The Ultimate Guide to Credit Cards™
Friday, May 16, 2025

Walmart Credit Card: Bad Credit OK? (2023)

Updated:

Walmart Credit Card
Toby Sembower

Writer: Toby Sembower

Toby Sembower

Toby Sembower, Founder

Toby is the founder of CardRates.com and lends his 20 years of experience in the credit card industry to educate consumers. His commentary and reviews have been featured to millions on Yahoo! Finance, CreditCards.com, Entrepreneur.com, and others. Toby's industry connections enable him to keep audiences informed with timely advice and insight.

See Full Bio »
Close
Lillian Guevara-Castro

Editor: Lillian Guevara-Castro

Lillian Guevara-Castro

Lillian Guevara-Castro, Senior Editor

Lillian Guevara-Castro brings more than 30 years of editing and journalism experience to the CardRates team. She has worked at The Atlanta Journal and Constitution, Gwinnett Daily News, Gainesville Sun, and The New York Times, where she covered demographics, consumer issues, and the business and financial sectors. Lillian has a degree in journalism and communications from Georgia State University and brings her fact-checking expertise to ensure Digital Brands content is accurate and engaging.

See Full Bio »
Close
Ashley Fricker

Reviewer: Ashley Fricker

Ashley Fricker

Ashley Fricker, Senior Editor

Ashley Fricker has more than a decade of experience as a finance contributor and editor, and has specialized in the credit card industry since 2015. Her credit card commentary is featured on national media outlets that include CNBC, MarketWatch, Investopedia, and Reader's Digest, among many others. She has worked closely with the world’s largest banks and financial institutions, up-and-coming fintech companies, and press and news outlets to curate comprehensive content and media. Ashley holds a bachelor's degree in multimedia journalism from Florida Atlantic University.

See Full Bio »
Close

Disclosure: When you apply through links on our site, we may earn a referral fee from our partners. For more, see our ad disclosure and review policy.

Walmart is world-famous for its deep discounts on everything from bath soaps to bicycles, making it one of the nation’s most popular stores for credit card users.

The discount retailer is also known for promoting its own Walmart-brand credit card to its shoppers, which leads many potential applicants to ask the question:

“Will Walmart approve me if I have bad credit?”

The answer, most likely, is no.

While there are a handful of reports from those with credit scores in the 600 range getting approved for the Walmart Credit Card, the general consensus is that Walmart largely declines applications from those with low FICO scores, past bankruptcies, repossessions, and high levels of debt.

5 Walmart Card Alternatives (Bad Credit OK)

While Walmart may turn down bad credit applicants at a high clip, the Walmart Credit Card isn’t the only way to get credit with a low credit score. The following cards specifically tailor to consumers who need to build (or rebuild) credit. And, yes, these cards can be used at Walmart, too:

1. PREMIER Bankcard® Mastercard® Credit Card

PREMIER Bankcard® Mastercard® Credit Card Review

at PREMIER Bankcard®'ssecure website

BAD CREDIT RATING

★★★★★
4.9

OVERALL RATING

3.0/5.0
Our Review »
  • PREMIER Bankcard credit cards are for building credit.
  • Start building credit by keeping your balance low and paying all your bills on time each month.
  • When you need assistance our award-winning US-based Customer Service agents are there to help.
  • Credit Limit Increase Eligible after 12 months of consistent responsible account management.
  • We report monthly to the Consumer Reporting Agencies to help you build your credit.
Intro (Purchases)
Intro (Transfers)
Regular APR
Annual Fee
Credit Needed
N/A
N/A
See Provider Website
See Provider Website
Fair/Poor

2. Brink’s Armored™ Account

Brink’s Armored™ Account Review

at Netspend'ssecure website

BAD CREDIT RATING

★★★★★
4.9

OVERALL RATING

4.1/5.0
Our Review »
  • Brink’s knows Security! 24/7 access to a suite of security benefits to help keep your account armored.
  • Get access to over 100,000 Brink’s Money ATMs.
  • Get paid faster than a paper check with direct deposit.
  • Add funds to your Brink’s Armored Account and use Brinks Armored debit card anywhere Debit Mastercard is accepted.
  • Account opening is subject to registration and ID verification. Terms & fees Apply. Deposit Account is established by Pathward®, N.A., Member FDIC.
Intro (Purchases)
Intro (Transfers)
Regular APR
Annual Fee
Credit Needed
N/A
N/A
N/A
Variable Monthly Fees
Not applicable

3. Milestone® Mastercard® – $1,000 Credit Limit

Milestone® Mastercard® - $1,000 Credit Limit Review

at Milestone Mastercard®'ssecure website

BAD CREDIT RATING

★★★★★
4.8

OVERALL RATING

3.5/5.0
Our Review »
  • Guaranteed $1,000 credit limit if approved.
  • Apply with Confidence! There is no impact to your credit score if you’re not approved. See terms.
  • Don't Have Perfect Credit? No Problem!
  • Join over a million consumers who are working on building their access to credit.
  • Zero Fraud Liability - Peace of mind that comes with having a Mastercard.
  • Get the credit you deserve, even with less-than-perfect history.
Intro (Purchases)
Intro (Transfers)
Regular APR
Annual Fee
Credit Needed
N/A
N/A
35.90%
$250 the first year; $99 thereafter
Fair

