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Credit One Bank® NASCAR® Credit Card review
Unclear, punishing terms, numerous fees and poor rewards make this card a bad pick.
- Get this card if you spend heavily at the NASCAR Shop and need help rebuilding credit.
- Pick something else if you want a higher quality card for rebuilding credit or cash back with fewer fees.
- You you can apply for this card with a poor credit score of or higher.
How to apply for the Credit One Bank® NASCAR® Credit Card
It may take a few days or weeks before you hear back about your application. Check the status of your application by clicking Application status on the Credit One Bank homepage. If you’re approved, you’ll likely receive your card by mail within seven to 10 business days.
You can apply for the Credit One Bank® NASCAR® Credit Card by doing the following.
What should I know before I apply?
To apply for the Credit One Bank® NASCAR® Credit Card, you must be at least 18 years old.
Required information
- Name and mailing address
- Email address and phone number
- Social Security number and date of birth
- Total monthly income
Credit One Bank® NASCAR® Credit Card perks
Rewards.
You’ll earn 1% cash back on eligible gas and automotive purchases and double cashback rewards at the NASCAR Shop.
Account features.
Enjoy $0 liability for fraudulent purchases, text and email alerts near your payment due date, free Experian credit score reporting and the ability to pick your payment due date. You’ll periodically receive opportunities to increase your credit line, albeit for a potential fee.
Credit One Bank® NASCAR® Credit Card drawbacks
Annual fee is variable.
You’ll pay an annual fee of $39 to $99, depending on your creditworthiness. The annual fee is billed to your account and reduces your credit line until it’s paid off. For the second and subsequent years, Credit One Bank may divide the annual fee into 12 portions and bill you monthly. This is an unusual way to handle annual fees and only serves to muddy the waters around the card’s terms.
High APR.
If you have an average credit score or worse, your purchase APR can reach as high as 23.99% variable.
You may or may not have a grace period.
After you apply for the card, Credit One Bank decides whether your account has a grace period. If you don’t receive a grace period, the bank starts charging interest on purchases immediately. This is a highly unusual practice, as virtually all credit card providers offer grace periods. A card without a grace period is highly dangerous to your finances for this reason.
Fee for Express Payment.
If you make an express payment on your card bill — which typically means a portion of your payment is available within two days — you’ll be charged $9.95 per transaction. You may use a debit card, ATM card or bank account. There is no fee if you use the standard payment option, but you can use only a bank account, and your payment may take seven days to post.
Potentially high cash advance fees.
You may receive a cash advance fee of $5 or 8%, whichever is greater, or $10 or 3%, whichever is greater. The former rate is higher than average — typically, the cash advance rate is 5% of the transaction.
Late and returned payment fees.
For each late or returned payment, you’ll pay a fee of up to $39 (terms apply).
Compare credit cards for building credit
If you want to see just how poor the Credit One Bank® NASCAR® Credit Card‘s terms are compared to other credit building cards on the market, select up to 4 cards and click Compare to see their features side-by-side.
Credit One Bank® NASCAR® Credit Card reviews and complaints
Some customers say they’ve received decent credit-limit increases while they’ve had the card. Other customers warn it’s difficult to make payments, mentioning the express payment option costs $9.95 per transaction.
Credit One Bank has been accredited with the Better Business Bureau (BBB) since 2011. BBB rates the bank with an A-. However, the customers aren’t so generous. As of October 2020, more than 400 customers have rated the bank at around 1 out of 5 stars.
As of this writing, there’s an alert on the BBB website about a pattern of consumer complaints. These revolve around billing/collection issues, and some complaints allege that they were charged without authorization. Some customers complained that Credit One Bank forwarded incorrect information to the credit reporting bureaus.
I got the card. Now what?
If you went and pulled the trigger on this card, you’ll want to ensure you encounter the card’s fees as little as possible.
- Check your card terms.
You’ll receive them along with your mailed card. In particular, understand your annual fee, purchase APR, rewards and whether you have a grace period on interest. - Set up your online account.
Go to the Credit One Bank homepage and click Set up online account access to create an account. This lets you view your balance, check upcoming payment dates and make payments online. - Decide if you want to make Standard Payments or Express Payments on your card bill.
Standard payments have no fees but take up to seven days to complete. Express payments complete faster but cost $9.95 per transaction. - Avoid interest.
If you have a grace period on interest, consider paying off your balance in full each month. This helps you avoid accruing interest at a high APR. - Avoid fees.
You may have a higher-than-average cash advance fee. Foreign transactions, late payments and returned payments will lead to fees as well. - Contact customer service.
Call 877-825-3242 to reach Credit One Bank customer support.
Bottom line
If you’re a passionate NASCAR fan, you might like the rewards you’ll earn for NASCAR Shop purchases. Otherwise, a flat-cashback card will give you a better overall value. And thanks to its opaque terms and numerous fees, the Credit One Bank® NASCAR® Credit Card isn’t the best choice for rebuilding credit either. If that’s your main financial goal for getting a credit card, consider a low-deposit secured card for a better option.
Review by
Kevin Joey Chen
kevin.chen@findercrew.comKevin Joey Chen is a credit cards, banking and investments writer whose work and analysis have appeared on CNN, U.S. News & World Report, Business.com, Lifehacker and CreditCards.com. He's passionate about helping you get your finances in order by expertly navigating cutting-edge financial tools — including credit cards, apps and budgeting software.
Expert review
The Credit One Bank® NASCAR® Credit Card is an unsecured card designed for rebuilding credit from a poor score. It offers 2% cash back on NASCAR.com purchases and 1% cash back on eligible gas and automotive purchases.
Unfortunately, the card is extremely expensive, especially if you have a very poor credit score. Credit One will charge an annual fee between $39 and $99, and it’s impossible to anticipate exactly what it will be. Additionally, the bank is cagey about interest, mentioning in the card’s terms that you may not even receive a grace period. If this is the case, any purchases you make will start accruing interest immediately.
These are severe weaknesses that make the card a questionable choice. If you need help rebuilding your credit, consider secured cards. Many of them don’t charge annual fees, and the vast majority will offer grace periods.