Is Reflex A Good Credit Card? The Reflex Mastercard® is an unsecured credit card with an initial credit limit of $300-$1,000. While it’s intended for those looking to build credit, it doesn’t require a deposit like many similar cards. However, it has expensive annual fees of $75 to $99, monthly fees for some accounts, and a high APR.
The Reflex Mastercard®, issued by Celtic Bank, is one of many credit cards for bad credit or no credit score. The card charges a variable interest rate and has a below-average credit limit, although this credit limit can be doubled in six months with financial responsibility. Despite the included fees and APR, this could be an ideal card for those looking to increase their credit.
Ideal for who:
- You have bad credit or no credit and want to build a positive credit history
- You want to double your credit limit by up to $1,000 by making your first six minimum monthly payments on time
- You don’t want a secured card or a first deposit
- I would like the opportunity to participate in a credit protection program
Reflex Mastercard® Review
The Reflex Mastercard is a basic credit card that aims to be a payment solution that also helps build credit. This card offers multiple benefits, such as a credit protection program and a maintenance fee waiver for the first 12 months. Read on to learn more about the details of this credit card.
Unlike many bad credit cards, the Reflex Mastercard® credit card is not guaranteed. This means that you do not have to make a deposit and that your credit limit does not depend on the deposit you pay.
This credit card offers you an initial credit limit of $300 to $1,000. You can then double your credit line if you make six payments on time, meaning you can have a credit line of up to $2,000 after 6 months.
This may seem like a good deal, but the card is generally not worth it. The Reflex Mastercard® has annual and monthly fees totaling $75 to $219, and the APR is very high, from 24.99% to 29.99%, so you accrue interest charges as you top up your balance at the end of each month not paid.
While Reflex Mastercard® reports credit activity to all three major credit bureaus, making it a viable option to build credit, it is still an overpriced card with minimal benefits. There are much better deals in the credit card market, even for poor borrowers, so shop around before committing to Reflex Mastercard®.
Pros and Cons of Reflex Mastercard®
Pros:
- Available to bad credit holders
- No Deposit Required
- Opportunities to double your initial credit limit within 6 months
- Foreign transactions and cash advances are available
- Credit reports to all three bureaus
Cons:
- High APR
- High annual fee
- Monthly fees generally apply
- No rewards, welcome bonuses, or introductory offers
- No balance transfers are available
Is Reflex a good credit card – No credit? No problem!
The Reflex credit card is ideal for people with no or imperfect credit. Consumers with all types of credit are invited to apply for this credit card.
Keep in mind that because you don’t need good credit to be approved for this credit card, it has higher interest rates than some other options, especially options like First Progress Bank Secured Credit Cards or OpenSky Visa. In addition, there are several types of charges associated with this card that may not be present with other comparable credit cards. However, once you have established a high enough credit rating with this credit card, you can apply for another with much better terms.
Reflex Mastercard® Important details
- Credit card issuer: Celtic Bank
- Credit card manager: Continental Finance
- Regular APR: 24.99%–29.99% (variable)
- Annual Fee: $75-$99 for the first year; $99 afterward
- Monthly maintenance fee: $0 for the first year; $0-$10 per month ($0-$120 per year) thereafter
- Deposit: N/A
- Grace period: 25 days
- Initial Credit Limit: $300–$1,000
More information
- Credit limit increases available up to $2,000.
- Double your initial credit limit by paying on time during the first 6 months.
- Cash advances are available.
- Foreign transactions are possible.
- Balance transfers are not available.
- $30 fee for additional cards.
- Credit reports to three credit bureaus.
- Free credit scores for account holders.
- Mastercard® Zero Liability Protection.
Opportunity to participate in the Continental Credit Protection program (which will forgive some or all of your debts if you lose your job, become incapacitated, or die).
Breakdown of Reflex Mastercard® Features
In this section, we take a look at some of the key features of the Reflex Mastercard® credit card to see how it compares to other cards for less-than-perfect credit card holders.
