Reflex® Platinum Mastercard® Review: A Credit Building Option

The Reflex Mastercard® is one of several credit cards for people with bad credit or no credit at all. It features a variable interest rate and a smaller credit limit than typical—but with good credit management, the limit can increase by 50% in just six months.

It’s ideal for users who want to establish a solid credit history but have bad credit or no credit—or who don't want to pay a security deposit or get a secured card.

Unfortunately—the Reflex® Platinum Mastercard® has a lot of fees, high interest rates, and small credit limits.

True, it can aid in credit repair or rebuilding. But there are other options out there if you’re looking to do that—specifically secure credit cards or unsecured cards with better benefits.

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The Reflex card is easy to get, and is an okay way to build credit—so yes, the card could be considered legit.

But it has high fees and a low credit limit—so it’s one of the less attractive unsecured cards on the market.

Low approval standards for the Reflex card means that people with bad to fair credit may be eligible. If you have a score of at least 500, you’ll most likely qualify for this card.

Read more:

• How Long Does It Take To Get A 700 Credit Score From 0? (And How to Do It!)

• What Credit Score is Needed to Buy a Car? (More Than 660?)

Your Reflex Credit Card is accepted practically anywhere in the United States and abroad by merchants who accept Mastercard®.

You’ll need a credit inquiry for card applications, which can lower your credit score.

You can check your pre-qualification without it having an adverse effect on your credit score, saving you an unnecessary credit inquiry. Once you’re pre-approved, you can move forward with the application process.

You can submit an application by filling out Continental Finance’s online form, and you can get the results in just a few seconds (but it can take up to 30 days).

You can also apply by phone at 866-513-4598 or by mailing back an acceptance certificate you received in the mail.

You’ll need to include your name, address, phone number, email, Social Security number, birthdate, income, and employment information to qualify for your Reflex card.

If you get approved, your card and welcome packet will be mailed to you within three to five business days.

You’ll need to call the Reflex customer service to activate the card over the phone within 30 days of receiving it.

Read more:

• How Do Credit Cards Work? A Guide for Absolute Beginners

• How to Get a Credit Card: What to Look For and How to Apply

1. No hard inquiry When you apply for a new credit card, your credit report will be hard pulled—momentarily lowering your credit score. This means that if you’re building your credit, you should carefully assess the cards you apply for. If you apply for the Reflex Mastercard online, and pass the prequalification check, it won't affect your credit score.

2. Free monthly credit score If you sign up for e-billing, you’ll get a free monthly credit score to monitor your progress. You can view this by logging in to your online account and getting your Vantage Score 3.0 credit score.

3. Does not require security deposit The Reflex Mastercard is an unsecured card, so you won’t need a security deposit to open your account. They’ll approve you with a credit limit (with a minimum of $300) instead.

1. High APR The Reflex Mastercard has an extremely high variable APR of 29.99%—comparable to many retail credit cards (which are notorious for their exorbitant interest rates).You shouldn’t use this card if you have any doubts about your ability to pay it off in full each month.

2. Low initial credit limit The card has a starting limit that ranges from $300 to $1,000*—which is a fairly low start. You might get a credit limit increase after six months of good account management(like making on-time payments and having less than 30% credit utilization).Then your credit limit can reach upwards of the maximum of $2,000.

3. No rewards program Some card users love the idea of cash back and other incentives. Unfortunately, there are no rewards available with the Reflex card. Given the card's exorbitant fees, this is especially frustrating, because the card has a high cost for ownership. It does have a few practical benefits, though. They give you free access to your Vantage 3.0 score, and there is no fraud liability for illegal charges for you. While these benefits are appreciated, they are by no means outstanding—these are the bare minimum required for many cards.

4. Multiple fees In addition to a high APR, this card also carries multiple fees (including a $75–$99 annual fee, $10 a month maintenance fee after the first year of use, and foreign transaction fees).As a result, your credit limit will be much lower when you first use the card—because you were charged a fee before you ever received the card in the mail.

5. Need a checking account for approval You must have a bank account to apply for the Reflex® Platinum Mastercard®—just like some other cards for those with poor credit.

If you don’t want to open a new checking account, this is not the card for you.

1. What is the Reflex Credit Card Phone Number? For assistance with your account, you can call the customer service at 866-449-4514.

2. How Long Does it Take to Get Your Reflex Card? A physical card is typically mailed out three to five working days after approval.

3. Is Reflex a Good Credit Card? The Reflex credit card is an adequate start if you have a low credit score—but the high fees (and lack of benefits and rewards) make it a basic option.

If you can get a better card, we highly recommend doing so.

Read more:

• Best Unsecured Credit Cards for Bad Credit

• Best Credit Cards (For Travel, Transfer Balance, Students, +More)

Continental Finance also offers the Surge® Platinum Mastercard® to users with low credit scores.

How does it compare with the Reflex credit card—and which is the better option?

*Subject to credit approval.

Neither of these cards is the best choice in our opinion. Surge may be a better option than Reflex for those who need a higher credit limit.

FIT Mastercard® 2.8	Surge® Mastercard 2.5	Reflex® Platinum Mastercard® 2.5
Annual fee $99	Annual fee $75–$99 No upfront fee	Annual fee $75–$99 No upfront fee
APR 29.99%	APR 24.99%–29.99%	APR 29.99%
Starting limit $400	Starting limit $300–$1,000	Starting limit $300–$1,000
Learn more	Learn more	Learn more

We don’t think so. There are much better options—even for people with bad credit. This card is a basic one—and you could get more rewards and a higher limit without the hefty costs.

Here's some other great options if you're looking to build your credit:

Upgrade Cash Rewards Visa® 4.4	Capital One QuicksilverOne Cash Rewards Credit Card 3.6	Capital One Platinum Credit Card 3.5
Annual fee $0	Annual fee $39	Annual fee $0
Rewards rate 1.5% Earn 1.5% unlimited cash back on card purchases every time you make a payment.	Rewards 1.5%–5% 1.5% cash back on every purchase, every day. 5% cash back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel (terms apply).	Rewards N/A
Intro offer $200 Earn a $200 bonus after you open a Rewards Checking account and make 3 debit card transactions within the first 60 days.	Intro Offer N/A	Intro offer N/A
Learn more	Learn more	Learn more