2020 Review: Indigo® Platinum Mastercard® – Worth It for Bad Credit?
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The Indigo Platinum Mastercard exists for one purpose: to help you build credit. However, we recommend looking elsewhere, as we’ve received numerous complaints regarding this card.
Credit Card Insider receives compensation from advertisers whose products may be mentioned on this page. Advertiser relationships do not affect card evaluations. Advertising partners do not edit or endorse our editorial content. Content is accurate to the best of our knowledge when it's published. Learn more in our Editorial Guidelines.
The information related to Discover it® Secured and Secured Mastercard® from Capital One have been collected by Credit Card Insider and have not been reviewed or provided by the issuer or provider of these products.
Our Rating: 1 Out of 5 Stars
We gave the Indigo® Platinum Mastercard® 1 out of 5 Stars because we’ve received a number of complaints about the customer service and the turnaround time on payments being posted to accounts after they’re sent.
Why We Like It
- Provides a path towards good credit
- Relatively easy to qualify for people with bad credit
Why It Could Be Better
- Poor customer service reviews
- There’s an annual fee
- Lack of rewards
- Few benefits
Indigo® Platinum Mastercard®
Details
securely on the issuer's website
- Pre-qualification available with no impact to your credit score
- Previous bankruptcy OK
- Easy pre-qualification process with fast response
- Free online account access (mobile friendly)
- Protection from fraud, if your card happens to be lost or stolen
- Accepted at over 35 Million Locations Worldwide!
The Indigo Platinum Mastercard is designed for people with bad credit. If your FICO scores are below 600 and you’re having trouble getting approved for other cards, this card may be one way for you to build credit.
However, we do not recommend this card, since we’ve received many complaints about it.
The Indigo card doesn’t offer any rewards, like points or cash back, but it does report activity to credit bureaus so you can use it to establish a record of on-time payments on your credit reports. After you spend some time using it responsibly, you may be able to use your improved credit history to qualify for more rewarding credit cards with better benefits.
You can check to see if you prequalify for this card without impacting your credit scores (you just have to start the application process). This can give you an idea of how likely you are to be approved if you decide to actually apply.
Insider tip
If you’re looking to build credit, take a look at some alternatives to the Indigo card. Also check out our top picks for people with bad credit and the best secured credit cards. Or, consider a credit builder loan.
Insider Advice: Getting the Most Out of Your Card
- Enjoy responsibly: Understand how to build credit with credit cards responsibly before you apply for this or any card.
- Aim higher: If you have good credit and haven’t been denied for other better cards, you should probably consider other credit cards before this card.
- Check the fine print: Make sure you read, understand, and follow the terms of the card to avoid extra fees or negative items that could hinder your credit-building efforts.
- Give yourself ample time: Based on visitor reviews, make sure you plan ahead when sending payments to allow plenty of time for payments to post to your account. Some cardholders have complained of slow processing times and the resulting late fees.
- Keep your eye on the prize: Once you’ve built up your credit enough to get other credit cards and don’t need this card any more, you’ll probably want to close it to avoid the annual fee. Learn how closing a card can impact your credit scores.
The Rewards
There are no rewards for using this card, like points or cash back. Instead, it’s designed to give you a way to build a good credit history, which can give you the opportunity to get better cards in the future.
The Benefits
There are only a few benefits that come with this card, and Celtic Bank (the issuer) doesn’t provide many details about them.
- Extended Warranty Protection: Double an eligible manufacturer’s warranty, up to a certain time period.
- MasterRental Coverage: Decline the car rental company’s own insurance to get coverage against collision damage and theft for eligible rental vehicles.
- Master RoadAssist Service: Call for help finding emergency services when driving, like tire changes, tow trucks, and fuel delivery.
- Travel Assistance Services: Provides pre-trip planning information, assistance with medical and legal referrals, and more
- Identity Theft Resolution Service: Provides help recovering if you become a victim of identity theft
The Terms & Fees
| Purchase APR | Balance Transfer APR | Cash Advance APR |
|---|---|---|
| 24.9% Fixed | None | See Terms |
| Annual Fee | Foreign Transaction Fee |
|---|---|
| $0-$99 | None |
| Balance Transfer Fee | Cash Advance Fee |
|---|---|
| See Terms | None |
| Penalty APR | Late Fee | Returned Payment Fee |
|---|---|---|
| None | Up to $40 | Up to $40 |
Take note that you’ll probably end up with an annual fee with the Indigo, though it’s not a sure thing (it depends on your creditworthiness). It will be charged to your account as part of your statement balance.
This card will probably cost you some money and your credit limit likely won’t be very high, but that’s because it’s designed for riskier borrowers. You should use it primarily to help you build up your credit, rather than to finance a purchase and pay it off over time.
