Indigo Platinum Card — Is It Worth It?
The Indigo Platinum card is issued by Celtic Bank, based in Salt Lake City, UT. It’s a good credit card for those with bad credit in the sense that you can use it on everyday purchases and it is widely accepted abroad.
It also notes that it “gives you the chance to establish a consistent payment record while enjoying the convenience of a credit card.”
You are not able to earn any rewards like points or cash-back, however, the card does come with some benefits since it is a Mastercard. These additional benefits include:
- Extended warranty coverage
- Travel assistance services
- Mastercard ID Theft Protection
- Fraud protection
Hot Tip:
The Indigo Platinum card is an unsecured card, which means that you have access to a credit limit without needing to put down a security deposit. You can also use this card to take out cash at an ATM (up to your credit limit), but you will incur cash advance fees of the higher of $5 or 5% each time you withdraw money (after your first year).
The maximum credit limit offered on this card is $300, with no credit limit increases offered. Balance transfers are also not allowed with this card.
Indigo Platinum Card Application
To apply now for the Indigo Platinum card, simply head over to the website. You can securely input all of the required information and even check your pre-qualification status before applying.
By prequalifying, you can check the likelihood that you will be approved, as well as your potential annual fee, therefore avoiding a hard check if you would be declined.
Bottom Line: Note that to officially apply for a card, you will be hit with a hard inquiry on your credit.
Minimum Credit Score and Other Requirements
The Indigo Platinum card is designed for people with poor credit (a FICO score of 300 to 579). However, even if you have a higher credit score you may not be approved since other factors (like income and debt) are taken into consideration.
To qualify for the Indigo Platinum card, you will need to meet certain minimum requirements. To be prequalified or approved, you must:
- Be at least 18 years old (19 in Alabama)
- Apply from a U.S. IP address
- Not have had an Indigo account that is charged off due to delinquency
- Provide:
- Your name
- Email address
- Physical address
- Date of birth
- Social Security number
- Monthly income and expenses
How To Increase Your Credit Limit
Unfortunately, the Indigo Platinum card doesn’t offer any credit increases, even with a history of timely payments.
Hot Tip: If you are looking for a card with a higher credit limit, you should consider a secured card. Generally, secured cards have a credit limit up to the amount of the security deposit you can make.
Indigo Platinum Card Online Account
Use Indigo’s website to login to monitor your Indigo Platinum card account activity, pay your bill, view transactions, and check your balance. You can even activate your new Indigo Platinum card online.
Paying Your Indigo Platinum Card Bill
There are multiple options you can use to make payments on your card. Be aware that the Indigo Platinum card requires at least a minimum monthly payment of $25 or 1% of your balance, whichever is greater.
Online
To access your account, log in to your account online and click My Account. You can also access your monthly bills in the Bill Pay tab, enroll to receive paperless statements, and make payments via direct deposit or bank transfer.
Be sure to submit your payments by 5 p.m. PST to ensure that it’s credited on the same day.
Unfortunately, there is no mobile app at this time. You are also not able to use a debit card to make payments.
By Phone
You can make payments by phone by calling Indigo’s customer service line at 866-946-9545. A customer service agent can help you navigate the online bill payment services between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. PST Monday through Friday.
By Mail
You can send a check or money order for mailed payments. Payments should be mailed to:
Genesis FS Card Services
P.O. Box 4477
Beaverton, OR 97076-4477
Hot Tip: If you’re mailing in your payment, be sure to allow at least 7 business days for the payment to arrive.
Benefits of the Indigo Platinum Card
This card is made for those with bad (or no) credit, so it does a good job of credit-building and comes backed by Mastercard, so it is widely accepted.
No (Initial) Credit Check
Before formally applying for the Indigo Platinum card, you can prequalify to check your likelihood of approval (and the annual fee you’re likely to pay) without affecting your credit scores.
This way, you get to see if the annual fee is worth it.
Bottom Line:
When you’re trying to rebuild or establish your credit, the fewer hard inquiries on your credit report, the better.
But remember that pre-qualification doesn’t mean you’re approved — it’s more of a “probably.” If you agree with the tentative terms and fees, you’ll still have to submit a full application for review, which will come with a temporary hit to your credit score.
