Concora Indigo Mastercard Review: Last Resort for Credit Building
Navigating the Indigo Mastercard means understanding a path to credit building for poor scores, but at an exceptionally high cost. Uncover whether this "last resort" option is truly your only viable step forward.
| Annual Fee | $175.00 |
| Sign-up Bonus | No signup bonus |
| Rewards Rate | No rewards program |
| Regular APR | Annual Percentage Rate (APR) for Purchases 35.9% APR for Cash Advances 35.9% |
| Other Fees | Monthly Fee $0 the first year (billed $0 each month); $150 annually thereafter (billed $12.50 each month) Cash Advance Fee $5 or 5% of the amount of each transaction, whichever is greater (not to exceed $100) Foreign Transaction Fee 1% of each transaction in U.S. dollars Late Payment Fee Up to $41 Overlimit Fee Up to $41 Returned Payment Fee Up to $41 Minimum Interest Charge If you are charged interest, the charge will be no less than $1.00 Credit Protection The monthly fee is $1.49 per $100, or part thereof, of the ending balance on your billing statement. |
Overview
The Indigo Mastercard is an unsecured credit card designed for individuals with poor credit who are looking to build or rebuild their financial history. Its primary benefit is that it reports your payment activity to all three major credit bureaus, which can help improve your credit score over time with responsible use. However, this access to credit comes at an exceptionally high price. The card charges a steep $175 annual fee in the first year, and significant "set up and maintenance fees" are deducted before you even use the card, drastically reducing your initial available credit.
Beyond its credit-building function, the Indigo Mastercard offers no additional value. There is no rewards program, no sign-up bonus, and no introductory APR offer. Instead, you'll face a very high 35.9% APR on all balances, making it extremely expensive to carry debt from one month to the next. After the first year, the fee structure changes to a $49 annual fee plus a $12.50 monthly fee, totaling nearly $200 per year.
Ultimately, the Indigo Mastercard should be considered a last-resort option. It's best suited for someone with a very low credit score who cannot qualify for better credit-building products and is unable to pay the security deposit required for a secured credit card. Given the exorbitant costs, most people would be better served by exploring secured cards, which typically offer lower fees and a more direct path to graduating to a better card.
Pros & Cons
What's great
- Helps build credit
Things to consider
- High annual fee
- High regular APR
- No intro APR period
- No rewards
- No sign-up bonus
- Foreign transaction fees apply
Benefits
The Indigo Mastercard is not a rewards card and does not offer traditional benefits like a sign-up bonus, cash back, or travel perks. Instead, its primary and sole benefit is providing access to an unsecured line of credit for individuals with poor or limited credit histories who may not qualify for other cards.
The main function of this card is to serve as a credit-building tool. By making on-time payments each month, your account activity is reported to all three major credit bureaus—Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. This consistent, positive payment history can help you build or rebuild your credit score over time. As a Mastercard, it offers the basic utility of being widely accepted by merchants, but its value is entirely focused on providing a pathway to establishing better credit.
Drawbacks
The Indigo Mastercard is burdened by an exceptionally high and complex fee structure that severely undermines its value as a credit-building tool. Cardholders face a steep $175 annual fee in the first year. After that, the cost effectively rises to $199 per year, composed of a $49 annual fee plus a $12.50 monthly fee. Most alarmingly, the card charges unspecified "Set Up and Maintenance Fees" before you can even use it, which are deducted directly from your credit limit. This means a cardholder approved for a $700 limit might only have $525 in available credit from the start, making it difficult to maintain a low credit utilization ratio.
Beyond the fees, the card offers no tangible benefits. There is no rewards program of any kind—no cash back, points, or miles—and no sign-up bonus. This lack of value is paired with a punishingly high 35.9% regular APR for both purchases and cash advances. Carrying even a small balance from one month to the next will result in significant interest charges, making this an extremely expensive option for anyone who doesn't plan to pay their bill in full every single time. For consumers looking to build credit, the high costs and lack of perks mean that secured credit cards are almost always a more financially sound alternative.
Decision Guidance
This card is a last-resort option for individuals with poor credit who cannot afford the upfront deposit for a secured card. While it provides a path to build credit history without a security deposit, its exorbitant annual and maintenance fees make it one of the most expensive ways to do so. Unless you have exhausted all other alternatives, the high cost of this card is very difficult to justify.
Summary
The Indigo Mastercard offers an unsecured path to rebuilding credit, but its value is almost entirely erased by exorbitant annual and monthly fees that make it one of the most expensive options available. This card should be treated as an absolute last resort, strictly for individuals with poor credit who cannot qualify for or afford the upfront deposit on a far more cost-effective secured credit card.