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Study Overview

• The average credit limit for members who have matched with the imagine credit card is $780 with 99% ranged from $0-$3K, 1% from $3K-$5K and 0% from $5K-$20K+;
• The average credit score for people who have matched with the card is 568, then 70% poor, 20% fair and only 10% good;

From the supposedly sent credit card order that never arrives, the incompetent and almost non-existent customer support, to the spending that exceeds the credit card limit, you risk being seriously disappointed if you were previously considering purchasing Imagine Credit Card.

What’s Imagine Credit Card ?

The Imagine Credit Card by Visa describe itself as a financial product designed to help people start fresh on their credit journey. It offers more spending power for everyday expenses and stands out by not requiring a security deposit, unlike many traditional credit-building cards. With the Imagine Visa Credit Card, users can work toward improving their credit while enjoying the convenience and flexibility of a real credit card.

While at first glance it may seem like an irresistible, flashy offer to build or rebuild your credit score, it should be taken with a grain of salt because the usage fees can quickly become unbearable.

Imagine® Visa® Credit Card features

Risk-Free Prequalification

You can check if you’re eligible for the Imagine® Visa® Credit Card through a prequalification process that won’t impact your credit score. A hard credit inquiry, which may affect your score, will only occur if you decide to accept the offer.

Once approved and you begin using the card, your payment history will be reported to the major credit bureaus, helping you build or improve your credit over time with responsible use.

Credit Score required

This data present an analysis of imagine credit card users segmented by their credit scores. And as we can see, the majority of Imagine Credit Card users have a poor credit score (70%). This corroborates the use of this card since it is more or less intended for this target audience. Then, 20% have a fair credit score and only 10% have a good credit score.

Imagine® Visa® Credit Card Key Features

As we said before, the Imagine® Visa® Credit Card is an unsecured credit card (issued by WebBank and serviced by Atlanticus) designed for consumers looking to build or rebuild their credit without a security deposit. Unlike many starter cards, it offers cash-back rewards (1%-3%) on essential spending categories which is a rare perk for credit-building cards.

But don’t get excited too soon because what comes next is salty because the card comes with high fees and interest charges, which could offset any rewards earned. If you carry a balance, the steep 36% APR and monthly maintenance fees make this card more expensive than it’s worth. For many, a lower-fee credit-builder card could be a smarter choice, even if it offers fewer rewards.

Looking for alternatives? → 1financially’s best starter credit cards

Feature	Details
Card Type	Starter credit card (unsecured, no deposit required)
Annual Fee	$99 (first year)
Monthly Fee	$15/month ($180/year) after the first year
Rewards	– 3% cash back on gas, groceries, and utilities – 1% cash back on all other eligible purchases
Interest Rate (APR)	36% fixed
Foreign Transaction Fee	3%

Cost-Benefit Analysis of the Imagine Credit Card

Now, let’s examine two scenarios with a $500 credit limit:

First Year Costs
In your initial year, you’ll pay a $125 annual fee (maintenance fees don’t apply yet). To break even through cash back rewards, you’d need to spend $347.22 monthly ($86.81 weekly) exclusively in the 3% reward categories (gas, groceries, and utilities). This means putting nearly 70% of your total credit limit toward these purchases every month.

Second Year Costs
The fee structure becomes significantly more expensive after the first year. You’ll now face:

• A reduced $49 annual fee
• $180 in maintenance fees ($15/month)
  Bringing total fees to $229 annually. To offset these costs through rewards, your required spending jumps to $638 monthly ($159.50 weekly) in bonus categories – more than your entire credit limit each month.

Key Considerations

While theoretically possible to outearn the fees through strategic spending, most cardholders will find:

• The spending requirements are unrealistically high for the credit limit
• Any months with lower essential spending will result in net losses
• Carrying balances would make costs prohibitive due to the 36% APR

Fee vs Reward Break-Even Points

In the same example, we can see that:

Time Period	Total Fees	Required Monthly Spending (3% categories)	Required Weekly Spending (3% categories)
First Year	$125	$347.22	$86.81
Second Year	$229	$638.00	$159.50

This analysis shows that unless you consistently spend large amounts on gas and groceries relative to your credit limit, the card’s fees will likely outweigh any cash back benefits. The breakeven spending levels become particularly challenging in the second year when maintenance fees are applied.

Imagine Credit Card Users By Credit Limit

Comparison to Other Credit Cards

Reviews on Survey

Users report that Imagine Credit Card’s customer service is nearly impossible to work with, citing language barriers and a lack of resolution. One frustrated customer shared: “I spoke to two different agents, and neither could help me—it’s obvious they outsource to cheap overseas call centers. They’d rather save money than hire reps who can actually understand customers.”

The complaints escalate further with allegations of predatory fee practices: “Imagine let my card go 200 over the limit overnight, then 800 the next day—with zero explanation. They’re clearly just rigging the system to profit from fees.”