We recommend paying the statement balance in full each month (a bit ahead of time, to allow for slow processing). This will let you take advantage of your grace period to avoid paying interest, and it can be good for your credit utilization too (which can help your credit scores).
You can’t use this card for balance transfers.
You can check the terms and conditions of the Indigo Platinum Card, which has three different sections according to the annual fee levels.
The Bottom Line
The Indigo® Platinum Mastercard® is an option if you want to a simple card to build or rebuild your credit, but it has lots of customer complaints.
This card has one purpose only: to help you improve your credit by showing a record of responsible behavior. You’ll have to pay an annual fee, but if you can’t get approved for any other cards it’s a pretty small price to pay for the opportunity to build credit.
Just be sure to pay your bill on time and in full every month to avoid late payments and build good history as a borrower. If you can keep up that positive activity you may eventually be able to qualify for a better rewards card with more useful benefits.
Insider tip
Confused about using and paying your credit cards? Check out our guide, How Paying A Credit Card Works.
How Do I Apply for the Indigo Platinum Mastercard?
To apply now for the Indigo Platinum Mastercard, simply click the button near the card name. You’ll be directed to the credit card issuer’s website where you can securely input all of the required information.
You can check your pre-qualification status before applying, therefore avoiding a hard check on your credit if you won’t be approved.
What Credit Scores Do You Need for the Indigo Platinum Mastercard?
The Indigo Platinum Mastercard is designed for people with poor credit.
If your FICO score falls within 300–579, or 300–649 for VantageScore, you’ll be considered to have poor credit.
However, these are more like guidelines, which means even if you have higher credit scores you may not be approved. Other factors are taken into account for credit applications, like income.
Qualifications and Requirements
- Must prequalify
- Must be 18 to apply
- Personal information: Birth date, Social Security number, phone number
- Financial information: Total household income, source of income, monthly mortgage/rent payment
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the credit limit of the Indigo Platinum Mastercard?
The credit limit of the Indigo Platinum Mastercard is $300.
Is the Indigo Platinum Mastercard a secured card?
No, this is an unsecured credit card, so it doesn’t require an upfront deposit, though it’s still designed to help build positive credit. Here are some of our top picks for secured cards.
Can I transfer a balance to this card?
No, you won’t be able to use this card for balance transfers.
Looking for one that does let you transfer a balance over? You can find our top choices for balance transfer cards here.
Does the Indigo Platinum Mastercard offer rewards?
No, there aren’t any rewards associated with the Indigo Platinum Mastercard. If you’re seeking a rewards card, you can see some of our favorite rewards cards right here.
Are there any benefits with the Indigo Platinum Mastercard?
Yes, you’ll gain a few benefits from this card, including extended warranty protection, MasterRental insurance, and more.
Indigo® Platinum Mastercard®
Details
securely on the issuer's website
- Pre-qualification available with no impact to your credit score
- Previous bankruptcy OK
- Easy pre-qualification process with fast response
- Free online account access (mobile friendly)
- Protection from fraud, if your card happens to be lost or stolen
- Accepted at over 35 Million Locations Worldwide!
Alternatives to the Indigo Platinum Mastercard
The Indigo Platinum Mastercard has many bad reviews. Although it could provide a way into the world of credit for some, we recommend trying to qualify for other credit cards designed for bad or limited credit first, like the ones below.
The Discover it® Secured (Review) is our top pick when it comes to secured credit cards, because it includes a decent rewards program and has generally favorable terms.
It requires a refundable security deposit of $200–$2,500 once approved, and your credit limit will be equal to your deposit. Discover will review your account activity every eight months. If it finds that you’ve been managing your credit responsibly, not just with this card but in general, it may refund your security deposit while letting you continue to use the account. There is no program to graduate to an unsecured card.
You’ll earn 2% cash back at restaurants and gas stations, on up to $1,000 spent per quarter; an excellent rate for a secured credit card. Discover will also double the rewards you earn for the first year, making it especially rewarding for a card built for poor credit.
However, you’ll only receive a very basic benefits package, even compared to the Indigo Platinum. But overall we wholeheartedly suggest going for this Discover card first.
| Spending Rewards |
|---|
|
|
| Introductory Bonus Offer |
|---|
|
- FICO Credit Scorecard: Check your FICO Score 8 for free whenever you’d like, based on your TransUnion credit report.
- Cash at Checkout: Get cash back when checking out at participating merchants, which will be counted as part of your purchase rather than as a cash advance.
- Social Security number alerts: Discover monitors thousands of risky websites, and will alert you if your SSN is found being used on any of them.
- New account and inquiry alerts: Get notified of any new accounts or credit inquiries on your Experian credit report.
