Fizz card review: No hidden fees, no interest, and no credit check — plus an exclusive offer for Yahoo Finance readers

Credit-building debit cards aren’t new, but the Fizz Credit-Building Visa® Card aims to rise to the top with its reporting to major credit bureaus, no interest charges, and cash-back rewards earning potential.

Its debit card features, such as a credit limit tied to a linked bank account, make it an attractive lower-risk option. However, a membership fee is required, which may make traditional credit card options, like and , more appealing.

• Annual membership fee: $59.99 for students or $129.99 for non-students

• Welcome offer: None

• Standard APR: None

• Rewards rate: Earn 3% cash back in your chosen category, as well as up to 25% cash back on daily deals and up to 100% cash back on Friday deals. You can change your chosen category once per week. You do not earn cash back on purchases outside of the 3% category, local and online offers, and flash deals.

• Benefits:

The Fizz card is a debit card. In general, debit cards are tied to bank accounts and don’t have credit limits, so they can’t help you build your credit.

The Fizz card is also tied to a bank account, but interestingly, it also comes with a credit limit, so it can help you build your credit. Here’s how it works if you’re approved for a Fizz card:

1. You link your existing bank account to your Fizz card account. Your bank account must have a balance of at least $150.

2. You receive a line of credit based on your current bank account balance. Fizz doesn’t offer credit limits above $1,000.

3. You use your Fizz card to make purchases and earn cash-back rewards. Then, you pay off your balance manually or using the Daily Autopay feature. Your usage and payments are reported to the Experian and TransUnion credit bureaus and will show up on your credit report.

Note that while the Fizz card can help you build your credit, it can also hurt your credit if you miss payments. Fizz doesn’t charge late fees, but having an unpaid balance for more than 30 days after your statement due date will result in a missed payment being reported to the credit bureaus.

To help you not miss any payments, Fizz has features like Daily AutoPay and SafeFreeze:

• Daily AutoPay: With this feature enabled, Fizz will automatically debit your bank account once at the end of each day to cover any purchases you’ve made. This feature is enabled by default.

• SafeFreeze: If enabled, Fizz will lock your card if you miss a daily payment.

Fizz advertises “no hidden fees,” but you do have to pay a membership fee if you want to use a Fizz card to build credit. You have annual, quarterly, and monthly options, and the cost is lower if you’re a student.

These are the timeframes for billing depending on your subscription schedule:

• Annual: Billed annually at the beginning of your membership.

• Quarterly: Billed every three months at the beginning of your membership.

• Monthly: Billed monthly at the beginning of your membership.

The Fizz card earns cash-back rewards on eligible purchases. You must first find an offer in the Fizz app and then use your card to make a purchase at an eligible retailer with an offer. You will then receive points in your Fizz account that you can redeem in various ways.

You can earn 3% cash back in a category of your choice, and you can change your category once per week. There are also daily deals worth up to 25% cash back, as well as Friday flash deals worth up to 100% cash back.

Some of the advertised merchants include:

• Amazon

• Peet’s Coffee

• Shake Shack

• Chipotle

• Barnes & Noble

• Domino’s

• Papa John’s

• Starbucks

Note that you don’t have to enroll in offers for them to work. However, you can’t earn cash back outside the 3% chosen category, daily deals, and Friday flash deals.

Fizz points are worth one cent each. That means 10,000 points are worth $100.

You can redeem Fizz points for cash deposits to your connected bank account, though there may be other options in the “Rewards” tab of your online account. You must have at least 1,000 points available to make a redemption. There’s a maximum monthly redemption limit of $500.

The Fizz card makes the most sense for students who want to build their credit. The card is easy enough to use and understand, and there are added protections to help first-time credit-builders stay within the guardrails of establishing their credit history without overspending.

The Fizz debit card also makes sense for students because the membership fee is much lower if you’re currently a student. The non-student prices are much higher and likely aren’t worth paying if you can qualify for a credit card with a low or no annual fee. However, they may be worth paying if you want to avoid credit cards altogether.

Related:

• No hidden fees or interest rates

• No foreign transaction fees

• Can’t spend more than you can afford

• Earns cash-back rewards

• Fizz reports card usage to major credit bureaus

The Fizz card is issued as the Fizz Visa Debit Card, so you can use it wherever Visa cards are accepted. Considering this is one of the most widely accepted payment networks in the world, you should be able to use the Fizz card in most places, including hundreds of countries and territories worldwide.

Fizz is not a bank, but Fizz uses Lead Bank and Patriot Bank to issue Fizz debit cards.

You can manually make a card payment through your Fizz online account, or you can set up the Daily Autopay option to have your linked savings or checking account debited at the end of each day to cover the day’s purchases.

Use these options to contact the Fizz customer support team:

• Message: Tap the chat icon in the app to send an in-app message. You can also send a message by tapping the chat icon on the Fizz website.

• Email: Email the support team at support@joinfizz.com.

• Phone: Call Fizz at 940-260-2704.

Note that the Fizz app is available to Android and iOS devices on Google Play and the App Store.

Why we like it: The is a secured credit card, meaning you need to put down a refundable security deposit to qualify. This means it works similarly to a debit card, as your credit limit is tied to the amount of money you deposit. Compared to the Fizz card, this credit card costs less per year and may have a better rewards rate.

Why we like it: The has no annual fee, immediately making it cheaper than the Fizz card if you qualify. Fortunately, student credit cards typically have less strict eligibility requirements, making it easier to get approved if you’re attending an eligible university, college, or higher education institution. The Savor is also no slouch when it comes to earning rewards, providing an excellent 3% cash-back rate in multiple everyday categories.

Why we like it: Similar to the Capital One Savor Student, the Discover it Student Cash Back has no annual fee. You also don’t need a credit score to apply, though you do need to be a student. If you’re responsible with your monthly payments, this is a cheaper option than the Fizz card.

Both cards can help you build your credit history, and neither card charges hidden fees or interest. Fizz is available to anyone, but it’s more designed for college students. Plus, it’s a debit card. Chime is a secured credit card that requires a security deposit. However, the has no annual fee, while you have to pay a membership fee for the Fizz card.

Yes, the Fizz card can help establish or improve your credit score if you use it to make purchases and then make on-time payments. Your card usage and payments are reported to major credit bureaus like TransUnion and Experian.

In general, debit cards don’t help you build your credit history since debit card activity isn’t reported to credit bureaus. However, certain debit cards, like the Fizz card, provide you with a credit limit that’s tied to a linked bank account. Since you get a credit limit, your card usage and payments are reported to major credit bureaus.

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Editorial Disclosure: The information in this article has not been reviewed or approved by any advertiser. All opinions belong solely to the Yahoo Finance and are not those of any other entity. The details on financial products, including card rates and fees, are accurate as of the publish date. All products or services are presented without warranty. Check the bank’s website for the most current information. This site doesn’t include all currently available offers. Credit score alone does not guarantee or imply approval for any financial product.