Brightway Card from OneMain Financial Review - Up to $15,000 in Credit Limit

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Brightway Card is a Truly Unique Unsecured Rebuilder Card

There are lots of unsecured credit cards that target people with no credit, bad credit and fair. But the OneMain Financial Brightway Card is a truly unique credit card that targets this segment. OneMain Financial is a subprime lender and this credit card of theirs is very compelling. While most unsecured rebuilder cards have miserly credit limits, Brightway's starting credit limit can go as high as $2,000 and over time, the maximum credit limit is $15,000. Brightway also rewards you for paying on time. If you pay on-time for 6 consecutive months, you would have reached a milestone. You will then be offered either a credit limit increase, an APR reduction or both. Reach 4 milestones and you would be able to graduate to Brightway's no annual fee version (the Brightway Plus). No other card we know offers such good credit limits, a clear pathway to credit limit increases (CLIs) and a no annual fee version. You would need to have a FICO score of at least 600 to get approved. But if this describes your credit profile, then the OneMain Financial Brightway Card is a great unsecured credit card to get.

Pros	Cons
High $15,000 Maximum Credit Limit	Not available in digital wallets at the moment
Up to $2,000 Starting Credit Limit	Payment hold up to 7 days
Increase Credit Limits with 6 consecutive on-time payments
APR Reduction with 6 consecutive on-time payments
Graduate to no annual fee version in as little as 2 years

Card Details

Starting Credit Limit	$300 to $2,000
Maximum Credit Limit	$15,000
Annual Fee	$0 to $89
Foreign Transaction Fee	Up to 3%
Balance Transfer Fee	Up to 5%
APR	33.99% or 35.99%
Cash Advance APR	33.99% or 35.99%
Foreign Transaction Fee	1%
Cash Advance Fee	Either $10 or 3% of the amount of each cash advance, whichever is greater.
Balance Transfer Fee	Once available, either $10 or 3% of the amount of each balance transfer, whichever is greater.
Late Payment	Up to $40

Annual Fee - $0 to $89

The Brightway Mastercard has an annual fee of up to $89. Many people have reported to get a $35 or $75 annual fee. It does not charge any other fees like monthly maintenance fee or one-time program fee. If you are offered the Brightway+ (plus version), there is no annual fee. But you would need a credit score of close to 700 to get the no annual fee plus version.

Starting and Maximum Credit Limit

The starting credit card limit you can get is $2,000. However, the starting limit may be as low as $300. However, the maximum you can get on the card is $15,000. $15,000 is a very high credit limit for a rebuilder unsecured credit card. Credit limit increases are totally within your control if you reach certain milestones (see explanation below).

APR - 2 Starting APRs

The starting APR for the OneMain Financial Brightway Card is either 33.99% or 35.99%. As you will see below, you can get APR reduction if you reach certain milestones (see explanation below).

1% Cash Back Program

Cardholders can earn 1% on all eligible purchases. The 1% cash back earned during the billing cycle will be issued as a statement credit at the end of the cycle. So you get the cash back almost immediately with lower bill due to the cash back.

Achieving Milestones Lead to CLIs, APR Reductions and Graduation to NO ANNUAL FEE version

The Brightway Mastercard is one of the rare cards that will reward you for paying on time. Specifically, you can get an APR reduction, credit limit increase or both after you hit a milestone. Over time, you can also graduate to the Brightway+ with no annual fee. Here is how it works.

Definition of Milestone

A milestone event is reached when you make 6 consecutive qualifying payments during qualifying cycles. A qualifying cycle is simple one billing cycle where you have to have a payment of $100 (can be minimum payment or payment in full) and your account is in good standing.

In simple terms, if you pay on time for 6 months (ie 6 billing cycles) and the payment is at least $100, then you would have reached a milestone. That means that you would have to spend at least $100 on your card every month.

You can keep track of your "milestone progress" from your app (see screenshot below).

brightway card milestone progress

Credit Limit Increase, APR reduction or both

Once you have reached a milestone, you would be offered either a credit limit increase or APR reduction or both. Many cardholders report APR decrease offers of 0.25% or 0.50%. Most do not take that option because many do not carry a balance or because the starting APR is high.

Most cardholders would rather accept a credit limit increase offer. Some cardholders have reported large credit limit increases whilst others have reported smaller limit increases (like $150) and then get higher subsequent increases on following milestones.

