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Deserve Classic is a basic, entry-level credit card for consumers with fair credit or limited credit history.

With no annual fee and a modest maximum credit limit, Deserve Classic is suitable for budget-conscious consumers whose top priority is building or improving their credit. In an unusual move for such a bare-bones card, Deserve waives foreign transaction fees on the Classic card – a boon for cardholders who frequently travel outside the United States. Deserve also has a surprisingly strong lineup of value-added perks backed by Mastercard.

If you’re in the market for a first credit card that doesn’t tie you down close to home, Deserve Classic is worth a closer look. Here’s what you need to know about it.

Key Features

These are the Deserve Classic Card’s most noteworthy features.

Maximum Credit Limit

Deserve Classic has a relatively low maximum credit limit: up to $1,500 to start. Your actual credit limit is based on your creditworthiness and ability to repay charges. After demonstrating responsible credit use and timely payments, Deserve may invite you to apply for a higher limit or more generous credit card product.

Regular APR

Deserve Classic doesn’t have an introductory APR promotion. From the day you open your account, the purchase APR is 24.49% variable, subject to change based on prevailing interest rates.

Deserve Classic does not permit balance transfers or cash advances.

Important Fees

This card has no annual or foreign transaction fee. The late payment fee ranges up to $25. The returned payment fee ranges up to $37. There is no over-limit fee, but Deserve reserves the right to decline any transactions above your credit limit. Such transactions may hurt your credit score, as well.

Mastercard Platinum Benefits

This card has some noteworthy value-added benefits, all backed by Mastercard as part of its Platinum benefits package:

• Extended Warranty. Mastercard’s complimentary extended warranty coverage doubles qualifying manufacturers’ warranties on covered purchases for up to 12 months.
• Complimentary Rental Car Coverage. This benefit provides protection against damage and theft to covered rental cars paid in full with your Deserve card. You must decline the rental company’s offer of insurance.
• Price Protection. This benefit reimburses the difference between the price of a covered purchase and a lower advertised price, subject to dollar limits, for 60 days following the initial purchase.
• Cellphone Protection. Mastercard’s cellphone protection plan provides up to $600 in coverage per claim when your cellphone is stolen or damaged, subject to a $25 deductible.
• Travel Assistance Services. This complimentary benefit provides medical and legal referrals, plus assistance with lost luggage, when you travel more than 50 miles from home.

Learn more about these and other Mastercard perks at Mastercard’s benefits portal.

Credit Required

Deserve Classic is an entry-level credit card designed for cardholders with fair credit or limited credit histories. Though Deserve does not publish the details of its underwriting standards, this is an appropriate first credit card for applicants who have been denied for more exclusive cards.

Advantages

These are among the Deserve Classic Card’s top advantages.

1. No Annual Fee. Deserve Classic has no annual fee, making it an ideal choice for frugal cardholders who don’t wish to pay a recurring levy as they work to build their credit. Plus, with no rewards, there’s no way to offset any fee here, anyway.
2. Ideal for Applicants With Fair Credit or Limited Credit History. Deserve Classic is designed for applicants with less-than-perfect credit, including those with a limited credit history. If you’re discouraged by denied credit application after denied credit application, Deserve Classic is worth a try – though, of course, there are no guarantees in life.
3. Does Not Require a Security Deposit. Unlike many other entry-level credit cards designed for applicants with impaired credit, Deserve Classic is not a secured credit card. You don’t have to put down a security deposit when you open your account – great news if you’d prefer to hold on to your hard-earned funds and begin spending right away.
4. Solid Mastercard Benefits. For such a basic card, Deserve Classic has a nice lineup of value-added benefits. Highlights include cellphone insurance (up to $600 per claim), extended warranty protection, travel assistance services, complimentary rental car coverage, and price protection. Not all entry-level credit cards can say the same.
5. No Foreign Transaction Fees. Deserve Classic has no foreign transaction fees. That’s great news for cardholders who routinely travel abroad. Most other entry-level credit cards charge foreign transaction fees ranging from 2% to 3% of the total transaction amount.
6. Clear Path to Upgrade to More Generous Deserve Cards. If you demonstrate responsible credit use and pay your bills on time, you may be invited to upgrade to a more generous Deserve credit card. The Deserve Pro Card, for instance, has a generous rewards program and a host of value-added benefits.

Disadvantages

These are among the Deserve Classic Card’s most notable disadvantages.

1. No Rewards. Deserve Classic does not have a rewards program. If you’re looking for a card that pays you back for every eligible purchase, look into the wide worlds of cash back credit cards and travel rewards credit cards.
2. No Introductory APR Promotion. This card has no introductory APR promotion, so there’s no incentive to stack your spending soon after opening your account. From day one, you’ll pay regular APR on any purchases not paid off by your statement due date.
3. High Regular APR. Deserve Classic’s regular APR is on the high side: 24.49% variable, subject to changes in prevailing interest rates. If you expect to carry a balance from month to month, look into a low-APR credit card option.
4. No Balance Transfers or Cash Advances Allowed. You can’t make balance transfers or take cash advances with this card. Plenty of entry-level credit cards do offer this degree of flexibility, and several have 0% APR introductory promotions that significantly increase cardholders’ incentives to make balance transfers. For example, Barclaycard Ring has a 15-month, 0% APR balance transfer promotion and charges a lower balance transfer fee (2%) than many comparable cards.
5. Relatively Low Maximum Credit Limit. This card’s maximum credit limit is pretty low: just $1,500. That might be suitable for frugal cardholders who simply wish to make a few credit-building transactions each statement cycle, but it’s not ideal for those looking for an everyday credit card.

Final Word

Deserve Classic is a solid choice for consumers who’ve gotten used to hearing “no” from major credit card issuers. Don’t get me wrong; it’s not perfect, not by a long shot. But it could be your best – and most affordable, provided you pay your bills on time and don’t charge more than you can afford – option for setting out on the road to better credit sooner rather than later.