EastWest Practical Mastercard

The card with the lowest income requirement, EastWest Practical Mastercard is one of the most accessible options for beginners. You just have to be patient as processing takes two weeks or more.

It has a 2% interest rate and an annual fee of PHP 1,400, which is waived for the first year for every new EastWest cardholder.

With this credit card, you would be able to:

• set your own payment terms for your membership fee and choose from annually, quarterly, or monthly
• enjoy different promos and perks from shopping, dining, health & wellness, to travel and leisure

To qualify, you should:

• be at least 21 years old
• be earning at least PHP 10,000/month
• have an active landline or mobile phone number
• have a home or office address within Metro Manila, Cavite, Bulacan, Laguna, or areas served by an EastWest Bank branch

You need to submit the following:

• if employed, certificate of employment
• if employed, payslips from the last 3 months
• latest ITR
• if self-employed, latest financial statements
• if a foreign resident, work permit or Alien Certificate of Registration (ACR) with income document

For more details, visit the official EastWest website.

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PNB Visa Classic

This is the credit card with the lowest income requirement and lowest annual fee, making it possibly the best deal for first-time cardholders. It has a 2% interest rate, with an annual fee of PHP 300, which is even waived for the first year!

With this credit card, you would be able to:

• get 1% rebate on your revolved interest
• enjoy waived annual fee for supplementary cards

To qualify, you should:

• be at least 21 years old
• be a Filipino citizen currently residing in the country
• be earning at least PHP 10,000/month
• have an active landline or mobile phone number
• be a regular employee for at least 1 year or self-employed for at least 2 years

You need to submit the following:

• any government-issued ID or company ID (with the company registered with the SEC, BSP, or Insurance Commission)
• if employed, certificate of employment
• if employed, payslips from the last 3 months
• latest ITR
• if self-employed, DTI or SEC registration papers or latest audited financial statements

Apply for a PNB Visa Classic card here.

 

BPI Family Credit Card

With its low-income requirement and affordable annual fees, this is the easiest credit card to apply for among BPI’s regular card options. Its interest rate is 2%, while it has an annual fee of PHP 1,000.

With this credit card, you would be able to:

• have multiple installment options on hand
• convert your credit to cash anytime

To qualify, you should:

• be at least 21 years old
• be earning at least PHP 15,000/month
• have an active landline or mobile phone number

You need to submit the following:

• valid ID
• if employed, certificate of employment
• if employed, payslips from the last 3 months
• latest ITR
• if self-employed, latest financial statements
• if an Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW), contract of employment validated by POEA
• if an Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW), proof of remittance from the past two months

Apply for a BPI Family Credit Card here.

 

HSBC Red Mastercard

HSBC’s Red Mastercard has one of the lower monthly income requirements among credit cards. But unfortunately, it also requires an active credit card, so you can shelf this as a good option for your second credit card.

Interest rate is at 2%, and you’ll need to pay for an annual fee of PHP 1,500 to continue using your card.

With this credit card, you would be able to:

• earn 6% rebate on your first Caltex fuel purchase and 3% rebate for the rest of your fuel purchases at Caltex
• enjoy 4 times the bonus points when you use your credit card on online, shopping, dining, and overseas transactions for every PHP 20 spend

To qualify, you should:

• be at least 18 years old
• be earning at least PHP 17,000/month
• have an active landline or mobile phone number
• be an owner of a locally issued primary credit card for the past 12 months

You need to submit the following:

• two valid IDs (SSS, TIN, Passport, Driver’s License, Company ID)
• latest ITR (Form 2316 or Form 1701)
• if employed, payslips from the last 3 months
• if self-employed, latest audited financial statements

Apply for an HSBC Red Mastercard here.

 

Citi Simplicity+

Citibank’s Simplicity+ credit card makes all things simple for applicants and holders. You can apply online, with their system letting you know immediately if you’re qualified or not. Then they only need about a week to verify your documents and voila, you’ve got yourself a new credit card.

It only has a 2% interest rate, and you don’t need to pay for late payment fees, overlimit fees, and annual fee for life.

With this credit card, you would be able to:

• forget about additional fees like annual fees, overlimit, or late payment fees
• earn 10% interest back if you pay at least the minimum amount due
• enjoy exclusive discounts from partner retail establishments in the Philippines and other countries

To qualify, you should:

• be at least 21 years old
• be earning at least PHP 20,833/month
• have an active landline or mobile phone number
• have a valid SSS, GSIS, TIN, or UMID number

You need to submit the following:

• government-issued ID
• if employed, certificate of employment
• if employed, payslip
• if employed, bank statement of payroll account showing at least one-month salary
• latest income tax return (ITR)

Apply for a City Simplicity+ card here.

 

AUB Easy Mastercard

If you really just want to use a credit card without worrying about annual fees, AUB Easy Mastercard should be one of your top choices. It has waived annual fees for life and you can even choose your preferred payment terms.

With this credit card, you would be able to:

• enjoy 1 reward point for every PHP 20 spend
• set your preferred payment terms such as frequency, due date, and minimum payment due

To qualify, you should:

• be at least 21 years old
• be earning at least PHP 21,000/month
• have an active landline or mobile phone number
• be a regular employee or self-employed for at least 1 year

You need to submit the following:

• valid ID
• if employed, certificate of employment
• if employed, payslips from the last past month
• latest ITR
• if self-employed, latest financial statements or DTI or SEC registration papers

Apply for an AUB Easy Mastercard here.

 

Security Bank Fast Track Secured

With no income requirement at all, Security Bank Fast Track Secured Credit Card ensures 100% approval for any applicants who already have an account with Securty Bank, which makes it perfect for first-time credit cardholders. However, you have to take into consideration that it has quite a high annual fee that can range from PHP 2,000 to 4,000, depending on the card you qualify for. It is usually waived during the first year, but you would have to pay for it every year afterward.

To qualify, you should:

• be at least 21 years old
• have an active landline or mobile phone number
• have a Security Bank savings account with at least PHP 15,000 hold-out amount or time deposit with at least PHP 100,000 hold-out amount

You need to submit the following:

• government-issued ID
• accomplished application form
• accomplished holdout agreement form
• if a foreign resident, work permit, ACR, or embassy accreditation papers

Apply for a Security Bank Fast Track Secured Credit Card here.

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RCBC Bankard InstaCard Secured Credit Card

Another card with no income requirement, RCBC Bankard Instacard works the same as Security Bank’s Fast Track: you just need an account with them with a minimum hold-out deposit amount, and you can get your credit card immediately — 100% guaranteed.

To qualify, you should:

• be at least 21 years old
• be earning at least
• have an RCBC savings account with at least PHP 10,000 hold-out deposit

You need to submit the following:

• at least 2 valid IDs
• accomplished application form
• savings account opening forms
• Deed of Assignment accomplished form

For more details on how to apply for an RCBC Bankard InstaCard Secured Credit Card, visit the official RCBC website.

 

What other credit cards have you tried applying for?