Net First Platinum Card
The Net First Platinum card is a credit card offering approval to people with damaged or no credit. It comes with significant fees and will not help you build credit.
Pros
Easy to qualify
No credit check
No employment required
$0 activation fee
7-day trial period
Cons
Does not report to credit bureaus
$14.77 monthly membership fee ($177.24 annually)
Can only use at Horizon Network stores.
If you have been denied credit in the past, Net First Platinum Card can help you get a new credit line of up to $750*. That will not help you build credit: Net First Platinum does not report to the credit bureaus. If you’re out to build credit, you might be better off going with a secured card instead.
Let’s take a closer look at how the account works, its benefits, and its shortcomings.
Keep in mind that Net First Platinum is not a real credit card. Instead, it is a merchandise credit line that can only be used for online shopping on Horizon Outlet.
It’s easy to qualify for the card: there is no employment or credit check required. You also get a 7-day trial period in which you can try the service without paying the monthly fee.
The negatives include a high monthly fee of $14.77 and the limited use of the account.
Who Is NetFirst Platinum?
There isn’t much information about exactly who NetFirst Platinum Is.
Their website says that The NetFirst Platinum card is part of the Horizon Card Services family of credit products.
They state that they have been around since 2006, and they claim to have thousands of satisfied cardholders. That’s pretty much the only information about them.
About the Issuer
We were not able to find much information about Horizon Card Services. The information about the company, who they are, and how they work is pretty limited.
Even though the company is BBB accredited and has an A+ rating, their BBB Account used to carry this alert:
At least it also looks like you can only get a full refund if you file a complaint with the BBB.
NetFirst Platinum Card Features
The NetFirst Platinum card isn’t actually a credit card at all. It’s a single-store revolving credit account. The main features of this account include:
- No credit check: applying won’t affect your credit score
- No interest on purchases
- Unsecured $750* credit line
These few benefits sound great on the surface; however, that’s pretty much where it all ends, very much on the surface.
This card won’t build credit and isn’t much good for online shopping either.
*usable only at the HorizonOutlet.com
Additional Benefits
The NetFirst Platinum card offers a set of benefits, but it’s difficult to assess their value.
- Privacy Protection: offers a free credit report.
- My Universal Rx prescription benefit: promises up to 50% off on covered prescription drugs. You can’t see the list of covered drugs until you sign up.
- Roadside protection: covers 3 service calls or towing requests with value up to $50 a year. Only one call a month is covered.
- Legal assistance: one 30-minute consultation with a lawyer in your requested specialty.
We can’t find any reviews discussing the use of these benefits, so we have no way to determine how useful they are.
Apply for the Net First Platinum card:
Why NetFirst Platinum Isn’t Worth It
The honest truth is that this account just isn’t worth it. Here are the main reasons why.
The Fee
First things first, let’s all be honest, there is absolutely no reason to pay an annual fee of $177.24 for a credit card. While there are no other fees associated with the Net First Platinum card, this annual fee alone is enough to say NO to this card.
Net First Platinum also charges a $3.50 signature verification fee for deliveries and a $2.50 residential delivery fee. These fees are charged when you order, and you can’t charge them to your Net First Platinum account. You’ll have to use a traditional debit or credit card.
Limited Purchasing Options
This card can only be used at the Horizon Outlet online store. The range of products available is not impressive.
The goods available in the store are not branded, so it’s hard to compare the prices with those in other stores.
⚠️ Single-store credit building cards often offer overpriced goods.
NetFirst Platinum Card Alternatives
I didn’t want to make such a negative review; however, the truth is that it isn’t a great product. There are much better options than a NetFirst Platinum.
Here are some solid credit-building alternatives:
Experian BOOST™ can help you build your credit record with phone and utility payments… and it’s absolutely free!.
