What Is the Total Visa Unsecured Credit Card?
The Total Visa is an unsecured credit card marketed to people with bad credit or no credit history. The main pitch: you can get a real Visa credit card without putting down a security deposit. For people who can't afford a deposit, that's appealing.
But before you apply, you need to understand what you're actually signing up for. This card comes with one of the most complicated fee structures in the subprime credit card space.
The Fee Structure: Read This First
The Total Visa has multiple layers of fees that can significantly reduce the value of your initial credit limit:
- One-time program fee: $95 charged when your account is opened
- Annual fee: $75 for the first year, then $48 per year
- Monthly servicing fee: $6.25/month ($75/year) - waived in the first year
- Initial credit limit: Typically $300
Here's what that means in practice: after the program fee and annual fee are charged to your account in year one, you may have only $130 of available credit on your $300 limit, before you even make a purchase.
In year two and beyond, the combined annual and monthly fees ($123/year) continue to eat into your available credit.
APR and Other Costs
The Total Visa charges a high APR, typically around 35%, which makes carrying a balance very expensive. This card is not meant for borrowing money; it's meant for making small purchases and paying them off immediately.
Does the Total Visa Build Credit?
Yes, the Total Visa does report to all three major credit bureaus, Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. On-time payments will be reflected in your credit report. That's the main functional benefit of the card.
However, because your available credit is reduced by fees, your utilization ratio can look artificially high, which can hurt your score. You'll need to manage this carefully.
Who Might Consider the Total Visa?
This card targets people who:
- Have been denied by other unsecured cards
- Cannot or will not pay a security deposit
- Need a card that reports to all three bureaus
Even in those situations, there are usually better alternatives.
Better Alternatives to the Total Visa
Before applying for the Total Visa, consider these options:
Aspire Cash Back Mastercard. The Aspire is one of the strongest unsecured cards for fair and rebuilding credit. It carries no security deposit, reports to all three bureaus, and adds cash back on everyday purchases. The all-in fee load is materially lower than the Total Visa, which makes more of your initial credit limit actually usable.
Aspire® Cash Back Rewards Mastercard
Aspire® Cash Back Rewards Mastercard
Aspire® Cash Back Rewards Mastercard. Prequalify* For Up To $1000 Credit Limit. No security deposit. Packed with great benefits, it’s designed to give you more flexibility—and purchasing power—along with up to 3% cash back rewards!** Good anywhere Mastercard is accepted, it’s the go-to card for any lifestyle.
Standout feature
Up to 3% cashback rewards
Fees
$49 to $175; after that $0 to $49 annually; - $60 to $159 annually billed at $5 to $12.50 per month after the first year.
Pros
No Deposit Required. Prequalify for up to $1000 credit limit
Cons
High APR. 25.74% to 36%, based on your creditworthiness.
Perpay Credit Card. If you have a steady paycheck, the Perpay Credit Card pulls payments directly from your direct deposit, which makes on-time payments nearly automatic. There is no security deposit and no credit check at signup, and the card reports to all three bureaus. For applicants worried about missing a payment on the Total Visa and inflating their utilization, this is a cleaner setup.
Perpay Credit Card
Perpay Credit Card
Meet the only card powered by your paycheck. With automatic transfers from your paycheck, you can manage payments stress-free and build credit with ease.
Fee
$9/month plus $9 account opening fee
APR
Marketplace: 0% / Credit Card: 27.74% to 29.99% depending on your creditworthiness.
Minimum Deposit Amount
$0
Credit Check
No
Cashback
2% reward on purchases made in Perpay Marketplace
Benefit
2% rewards, no security deposit
Secured credit cards. Even a $200 deposit gets you a card with fewer fees, a cleaner fee structure, and often better APR. The Capital One Platinum Secured and Discover it Secured are popular picks.
Credit builder loans. From companies like Self or Credit Strong, these help you build credit without needing upfront spending. You save money while building your credit file.
Store credit cards. Retail cards from places like Fingerhut or Secured Mastercard options often have lower barriers to entry with fewer fees.
The Bottom Line
The Total Visa Unsecured card is technically functional, it does what it promises. But the fee structure is one of the heaviest you'll find in this category, and there are better options for almost everyone who might consider it.
If you truly cannot put down a deposit, the Total Visa is a last resort, not a first choice. We recommend exploring secured cards and credit builder tools first. Pairing any starter card with a credit monitoring tool like Creditship helps you see whether the card is actually moving your score and catch errors early, which matters even more when fees can spike your reported utilization. See our guide on what to look for in a credit builder account before deciding.
Creditship
Creditship
Get free credit monitoring and concrete advice how to improve your credit from Creditship AI.
Standout feature
AI Credit Coach. AI analyzes your credit report in depth and gives you tailored, actionable steps to raise your score.
Fees
Free
Pros
Free credit report access plus monitoring and alerts
Cons
No credit repair feature
Frequently Asked Questions
What fees does the Total Visa charge?
The Total Visa charges a one-time $95 program fee at account opening, a $75 annual fee in year one ($48 after), and a $6.25 monthly servicing fee waived in year one. Combined, these fees can consume most of the $300 starting credit limit before you make a single purchase. Terms and conditions apply.
Does the Total Visa report to all three credit bureaus?
Yes. The Total Visa reports account activity to Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. On-time payments will appear on all three credit reports and contribute to your payment history.
What is the credit limit on the Total Visa?
The starting credit limit is typically $300. After fees are charged to the account, your available credit may be significantly lower, often $130 or less in the first year. This can make your utilization ratio look high, which may limit credit score improvements.
Is the Total Visa a good card for building credit?
It technically builds credit through bureau reporting, but the heavy fees and high utilization risk make it a poor choice compared to alternatives. A secured card or credit builder loan will generally produce better results at lower cost.
What are the best alternatives to the Total Visa for bad credit?
The Discover it Secured and Capital One Platinum Secured are strong secured card alternatives with transparent fee structures and lower APRs. Credit builder loans from Self or CreditStrong build credit without the risk of high-interest balances or fee-inflated utilization ratios.