Get No Annual Version After 4 Qualifying Milestones

After achieving 4 milestones, holders of the Brightway card will be upgraded to the Brightway+, which does not have annual fee. Your credit limit and APR remains the same (as when you get upgraded) and you can continue to earn milestones with the Brightway+ and get more credit limit increases or APR reductions. Your progress towards 4 milestones is tracked in your app (see screenshot below).

brightway card milestone progress

Analysis: Using Total Fee to Credit Limit Ratio (TFCL)

The Total Fee to Credit Ratio (TFCL) is one of the most important measure we use to evaluate unsecured credit cards targeting people with no credit, bad credit or fair credit. That is because different credit cards have different fees and different credit limits. The Total Fee to Credit Limit Ratio allows us to measure the percentage of fees you are paying based on the credit limit you have. This allows us to be more objective if we want to know if we are paying too much fees or if the fees we are paying are worth it for the credit limit you have. The table shows you the TFCL ratio for Brightway with various credit limits. We will assume an annual fee of $35 and $89.

Card	Annual Fee	Credit Limit	TFCL Ratio
Brightway $300	$35	$300	$35/$300 = 11.67%
Brightway $1,000	$35	$1,000	$35/$1,000 = 3.5%
Brightway $3,000	$35	$3,000	$35/$3,000 = 1.17%
Brightway $300	$89	$300	$89/$300 = 29.67%
Brightway $1,000	$89	$1,000	$89/$1,000 = 8.9%
Brightway $3,000	$89	$3,000	$89/$3,000 = 2.97%

For a rebuilder unsecured credit card, a TFCL ratio of 15% or below is very good. As you can see from the table above, Brightway has relatively low TFCL ratios across different credit limits and annual fees.

Competition

As the Brightway Mastercard charges only an annual fee and no monthly fees, I will be comparing it to other similar cards. In particular, I will be highlighting the maximum credit limits it's competitors will give since Brightway has clear paths towards credit limit increases and the maximum credit limit you can get is quite high. Below is a table with a list of it's competitors.

Card	Annual Fee	Credit Limit	Maximum Credit Limit	Fees/Credit Limit Ratio
Brightway	$0 - $89	$300 - $2,000	$15,000	$60/$300 = 25%% to $89/$2,000 = 0.4%
Mission Lane	$0 - $59	$300 - $1,500	$4,000	$59/$300 = 19.67% to $59/$1,500 = 3.9%
Merrick Bank	$0 - $72	$550 - $1,350 $1,100 - $2,700 after paying on-time for 7 month	$5,000	$72/$1,100 = 6.55% to $72/$2,700 = 2.67%
Reflex and Surge $750	$125	$750 $1,500 after paying on-time for 6 months	$4,000	Initial $125/$750 = 16.67% Then $125/$1,500 = 8.33%
Reflex and Surge $1,000	$125	$1,000 $2,000 after paying on-time for 6 months	$4,000	Initial $125/$1,000 = 12.5% Then $125/$2,000 = 6.25%
Arro Card	$36	$200 - $2,500	$2,500>	$36/$200 = 18% to $36/$2,500 = 1.4%
Blaze Mastercard	$75	$300 - $1,500	$1,500	$75/$300 = 25% to $75/$1,500 = 5%

Compared to cards which will also increase credit limits based on paying on time for consecutive billing cycles

Brightway vs Mission Lane - Brightway is not the first credit card to give credit limit increases based on reaching milestones by paying your bills on time consecutively for 6 months. For example, the Mission Lane Visa will increase your credit limit after paying on time for the first 7 billing cycles. They also have a track record of subsequent increases. The maximum credit limit you can get on Mission Lane is $4,000 (according to cardholders). This is considerably lower than Brightway. Mission Lane's annual fee ranges from $0 - $59 which is slightly lower than Brightway.

Brightway vs Merrick Bank Double Your Line - The Merrick Bank Double Your Line Mastercard is another rebuilder card that will increase your credit limit after paying on time for the first 7 months. In the case of Merrick Bank, your credit limit will double. The starting credit limit ranges from $550 tp $1,350. So your credit limit will double to $1,100 to $2,700 after 7 months if you pay on time. According to cardholders feedback, the maximum credit limit on Merrick Bank is $3,000, which is lower than Brightway Mastercard (at $15,000). Merrick Bank has an annual fee that ranges from $0 - $72, which is not too disimilar to Brightway.