Reflex Mastercard® Rate
- Annual Fee: $75-$99 for the first year; $99 afterward
- Monthly Fee: $0 for the first year; $0–$10 per month ($120 per year) thereafter
- Cash Advance Fee: $5 or 5% (whichever is greater)
- Foreign transaction costs: 0%–3% (depending on your creditworthiness)
- Late Payment Fee: Up to $41
- Returned Payment Fee: Up to $41
- Additional Card Fee: $30 (one-time fee for adding an authorized user to your account)
Exorbitant fees are the biggest drawback of the Reflex credit card. Considering how much the card charges, there aren’t enough benefits to justify the cost. While many bad or no credit cards have a high APR and annual fee, don’t settle for such an expensive card before looking at other options.
Reflex Mastercard® Interest rates
- Regular APR: 24.99%–29.99% (variable)
- Cash advance APR: 24.99%–29.99% (variable)
- Minimum interest costs: None
If you don’t pay your credit card in full each month, you will be charged interest. The interest you pay each year depends on your APR (“Annual Percentage Rate”).
Reflex Mastercard® Grace period
The Reflex Mastercard® credit card gives you a grace period of 25 days (from the first day of the new billing cycle). The grace period gives you time to pay your bills in full with no interest charges.
If you pay your balance in full by the due date, your purchases will not accrue interest during the grace period. However, if you have a balance from previous billing cycles, you will be charged interest on any changes you make to your card during the grace period.
Reflex Mastercard® Rewards
The Reflex Mastercard® credit card does not give you any rewards.
Reward cards are generally not available to applicants with poor or limited credit history. However, some cards offer cash back and reward points for borrowers with lower credit scores. So if rewards are important to you, keep looking for an affordable CAD that offers them.
Benefits
In terms of benefits, the Reflex Mastercard® credit card offers the standard $0 credit card rate for Fraud Liability Protection and free access to your Experian VantageScore 3.0 credit score when you sign up for eStatements.
In addition, you can choose to participate in the Continental Credit Protection program by paying $0.99 for every $100 you owe. This program allows you to pay off some of your debt if you lose your job or become incapacitated (in which case, the program will cover up to 12 consecutive minimum monthly payments for you).
In the event of your death, the program will also pay the outstanding balance on your card in full.
Reflex Mastercard® Cash Advance
A cash advance is when you use your credit card to withdraw money from an ATM. Cash advances are allowed on the Reflex Mastercard® credit card, but only after the account has been open for 95 days.
The cash advance fee is $5 or 5% of the amount of each advance, whichever is greater. The cash advance APR is the same as the purchase APR at 24.99%-29.99% but has no interest-free grace period.
Balance Transfers
A balance transfer is when you move debt from one credit card to another (which is a common form of debt consolidation). The Reflex Mastercard® does not offer balance transfers, so look for other cards if you need to move balances between credit accounts.
Credit Limit
Initially, Reflex Mastercard® gives you a credit limit of $300–$1,000. However, the card issuer will also deduct your annual fee from your credit limit. That means when you first get your Reflex Mastercard® you get an initial credit line of $500 (for example), you only have $401-$425 available on your first line of credit (or even less if you get an additional card for someone else). plus).
Reflex Mastercard® Credit limit increases
The Reflex Mastercard® website states that you can double your credit limit after 6 months by making your first six minimum monthly payments on time.
The low initial credit limit
The initial credit limit with this card goes up to $1,000, but that’s not the whole story, thanks to the aforementioned fees.
Card terms & Conditions: “Some of these start-up and maintenance fees will be reviewed before you start using your card and will reduce the amount of credit you have available initially. For example, if you are assigned a $500 credit limit and your annual fee is $99, your initial available credit is $401 (or $371 if you choose to have an additional card).
So from the get-go, your credit limit will be significantly reduced as the card has charged you a fee before you receive it in the mail. For a $500 line of credit, nearly 20% of your line of credit was used up on the first day and you are now in debt.