- Purchase APR: See Terms
- Balance Transfer APR: See Terms for See Terms, then See Terms
- No foreign transaction fee
- Annual fee: $0
The information related to Discover it® Secured has been collected by Credit Card Insider and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer or provider of this product.
The Secured Mastercard® from Capital One (Review) is a simple secured card without many flashy features. Its main purpose is to help you build up your credit scores.
Like most secured cards, you’ll need to pay a refundable deposit. However, what’s different with the Capital One card is, depending on your creditworthiness, you’ll be asked to pay either $49, $99, or $200. But no matter what you’re asked to pay, your starting credit limit will be $200.
You can also choose to deposit more if you want a higher credit limit. Up to $1,000 can be deposited, to get a $1,000 credit line. Deposit payments can be made in partial installments, but the full deposit must be made within 80 days of approval.
You’ll get a similar benefits package along with some nice extras, including an easier way to a higher credit line, a price matching perk, and a credit monitoring service. So Capital One’s secured card might provide a simpler way to build credit with some added perks to boot.
- Access a higher credit line: You may be automatically considered for a higher credit line after six months.
- Capital One CreditWise: Cardholders can log in to CreditWise to monitor their VantageScore 3.0 credit scores, based on their TransUnion credit reports.
- Price Protection: Find an eligible item you bought being sold for less, and you can be reimbursed for the difference in price.
- Travel Assistance Services: Includes help finding emergency road services, travel information and advice, and medical or legal referrals
- Other benefits: Such as Extended Warranty, $100,000 Travel Accident Insurance, and MasterRental Coverage (which provides auto rental collision damage waivers)
- Purchase and Balance Transfer APR: 26.99% (Variable)
- No foreign transaction fee
- Annual fee: $0
The information related to Secured Mastercard® from Capital One has been collected by Credit Card Insider and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer or provider of this product.
The Citi® Secured Mastercard® (Review) is a basic secured card, similar to the Capital One Secured card above.
It has a fairly high potential credit limit, and requires a refundable security deposit of $200 to $2,500 when approved. Your credit limit will be equal to the amount you deposit.
Keep in mind the Citi Secured does not allow you to deposit more later on to increase your credit limit. So be sure what you put down initially (in increments of $100) will be enough to cover your needs. Citi may offer you an upgrade to an unsecured card, potentially the Citi® Diamond Preferred® Card (Review), if you show responsible behavior with this card and credit in general.
Unlike other secured cards, you can qualify for this card even if you don’t have a bank account. But you’ll need to visit a Citibank location in person to provide a deposit through other means.
This card offers more protections than the Indigo Platinum, and also lets you track your progress with a credit monitoring service as you work to build up your credit.
- Free FICO Credit Score: Check your FICO Score 8 for free, based on your Equifax credit report.
- Purchase Protection: If an eligible item you buy is damaged or stolen, you can be reimbursed up to $1,000 per item, up to $50,000 per year.
- Extended Warranty: Eligible warranties of up to one year can be doubled, up to 24 additional months.
- Citi Identity Theft Solutions: Citi will help if you become a victim of identity theft, with assistance contacting credit bureaus and filing police reports.
- Purchase and Balance Transfer APR: 22.49% (Variable)
- Annual fee: $0
- The Citi® Secured Mastercard® is a no annual fee credit card that helps you build your credit when used responsibly.
- Unlike a debit card, it helps build your credit history with monthly reporting to all 3 major credit bureaus. Once available, you will also have free access to your FICO score online.
- Use your card anywhere Mastercard® is accepted — worldwide.
- A security deposit is required. Once approved, your credit limit will be equal to your security deposit (minimum of $200).
- Get help staying on track with Auto Pay and account alerts.
- With Flexible Payment Due Dates, you can choose any available due date in the beginning, middle or end of the month.
- Manage your account 24/7 online, by phone, or in our mobile app.
- The standard variable APR for Citi Flex Plan is 22.49%. Citi Flex Plan offers are made available at Citi’s discretion.
Citi is a Credit Card Insider advertiser.
Indigo® Platinum Mastercard®
Details
securely on the issuer's website
- Pre-qualification available with no impact to your credit score
- Previous bankruptcy OK
- Easy pre-qualification process with fast response
- Free online account access (mobile friendly)
- Protection from fraud, if your card happens to be lost or stolen
- Accepted at over 35 Million Locations Worldwide!
Was this review helpful to you? Go ahead and share it with a friend! And if you use the Indigo Platinum Mastercard, how do you like it? Leave your own comment below, we’d love to hear from you!
Brendan Harkness
Brendan has been writing about personal finance for over eight years, and is now taking on the challenge of bringing high quality credit education to the masses. He makes sure that Credit Card Insider is covering the most important credit topics transparently and precisely, and that we have up-to-date reviews of credit cards so you can find cards that are right for you.
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