Updated September 29, 2026 · DebitCue Editorial Team
Ocean Finance Card vs Varo Visa® Debit Card
Ocean Finance Card
Higher score in this comparison
Varo Visa® Debit Card
Where Ocean Finance Card and Varo Visa® Debit Card differ
| Compare | Ocean Finance CardReviewSee alternativesSee alternatives | Varo Visa® Debit CardReviewSee alternativesSee alternatives |
|---|---|---|
| Annual fee | £0 | $0 |
| APR | 39.9% | 0%Lower |
| Rewards type | None | Cashback |
| Perks | Credit limit of GBP 200 to GBP 8,000, Section 75 protection on purchases between GBP 100 and GBP 30,000, Mobile app to make payments and check balance, Free email and text alerts, Card usable online before the physical card arrives, Eligibility check does not affect credit score, No Apple Pay | 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 |
| Currency conversion fee | Not confirmed | 0% |
| Rewards rate | Not confirmed | Offer-based, varies by merchant offer; up to $750 per calendar month |
| Balance transfer intro period | 6 months | Not confirmed |
| Balance transfer fee | 2.9% | Not confirmed |
Same on both: Credit needed (Poor), Card kind (Credit).
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Key differences
- Founded is lower at Ocean Finance Card: 1991 vs 2015.
- APR is lower at Varo Visa® Debit Card: 0% vs 39.9%.
- Perks: only Ocean Finance Card offers Credit limit of GBP 200 to GBP 8,000, Section 75 protection on purchases between GBP 100 and GBP 30,000, Mobile app to make payments and check balance.
- Perks: only Varo Visa® Debit Card offers Reports to all three credit bureaus, Free credit score tracking in the Varo app, No credit check to apply.
Our verdict on each
Ocean Finance Card
Ocean Finance Card suits applicants with poor credit who want a UK credit card with no annual fee, £0, and a balance transfer option. Borrowing is the expensive part, with 39.9% charged on revolving balances, so the card only pays off if you clear balances or keep them off the card.
Varo Visa® Debit Card
The Varo Visa Debit Card is a US account for people whose credit is poor who still want cashback and a virtual card, and it charges a monthly fee of $0. Wise and Starling sit on the same monthly fee, so the deciding points are the credit building and the card network.
Score breakdown
| Area | Ocean Finance Card | Varo Visa® Debit Card |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | 9.0There is no annual fee, £0, and a balance transfer fee of 2.9%, so cost sits in the interest on revolving balances. | 9.4HigherMonthly fee $0 and annual fee $0 sit at the foot of the debit table; conversion fee 0% beats the site median of 1%. |
| Offer | 9.3A transfer window of 6 with a 2.9% fee is the only offer, and rewards on spending are none. | 9.9Higher |
| Trust | 9.3Higher | 8.6 |
Where each is licensed and available
| Country | Ocean Finance Card | Varo Visa® Debit Card |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | Financial Conduct Authority 310069 | Not confirmed |
| United States | Not confirmed | FDIC FDIC cert 59190 |
Additional countries for Ocean Finance Card: 1. Additional countries for Varo Visa® Debit Card: 1.
How they place
| Ranking | Ocean Finance Card | Varo Visa® Debit Card |
|---|---|---|
| Credit cards | 132 of 1020 | 141 of 1020 |
| Bad credit and credit builder cards | 8 of 23 | 9 of 23 |
Pick Ocean Finance Card if, pick Varo Visa® Debit Card if
Pick Ocean Finance Card if trust matter most.
Pick Varo Visa® Debit Card if cost, offer, and apr matter most.
Every fact side by side
| Fact | Ocean Finance Card | Varo Visa® Debit Card |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | No annual fee | No annual fee |
| Features | Not confirmed | Virtual card |
| Legal entity | Intelligent Lending Limited | Varo Bank, National Association |
| Headquarters | United Kingdom | United States |
| Founded | 1991Lower | 2015 |
| Support channels | Chat, Phone, Email, Help centre | Chat, Phone, Email, Help centre |
Where each stands against the rest
| Fact | Ocean Finance Card | Varo Visa® Debit Card | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| APR | 39.9%highest quarter | 0%lowest quarter | 19.39% |
| Currency conversion fee | Not confirmed | 0%below the median | 1% |
| Balance transfer intro period | 6 monthslowest quarter | Not confirmed | 15 months |
| Balance transfer fee | 2.9%below the median | Not confirmed | 3% |
Median across 312 listed cards.
Pros and cons
Ocean Finance Card
Pros
- The card is built for applicants with poor credit, and the eligibility check does not affect your credit score.