However, if you pay carefully from the start, you can earn a higher limit. Specifically, you need to make your first six minimum monthly payments on time. Doing so can double your credit limit, up to $2,000.
Alternatively, the $0 Discover it® Secured Credit Card requires a deposit that determines your credit limit, but it can range from $200 to $2,500 so you are flexible. You’ll also earn rewards and have a bonus offer, as it’s worded: INTRO OFFER: Unlimited cashback matching, only from Discover. Discover automatically matches the money you earned at the end of your first year! There is no minimum spend or maximum reward. Just a dollar-for-dollar match.
If you have at least reasonable credit, the Capital One QuicksilverOne Cash Rewards credit card can also give you access to a higher line of credit in just six months if you make your monthly payments on time. And you earn rewards too: 1.5% you spend back. There is an annual fee, but it is much more acceptable.
Sky-High Interest Rates
Not paying your balance in full every month, including the annual fee, will hurt a lot. The card has an APR of up to 29.99%.
If you plan on carrying a balance with you, you may be better off with the $0 annual fee DCU Visa® Platinum Secured Credit Card, which has a much better APR, lower than the rates on many unsecured cards. You must qualify as a member of that credit union to be eligible for the card.
Requires a checking account
Like other cards for those with bad credit, the Reflex Mastercard® credit card requires you to have a checking account.
If that’s an issue, consider the OpenSky® Secured Visa® Credit Card. It doesn’t run a credit check when you sign up, and you can pay your deposit by money order or Western Union if you don’t have a bank account. However, there is a $35 annual fee.
Credit reports
Credit reports are an important part of building credit as your credit report is based on the information your lenders submit to the credit reporting agencies.
Lenders are not required by law to disclose your credit history; Some lenders only report to one or two major credit bureaus, if any. Fortunately, Reflex Mastercard® reports to all three credit bureaus so you can quickly improve your credit score.
Credit building
Since Reflex Mastercard® reports to all three credit bureaus, it is a suitable card for building credit. However, you must keep track of your monthly payments to take advantage of your credit score; Your credit will suffer if you miss payments or don’t pay your bills in full.
Credit Score Requirements
Continental Finance has listed the Reflex Mastercard® card and credit card as a card for people with bad credit. FICO scores below 580 are considered “poor” or “poor,” so even if your score is lower, you may still qualify for the card.
Application and approval
You can apply for a Reflex Mastercard® credit card:
- Call (866) 513-4598
- Pre-qualify online first
- By returning the receipt with a pre-selected offer by post
When you sign up, you must provide the following information:
- Your full name
- Your social security number
- Your date of birth
- Your address (no PO boxes)
The credit card issuer will use this information to verify your credit. They will then use the credit check information along with other information (for example, your monthly income) to decide whether to approve your application and, if so, what loan terms they can offer you.
In most cases, you should receive a decision on your application immediately, according to Celtic Bank. However, some applicants may need to provide additional information to help make the decision, in which case the application may take up to 30 days.
Once Reflex Mastercard® approves your application, your new card should be in the post within 3 business days.
You will probably get a tricky question when you apply for a Reflex Mastercard®
Each time you apply for credit, an in-depth investigation, also known as a hard credit check or hard credit check, appears on your credit report and subtracts a few points from your credit score.
Manage Your Account
You can log in to your Reflex Mastercard® credit card account online to:
- Make a payment
- See previous statements
- View recent transactions
- View payment history
- View your balance and other important credit information
- Sign up to receive online credit card statements
Alternatively, you can use the Reflex Mastercard® app for iOS or the Android app.
You can also call (866) 449-4514 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to hear automated information about your account.
In addition to paying online, you can also pay:
- By Phone: To pay by phone, call (800) 518-6142 from 7 a.m. to noon on weekdays, or 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on weekends (EST).
- By mail: You can send payments by emailing them to the address on your monthly statement.
