Cleo Credit Card Review 2026: Cost, Fees and Limits

If you use the Cleo app for budgeting, you have probably seen it nudge you toward its credit-building card. The Cleo credit card is not a normal rewards card. It is a subscription product tied to the Cleo AI money app, and the details matter before you hand over a monthly fee. If you want a closer look at the budgeting side of the app, our Cleo credit builder review digs into how the tools work in practice.

This review covers exactly how the Cleo credit card works as of June 2026, what it costs, what it reports, and the limits you should know about.

Key facts at a glance

How the Cleo credit card actually works

The Cleo Card is not a card you can buy on its own. You unlock it by subscribing to Cleo Builder, which costs $14.99 per month. There is also a yearly plan at $134.99, which Cleo says saves you about 25%.

Once you subscribe, you connect a bank account and add a small security deposit. The deposit can be as low as $1 to activate the card. Your credit limit is tied to the money you load and your deposit balance, so it grows as you add funds rather than through an issuer's credit decision. You then spend on the card normally, and the money you spend is pulled from your linked account or covered by your balance. Because the funds are already set aside, there is no interest to pay, which is why Cleo lists the card as 0% APR.

The important part for most people is that Cleo reports your payment activity to all three major credit bureaus: Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion. On-time activity is what helps build a positive history over time, the same way it does when you build credit with a credit card. Terms and conditions apply, and results vary by person.

What it costs, broken out

The cost picture is simple but it is not free.

• Monthly subscription: $14.99
• Yearly option: $134.99
• Security deposit: $1 or more
• Annual fee: none on top of the subscription
• Rewards: none

That $14.99 per month is the real price of this card. Over a year, the monthly plan runs about $179.88, while the yearly plan saves you roughly $45. There are no rewards to offset that cost, so you are paying purely for the credit reporting and the budgeting tools that come bundled with Builder. Because the card carries no traditional interest, the usual math around APR on a credit card does not apply here.

Cash advances are a separate Cleo product

People often confuse the Cleo Card with Cleo's cash advance feature. They are not the same thing.

Cleo's cash advance is a short-term advance through the app. Based on current reporting, the standard cash advance does not report to the credit bureaus, so it does not directly build or hurt your score. Cleo has charged small flat fees on advances and an extra fee for instant transfer in the past. If your goal is building credit, the cash advance is not the tool that does it. The Cleo Card and Builder subscription is the credit-building piece. Fees and availability can change, so confirm current terms in the app.

Real limitations to weigh

No card is risk-free, and the Cleo Card has clear trade-offs.

First, the subscription never goes away. As long as you want the card open, you pay $14.99 a month. Many secured credit cards and starter cards have no monthly fee at all.

Second, if you miss subscription payments, Cleo says no action is taken for 90 days, but after that your subscription ends and the card closes. Any remaining funds are returned to your linked account. Closing a credit line can affect your credit profile.

Third, there are no rewards. You are not earning cash back to soften the monthly cost.

Fourth, Cleo limits you to two cards over time, which matters if your card closes and you want to reopen later.

How it compares to fee-free starter cards

If the monthly subscription is the sticking point, there are no-monthly-fee ways to build credit that still report to all three bureaus. It is also worth understanding the broader trade-offs in a credit builder loan vs secured credit card comparison before you commit to any single product.

The Aspire Mastercard is an unsecured starter card that reports to all three bureaus and does not require a deposit, so it suits readers who want the credit-building benefit of the Cleo Card without paying a $14.99 monthly subscription.

For people who would rather build credit while paying for things they already need, Perpay is a buy-now-pay-later service that reports payment history to the three major bureaus through small paycheck deductions, which is a good fit if budgeting around a fixed payment keeps you consistent.

Arro Card is another unsecured option built for thin or damaged credit, with no security deposit and no hard pull at application, since it reviews your bank activity instead, which makes it worth a look if you want to avoid both a deposit and a credit-score ding when you apply.

None of these is automatically better than Cleo. They simply remove the monthly subscription, which is the biggest cost of the Cleo Card. If you want to keep an eye on your score while you build, you can check your credit score for free and watch how your number moves over time with a monitoring tool like Creditship.

What Users Commonly Report

One pattern that comes up often is frustration with the ongoing fee. Some users feel the monthly charge is steep for a card that pays no rewards, especially once they realize free starter cards exist. Others appreciate the bundled budgeting tools and the automatic reporting, and say the structure kept them consistent. As always, your experience depends on how you use it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the Cleo credit card report to all three bureaus?

Yes. Cleo reports your Cleo Card payment activity to Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion. On-time activity is what helps build a positive history, though results vary and are not guaranteed.

How much does the Cleo card cost per month?

The Cleo Builder subscription that unlocks the card costs $14.99 per month as of June 2026. There is also a yearly plan at $134.99. You also place a security deposit of at least $1 to activate the card.

Is the Cleo card a secured card?

It works like a secured-style credit builder. You set aside money through a deposit and your loaded balance, and your spending is covered by those funds, which is why Cleo lists it as a 0% APR card with no traditional interest.

What happens if I stop paying the Cleo subscription?

Cleo says no action is taken for 90 days if you miss subscription payments. After 90 days with no payment, the subscription ends and the card is closed, and any remaining funds are sent to your linked account. Closing a credit line can affect your credit profile.

APRs and terms vary by creditworthiness, and product details can change. Confirm current terms with Cleo before applying.