Credit-building debit cards aren’t new, but the Mine credit builder debit card (formerly the Fizz card) aims to rise to the top with its reporting to major credit bureaus, no interest charges, and cash-back rewards earning potential.
Its debit card features, such as a credit limit tied to a linked bank account, make it an attractive lower-risk option. However, a membership fee is required, which may make traditional credit card options, like secured credit cards and credit-building cards, more appealing.
Annual fee
Subscription fee: $59.99/year for students ($129.99 for non- students).
Welcome offer
Exclusive for our readers: Use code MINERV25 to save 25% on your Mine Membership — Unlock credit building, cash back rewards, and no hidden fees today
Recommended credit score
No credit history required
Rewards rate
3% cash back in your chosen categoryUp to 25% cash back on daily dealsUp to 100% cash back on Friday dealsYou can change your chosen category once per week (you do not earn cash back on purchases outside of the 3% category, local and online offers, and flash deals)
Benefits
No hidden fees or interestMine card usage and payments are reported to major credit bureaus
Annual membership fee: $59.99 for students or $129.99 for non-students
Welcome offer: None
Standard APR: None
Rewards rate: Earn 3% cash back in your chosen category, as well as up to 25% cash back on daily deals and up to 100% cash back on Friday deals. You can change your chosen category once per week. You do not earn cash back on purchases outside of the 3% category, local and online offers, and flash deals.
Benefits:
The Mine card is a debit card. In general, debit cards are tied to bank accounts and don’t have credit limits, so they can’t help you build your credit.
The Mine card is also tied to a bank account, but interestingly, it also comes with a credit limit, so it can help you build your credit. Here’s how it works if you’re approved for a Mine card:
You link your existing bank account to your Mine card account. Your bank account must have a balance of at least $150.
You receive a line of credit based on your current bank account balance. Mine doesn’t offer credit limits above $1,000.
You use your Mine card to make purchases and earn cash-back rewards. Then, you pay off your balance manually or using the Daily Autopay feature. Your usage and payments are reported to the Experian and TransUnion credit bureaus and will show up on your credit report.
Note that while the Mine card can help you build your credit, it can also hurt your credit if you miss payments. Mine doesn’t charge late fees, but having an unpaid balance for more than 30 days after your statement due date will result in a missed payment being reported to the credit bureaus.
To help you not miss any payments, Mine has features like Daily AutoPay and SafeFreeze:
Daily AutoPay: With this feature enabled, Mine will automatically debit your bank account once at the end of each day to cover any purchases you’ve made. This feature is enabled by default.
SafeFreeze: If enabled, Mine will lock your card if you miss a daily payment.
Subscription schedule
Student
Non-student
Annual
$59.99/year
$129.99/year
Quarterly
$15.99/quarter
$34.99/quarter
Monthly
$5.99/month
$11.99/month
Mine advertises “no hidden fees,” but you do have to pay a membership fee if you want to use a Mine card to build credit. You have annual, quarterly, and monthly options, and the cost is lower if you’re a student.
These are the timeframes for billing depending on your subscription schedule:
Annual: Billed annually at the beginning of your membership.
Quarterly: Billed every three months at the beginning of your membership.
Monthly: Billed monthly at the beginning of your membership.
The Mine card earns cash-back rewards on eligible purchases. You must first find an offer in the Mine app and then use your card to make a purchase at an eligible retailer with an offer. You will then receive points in your Mine account that you can redeem in various ways.
You can earn 3% cash back in a category of your choice, and you can change your category once per week. There are also daily deals worth up to 25% cash back, as well as Friday flash deals worth up to 100% cash back.
Some of the advertised merchants include:
Amazon
Peet’s Coffee
Shake Shack
Chipotle
Barnes & Noble
Domino’s
Papa John’s
Starbucks
Note that you don’t have to enroll in offers for them to work. However, you can’t earn cash back outside the 3% chosen category, daily deals, and Friday flash deals.
Mine points are worth one cent each. That means 10,000 points are worth $100.
You can redeem Mine points for cash deposits to your connected bank account, though there may be other options in the “Rewards” tab of your online account. You must have at least 1,000 points available to make a redemption. There’s a maximum monthly redemption limit of $500.
The Mine card makes the most sense for students who want to build their credit. The card is easy enough to use and understand, and there are added protections to help first-time credit-builders stay within the guardrails of establishing their credit history without overspending.
The Mine debit card also makes sense for students because the membership fee is much lower if you’re currently a student. The non-student prices are much higher and likely aren’t worth paying if you can qualify for a credit card with a low or no annual fee. However, they may be worth paying if you want to avoid credit cards altogether.
