If you have a low credit score, traditional credit cards can feel like a locked door. Department store cards are often an easier opening. They're designed to keep customers shopping, so stores tend to approve applicants that banks would decline.
Used the right way, one of these cards can rebuild your credit without a security deposit.
Why Store Cards Are Easier to Get
Department stores partner with banks that specialize in subprime lending. Their goal isn't to be your main credit card — it's to keep you shopping at that store. That changes the math of approval.
You can often qualify with a credit score in the high 500s or low 600s, and in some cases even lower. Credit limits usually start low ($150–$500), which limits the bank's risk.
The trade-off: interest rates are high, often around 29%, and the card usually only works at that store or brand.
Department Stores Most Likely to Approve You
Approval odds shift over time, but these retailers are consistently ranked as easy approvals:
- Target RedCard — offers both a store card and a Mastercard; the store version is easier to get.
- Kohl's Card — known for approving scores in the high 500s and sending frequent coupons.
- JCPenney Credit Card — another long-running easy-approval store card.
- Macy's Credit Card — starts with low limits for new credit profiles.
- TJX Rewards Card (T.J. Maxx, Marshalls, HomeGoods) — one of the most approved store cards for limited credit.
- Fingerhut — technically a catalog credit account, often approves very low credit.
These are all closed-loop cards (store-only) or store cards with an optional upgrade to a network-branded version.
How to Pick the Right One
Choose a store you actually shop at. A Kohl's card you never use won't help your credit nearly as much as a card you'll put a small monthly charge on.
Also check the APR, late fees, and whether the card reports to all three credit bureaus. Most major department store cards report to all three, which is what you need to rebuild your score.
If two stores feel equal, pick the one with the lower minimum interest charge.
Using a Store Card Without Getting Hurt
Store cards are a tool, not a spending license. Follow these rules to keep them helpful:
- Charge one planned purchase per month, nothing more.
- Pay in full before the due date. Always.
- Keep your utilization below 30% of the low credit limit.
- Never carry a balance at a 29% APR unless you truly cannot avoid it.
Do this for six months and you'll have a positive tradeline that can raise your score by double digits.
When to Skip Store Cards
If you shop mostly online at non-department retailers, a store card might not add value. In that case, look at a secured credit card or a credit builder card instead.
And if you can't trust yourself not to overspend at your favorite store, it's better to pass.
The Bottom Line
Department store cards are one of the easiest approvals for bad credit, but only worth it if you treat them as a credit-building tool rather than a shopping line. Pick one store you genuinely use, pay on time every month, and watch your score climb. Firstcard can help you graduate to better credit cards as your score recovers.