Easy Application and Approval
As we’ve noted above, the Indigo Platinum card is designed for people with poor credit, and even past financial issues, such as bankruptcies or accounts being sent to collections, won’t prevent you from being approved for this card.
This is great news for those people hoping to improve their credit score. By making on-time payments and paying off your balance each month, you can be on the road to recovery in no time.
Credit Building
The Indigo Platinum card reports to all 3 major credit bureaus each month when your billing statement is generated. The 3 major consumer credit bureaus (TransUnion, Equifax, and Experian) calculate your credit score and good payment habits can help you build credit.
As long as you stay on track with payments, you can qualify for better credit cards with higher credit limits in the future.
Drawbacks of the Indigo Platinum Card
If you’re trying to decide if the Indigo Platinum card is a good card, you should be aware that there are some major drawbacks to this card.
Not only will you not have access to a large credit line and not earn any additional benefits, but you are unable to increase your credit limit over time.
Very Low Credit Limit
The credit limit goes only as high as $300 and is initially lower due to fees. For example, on an account that charges a $99 annual fee, your credit limit might only be $201 for the first month because the issuer assesses setup and maintenance fees.
This low credit limit makes it easy to rack up high credit utilization, which can hurt your credit even as you’re working to improve it.
Hot Tip:
With poor credit, you might be better served by a secured credit card, where the credit limit is generally as high as the amount you can set up as a security deposit.
Annual Fee
The annual fee you pay (or don’t pay) depends entirely on your creditworthiness, so you could qualify for no annual fee. But if you have poor credit, you will likely owe an ongoing annual fee of either $59 or $99. For new cardholders, the $99 annual fee drops to $75 for the first year.
The higher the annual fee, the less appealing this card becomes. Basically, it’s not worth paying a high annual fee for a $300 credit limit.
No Upgrade Opportunities
Many unsecured credit cards offer the ability to increase your credit limit once you’ve built up a good payment history. Since this isn’t an option with this card, you’ll need to pay off your balance, close your account, and open a new card to gain access to additional credit.
Hot Tip: Closing accounts can hurt your credit score, so try to limit account closures.
To contact customer service directly, call 866-946-9545.
When you call, you will be asked to enter your card number. If you don’t have a card, wait on the line to be transferred to a person. Customer service representatives are available to help you from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. PST.
You can also call this number to request a PIN be sent to you via mail to securely access cash at ATMs.
If you prefer to contact by mail:
Genesis FS Card Services
P.O. Box 4477
Beaverton, OR 97076-4477
Alternative Credit Cards (Our Recommendations)
If you’re interested in other card options, especially those that can help rebuild credit, we have a few alternative recommendations.
Capital One Platinum Secured Credit Card
The Capital One Platinum Secured Credit Card doesn’t charge an annual fee (rates & fees) and also provides access to a higher credit limit after the first 5 months of on-time payments, with no additional deposits needed. This card does require putting down a security deposit upfront.
Capital One Platinum Credit Card
Terms Apply / Rates & FeesThe Capital One Platinum card is great for those looking to build up their credit score and credit history, without paying a deposit or annual fee.
Another option is the Capital One Platinum Credit Card. The card also offers no annual fee (rates & fees), comes with fraud coverage, and provides access to a higher credit limit after making your first 5 monthly payments on time.
Other Options
For a secured credit card option without a credit check, look into the First Progress Platinum secured cards. These cards extend credit against a security deposit rather than your credit status.
Store cards might also be a good option if you are planning on making a large purchase. Cards for places such as Sam’s Club, Walmart, TJ Maxx, Amazon, and more, are issued by Synchrony Bank.
Store cards typically have no annual fee, come with long 0% financing periods, and usually offer some sort of store rewards, such as 10% off days or free shipping.
Final Thoughts
The Indigo Platinum card will mostly benefit those who have poor credit (or no credit history) and want to improve their credit score. Since your payment history reports to the major credit bureaus each month, you will see results quickly from making timely payments.
However, if you can put a security deposit down or qualify for a store card, other cards will offer access to higher credit limits and don’t charge annual fees. If you can qualify for one of these cards, they might be better options.
The information regarding the Capital One Platinum Secured Credit Card was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.
The information regarding the Capital One Platinum Credit Card was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.
The information regarding the Indigo® Platinum Mastercard® was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.
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