Walmart Credit Card: Bad Credit OK?

Writer: Toby Sembower

Editor: Lillian Guevara-Castro

Reviewer: Ashley Fricker

Updated: April 19, 2023

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:

Surge® Platinum Mastercard®

CardRates Expert Rating ★★★★★ 4.1/5.0

at Continental Finance'ssecure website

Our Review »

Up to $1,000 Initial Credit Limit
See if you Pre-Qualify with No Impact to your Credit Score
Less than perfect credit? We understand. The Surge Mastercard is ideal for people looking to rebuild their credit.
Unsecured credit card requires No Security Deposit
Perfect card for everyday purchases and unexpected expenses
Monthly reporting to the three major credit bureaus
Use your card everywhere Mastercard is accepted at millions of locations
Enjoy peace of mind with Mastercard Zero Liability Protection for unauthorized purchases (subject to Mastercard guidelines)
Apply with Confidence! There is no impact to your credit score if you’re not approved. See terms.

Intro (Purchases) See website for Details

Intro (Transfers) See website for Details

Regular APR 35.90% Fixed

Annual Fee $75 - $125

Credit Needed Bad, Limited, Fair

See Rates & Fees »

Milestone® Mastercard®

CardRates Expert Rating ★★★★★ 3.8/5.0

at Milestone Mastercard®'ssecure website

Our Review »

Guaranteed $700 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.
No security deposit, and a path to better credit.

Intro (Purchases) N/A

Intro (Transfers) N/A

Regular APR See terms

Annual Fee See terms

Credit Needed Bad/Limited/Fair

See Rates & Fees »

Capital One Platinum Secured Credit Card

CardRates Expert Rating ★★★★★ 4.0/5.0

Our Review »

No annual or hidden fees. See if you're approved in seconds
Building your credit? Using the Capital One Platinum Secured card responsibly could help
Put down a refundable security deposit starting at $49 to get at least a $200 initial credit line
You could earn back your security deposit as a statement credit when you use your card responsibly, like making payments on time
Be automatically considered for a higher credit line in as little as 6 months with no additional deposit needed
Enjoy peace of mind with $0 Fraud Liability so that you won't be responsible for unauthorized charges
Monitor your credit score with CreditWise from Capital One. It's free for everyone
Get access to your account 24 hours a day, 7 days a week with online banking to access your account from your desktop or smartphone, with Capital One's mobile app
Top rated mobile app

Intro (Purchases) N/A

Intro (Transfers) N/A

Regular APR 28.99% (Variable)

Annual Fee $0

Credit Needed Limited, Bad

See Rates & Fees »

PREMIER Bankcard® Mastercard® Credit Card

CardRates Expert Rating ★★★★★ 3.0/5.0

at PREMIER Bankcard®'ssecure website

Our Review »

PREMIER Bankcard credit cards are for building credit.
Start building credit by keeping your balances 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) N/A

Intro (Transfers) N/A

Regular APR See Provider Website

Annual Fee See Provider Website

Credit Needed Fair/Poor

Aspire® Cash Back Rewards Mastercard

CardRates Expert Rating ★★★★★ 4.5/5.0

at Aspire'ssecure website

Our Review »

Earn Cash Back Rewards* – 3% on Eligible Gas, Groceries, and Utilities, and 1% on All Other Eligible Purchases
Up to $1,000 credit limit subject to credit approval
Prequalify** without affecting your credit score
No security deposit
Free Access to your Credit Score†
*See Program Terms for important information about the cash back rewards program.
** Prequalify means that you authorize us to make a soft inquiry into your credit history (that will not affect your credit) to create an offer. If you accept an offer a hard inquiry will be made. Final approval is not guaranteed if you do not meet all applicable criteria (including adequate proof of ability to repay). Income verification through access to your bank account information may be required.
† Your credit score will be available in your online account starting 60 days after your account is opened. (Registration required.) The free VantageScore 4.0 credit score provided by TransUnion® is for educational purposes only. This score may not be used by The Bank of Missouri (the issuer of this card) or other creditors to make credit decisions.

Intro (Purchases) N/A

Intro (Transfers) N/A

Regular APR 36% Fixed

Annual Fee $85-$175 first year, $229 thereafter

Credit Needed Poor, Fair, or No Credit

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!

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 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.

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Walmart Credit Card: Bad Credit OK?

5 Walmart Card Alternatives (Bad Credit OK)

Did Walmart Approve Your Poor Credit?

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