Credit Builder Loans
A credit builder loan is an installment loan designed specifically for building credit. With most loans, you get the money upfront and pay it off in installments. With a credit builder loan, the lender places the funds in a locked account and releases them to you when the loan is paid.
Because the lender faces almost no risk, these loans are available to borrowers with poor credit or no credit. That makes them a great credit-building tool. You will pay interest, but most loans are for low amounts and the cost is a fraction of the fees imposed by the NetFirst Platinum account
Credit Builder Loans are available from many banks and credit unions, and from national online lenders like Self and Credit Strong. Most will report to all 3 credit bureaus.
Self online credit builder loans are straightforward to apply for and the application process is easy.
Secured Credit Cards
If you have about $200 to invest in building your credit, then a secured credit card is probably going to be a great option for you. You will put down a deposit on your card and the deposit will become your credit limit.
There are several options you can choose from and it is usually easy to get approved for them. Many secured cards are available to people with poor credit or no credit score.
Secured Credit Cards will report to all 3 credit reporting agencies and you can use them anywhere a Visa or MasterCard is accepted. You’re not locked into buying at one overpriced store.
Remember that a secured card will only help your credit if you make every payment on time and use less than 30% of your credit limit. That’s true for store cards as well! With a low credit limit, you’ll have to be very careful to keep your balance down!
No matter if you are looking to start building your credit or need to rebuild your credit, a secured credit card is one of the best tools to use on your journey.
Become an Authorized User
Asking a friend or relative to add you to a card as an authorized user is a fast way to put a working tradeline with an extensive history in your credit file. You don’t need to use the card or even know the details.
Make sure the person adding you is reliable and be sure the card issuer reports authorized users to the credit bureaus.
Credit Cards for Poor Credit
While credit card options for people with poor credit are typically much narrower than those in the good or fair categories, you can still find a variety of choices.
Find the ‘bad credit’ credit cards most likely to accept you. Help repair your poor credit score and compare the best credit cards for bad credit.
How Do I Cancel NetFirst Platinum?
According to NetFirst Platinum, cancellation and refund requests can be made within 30 days of your billing date by calling Member Services at 1-800-251-6144.
They can be reached Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. EST, and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. EST (excluding holidays).
If you cancel your account after 30 days from your billing date, you are not eligible for a refund.
You cant use your account for any purchases after you cancel or close it.
If you don’t pay any remaining balance in full when you cancel, your outstanding balances will continue to accrue interest charges. Be sure you pay any balances before or right after you cancel the card.
Is There A Fee For Closing My Account?
Outside of the fees associated with your remaining balance, there is no fee for closing your account.
Taking Action On Your Credit
This NetFirst Platinum review is pretty harsh, but the truth is that there are many better credit cards. You don’t need to shell out a huge annual fee for a card that you can only use at one store and that won’t report to the credit bureaus. There are other options that can get you started without a credit check.
There are a ton of better options out there.
Apply for the Net First Platinum card:
All Credit Builder Accounts made by Lead Bank, Member FDIC, Equal Housing Lender, Sunrise Banks, N.A. Member FDIC, Equal Housing Lender or Atlantic Capital Bank, N.A. Member FDIC, Equal Housing Lender. Subject to ID Verification. Individual borrowers must be a U.S. Citizen or permanent resident and at least 18 years old. Valid bank account and Social Security Number are required. All loans are subject to ID verification and consumer report review and approval. Results are not guaranteed. Improvement in your credit score is dependent on your specific situation and financial behavior. Failure to make monthly minimum payments by the payment due date each month may result in delinquent payment reporting to credit bureaus which may negatively impact your credit score. This product will not remove negative credit history from your credit report. All loans subject to approval. All Certificates of Deposit (CD) are deposited in Lead Banks, Member FDIC, Sunrise Banks, N.A., Member FDIC or Atlantic Capital Bank, N.A., Member FDIC.
The Self Visa® Credit Card is issued by Lead Bank, Member FDIC, Equal Housing Lender.