Users also warn others to avoid Imagine Credit Cards at all costs, describing them as “the worst, most predatory credit card company I’ve ever experienced.” One particularly incensed customer emphasized: “Even their customer service is nonexistent.

They will find every opportunity to charge you some sort of fee.” The reviewer concluded with a desperate please to others: “Imagine Visa & Mastercard—DON’T DO IT……“

User Experience Highlights Systemic Issues

Customers with strong credit profiles report equally poor experiences with Imagine Credit Cards. One user with a 768 credit score – considered “Excellent” by most standards – stated: “This is the worst card I’ve ever had. They charge both a yearly fee and monthly maintenance fees while providing zero flexibility. Clients clearly don’t come first here.” The review concluded with a stark warning: “I would never recommend this company to anyone, and I hope nobody ever gets trapped with them.”

Here’s how to integrate this contrasting experience into your case study while highlighting the company’s inconsistent reliability.

Case Study Spotlight: From Credit Builder to Declined Transactions

Initial Promise vs. Reality
Some users initially praised Imagine Credit Cards for their quick approval process and credit-building potential. One customer shared: “At first, this card was great—easy approval, and it helped rebuild my confidence as I worked on my credit.”

The Breaking Point
However, the same user reported a jarring shift in their experience: “When I tried to download a $10 app from iTunes, my card was declined. Thinking it was a fluke, I attempted an Amazon purchase—declined again. Customer service just repeated that my card was ‘locked for security reasons’ but couldn’t explain why.”

Key Takeaways for the Case Study:

1. False Sense of Security: The card’s initial accessibility masks deeper reliability issues.
2. Unpredictable Declines: Even small, routine transactions trigger unexplained security locks.
3. Customer Service Gaps: Reps provide no actionable solutions, leaving users stranded.
4. Risk of Real-Life Consequences: “Thank goodness I wasn’t buying essentials for my family when it happened.”

User Verdict: “Stay away. Far away.”

Some verified reviews from users we contacted

That review highligt many points:

Complaint	Details
Poor Customer Support	Unhelpful overseas agents, communication barriers, no issue resolution
Over-Limit Charges	Allowed 200 over limit,then 800 and no warning or justification
Predatory Fee Practices	Suspected intentional over-limit approvals to rack up fees
Lack of Accountability	No explanations provided, forcing legal action (AG complaint)

Methodology

The main goal of this study is to take a close look at the Imagine Credit Card, which is aimed at people who want to build or rebuild their credit. We’ll dive into several important areas, such as how satisfied customers are, how effective the card is for credit building, its cost structure, how accessible it is, and how it stacks up against other similar credit-building cards.

We’re looking to give a detailed overview of the imagine credit card benefits and drawbacks by examining both hard data and personal opinions. This will help future users, financial advisors, and policymakers gain valuable insights.

Our Research Design and Approach

This study is set to use a mixed-methods research design, blending quantitative surveys with qualitative interviews and secondary data analysis. This approach aims to provide a well-rounded understanding of how the Imagine Credit Card performs.

Our descriptive and analytical approach will facilitate both statistical assessments of user experiences and a deeper investigation into individual perceptions. This dual methodology guarantees that our findings are not just data-driven but also contextually rich, capturing the subtleties that purely numerical data might miss.

Data Collection Process

Primary Research: Surveys and Interviews

To get real insights, we use structured surveys sent out to a group of 1200-3000 current and former users of the Imagine Credit Card. The survey will focus on important metrics:

• Satisfaction levels (ease of use, customer service experiences)
• Credit score impact (average score improvement over time)
• Perceptions of fees and affordability (annual fees, APR, penalty charges)
• Functionality and reliability (payment processing speed, card acceptance rates)

Additionally, semi-structured interviews will be conducted with 10-20 users to delve deeper into their experiences. These interviews will explore themes such as:

• Credit limit increase patterns (frequency and requirements)
• Challenges faced (hidden fees, customer service issues)
• Personal credit-rebuilding journeys (how the card contributed to financial progress)

Secondary Research: Reviews and Comparative Analysis

To complement the primary data, we examine:

• Online consumer reviews from sources especially Trustpilot and Reddit; the Better Business Bureau, and Credit Karma forums to identify common praises or issues.
• Competitor benchmarking, which means comparing the Imagine Credit Card with alternatives like Credit One, Capital One Secured, and Discover Secured, focusing on elements like fees, approval rates, and credit-building features.
• Regulatory and financial disclosures, such as complaints from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and the issuer’s terms and conditions, to assess transparency and compliance.

Data Analysis Framework

We take a close look at the collected data using both statistical and thematic approaches:

Quantitative Analysis: Survey responses were analyzed with tools like SPSS and Excel to find averages, correlations, and trends, like how much credit scores improve on average and what fee limits people are comfortable with.

Qualitative Analysis: We also examine interview transcripts and open-ended survey responses through thematic coding to uncover shared patterns, such as frequent customer issues or key advantages.