The Bank of Missouri (serviced by Genesis FS Card Services)
Milestone® Mastercard® Review 2026
Unsecured card for bad or limited credit — no security deposit required, reports to all three bureaus.
Who Milestone® Mastercard® is best for
Applicants with poor or thin credit who want to avoid tying up cash in a security deposit and can manage the annual fee.
At a glance
- Purchase APR
- 35.9%
- Annual fee (offer-dependent)
- $75-$175 yr 1
- Starting credit limit
- ~$700
- Security deposit
- $0
Among the highest APRs in the market — verified Aug 2026
Then $49-$99/yr, or $49/yr + up to $12.50/mo on some offers
Typical starting limit; fee is deducted from available credit at opening
Unsecured — no deposit required, unlike a secured card
Pros
- +No security deposit required — unlike a secured card, you don't tie up cash upfront
- +Reports to all three major credit bureaus, which is the actual credit-building mechanism
- +Accepts applicants with past charge-offs and other credit challenges most issuers decline
- +Pre-qualification check available before applying
Cons
- −35.9% APR is among the highest of any consumer credit card
- −First-year fee up to $175 is deducted directly from your credit line, shrinking available credit immediately
- −No rewards program of any kind
- −Some offers add a recurring monthly fee on top of the annual fee after year one
Milestone® Mastercard® requirements
- Designed for poor/limited/no credit applicants
- US residents 18+
- Hard credit pull required
Milestone® Mastercard® alternatives
Top alternatives worth comparing from Milestone Mastercard: Complete 2026 Guide (Fees, APR, Credit Limit).
Celtic Bank (serviced by Continental Finance)
Surge® Mastercard®
Compare against another unsecured, no-deposit card for challenged credit
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See all picks in Milestone Mastercard: Complete 2026 Guide (Fees, APR, Credit Limit)
Editorial methodology + complete ranking criteria + side-by-side comparison of all picks.
Read the full guide →Bottom line
Milestone® Mastercard® scores 3.8 / 5 on the ClearValue Rating — a deterministic editorial composite from the product's own published fees, terms, and eligibility. Best for: Applicants with poor or thin credit who want to avoid tying up cash in a security deposit and can manage the annual fee.
◆ How we scored it
The ClearValue Rating, broken down.
- Cost
- 35%
- Fit & approval odds
- 30%
- Speed & terms
- 20%
- Transparency
- 15%
Cost (35%), Fit & approval odds (30%), Speed & terms (20%), Transparency (15%) — scored consistently across every product, independent of compensation. Full methodology →
Frequently asked
Questions about Milestone® Mastercard®
Does the Milestone Mastercard require a security deposit?+
No. The Milestone Mastercard is an unsecured card, so unlike a secured credit card, it does not require a refundable security deposit to open the account. The tradeoff is a first-year fee (typically $75-$175 depending on the offer) that is deducted directly from your available credit line, per issuer terms (verified August 2026).
What's a typical Milestone Mastercard credit limit?+
Most Milestone Mastercard accounts open with a starting credit limit around $700, though the exact limit depends on the applicant's credit profile and the specific offer received. Because the annual fee is deducted from the credit line at account opening, your actual available credit at day one will be lower than the stated limit.
Is the Milestone card the same as the Milestone Gold Mastercard?+
"Milestone Mastercard" and "Milestone Gold Mastercard" refer to the same underlying credit-building card program serviced by Genesis FS Card Services and issued by The Bank of Missouri — offer terms (fee structure, starting limit) vary by the specific pre-qualification offer an applicant receives, not by a separate product tier.
Is ClearValue Lending a bank or card issuer?+
No. ClearValue Lending is not a bank, card issuer, lender, or financial advisor. This review presents publicly available editorial information about the Milestone Mastercard. The card is issued by The Bank of Missouri and serviced by Genesis FS Card Services. Rates, fees, and terms are determined solely by the issuer and may change — verify current terms at milestonegoldcard.com before applying.
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Independent editorial review. ClearValue Lending is a business & personal financing platform — not a lender, broker, or financial advisor. Some links are affiliate links; the issuer may pay a referral commission at no cost to you, which never changes the score. Specific product terms vary; verify with the issuer before applying. See privacy policy.