2022's Mission Lane Card Revew [APR, Fees, Terms]

If you’re looking for a card you can use for free or a chance to improve your credit score, Mission Lane credit and debit cards might be the solution you’re looking for.
This Mission Lane card review covers the company’s main principles and their cards’ main features—all you need to make the right choice.

What Is Mission Lane and How Does It Work?

Mission Lane is a company dedicated to building financial tools to help users improve their credit, boost their income, and manage their finances. They offer two types of cards: debit and credit cards.

Debit Card

Mission Lane’s debit card is a good option if you’re looking for a debit account you’ll never have to pay a penny for. In addition, you can use the app’s built-in budgeting feature to better keep track of your spending and earning.

Credit Card

Mission Lane credit card reviews confirm the company’s claim that they’re transparent in regards to the annual fee you have to pay if you opt for this card. It carries a lower cost compared to the majority of unsecured cards, and it’s a great solution if you’re looking to increase your credit score.

Mission Lane Credit Card Main Features

The low entry barrier and relatively low cost compared to other unsecured credit-building cards is what makes the Mission Lane Visa card stand out from the rest and a good option for building your credit score. After thorough research, I’m able to provide you with a list of this card’s most notable features:

1. Low Fees

Mission Lane credit card offers all the benefits of other subprime credit cards, but without any hidden fees. The company is upfront about charging only the annual fee ($59), without any additional activation and maintenance costs.

2. No Security Deposit

This is perhaps the most appealing feature of Mission Lane credit card, as compared to other unsecured cards, it doesn’t require a minimum deposit. According to a Mission Lane credit card review, it’s ideal for those with poor credit who don’t qualify for higher-end cards, but don’t want their money tied up in a security deposit.

3. Easy Credit-Building

Your payments and balance will be reported to the three major credit bureaus—Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion—which means you’ll see your score improve pretty fast if you make your payments on time and avoid maxing out your card.

4. Instant Credit Decision

When applying for the Mission Lane credit card, you won’t have to spend weeks waiting to see if you’re approved. The issuer allows you to go through a pre-approval process to see if you qualify for this Mission Lane card without it impacting your credit score.

5. Increasing Credit Limits

Although the minimum is $300, you can increase your credit card limit by being responsible in terms of your monthly card payments. If you do so for at least 6 months, you’ll be eligible for a higher limit at no additional cost.

6. Mobile App and Financial Tools

In addition to having 24/7 support and account access through Mission Lane’s website and mobile app, you’ll also be provided with financial planning and educational tools, which will help you track your income and spending, your credit score, and your credit utilization rate.

7. Visa Benefits

As any standard Visa card, this Visa Mission Lane card will present you with lots of benefits, some of them being zero liability for fraud, 24-hour support for lost and stolen cards, and the possibility to use it at around 55,000 Visa ATMs.

Mission Lane Debit Card Main Features

Although the Mission Lane debit card isn’t as popular as its credit card, nor as prepaid debit cards are, it still has a considerable number of users who share their experience in Mission Lane card reviews. Having researched it in-depth, here are the most notable features this card has to offer:

1. No Fees Required

The Mission Lane Money debit card is one of the few cards I’ve seen that are truly free. As it requires no account maintenance fees, Mission Lane Money is a good option if you’re looking for an account you don’t have to pay anything for.

2. Built-In Budgeting

You’ll have an opportunity to educate yourself on being financially responsible and develop stronger financial literacy and habits, as the Mission Lane card app comes with built-in budgeting tools that help you track your spending and earnings.

3. Automatic Transfers

Through your Mission Money App, you’ll be able to make automatic transfers to your account on a fixed, recurring schedule, or in case your account balance drops below the initially set level.

4. ATM Accessibility

Your Mission Lane Money account comes with a debit card you can use for free ATM withdrawals at around 55,000 ATMs in the vast Visa ATM network. What’s so special about this company is that it doesn’t charge you a fee even when you make an ATM withdrawal outside of this network (although ATM owners might do so). Additionally, the Mission Lane card app will help you locate your closest free ATM.

5. Deposit Methods

Unfortunately, there’s no way for you to deposit cash directly to your mission lane account, or add your card to a digital wallet. However, there are other deposit methods you can take a look at in the table below.

You can also use ACH transfers and peer-to-peer payment apps like PayPal.

Eligibility

As I’ve already mentioned, it’s possible to apply for the Mission Lane Visa even if your credit history is less than ideal. As it’s meant to help those with bad credit scores (bellow 580), those who belong to this category are eligible to apply. However, if your credit score is fair (ranging from 580 to 669), your chances of approval are even higher.
The requirements that apply to both credit and debit cards are the following:

• You have to be at least 18 years old
• You have to be a US citizen or legal resident with a US tax ID number

Ease of Signup

I share the opinion of many other Mission Lane reviews that describe the signup process for both cards as rather simple.
To apply for Mission Lane Money debit card, all it takes is to follow these 7 steps:

1. Open the Mission Lane Money website
2. Click on “Get Started” and enter your email address and phone number (optional)
3. Download and install the Mission Lane Money app from the Google or Apple App Store
4. Launch the app and click on “Open new account”
5. Enter your email address once again
6. Check your email for a confirmation mail
7. Select the link you received and continue setting up your account in the app

You’ll be asked to provide some personal information, including:

• Your full name
• Date of birth
• Personal address
• Email address
• Social Security Number

According to Mission Lane Visa reviews on credit cards, the process takes a little longer for credit cards, but the steps are pretty simple. As I mentioned before, Mission Lane allows you to pre-qualify without impacting your credit score. Compared to other forms I’ve seen, filling this one is really easy, and requires the same information as the debit card form, plus the following:

• Whether you rent or own a home or neither
• Your monthly rent or mortgage
• Your employment status
• Total annual income
• Type of bank account you have (checking, savings, both or none)
• Whether you’re interested in receiving checks for cash advance
• Whether you want to receive e-statements

If you pre-qualify, you’ll be able to proceed with the application form. Mission Lane credit card reviews say that the application form will be pre-filled with most of the information you provided for the pre-qualification form.

Customer Support

The Mission Lane customer service can be contacted Monday to Friday 9 am–8 pm via the number provided on their website. Additionally, customers seem to like the option of submitting a customer support request, which is available on the website.

Alternatives

If you’re still not sure whether Mission Lane cards are a good fit for you, take a look at some options offered by competitors:

Mission Lane Card Review: Conclusion

Based on all this information about Mission Lane’s credit and debit cards, I can say that both are a good choice for those who want to save money on paying fees and security deposits. While the debit card’s best feature is that it’s totally free from fees, the credit card is best known for building bad credit scores quickly and easily.

Both Visa Mission Lane cards are a great choice for anyone looking for an easy way to build their credit score without paying for fees and security deposits.