Reflex Mastercard® Customer Service
If you need assistance with your Reflex Mastercard® or credit card, please call Customer Service at (866) 449-4514. They are available from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. m. to noon m. Monday to Friday or 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. m. to 8 p.m. on weekends (EST).
For general questions and correspondence, you can also write to:
Reflex Card
- Emails Box 3220
- Buffalo, New York 14240-3220
Lost or stolen cards
If your Reflex Mastercard® or credit card is lost or stolen, please call (800) 556-5678 to report it.
What are some cards similar to the Reflex Mastercard to consider?
Reflex Mastercard® vs Capital One Platinum Secured Credit Card
Both the Reflex Mastercard® credit card and the Capital One Platinum Secured are designed to build or rebuild credit. While the Reflex Mastercard® card is not insured, the Capital One Platinum Secured card is insured, which requires a prepaid deposit.
The minimum deposit for the Capital One Platinum Secured Credit Card is $49, $99, or $200, depending on your credit history. The Reflex Mastercard®, on the other hand, charges an annual fee of $75-$99 in the first year. But while security deposits are one-time and refundable, annual fees are never refunded and continue to be charged year after year.
In addition, Capital One Platinum Secured has several notable advantages over Reflex Mastercard®:
- No annual costs
- No monthly fees
- No foreign transaction fees (while Reflex Mastercard® normally has foreign transaction fees)
- Flexible Expiration Dates
- Balance transfers are available
The Capital One Platinum Secured card charges much less and even allows you to upgrade to an unsecured credit card if you use your credit responsibly. If you are upgraded to an unsecured card, your deposit will be refunded.
We recommend that you verify that you are pre-approved for the Capital One Platinum Secured credit card before applying for a Reflex Mastercard®.
Reflex Mastercard® vs. Discover it® Secure Credit Card
If you want to build up credit and are willing to pay a deposit, we strongly recommend the Discover it® Secured Credit Card as an alternative to the Reflex Mastercard®. Both cards qualify for bad credit and report to all three major credit bureaus.
Besides the fact that the Discover it® Secured card requires a deposit, there are some important differences between the Discover it® Secured credit card and the Reflex Mastercard®:
- The initial credit limit of the Discover it® Secured card depends on how much you pay for your security deposit (with a minimum deposit of $200).
- The Discover it® Secured card has a lower variable APR (23.24%).
- The Discover it® Secured card does not charge an annual or monthly fee.
- The Discover it® Secured card offers cash-back rewards.
The biggest advantage of the Reflex Mastercard® credit card is that you pay less in advance compared to the Discover it® Secured credit card. While this may be good in the short term, the Discover it® Secured card will give you a much better deal in the long run, including cash back through rewards.
Reflex Mastercard® Credit Card vs Aspire®
The Aspire® credit card is another unsecured credit card for people who need to improve their credit scores. It has many features in common with the Reflex Mastercard®, such as:
- No Deposits Required
- An initial credit limit of up to $1,000
- No costs for opening an account or increasing the credit limit
- The ability to transact abroad.
- Ability to make cash advances (with a 5% transaction fee)
- No monthly costs in the first year
However, there are also important differences between the two cards:
- The Reflex Mastercard® has a high APR of 24.99%–29.99%; the Aspire® credit card sometimes has an even higher rate (although it ranges from 22.74% to 36% depending on your creditworthiness, so it may also be lower).
- The Aspire® Credit Card has a foreign transaction fee of 3%, while the fee for the Reflex Mastercard® may be lower (0% to 3%, depending on your creditworthiness).
- The Aspire® credit card allows balance transfers, while the Reflex Mastercard® does not.
- The annual fees and monthly fees for the two cards are also a little different:
- Reflex Mastercard®’s annual fee is $75 to $99 the first year; for the Aspire® credit card, they can be even higher in the first year, between $49 and $175 (although they can also be lower).