Brightway vs Reflex and Surge - Two other cards that increase your credit limit is the Reflex Mastercard and the Surge Mastercard. Both cards may offer you a credit limit of either $300, $500, $750 and $1,000. After paying on time for the first 6 months, your credit limit will double to $600, $1,000, $1,500 and $2,000 respectively. The maximum credit limit you can get with these 2 cards is $4,000, significantly lower than the $15,000 that you can potentially get with Brightway.

Out of these 4 versions, only the $750 and $1,000 version of the Reflex and Surge credit cards charge an annual fee with no monthly fee. The $300 and $500 limit versions charge both an annual fee and a monthly fee from the second year onwards. So it is best to compare Brightway with the Reflex $750 and $1,000 version. Both have $125 annual fee, which is significantly higher than Brightway's annual fee of between $0 and $75. Furthermore, Brightway offers a clear path to a no annual fee version whereas you are stuck with the annual fee of Reflex or Surge as long as you have their cards.

Brightway vs Arro - Arro is another comparable card to Brightway but with a big difference. Arro does not rely on FICO scores to approve an applicant. Instead, they require you to have an income of at least $1,800 a month. You are required to link your bank account to Arro via PLAID for them to verify your monthly income and cash flow. The maximum credit limit you can get on Arro is $2,500, way less than Brightway. But you will definitely be approved if you meet the income criteria.

Arro will also increase your credit limit and lower your APR. They will do this if you complete online financial literacy courses on their app. So like Brightway, there is a clear path to credit limit increases and APR reductions.

Brightway vs Blaze Mastercard - Blaze Mastercard is very similar to Brightway in that it has a $75 annual fee. But the credit limit is much lower. The maximum credit limit you can get is $1,500. Though Blaze does give credit limit increases, you are never sure if and when it will happen. This is in contrast to Brightway where you know that you will either get an APR decrease or credit limit increase if you meet a milestone.

Unique Features of Brightway Card

Clear Path to No Annual Fee Brightway+ Card - The Brightway Card is the only card we know that has a clear path towards getting rid of the annual fee. For all other rebuilder card with annual fees or monthly fees, you are stuck with them once you have the card and at some point, you will get rid of them to get a better card with lower fees or no annual fee. With the Brightway Card, you avoid this hassle. You can get "upgraded" to the no annual fee Brightway+ (plus version) after reaching 4 milestones (which means paying on time for 24 months or two years). This is very realistic if you sign up for autopay and manage your cash flow well. No unsecured rebuilder credit card we know has such feature.

Clear Path to Credit Limit Increases and APR Reduction - Brightway is also one of the very few rebuilder unsecured credit cards that has a ONGONG clear path to get credit limit increases and APR reductions. All you have to do is to hit 1 milestone and you will either be eligible for a credit limit increase or APR reduction or both (which you can choose). You will continue to get credit limit increases or APR reductions as long as you hit one milestone until you hit the maximum credit limit ($15,000) or the lowest APR (19%). You can continue to hit milestones and get these benefits even if you get upgrade to the no annual fee version of the card (Brightway Plus).
Highest Credit Limit for a Rebuilder Credit Card - The maximum credit limit you can get for the Brightway Card is $15,000. This is a really high limit for a rebuilder card and possible even higher than mainstream rebuilder issuers like Capital One . You are not obviously start off with a super high limit but you can certainly work your way towards a much higher limit by simply paying on time and reach a milestone every 6 months. We know of no other rebuilder unsecured credit cards with such a high maximum credit limit.

What to be aware of?

Cannot Add Card to Digital Wallet - At this momemt, you cannot add the Brightway Mastercard to your digital wallet though I am pretty sure they are working on this

7 Days to Reflect Payment - Customers have reported that it may take to 7 days for payments to be reflected in your credit limit.

Our Take: A great unsecured credit card to build and rebuild credit

There are many reasons why the Brightway is arguably one of the best unsecured credit cards to either build or rebuild your credit. Firstly, they only charge an annual fee whereas other similar cards tend to charge an annual fee as well as a monthly fee.

