Indigo Platinum Mastercard Review – Is It Worth It? [In-Depth]

BY 

Christy Rodriguez

- UPDATED: November 11, 2020

1. Credit Cards  / 
2. Strategies & Guides

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The Indigo® Platinum Mastercard® can be a good option for people with no credit or bad credit, including students and people who have previously declared bankruptcy. Not only does it not require a credit check to get prequalified, but it also helps build (or rebuild) credit by making regular payments.

On the downside, it does have a lower credit limit, may charge an annual fee based on your creditworthiness, and has a high APR that can mean big fees if you miss a payment. This article will look into some of the reasons why the Indigo Platinum card can be a good card for you and also discusses some alternative options.

Indigo Platinum Card at a Glance

Credit Card	Card Overview
The Indigo® Platinum Mastercard® Apply Now (at Indigo's secure site)	Pre-qualification available with no impact to your credit score. Previous bankruptcy OK Easy pre-qualification process with fast response Interest Rate: 24.9% fixed APR Cash Advance APR: 29.9% Cash Advance Fee: None for the first year, either $5 or 5% after Annual Fee: $0-$99

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

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.

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

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.

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.

How to Contact Indigo Platinum Card’s Customer Service

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.

The Secured Mastercard® from Capital One® doesn’t charge an annual fee 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.

Another option is the Platinum Credit Card from Capital One®. The card also offers no annual fee, comes with fraud coverage, and provides access to a higher credit limit after making your first 5 monthly payments on time.

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 Secured Mastercard® from Capital One® was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.