Fortiva Credit Card Review: Application Requirements, Terms, Fees, etc

The Fortiva Credit Card can be used anywhere that accepts Mastercard. The card is available to those with “less-than-perfect” credit, but it comes with multiple fees and high rates. If you’re looking to build your credit, Fortiva reports payment history to all three credit bureaus. But you may want to look into other credit card options — such as a soft pull card — with more favorable reviews.

Fortiva Credit Card Review

The Fortiva Credit Card is an unsecured Mastercard issued by The Bank of Missouri. It is available to those with less-than-perfect credit, but it comes with plenty of fees and outsourced customer service. Here are the details:

Unknown Minimum Credit Score

Fortiva does not disclose whether or not there is a specific minimum credit score to qualify. In our research, we could not find this information online, and when we called Fortiva’s customer service center, no further information was provided. Fortiva’s website does state that the card is for those with “less-than-perfect credit.”

Multiple Fees, High Rates

The Fortiva Credit Card comes with more fees than most other cards. There is an annual fee based on your account limit, a monthly service fee of $12.50, and a one-time program fee to open the card (though not all applicants are subject to the program fee). The card also charges interest, balance transfers fees, foreign transaction fees, cash advance fees, and late fees if you don’t make payments on time.

Fortiva promises your APR won’t exceed 36% a year, but most people who reviewed Fortiva on Credit Karma said they pay close to that limit. To put that in perspective, the nationwide average APR on credit cards is around 16%. Even for borrowers with bad credit, the average is still around 23%.

Poor Customer Service

Fortiva’s customer service is not in-house, so, if you call, be prepared for possible communication and connection issues. When we called Fortiva’s customer service, we experienced long holds and multiple disconnections.

According to a number of reviews on Yelp and Credit Karma, Fortiva’s customer service is “not customer friendly.” Even though its parent company, Atlanticus, has an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau, the BBB has received more than 240 complaints about Fortiva. Approximately 88% of the reviews are negative, and many of them are specific complaints about the Fortiva Credit Card.

Accepted Anywhere That Accepts Mastercard

“Where can I use Fortiva Credit?” The Fortiva Credit Card can be used anywhere that accepts Mastercard. Additionally, Fortiva reports payment history to all three credit bureaus, so, as long as you pay on time, you can improve your credit score by using this card.

Other Card Options for Building Your Credit Score

If you are specifically looking for a credit card to help you raise your credit score, consider a soft pull card. This means the company won’t run a hard pull on your credit during the approval process. A hard pull is a complete look at your credit history; a hard pull also lowers your credit score a few points. That means, your credit score will go down just for applying for a card.

To find a soft pull credit card, see our article: Soft Pull Credit Cards. For a look at soft pull retail credit cards and a tip to help you avoid a hard pull, see our article: The Complete Shopping Cart Trick Stores List.

In Summary

That was the Fortiva Credit Card review. The Fortiva Credit Card is available to those with “less-than-perfect” credit. You will see more fees and higher rates than other credit cards, but Fortiva reports to all three credit bureaus, so it may help you build your credit score.