But perhaps the really attractive feature is that you can get a very high credit limit with the card. You can get a starting credit limit of up to $2,000 but the absolutely maximum credit limit you can get is $15,000. That is significantly higher than their peers and even with mainstream issuers like Capital One. But not only can you get a higher credit limit than other cards, you are in total control of getting your credit limit increase. If you pay your bills on time for 6 months, Brightway considers that you have reach one milestone. Once you have reached one milestone, you will either get a credit limit increase or an APR decrease or an option to choose either one. Best of all, if you reach 4 milestones (which will take 2 years of consecutive timely payments), you will graduate to the Brightway Plus with no annual fee. So this card also gives you a pathway to a no annual fee card.

There are a few quirks that you have to be aware of. As of now, you still cannot add it to your digital wallet. Payments may not reflect in your credit limits immediately and some have complained that the autopay activation in the app is not easily found. But other than that, the Brightway Card is a truly unique rebuilder card with great features and incentives to encourage you to keep paying on time because there will be rewards for doing so.

Based on our evaluation and review of the Brightway Card, we have decided to give it a 4.7 stars for it's generous credit limit, reasonable annual fee, ability to get credit limit increases and APR reduction simply based on your timely payments and the ability to graduate to a no-annual fee Brightway+ version in as early as two years. Small issues like not being able to add the card to digital wallets prevent us from giving it an even higher rating. If you are a rebuilder with a 600 credit score, then we highly recommend the Brightway Mastercard.

Some Customer Reviews

I love this card because it motivates me to achieve small goals and I am rewarded for it. The app is also great and very easy to use. It keeps track of you payment and milestone progress and that is a real motivator for me

Brightway is a really good card and the app is great as well. I get to manage my account, rewards and payment all in the app. One thing you have to be aware of is that while Brightway will tell you that you have reached your milestone after 6 months, it takes a month and a half before you can select the rewards (credit limit increase or APR reduction) and after that, it takes 5-7 days to reflect in your account. So it takes about 7 1/2 months to get your rewards when all is said and done.

This card works exactly like it says it will. Every 6 months, you get a choice of a higher credit limit or lower APR as long as you pay on time. The cash back is great as well because it lowers my monthly bill.

I love the Brightway card but there is one quirky thing I want to point out. Once you set the account to autopay, the app does not allow you to make extra early payments. This is probably due to them not wanting to interfere with the autopay. But those who like to make multiple payments a month should take note of this.

Brightway actually gives me a spending limit that I can actually use and do something with. My previous rebuilder cards all had $300 to $500 limits which I can hardly put anything on. Brightway started me with $2000. After a couple of milestones, I am now at $5000. With the limits I got, I am able to keep the balance of the card every month to 30% utilization ratio (I pay in full every month BTW).

I have had this card for a year now and have reached 2 milestones and 2 credit limit increase.

My credit took a dive and as part of my rebuild efforts, I got the Brightway card. This is the best card among all my other cards. The credit limit is really generous and I can use it to rent a car and book hotels with it. Payment holds get paid back reasonably quickly. There is no way I could have used my other "low limit" cards for car rentals or hotel bookings. The app is really great as well.

10 months in to my rebuild I was preapproved for OneMain Brightway with a SLI of $3,000, 31% APR and no annual fee (I started with the +version). The card promises APR reduction or CLI if you pay your bills 6 months in a row (think they call this milestone benefits). I chose to pay in full rather than carry a balance on this card. After 6 months, they offered me a CLI of $3,000 or a 0.25% reduction in APR. I obviously chose the CLI and now my credit limit is at $6,000. So this card has worked out for me perfectly.

I got the OneMain Brightway a couple of years ago and started with $1,500. I have always chosen the CLI option rather than the APR reduction option and now my credit limit is $5000. The APR reduction they offer me is always 0.5% reduction which I decline.

I applied for the OneMain brightway+ after receiving an offer in the mail. Starting limit was $3000 . As a reference I have a 700 Equifax sxore with no derogatory, collections or any missed payments.

I took a loan from OneMain at 17% and after closing I was preapproved for their brightway card. Terms were $3000 starting credit limit, 25.99% APR and 1% cash back. After 6 payments, I chose to receive a CLI or APR reduction.

I got the Brightway card with $500 limit, 26.99% APR and $65 annual fee. As a reference, my FICO score is about 640.

Brightway Card with Up to $15,000 in Max Credit Limit REVIEW