Updated September 29, 2026 · DebitCue Editorial Team
Access Bank Cards vs Varo Believe Secured Credit Card
Access Bank Cards
Higher score in this comparison
Varo Believe Secured Credit Card
Where Access Bank Cards and Varo Believe Secured Credit Card differ
| Compare | Access Bank CardsReviewSee alternativesSee alternatives | Varo Believe Secured Credit CardReviewSee alternativesSee alternatives |
|---|---|---|
| Annual fee | $10 | $0Lower |
| APR | 3.5% | 0%Lower |
| Currency conversion fee | 5% | 0%Lower |
| Perks | Interest free period of up to 40 days, Minimum monthly repayment of 15% of outstanding balance, Up to 50% of net monthly salary can be availed as credit limit, Verified By Visa (VbyV) additional security for online transactions, Accepted at over 2 million ATMs and 30 million merchant locations, across over 220 countries globally | Reports to all three credit bureaus, Free credit score tracking in the Varo app, No credit check to apply, No minimum security deposit; cardholder sets own spending limit, Cashback offers at select merchants with the card, Free out of network free Allpoint ATM access |
| Rewards type | Not confirmed | Cashback |
| Rewards rate | Not confirmed | Offer-based, varies by merchant offer; up to $750 per calendar month |
| Credit needed | Not confirmed | Poor |
Same on both: Card kind (Credit).
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Key differences
- Founded is lower at Access Bank Cards: 1988 to 1989 vs 2015.
- Access Bank Cards is available in 15 more countries.
- Annual fee is lower at Varo Believe Secured Credit Card: $0 vs $10.
- APR is lower at Varo Believe Secured Credit Card: 0% vs 3.5%.
- Currency conversion fee is lower at Varo Believe Secured Credit Card: 0% vs 5%.
- Perks: only Access Bank Cards offers Interest free period of up to 40 days, Minimum monthly repayment of 15% of outstanding balance, Up to 50% of net monthly salary can be availed as credit limit.
- Perks: only Varo Believe Secured Credit Card offers Reports to all three credit bureaus, Free credit score tracking in the Varo app, No credit check to apply.
- Features: only Varo Believe Secured Credit Card offers Rewards.
Our verdict on each
Access Bank Cards
Access Bank Cards is a Nigerian Visa credit card for salaried borrowers who want a low rate on a revolving balance rather than a rewards card. Borrowing costs an APR of 3.5%, with an annual fee of $10, so it earns its place for anyone who clears the balance each month.
Varo Believe Secured Credit Card
Varo Believe Secured Credit Card suits anyone with poor credit who wants a credit card and a bank account without annual or interest charges. Its annual fee is $0 and its APR is 0%, so nothing is owed for keeping it open, and the spending limit stays under the cardholder's control.
Score breakdown
| Area | Access Bank Cards | Varo Believe Secured Credit Card |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | 8.8Annual fee of $10 and a conversion fee of 5% pull in opposite directions on cost for this brand. | 9.6HigherAnnual fee $0, APR 0% and currency conversion fee 0% on a secured card aimed at poor credit. |
| Offer | 9.4 | 9.6Higher |
| Trust | 9.3Higher | 8.3 |
How they place
| Ranking | Access Bank Cards | Varo Believe Secured Credit Card |
|---|---|---|
| Credit cards | 143 of 1020 | 172 of 1020 |
| Secured credit cards | 9 of 27 | 13 of 27 |
Availability and regulation
| Country | Access Bank Cards | Varo Believe Secured Credit Card |
|---|---|---|
| Nigeria | Not confirmed | |
| United States | Not confirmed | FDIC FDIC cert 59190 |
Additional countries for Access Bank Cards: 16. Additional countries for Varo Believe Secured Credit Card: 1.
The bill, worked out
A year with 1,000 spent abroad
Access Bank Cards
$60
1 × $10 + 5% of 1,000
Varo Believe Secured Credit Card
$0
1 × $0 + 0% of 1,000
Varo Believe Secured Credit Card costs $60 less.
Worked out from the stated prices and rates; your own total depends on how you use it. Facts checked September 26, 2026.
Where these facts come from
Access Bank Cards
- accessbankplc.com: 10 facts, checked September 26, 2026
Varo Believe Secured Credit Card
- varomoney.com: 11 facts, checked September 26, 2026
- banks.data.fdic.gov: 2 facts, checked September 26, 2026
- support.varomoney.com: 1 fact, checked September 26, 2026
Every fact side by side
| Fact | Access Bank Cards | Varo Believe Secured Credit Card |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Not confirmed | No annual fee |
| Features | Secured | Rewards, SecuredCovers more |
| Legal entity | Access Bank Plc | Varo Bank, National Association |
| Headquarters | Nigeria | United States |
| Founded | 1988 to 1989Lower | 2015 |
| Support channels | Phone, Email, Chat, Help centre | Email, Chat, Phone, Help centre |
Debit cards
| Fact | Access Bank Cards | Varo Believe Secured Credit Card |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly fee | Not confirmed | $0 |
| Card type | Prepaid | Debit |
| Top-up fee | Free to load by cash or electronic funds; only a one-off card issuance fee of P58.07 for the Prepaid cash card | Not confirmed |
| Card network | Not confirmed | Visa |
| Currencies | 4 | Not confirmed |
Where each stands against the rest
| Fact | Access Bank Cards | Varo Believe Secured Credit Card | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual fee | $10highest quarter | $0at the median | $0 |
| APR | 3.5%lowest quarter | 0%lowest quarter | 19.39% |
| Currency conversion fee | 5%highest quarter | 0%below the median | 1% |
Median across 312 listed cards.
