Petal review
Updated September 28, 2026 · DebitCue Editorial Team · Facts checked September 26, 2026
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Our verdict
Petal is a US credit card for people with poor credit who want no annual fee and no foreign transaction fee, and the trade-off is interest at 28.24% to 33.24%. Support runs on email, phone and help centre, and the card runs on visa abroad.
Key facts
- Best for
- Building credit while spending abroad, with no annual fee and no foreign transaction fee.
- Monthly fee
- $0 (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Currency conversion fee
- 0% (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Cashback rate
- 1% to 1.5% (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Card network
- Visa (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Legal entity
- Tilt Card, Inc. (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Headquarters
- United States (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Support channels
- Email, Phone, Help-centre (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Features
- Travel
- Official website
- petalcard.com
Credit cards
- Annual fee
- $0 (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- APR
- 28.24% to 33.24% (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Currency conversion fee
- 0% (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Rewards type
- Cashback (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Rewards rate
- 1% - 10% cash back at select national merchants, personalised offers (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Credit needed
- Poor (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Perks
- No foreign transaction fees, Cash back at select national merchants, Leap program path to a credit line increase, In-app credit score tracking, Card freeze and fraud detection, Reports to the major credit bureaus, Contactless payment and mobile wallet support (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Card kind
- Credit (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Legal entity
- Tilt Card, Inc. (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Headquarters
- United States (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Support channels
- Email, Phone, Help-centre (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Pricing model
- No annual fee
- Features
- Travel
Apps and profiles
- Get the app
- App StoreGoogle Play
- Elsewhere
- X
Pros and cons
Pros
- Annual fee of $0 and monthly fee of $0 on the travel card
- Currency conversion fee of 0%, ranked 1 of 259 brands
- Cash back of 1% to 1.5% at select national merchants
- The Leap programme offers a path to a credit line increase, with in-app credit score tracking
Cons
- Interest runs at 28.24% to 33.24%, above the 20.45% typical for travel cards
- A credit card, so a balance left unpaid accrues interest at 28.24% to 33.24%
- Cash back is personalised, so the rate earned at each merchant varies
Who it suits
- People with poor credit who are starting to build a credit history
- US customers who travel and pay in foreign currency
- Cardholders who want cash back at select national merchants
Who should look elsewhere
- People who want a debit card for everyday spending from a balance
- Anyone who needs low interest, since the rate is 28.24% to 33.24%
- Wise, Bitpanda and Starling Personal Account Debit Card suit readers who want a debit card rather than credit
How it compares on our data
Petal ranks 1 of 419 brands on monthly fee, with a fee of $0. On currency conversion fee it ranks 1 of 259 brands, and the fee itself is 0%. That sits alongside a site median of 1% and a site maximum of 10.5%. Costs sit at the top of the statement, and the price of borrowing is 28.24% to 33.24%.
How Petal compares
9.3 vs 9.4
9.3 vs 9.0
9.3 vs 8.9
9.3 vs 9.2
9.3 vs 8.8
9.3 vs 8.5
9.3 vs 8.5
9.3 vs 9.0
9.3 vs 8.8
9.3 vs 8.8
9.3 vs 8.7
9.3 vs 9.2Bitpanda has a monthly fee of €0 and suits readers who want a card linked to crypto and trading, not credit building.
9.3 vs 9.0
9.3 vs 8.9
9.3 vs 8.8
9.3 vs 9.6
Petal vs Current Build Card9.3 vs 9.4
9.3 vs 9.4
9.3 vs 9.2
9.3 vs 9.1
9.3 vs 9.1
9.3 vs 9.1
9.3 vs 9.1
9.3 vs 8.8
9.3 vs 8.8- 9.3 vs 8.8
- 9.3 vs 8.8
9.3 vs 8.8- 9.3 vs 8.8
9.3 vs 8.5
9.3 vs 8.5
9.3 vs 8.5
9.3 vs 8.3
9.3 vs 8.2
9.3 vs 8.0
9.3 vs 8.0
Where Petal is available
- Available
- United States
- Licence in United States
- NMLS (NMLS Consumer Access) (2295169), checked September 26, 2026
Countries from the brand (checked September 26, 2026)
Frequently asked questions
Does Petal charge an annual fee?+
No. The annual fee is $0 and the monthly fee on the travel card is $0. Petal is listed as a no annual fee card. There is no charge for holding the card, so the only real cost to watch is interest on a balance.
What interest does Petal charge?+
The rate is 28.24% to 33.24%, which sits above the 20.97% site median and the 24.74% median for no foreign fee cards. Since it is a credit card, a balance left unpaid will cost money, so clear it in full each month.
Is there a foreign transaction fee?+
The currency conversion fee is 0%, and no foreign transaction fees are listed among its perks. Petal ranks 1 of 259 brands on this measure. The card runs on visa, so it is accepted widely abroad.
What cash back does Petal offer?+
Rewards are cash back, with a rate of 1% to 1.5% on the travel card. The rewards rate on the other card is cash back at select national merchants with personalised offers, so the rate depends on where you spend.
What credit history do I need for Petal?+
The credit needed is poor, which makes Petal a realistic option for people with a thin or damaged credit file. The Leap programme offers a path to a credit line increase, and the card reports to the major credit bureaus.
Who runs Petal and where is it based?+
Petal is operated by Tilt Card, Inc., based in the United States. It is listed in the US under NMLS (NMLS Consumer Access) as 2295169, so the licence id is worth checking against the NMLS Consumer Access record.
How can I reach Petal?+
Support runs on email, phone and help centre, which covers email, phone and a help centre, and in-app credit score tracking means you can follow your file without calling anyone. Card freeze and fraud detection are handled in the same app.
How do I keep my Petal card safe?+
Card freeze and fraud detection come as standard, along with contactless payment and mobile wallet support. Because the card is a credit card, prompt payments matter as much as fraud checks, given the rate of 28.24% to 33.24%.
Sources
- petalcard.com/contact checked September 26, 2026
Backs: Headquarters, Legal entity, Support channels
“Tilt Card, Inc. 9169 W State St., PMB 499 Garden City, ID 83714”
- petalcard.com/legals/cardholder-agreements checked September 26, 2026
Backs: Card kind, Card network
“The Petal 1 Visa Credit Card Cardholder Agreement”
- petalcard.com/petal-1 checked September 26, 2026
Backs: Annual fee, APR, Credit needed, Pricing model, Perks, Rewards rate, Rewards type
“Petal 1 Annual membership fee $0”
- petalcard.com/petal-2 checked September 26, 2026
Backs: Cashback rate, Features, Currency conversion fee, Monthly fee
“1% - 1.5% Cash back on everyday purchases”
- nmlsconsumeraccess.org checked September 26, 2026
Backs: Licences
Compiled from 5 source pages, checked September 26, 2026. We did not open an account.
Not confirmed yet: Free ATM withdrawals, Card type, Protection.
Petal
Building credit while spending abroad, with no annual fee and no foreign transaction fee.