with these greater rates of interest stays, particularly in case you don’t handle your spending responsibly.
— Baruch Silvermann, Founding father of The Sensible Investor
Must you get a card from Continental Finance?
If you wish to construct or rebuild your credit score, your bank card choices will likely be restricted. Continental Finance does provide choices. That stated, don’t bounce on the first card give you see for individuals with bad credit report.
Fastidiously consider your technique of paying off bank card balances promptly and avoiding high-interest expenses. Additionally, ponder whether or not the doable credit score rating enchancment justifies the charges connected, that are vital with Continental Finance playing cards.
“It’s additionally essential to know the phrases and circumstances relevant, together with your credit score limits and any potential penalties for late funds,” Silvermann advises.
Options to Continental Finance bank cards
These playing cards are far out of your solely choices when you might have low or no credit score.
“There are many higher bank cards on the market for individuals seeking to construct or rebuild credit score,” Rossman says. “It will most likely be higher to place down a $200 deposit on a no-annual-fee secured bank card and get your $200 again when you improve or shut the cardboard, versus paying a whole bunch of {dollars} in annual and month-to-month charges to Continental Finance and never getting that cash again.”
Rossman recommends the next choices:
The underside line
Continental Finance presents a number of credit-building playing cards that may look attractive you probably have restricted or no credit score. However they aren’t your solely selections value contemplating, and the charges and excessive rates of interest charged coupled with the shortage of rewards could make these playing cards particularly unattractive.
Hunt round for various choices and see in case you can qualify for a secured bank card or different credit score product that doesn’t require you to pay annual or month-to-month charges.
*Details about the Cerulean Mastercard®, FIT Mastercard®, Reflex Mastercard®, Surge® Platinum Mastercard®, Revel Mastercard®, Verve Mastercard®, At the moment Card® Mastercard®, Matrix Mastercard®, and Construct Mastercard® has been collected independently by Bankrate. Card particulars haven’t been reviewed or authorized by the cardboard issuer.