Related: Best credit cards with no annual fee
No hidden fees or interest rates
No foreign transaction fees
Can’t spend more than you can afford
Earns cash-back rewards
Mine reports card usage to major credit bureaus
The Mine card is issued as the Mine Visa Debit Card, so you can use it wherever Visa cards are accepted. Considering this is one of the most widely accepted payment networks in the world, you should be able to use the Mine card in most places, including hundreds of countries and territories worldwide.
Mine is not a bank, but Mine uses Lead Bank and Patriot Bank to issue Mine debit cards.
You can manually make a card payment through your Mine online account, or you can set up the Daily Autopay option to have your linked savings or checking account debited at the end of each day to cover the day’s purchases.
Use these options to contact the Mine customer support team:
Message: Tap the chat icon in the app to send an in-app message. You can also send a message by tapping the chat icon on the Mine website.
Email: Email the support team at [email protected].
Phone: Call Mine at 940-260-2704.
Note that the Mine app is available to Android and iOS devices on Google Play and the App Store.
Annual fee
$0
Welcome offer
None
Rewards rate
5% unlimited cash back on hotels, vacation rentals, and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel1.5% unlimited cash back on every purchase, everywhere
Benefits
No annual or hidden fees; see if you’re approved in secondsEarn back your $200 security deposit as a statement credit when you follow card best use practices, such as making payments on timeBe automatically considered for a higher credit in six months with no additional deposit
Why we like it: The Capital One Quicksilver Secured is a secured credit card, meaning you need to put down a refundable security deposit to qualify. This means it works similarly to a debit card, as your credit limit is tied to the amount of money you deposit. Compared to the Mine card, this credit card costs less per year and may have a better rewards rate.
Read our full Capital One Quicksilver Secured Cash Rewards review
Rewards rate
8% cash back on Capital One Entertainment purchases5% cash back on hotels, vacation rentals, and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel3% cash back on dining, entertainment, popular streaming services, and at grocery stores (excluding superstores like Walmart and Target)1% cash back on all other purchases
Why we like it: The Capital One Savor Student has no annual fee, immediately making it cheaper than the Mine card if you qualify. Fortunately, student credit cards typically have less strict eligibility requirements, making it easier to get approved if you’re attending an eligible university, college, or higher education institution. The Savor is also no slouch when it comes to earning rewards, providing an excellent 3% cash-back rate in multiple everyday categories.
Read our full Capital One Savor Student review
Annual fee
$0
Welcome offer
Discover will automatically match all the cash back you’ve earned at the end of your first year, with no minimum spending requirement or maximum rewards cap
Introductory APR
0% intro APR on new purchases for the first 6 months and 10.99% intro APR on balance transfers for 6 months from date of first transfer (16.74% – 25.74% variable APR after that)
Rewards rate
5% cash back in rotating categories (grocery stores, restaurants, gas stations, and more) up to the quarterly maximum, then 1%1% on all other purchases
Benefits
Unlimited match of all the cash back you earn your first yearNo annual fee
Why we like it: Similar to the Capital One Savor Student, the Discover it Student Cash Back has no annual fee. You also don’t need a credit score to apply, though you do need to be a student. If you’re responsible with your monthly payments, this is a cheaper option than the Mine card.
Read our full Discover it Student Cash Back review
Both cards can help you build your credit history, and neither card charges hidden fees or interest. Mine is available to anyone, but it’s more designed for college students. Plus, it’s a debit card. Chime is a secured credit card that requires a security deposit. However, the Chime Credit Builder has no annual fee, while you have to pay a membership fee for the Mine card.
Yes, the Mine card can help establish or improve your credit score if you use it to make purchases and then make on-time payments. Your card usage and payments are reported to major credit bureaus like TransUnion and Experian.
In general, debit cards don’t help you build your credit history since debit card activity isn’t reported to credit bureaus. However, certain debit cards, like the Mine card, provide you with a credit limit that’s tied to a linked bank account. Since you get a credit limit, your card usage and payments are reported to major credit bureaus.
Related: How to boost your credit score with a credit card
Editorial Disclosure: The information in this article has not been reviewed or approved by any advertiser. All opinions belong solely to the Yahoo Finance and are not those of any other entity. The details on financial products, including card rates and fees, are accurate as of the publish date. All products or services are presented without warranty. Check the bank’s website for the most current information. This site doesn’t include all currently available offers. Credit score alone does not guarantee or imply approval for any financial product.
