Reflex Credit Card Review: Reasons to Avoid It

The Reflex Credit Card is a below-average credit card for beginners. If you are looking to build your credit, there are better options available.

The card is issued by Celtic Bank and managed by Continental Finance Company, which has been around since 2005 and is the same company behind the Verve Card and Fit Mastercard. They claim to offer, “credit cards for consumers with less-than-perfect credit.” That’s a fair and accurate statement, but there are better options when it comes to beginner credit cards.

We’ll get into the details below, but the biggest negative with the Reflex Card is its $99 annual fee. This is not completely out of line when compared to other beginner cards, however, there is another reoccurring fee on top of the $99.

Looking a little further at the cardholder agreement, I found the card also charges a $10 monthly fee starting in year 2, which brings the total annual fee to a whopping $219.

Before filling out a Reflex Mastercard online application, here is some more information you should know:

Reflex Credit Card Overview

The Reflex Credit Card falls short in a lot of categories. It has high fees, a high APR (high interest rate), and does not offer enough benefits to offset those downfalls.

Some those benefits include:

• A high starting credit limit compared to many cards in this category
• $0 fraud liability
• Allows someone without perfect credit to start to build or rebuild their credit score

Below are some more of the key details and facts.

Reflex Credit Card Review: Key Specs

Key Details:

• Regular APR: 29.9% at the time of publishing this review (variable)
• Initial Credit Limit: $500 (with the ability to apply for future credit limit increases)
• Credit Reporting: Reports to all three major credit bureaus
• Fraud Liability: $0
• Security Deposit: Varies and may be required depending on your credit score (could become a secured or unsecured credit card)

Fees:

• Annual Fee: $99
• Monthly Maintenance fee: $10 (starting after your first 12 months)
• Foreign Transaction Fee: 3%
• Late Payment Fee: $40
• Additional Card Fee: $30

Sign-Up Bonus and Rewards:

• Not available, which is not uncommon for beginner and secured credit cards

Other:

• Customer Service: You can contact a Continental Finance Company customer service representative by calling 1-866-449-4514
• Account Access: You can get online account access with the Reflex Card

Reasons to Pass on the Reflex Credit Card

The Reflex Card is a fine option for building credit, and the high starting credit limit is a nice perk. Though, at the end of the day, there are simply better options available for building credit.

Here are a few of the major reasons why beginners should pass on the Reflex Credit Card:

Reason 1: The High Annual Fee

A $99 annual fee is on the high end for credit cards offered to people with below-average credit. Most other options charge an annual fee somewhere between $0-$99, like with the First Savings Credit Card.

However, the main reason to pass on the Reflex Credit Card is because of the fee they charge in year 2, which is a $10 per month maintenance fee. This brings the effective annual fee in the second year to $219, which is more than twice the annual fee of the next most expensive card that I saw available.

To be clear, this is very different from the refundable deposit that is required with secured credit cards, as you typically get that deposit back once you close the account (assuming you pay back your balances in full).

Reason 2: The High APR

Hopefully, you’ll never have to deal with the APR associated with your credit card.

APR stands for Annual Percentage Rate, and it is the interest you pay on any balance that you carry on your card. You can avoid paying it making your payments on time and in full every month.

The exact terms of when and how you pay your APR varies by card, and you can learn more about APR here if interested.

Again, hopefully, this never comes into play because you make your payments on time and in full every month. At the end of the day, you most likely are looking at the Reflex Credit Card because you want to build your credit, and that’s how to do it (making on-time payments).

However, unexpected things in life can happen. So if you find yourself needing to pay an APR for a period of time, the lower it is, the better.

Reason 3: No Rewards Programs

It is rare for beginner and starter credit cards, like the Reflex Card, to offer a rewards program.

However, some other cards have rewards programs in place!

A rewards program is a perk system that a credit card offers to its cardholders. Programs can include cash rewards, travel rewards, retail rewards, or generic point systems.

For example, the Chase Sapphire Reserve Card offers 3x points on all dining and travel purchases and 1x points on every other purchase. You can then redeem those points for cash back, flights, events, or other rewards.

Other credit cards might offer more basic rewards programs, like 1% cash back on every purchase.

It’s worth exploring other credit cards to see if you can get a card that offers a rewards program (even if you have below-average credit).

