Reflex® Platinum Mastercard® Review and Details

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 double your credit limit provided that you pay your first six minimum payments on time.

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 be potentially doubled up to $2000 after 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.