- Purchase protection covers spending inside a range set out in Credit limit of GBP 200 to GBP 8,000, Section 75 protection on purchases between GBP 100 and GBP 30,000 and Mobile app to make payments and check balance, so a supplier that fails to deliver has a claim route.
- Support runs on chat, phone and email, and the mobile app covers payments and balance checks.
Cons
- 39.9% sits above the 34.9% upper end of bad credit cards, so carrying a balance is expensive.
- Rewards on spending are none, so nothing comes back on everyday purchases.
Varo Visa® Debit Card
Pros
- Rewards are cashback at select merchants, and the rate moves with each offer, so the card pays back at shops you already visit.
- There is no credit check to apply and the credit level asked for is poor, so the account opens for a thin credit file.
- A virtual card is included, listed as virtual card, which keeps online spending and subscriptions away from the physical card.
Cons
- Rewards are cashback, but the rate is offer based and moves with each merchant offer, so everyday spending earns whatever the offer happens to be.
- Every card compared here charges a monthly fee too, at £0, €0 and £0, so the free monthly account is not by itself a reason to move.
- The cardholder sets their own spending limit, as listed in Reports to all three credit bureaus, Free credit score tracking in the Varo app and No credit check to apply, so the ceiling stays where you put it instead of rising on its own.
Who each suits
Ocean Finance Card
Who it suits
- Applicants with poor credit who want a limit without paying an annual fee.
- Borrowers moving a balance who can cover the 2.9% transfer fee and clear it inside the intro period.
- People who put an eligibility check that leaves their credit score alone, and the purchase protection in Credit limit of GBP 200 to GBP 8,000, Section 75 protection on purchases between GBP 100 and GBP 30,000 and Mobile app to make payments and check balance, above cash back.
Who should look elsewhere
- Starling Personal Account Debit Card fits day to day spending from money already in an account, with a borrowing rate of 15% instead of revolving card interest.
- Chime Card (Secured Visa Credit Card) suits customers shopping in the US who want a secured line, with an annual fee of $0.
- Varo Believe Secured Credit Card suits savers who prefer a secured card, with an annual fee of $0.
Varo Visa® Debit Card
Who it suits
- People whose credit is poor and who want a card that opens without a credit check, with cashback at select merchants rather than a travel account such as Wise.
- US residents who want a virtual card alongside a physical one and free Allpoint cash withdrawals, where Starling is the alternative to compare.
- Spenders who want rewards paid as cashback at merchants they already use, and who are happy setting their own spending limit.
Who should look elsewhere
- Not for people whose main need is holding and spending in several currencies: Wise is the alternative to compare, while this is a US debit account.
- Not for people who need cash machines in many countries: the ATM access listed in Reports to all three credit bureaus, Free credit score tracking in the Varo app and No credit check to apply is Allpoint, and Starling is the alternative to compare for a different debit setup.
- Not for anyone who wants a card that sets its own ceiling: the cardholder sets their own spending limit, as listed in Reports to all three credit bureaus, Free credit score tracking in the Varo app and No credit check to apply, so Bitpanda is worth a look for a different spending arrangement.
Current offers
Ocean Finance Card
Current offer
First period offer
0% for 6 months on balance transfers and purchases on the Ocean Credit Card: 0% for 6 months, 2.9% balance transfer fee
Representative 39.9% APR (variable) after the offer, purchase rate 39.94% APR (variable), credit subject to status
Source, checked September 26, 2026
Country by country
| Country | Ocean Finance Card | Varo Visa® Debit Card |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | Yes | No |
| United States | No | Yes |
Questions about each
Ocean Finance Card
What does it cost to hold the Ocean Finance Card?+
The annual fee is £0, so holding the card costs nothing to run. A balance transfer carries a fee of 2.9%, and anything left on the credit card balance is charged at 39.9% until it is paid.
What rate does the Ocean Finance Card charge?+
The rate is 39.9%, high against the bad credit card group, where the upper quartile sits at 34.9%. Interest only applies to balances you do not clear, so the card costs nothing extra if you pay in full each month.
Varo Visa® Debit Card
What does it cost to hold this account?+
The account charges a monthly fee of $0 and the card an annual fee of $0, so there is no charge for holding it open. The credit building side of the same bank lists the same annual fee and an APR of 0%, and the model is listed as no annual fee, which keeps the cost of holding the card at the bottom of the table.
Is my money protected?+
The bank behind the card is Varo Bank, National Association, based in the United States, and its licence reads FDIC cert 59190. The FDIC is the regulator named for it in the US, and the certificate number is how the bank is identified in that regulator's records. The licence terms set out what the deposit protection covers.
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Ocean Finance Card
Varo Visa® Debit Card