- The Aspire® credit card charges a much lower annual fee ($0-$49) after the first year than the Reflex Mastercard® ($99).
- After the first year, the Reflex Mastercard® has a maintenance fee of $0 to $10 per month (or $0 to $120 per year), while the Aspire® credit card may have an even higher monthly fee of $5 to $12.50 ( $60 to $159). year).
- The total annual and monthly costs for these cards will likely be similar: in the first year you will pay $49 to $175 for the Aspire® credit card and $75 to $99 for the Reflex Mastercard®; after the first year, the Aspire® credit card can be $60 to $208 per year cheaper than the Reflex Mastercard® (with annual and monthly fees totaling $99 to $219 per year). However, you won’t know the exact cost you will pay for each card until you sign up.
In terms of cost and overall, these two credit cards are equally unfavorable. As such, we suggest you avoid them altogether and look elsewhere for better deals.
Is Reflex A Good Credit Card? Do you need to apply for the Reflex Mastercard®?
Compared to many comparable credit cards, Reflex Mastercard® offers a fairly good maximum initial line of credit. However, it has very high fees and APRs, no rewards, and minimal benefits. You can probably find much better cards even if you have bad or limited credit, so it’s worth considering Reflex Mastercard® only if you’re out of other options.
Before applying for the Reflex Mastercard®, check out other credit cards available for lower credit scores, including:
- Credit cards for bad credit
- Credit cards without credit
- Secured credit cards
Keep in mind that secured cards require a deposit, and this often determines your initial credit limit. While secured cards can sometimes be more expensive than the Reflex Mastercard® in the short term, if you can find one with no annual fee, they will likely cost less in the long run if they don’t have an annual fee or monthly fee.
Who is this card for?
- Low-credit holders who can’t afford a down payment: If you need a credit card to get a short-term loan, the Reflex Mastercard® credit card is a solution (though probably not the best). Your annual fee comes from your line of credit, so you don’t have to pay anything until your first monthly bill. If you have cash flow problems now but expect to have more money soon, you may want to consider this card.
- Holders of lower credit scores who want a credit boost: One advantage of the Reflex Mastercard® credit card is that it is accessible to people with bad credit. If you are a bad credit card holder who has been turned down for other cards, you may still qualify for Reflex Mastercard® so you can use it to build your credit by paying your monthly bills on time. Once your credit score rises, you qualify for better credit cards.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Reflex Mastercard legitimate?
It’s a real credit card, but it’s expensive with limited benefits, even for those with bad credit. There are better options.
What credit score is needed for a Reflex Credit Card?
The recommended credit score needed for reflex card is 300 – 719. Reflex Credit Card score range from 300(Poor) to 719 (Good)
What is the annual fee for the Reflex Mastercard?
The annual fee is $75 to $99. However, the card charges other fees, such as monthly maintenance fees after the first year.
How do I qualify for the Reflex Mastercard?
The issuer says all types of credit can be applied. A checking account is required.
Who is the Reflex Mastercard for?
It’s a card aimed at people with bad credit.
What is the interest of the Reflex Mastercard?
The APR is 24.99% – 29.99% variable APR.
Are there any rewards on Reflex Mastercard® or Credit Card?
No. Your biggest benefits are monthly reports to all three major credit bureaus and free access to your Experian Vantage 3.0 score when you sign up for eStatements.
Is the Reflex credit card Visa or Mastercard?
It’s a MasterCard.
Does the reflex give credit card increases?
Yes, after six months of responsible account management, including paying minimum monthly balances and avoiding late payments, cardholders can be offered a credit limit increase.
Can I use my reflex card at an ATM?
Yes, if you have a PIN.
What is the highest credit limit for Reflex credit card?
Currently, $2,000 is the maximum credit limit with the Reflex card.
Up to $1,000 credit limit doubles up to $2,000! (Simply make your first 6 monthly minimum payments on time) Free access to your Vantage 3.0 score from Experian (When you sign up for e-statements) All credit types welcome to apply?