4. Chime Credit Builder Secured Visa® Credit Card

Chime Credit Builder Secured Visa® Credit Card Review

at Chime'ssecure website

BAD CREDIT RATING

★★★★★
4.8

OVERALL RATING

4.5/5.0
Our Review »
  • Credit Builder is a secured credit card
  • Using Credit Builder can build your credit history
  • Limit risk of overspending by setting your own limit with money you move into the secured deposit account.
  • Chime Checking Account required to apply for the Credit Builder Card
Intro (Purchases)
Intro (Transfers)
Regular APR
Annual Fee
Credit Needed
N/A
N/A
N/A
No annual fees
Poor/Fair/Limited/Damaged

5. Milestone® Mastercard®

Milestone® Mastercard® Review

at Milestone Mastercard®'ssecure website

BAD CREDIT RATING

★★★★★
4.8

OVERALL RATING

3.8/5.0
Our Review »
  • Greater access to credit than before - $700 credit limit
  • Get a Mastercard accepted online, in store and in app
  • Account history is reported to the three major credit bureaus in the U.S.
  • $0 liability* for unauthorized use
  • Access your account online or from your mobile device 24/7
  • *Fraud protection provided by Mastercard Zero Liability Protection. If approved, you'll receive the Mastercard Guide to Benefits that details the complete terms with your card.
Intro (Purchases)
Intro (Transfers)
Regular APR
Annual Fee
Credit Needed
N/A
N/A
See terms
See terms
Fair/Good

Did Walmart Approve Your Poor Credit?

If Walmart starts approving those with negative credit histories, we’d love to be the first to know. Please reach out to us on Twitter (@CardRates) or Facebook to let us know your experiences in applying for a Walmart credit card. We know how challenging it can be if you’ve had some credit missteps in the past. Thankfully, there are plenty of options out there when it comes to credit cards, so even if you shop at Walmart, you can swipe a card from a different issuer.

We’ll update this post if Walmart’s approval standards change. In the meantime, happy shopping!

Advertiser Disclosure

CardRates.com is a free online resource that offers valuable content and comparison services to users. To keep this resource 100% free, we receive compensation for referrals for many of the offers listed on the site. Along with key review factors, this compensation may impact how and where products appear across CardRates.com (including, for example, the order in which they appear). CardRates.com does not include the entire universe of available offers. Editorial opinions expressed on the site are strictly our own and are not provided, endorsed, or approved by advertisers.

Editorial Note: Our site content is not provided or commissioned by any credit card issuer(s). Opinions expressed on CardRates.com are the author's alone, not those of any credit card issuer, and have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by credit card issuers. Every reasonable effort has been made to maintain accurate information; however, all credit card offer details, including information about rewards, signup bonuses, introductory offers, and other terms and conditions, is presented without warranty. Clicking on any offer on CardRates.com will direct you to the issuer's website, where you can review the current terms and conditions of the offer.

About the Author

Toby Sembower

Toby Sembower

Founder

Toby Sembower has been a leading expert on credit cards since 2004, disseminating advice, reviews, and credit card comparisons to audiences of millions in that time. A frequent contributor at CardRates.com, Toby's work has also appeared on Yahoo! Finance, CreditCards.com, Entrepreneur.com, BadCredit.org, and many other popular finance platforms. In addition to lessons learned from his compelling personal story — having used credit cards responsibly to raise his own FICO score from 550 to 820 — Toby's connections and conversations with card issuers (Chase, Capital One, Bank of America, and others) enable him to give readers unique insights into the credit card marketplace. Toby holds degrees in business administration and public relations from the University of Florida. Today, Toby is president of Digital Brands, a company that provides online advice and comparisons to millions of consumers on personal finance, tech, and lifestyle topics.

Related Topics:

Applying Credit Rating

Other Articles You May Enjoy

9 Best Credit Cards for Walmart Shopping ([current_year])

9 Best Cards for Shopping at Walmart

By: Eric Bank
Can I Use My Walmart Credit Card Anywhere? 3 FAQs ([updated_month_year])

Can I Use My Walmart Credit Card Anywhere?

By: Ashley Fricker
Walmart MoneyCard: Review & Alternatives ([updated_month_year])

2025 Walmart MoneyCard Review

By: Eric Bank
How to Apply For a Credit Card With Bad Credit ([updated_month_year])

How to Apply For a Credit Card With Bad Credit

By: Eric Bank
The 1 Discover Credit Card For Bad Credit ([updated_month_year])

Does Discover Have a Card For Bad Credit?

By: Eric Bank
7 Low APR Credit Cards For Bad Credit ([updated_month_year])

7 Low APR Credit Cards For Bad Credit

By: Eric Bank
5 Credit Cards For Bad Credit: No Annual Fee ([updated_month_year])

5 Cards For Bad Credit With No Annual Fee

By: Eric Bank
11 Credit Cards For Bad Credit: Deposits Needed ([updated_month_year])

11 Cards For Bad Credit That Require a Deposit

By: Eric Bank