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Reflex® Platinum Mastercard®
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On Continental Finance's secure site
Increased Credit Limit
Responsible use can lead to a Credit Limit Increase offer in as few as 6 months!
Immediate Application
All credit types welcome to apply
Build Credit
Monthly reporting to the three major credit bureaus
Card Network
Annual Fee
$75-$125
Credit Score Needed
Fair, Bad, Limited
Offer Details
  • Up to $1,000 Initial Credit Limit

  • See if you Pre-Qualify with No Impact to your Credit Score

  • Less than perfect credit? We understand. The Reflex Mastercard is ideal for people looking to rebuild their credit.

  • Responsible use can lead to a Credit Limit Increase offer in as few as 6 months.

  • Unsecured credit card requires No Security Deposit

  • Perfect card for everyday purchases and unexpected expenses

  • Monthly reporting to the three major credit bureaus

  • Access to your Vantage 3.0 Score from Experian (when you sign up for e-statements)

  • Use your card everywhere Mastercard is accepted at millions of locations

  • Enjoy peace of mind with Mastercard Zero Liability Protection for unauthorized purchases (subject to Mastercard guidelines)

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All content is written by editorial staff or writers engaged by the site, not by marketers/sales staff. Editors responsible for producing the content are not in contact or affiliated with any advertiser and are not compensated based on success of the affiliate links. All decisions regarding recommendations are determined separately from advertising relationships. Any opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed are those of the author's alone, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any card issuer.

Reflex® Platinum Mastercard® Review

October 6, 2021

In this Reflex® Platinum Mastercard® review, we’ll look at the card’s credit score requirements, the key considerations, the benefits, and more. 

Let’s dive into this Reflex credit card review.

Who is the Reflex Credit Card for?

Celtic Bank, the Reflex Platinum Mastercard card issuer, designed this starter credit card for those with a poor or fair credit score or no credit history. 

As a result, the Reflex Platinum Mastercard welcomes all applications, regardless of your credit report.

If you’re looking for ways to improve your poor credit score by maintaining an unsecured credit card, the Reflex Platinum Mastercard could be a good credit card for you. 

Reflex Platinum Credit Card credit score requirements 

Since the card’s primary purpose is helping those with less than perfect credit rebuild their credit score, it’s aimed at those with poor credit (300) to fair credit (669), or those with no credit history.

However, since the credit card company uses your credit score to determine your fees, you’ll have more costs if you have low credit. It’s also worthwhile noting that you’ll need a checking account to use the Reflex Platinum Credit Card. 

Tip: If you’re interested in learning more about credit scores or want to track and improve yours, check out Credmo.

Now, we’ll take a look at the kind of fees you can expect: 

Reflex Platinum Credit Card fees 

Since this is a starter credit card for building credit, there are some fees. 

$0 introductory fee for the first year, then $150 thereafter (billed $12.50 per month).

Reflex also charges a foreign transaction fee of up to 3% of each transaction in U.S. dollars.

Missing your due date the first time will result in an initial late payment fee of  up to $41. The same rules apply to returned payments i.e. cardholders pay up to $41 for any  bounced payments during the billing cycle.

The credit limit ranges from $300-$1,000 depending on your creditworthiness. Currently, there is an offer to increase your credit limit in as few as 6 months of responsible use.

Reflex Credit Card APR

The Reflex Platinum Credit Card comes with high interest rates. 

Both the purchase and cash advance annual percentage rates (APRs) are at a fixed rate of 35.90%. As a result, it’s best to avoid taking a cash advance wherever possible. 

Although this isn’t the highest interest rate among credit cards targeted towards poor credit histories, it isn’t the lowest either. 

Note: Since this card doesn’t support a balance transfer, it has no balance transfer APR.

Reflex Platinum Credit Card benefits

Reflex Platinum Mastercard cardholders have access to the optional Continental credit protection program. 

Offered by Continental Finance Company, you pay $0.99 on every $100 you still owe on your credit card account. 

If you lose your job or become disabled, you're covered for the minimum payment due on your card account, minus any delinquent amounts. Continental will cover you for up to 12 continuous months or until you return to work, whichever comes first. 

The program will also pay off any balance in full if the cardholder were to pass away. 

Next, let’s take a look at some of the pros and cons of the Reflex Credit Card. 

Key Considerations With The Reflex Platinum Credit Card 

Let’s look at some key considerations with this credit card:

  • Boost credit limits - You can qualify for a credit limit increase by making your first six-monthly minimum payments on time. With a credit line increase, you can borrow larger sums while improving your credit standing. Having a greater credit limit also helps reduce your credit utilization, an essential factor in improving your credit score. 
  • Free monthly credit score reports - You can receive a free monthly credit report tracking your VantageScore 3.0 from TransUnion if you sign up for e-statements. With this, you can see the impact of paying your dues on time and better manage your expenses. 

  • Fees - Since the Reflex Platinum Mastercard is a credit building card, it has several costs. With a high annual fee, foreign transaction fee, monthly fee, and a high interest rate, there are cheaper alternatives

  • Instant approval - It’s possible to receive instant online approval as Celtic Bank can quickly verify your identity and ability to pay when applying. You’ll receive a physical card in the mail, and you need to activate it within 30 days. 

  • No initial bonus or cash back - As an unsecured card designed for those with a poor or fair credit history, the Reflex Mastercard has no additional perks or a rewards system. 

  • Effectively rebuild your credit score - The credit card company reports your account to each major credit bureau: Experian, TransUnion, and Equifax. With responsible card usage, you can effectively improve your credit history. 

  • Zero fraud liability policy - Any fraudulent activity or expenses made on your card are the bank’s responsibility. 

  • Low initial credit limit - Reflex offers a starting credit limit of up to $1,000 and even though it can potentially increase after 6 months of responsible usage, this is still a low credit limit when to compared to other cards in the same class.

    You should know that some charges like the annual fee are deducted from your available credit limit. For example, if you qualify for a credit line of $300 and your annual fee is $75, your initial available credit will be $225. And, if you’ve paid the $30 for an additional card, your credit line drops to $195. This can make it challenging to reduce your credit utilization. 

 

Now that you have a good idea of what this card can offer you, here are a few alternative credit building cards worth considering: 

Alternatives to the Reflex Mastercard

Final thoughts

If you have less than perfect credit and don’t have the cash for a secured credit card, this credit card offer could be worth considering. The Reflex Platinum Mastercard is also great for building credit as it reports to each credit bureau.

You can apply for this card here

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Approval Odds
BestCreditCard calculates your approval odds by comparing your credit profile to other BestCreditCard members who were approved for this product. These approval odds are estimates only and do not guarantee approval. Credit card issuers use a variety of different types of credit scores and criteria to make credit decisions. The TransUnion credit score we provide is based on the VantageScore 3.0 model and may not be the credit scoring model used by financial institutions presenting offers on our website.