People with fair or average credit scores might find themselves in a kind of limbo.  There are numerous credit card offers for people with poor credit and also plenty of offers for those with good credit.  Despite the industry’s focus on these extremes, there are actually a fair number of cards for average credit card users who need a card or two so that they can rebuild their credit and eventually qualify for offers for high end credit cards that are available to people with great credit scores.

Here are some of the best choices for people who have fair credit and need a new card so that they can  either continue to rebuild their credit or simply use for day-to-day purchases.

Orchard Bank’s credit cards are a good choice for people who are in the process of rebuilding their credit.  The bank has some non-secured credit card options that are attractive because they have a lower interest rate than other credit cards in this credit score tier.  Unfortunately, the rates, usually between 14%-19%, are lower because the cards charge an annual fee of up to $59.  However, since Orchard reports to major credit bureaus monthly and is willing to accept applicants with fair or even poor credit, Orchard’s cards can be a good choice for people in search of a stepping stone from the world of poor credit scores to the world of unlimited credit card options.

Secured credit cards are still not a bad option for people with average credit.  If you do not need to rely on credit cards much and have a workable plan for managing your secured credit card, why switch to a standard credit card?  There is one catch for secured credit cards: you have to make sure that the cards are reported to the credit score bureaus as regular credit cards not as secured credit cards.  Having a card that is labeled as “secured” can hurt your credit score and keep you from getting to a higher credit score tier.