Pros and cons
Access Bank Cards
Pros
- APR of 3.5% compares with a credit card median of 20.85%, which keeps short term borrowing cheap
- Perks cover an interest free period, a minimum repayment set as a share of the balance, and a salary linked credit limit: Interest free period of up to 40 days, Minimum monthly repayment of 15% of outstanding balance and Up to 50% of net monthly salary can be availed as credit limit
- Support runs on phone, email and chat: phone, email, chat and a help centre
Cons
- Currency conversion costs 5%, above the credit card median of 1.85%, so foreign purchases are the weak spot
- The annual fee of $10 applies while secured cards on the site run as low as €0
Varo Believe Secured Credit Card
Pros
- The annual fee is $0 and the APR is 0%, so a card built for poor credit carries no holding or interest cost.
- There is no credit check to apply, and there is no minimum security deposit because the cardholder sets the spending limit.
- The card reports to all credit bureaus, with free credit score tracking in the Varo app.
Cons
- The cashback rate is offer-based and moves with the merchant offer, so the return cannot be planned as a flat rate.
- The 0% and $0 figures are for the secured credit card, while the debit card and the bank account carry their own terms.
Who each suits
Access Bank Cards
Who it suits
- Salaried borrowers in Nigeria, since the credit limit is set against net monthly salary: Interest free period of up to 40 days, Minimum monthly repayment of 15% of outstanding balance and Up to 50% of net monthly salary can be availed as credit limit
- Anyone who repays in full each month and wants a low rate on a short term balance
- Cardholders who travel often, given the ATM and merchant reach listed in Interest free period of up to 40 days, Minimum monthly repayment of 15% of outstanding balance and Up to 50% of net monthly salary can be availed as credit limit
Who should look elsewhere
- Wise, whose card annual fee is £0, fits travel spending better than borrowing
- Varo Believe Secured Credit Card, where the annual fee is $0, for anyone who wants a secured card with no fixed charge
- Chime Card (Secured Visa Credit Card), where the annual fee is $0, if you want a secured Visa without a fixed charge
Varo Believe Secured Credit Card
Who it suits
- Anyone with poor credit who wants a credit card without a deposit or a credit check.
- People who want free out-of-network Allpoint ATM access and a visa card from the same bank.
- Customers who want their card payments reported to all credit bureaus with score tracking in the app.
Who should look elsewhere
- Wise, for anyone who mainly wants an everyday card rather than a credit-building one; its annual fee is £0.
- Starling Personal Account Debit Card, for a plain debit card with an annual fee of £0 and no secured credit record to build.
- AXI Card Tarjeta y Credito, for readers who prefer a combined debit and credit card; its annual fee is €0.
Country by country
| Country | Access Bank Cards | Varo Believe Secured Credit Card |
|---|---|---|
| Angola | Yes | No |
| Botswana | Yes | No |
| Cameroon | Yes | No |
| Democratic Republic of the Congo | Yes | No |
| Gambia | Yes | No |
| Ghana | Yes | No |
| Guinea | Yes | No |
| Kenya | Yes | No |
8 of 17 countries where either is available.
Questions about each
Access Bank Cards
What does the Access Bank credit card cost?+
The Visa credit card charges an annual fee of $10 and an APR of 3.5%. That rate is the main reason to hold this card rather than a rewards card, and the annual fee is the only fixed cost listed for the credit line.
Who regulates Access Bank Cards?+
The card is issued by Access Bank Plc, which is headquartered in Nigeria. The regulator listed for the brand is the Central Bank of Nigeria, so the lending and the deposits sit with a supervised bank rather than an intermediary.
Varo Believe Secured Credit Card
What does the Varo Believe Secured Credit Card cost to hold?+
The secured credit card carries an annual fee of $0 and an APR of 0%, which means no interest on a balance that is repaid in full. The bank account in the same setup has a monthly fee of $0. No deposit is tied up either, since the cardholder sets the spending limit, so opening the account costs nothing in fees.
Is there a currency conversion fee on the Varo card?+
The currency conversion fee listed for the secured credit card is 0%, so a purchase in another currency does not add a conversion charge on the card. DebitCue places it at 1 of 181 brands on that measure, putting it in the cheapest group among the cards compared.
Other options to compare
Other matchups
Access Bank Cards
Varo Believe Secured Credit Card