What is Boost Platinum?
Card Details
Annual Fee : $0
Monthly MembershipFee : $24.95
Interest Rate (Regular APR) : 0%
Minimum Payment : $10 or 25% of balance.
Late Fee : $20
Outlet Store Delivery Signature Verification: $3.50
Outlet Store Residential Delivery : $2.00
As you can see from the details above, you have to pay some fees to join the Boost Platinum membership shopping portal. For the fees that you pay, you get benefits like
- Free roadside assistance - Benefit coverage begins following a 5-day waiting period from date of enrollment or reinstatement. You are allowed up to 3 service calls or towing requests up to 15 miles not to exceed the operator cost of $50.00. You have to pay for any additional mileage and associated towing costs at the time of service. In addition there is a limit to 1 service call per month.
-
My Universal RX - You can receive up to 40% discount on prescription drugs.
- My Legal Assistance - Free 30 minute consultation with legal professional in your area (it does not include criminal defense).
- My Privacy Protection - You can get a free credit report with this program (and you can access it any time).
Competition
| Card | Details |
|---|---|
| Boost Platinum |
Monthly Fee=$24.95 Upfront Fee=N.A. APR=0% No Credit Check Reports to 1 Credit Bureau Starting Limit=$500 |
| Net First Platinum |
Monthly Fee=$24.95 Upfront Fee=N.A. APR=0% No Credit Check Reports to 1 Credit Bureau Starting Limit=$500 |
| Freedom Gold Card |
Monthly Fee=$24.95 Upfront Fee=N.A. APR=0% No Credit Check Reports to 1 Credit Bureau Starting Limit=$500 |
| Horizon Gold Card |
Monthly Fee=$24.95 Upfront Fee=N.A. APR=0% No Credit Check Reports to 1 Credit Bureau Starting Limit=$500 |
| Unique Platinum |
Monthly Fee=$19.95 Upfront Fee=N.A. APR=0% No Credit Check Reports to 1 Credit Bureau Starting Limit=$1,000 |
| Fingerhut |
Monthly Fee=$0 Upfront Fee=N.A. APR=See Website* Credit Checks Reports to 3 Major Bureaus Starting Limit=$200-$1,000 |
Boost Platinum is issued by Horizon Card Services and shares the same fees and rates and features of other Horizon Card Services catalog cards. If you look at the comparison table above you can compare and see that the Boost Platinum has the same features and fees as the Net First Platinum and the Freedom Gold CardM (two other cards issued by Horizon Gold). Their competitors is Unique Card Services, are also very similar. The main differences are the monthly fee and the fact that Unique Platinum gives a higher limit ($1,000 vs $500).
There area other online store cards like Fingerhut do not charge any annual fee or membership fees and they compete with catalog cards like Boost Platinum. But, although it is very easy to get a online store card like Fingerhut credit account, your credit report will experience a hard pull during the application process whereas Boost Platinum does not perform any credit checks or employment checks.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- No Annual Fee
- 0% APR
- No Credit Checks and Employment Checks
- $500 Starting Credit Limit
- Reports to at least one credit bureau
Cons
- Can only be used at thehorizonoutlet.com
- Monthly Membership Fee
Our Take: Boost Platinum May Help Give Your Low Score a Boost
While you can only use the card at the Horizon Online store, your credit limit will be reported to at least one credit bureau after you get approved. Your credit utilization and payments will also be reported. This will give you a chance to boost your score and and keep improving it until you get a more ideal credit card for yourself.
There are some good features about this card. Firstly, there is no annual fee and the APR is 0% (though you have to pay 25% of the purchase price). It also reports to at least one credit bureau when you get approved of the card and also your payment activity. The initial credit limit of $500 is also pretty decent. You do have to pay a monthly membership fee (in return for certain benefits which may or may not appeal to you) but I guess that is the price for rebuilding your credit.
To sum up, if you have bad credit and have been denied regular unsecured or secured credit cards, then this catalog card could be a stepping stone for you.