Reason 4: Other Fees

Last but not least, the Reflex Credit Card has other fees besides their annual fee and the monthly maintenance fee:

• Late Payment Fee: $40
• Foreign Transaction Fee: 3%
• Additional Card Fee: $30

These fees are not as outrageous or uncommon as the high reoccurring fees already mentioned. Although, all of these costs can start to add up, and make the Reflex Card one of the most expensive credit cards for someone trying to build their credit.

Better Credit Building Credit Cards

My recommendation is that you at least explore what other options are available to you before applying for the Reflex Credit Card.

Whether its a credit card designed for someone with bad credit or a secured credit card, there is likely a better card for you.

If you’re not sure where to start, checking your credit score is a good first step. You can do so for free with Credit Karma, or you can get a free credit report from annualcreditreport.com.

Once you know your score, you can compare it against these Experian guidelines to see where you fall:

• 800-850: Exceptional
• 740-799: Very Good
• 670-739: Good
• 580-669: Fair
• 300-579: Very Poor

If you’re looking for starter credit cards like the Reflex Card, you likely either have fair credit, very poor credit, or no credit.

Explore Other Credit Card Options Here:

The above buttons will show you some better options when it comes to cards designed for people with poor or no credit.

Below is also a list of some cards that I found that are good options for someone looking to build credit. Hopefully, this gives you an idea of what else is out there:

Option 1: Capital One Secured Mastercard

The Capital One Secured Mastercard is a great option for beginners – it has no annual fee and a very low starting security deposit requirement.

This is a no frills card to help you start your credit building journey.

Capital One Secured Mastercard Key Specs:

• Annual Fee: $0
• Regular APR: 26.99% (variable)
• Security Deposit: $49-$200
• Rewards: None
• Starting Credit Limit: $200
• Foreign Transaction Fees: None

Option 2: OpenSky Secured Visa Credit Card

The OpenSky Secured Visa Credit Card has a small annual fee, but it also has the option to attain a larger credit limit compared to most other secured credit cards.

Their credit limit can go up to $3,000, but keep in mind it likely requires you to match that amount in a security deposit.

OpenSky Secured Visa Credit Card Key Specs:

• Annual Fee: $35
• Regular APR: 18.89% (variable)
• Security Deposit: $200-$3,000
• Rewards: None
• Starting Credit Limit: $200 (or equal to security deposit up to $3,000)
• Foreign Transaction Fees: 3%

Option 3: Credit One Bank Visa Credit Card

The Credit One Bank Visa Card is unique because it is one of the few beginner credit cards to offers rewards. Specifically, 1% cash back rewards on eligible purchases including gas, groceries, and services such as mobile phone, internet, cable and satellite TV (terms apply).

However, it’s also the hardest credit card on this list to get approved for, as it usually requires at least some credit history.

Credit One Bank Visa Credit Card Key Specs:

• Annual Fee: $0-$99
• Regular APR: 19.49%-25.49% (variable)
• Security Deposit: $0
• Rewards: 1% cash back (on eligible purchases)
• Starting Credit Limit: $300
• Foreign Transaction Fees: 3%

Option 4: Citi Secured Mastercard

the Citi Secured Mastercard is like a combination of the Capital One Secured Credit Card and OpenSky Secured Visa Mastercard – it offers an adjustable credit limit and also no annual fee.

Another great option for beginners.

Citi Secured Mastercard Key Specs:

• Annual Fee: $0
• Regular APR: 22.49% (variable)
• Security Deposit: $200-$2,500
• Rewards: None
• Starting Credit Limit: $200 (or equal to security deposit up to $2,500)
• Foreign Transaction Fees: 3%

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Honorable Mention: Blaze MasterCard Credit Card.

Interested in applying for a credit-building card? You can do so here:

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Summary: Reflex Credit Card Review

Building credit is important because having a good credit score comes with many benefits:

• Lower interest rates on loans
• Better car insurance rates
• Access to better credit cards (with sign-up bonuses)
• And more

In order to build credit, you must use credit cards responsibly. Which means you need to pay your monthly balance in full and on time. Every month.

If you fail to use your credit card responsibly, it does you no good. Actually, it does you harm, as it will potentially hurt your credit score and make it harder for you to build it back up.

Getting a credit card to increase your spending power and go into credit card debt is not a good plan. Getting a credit card to use responsibly, build your credit, and eventually upgrade to a card that offers better rewards is a good plan.

So be sure to use whatever credit card you get responsibly!

Editorial Disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airlines or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.