Merrick Bank issues credit cards that are FDIC insured. The bank's goal is to offer credit products to sub-prime consumers, and it does everything to help them manage their finances. One of the ways they help their consumers is credit cards. The bank offers unsecured Mastercard credit card products and secured Mastercard cards. The cards are good for people with bad credit and for those who want to build their credit.

Unsecured Mastercard credit cards from Merrick are not freely available for online application. You cannot go online and apply for the card. You should first of all pre-qualify or receive an invitation from Merrick Bank to apply. The invitations are usually sent via mail or email and contain an acceptance certificate number which you should provide before you proceed with your application. Being pre-qualified for a Merrick credit card or having the acceptance certificate does not guarantee your approval though.

The Merrick Bank Secured Mastercard credit card is on the contrary, available for online application without invitations. As all secured cards, this card requires a security deposit and the minimum deposit is $200. The maximum deposit that is allowed for this card is $3,000. So, if you want to build or rebuild your credit, the Merrick Bank Secured card can become a good option for you as it is reported to all three major credit bureaus.