No credit check required
No interest to pay back
No separate credit card
Get Sesame Cash1
Claim your Sesame Cash debit card and add money to your account.Turn on credit builder1
Allocate part of your balance as a security deposit for a virtual line of credit.Use Sesame Cash debit
We’ll add the purchases to your line of credit each month and pay the balance on-time.Build positive credit history
Sit back—we’ll update the credit bureaus to build your credit history1 each month.
One easy to use debit card
No credit check
Low account fees2
No interest
Need a physical credit card
Credit check needed
Account fees vary
Up to ~23% interest
There’s a lot that goes into calculating your credit score, but one of the biggest factors is your credit utilization, or the percentage of available credit you're using. When you move money from your Sesame Cash account into credit builder, it becomes a security deposit for a virtual Secured Credit Card we’ll report to the credit bureaus. Your virtual secured credit card can help increase your overall available credit and lower your credit utilization, which can lead to a higher score—all with the cash you have.
After activating credit builder, each month we’ll look for Sesame Cash debit purchases that total the utilization limit you set. We recommend no more than 30% of your security deposit—so if your initial deposit is $100, your utilization limit should be $30, or less.
As you shop with Sesame Cash throughout the month, we’ll add purchases to credit builder to create your credit balance. With automatic credit builder, we’ll pay this balance on-time and in-full, and update the bureaus about your utilization and payment history. This all happens behind the scenes, while you use your Sesame Cash debit card!
When you start using your Secured Account, we'll help you set your credit utilization limit. At the end of every month, we’ll automatically look for Sesame Cash debit purchases that total the amount you choose—not a cent more.
Your virtual Secured Credit Card gives you the credit building benefits of a traditional secured card through the use of your Sesame Cash debit card—there’s no separate plastic card! Fund your security deposit from your Sesame Cash debit card, and start making purchases to help to build your credit history.
Another benefit of the builder account is your ability to set up your own utilization. With a traditional secured credit card, you can spend all your available credit and unknowingly impact your score. With your virtual Secured Credit Card, you’ll set your credit utilization limit up front and we choose debit purchases that create a credit balance within that amount. No surprises, no interest—just credit building with the daily debit purchases you’re already making!
And with credit builder, there’s less risk with automatic payments enabled! When you set up automatic payments, we’ll pay off your full balance every month. When we tally up Sesame Cash purchases to create a balance on your Secured Credit Card, we’ll set aside money to pay it off too. Since you already paid with debit, we’ll stash this money so it’s ready to pay your full statement on time at the end of each month!
We update the credit bureaus regularly, and you could see a higher credit score as soon as next month!
Fees may apply for your Sesame Cash prepaid debit account.
Sesame Cash has a $9.99 monthly fee that is waived for customers who direct deposit at least $500 or spend $1,000 or more each month.
There is also a $3.00 inactivity fee that is waived for active users for any direct deposit, ACH, purchase, spend, billpay, autopay or withdrawal in a rolling 30-day period.
International and out-of-network cash withdrawal fees apply. Third-party and cash deposit fees may apply.
There are no interest payments associated with your virtual secured credit card.
To open your virtual Secured Credit Card, you’ll be asked to make a minimum security deposit from your Sesame Cash account. Increasing this amount can lower your credit utilization even more and help improve your score.
You can access your cash when you’re ready to use it, but you should allocate an amount you’re comfortable saving for up to 6 months.
Yes! Increasing your security deposit can lower your credit utilization and help improve your score. Your security deposit is still your money—it’s just set aside to build your credit and help you do more in the future.
You never want to overuse your available credit. Keeping your credit utilization below 30% helps demonstrate responsible usage and build positive credit history! For your Secured Account, that means choosing a utilization limit that’s 30% of your security deposit or less.
Yes! You can change your utilization limit at any time within the Credit Sesame app. Any changes made to your utilization limit at least 3 business days before the end of the month can be reported to the bureaus right away.
Building your credit is simple and easy with the free Credit Sesame app. You’ll be able to check your score daily, track your progress, and use Sesame Cash purchases to grow your score even more.
You can withdraw your security deposit at any time by contacting our Customer Care team at 1-866-720-0893. While increasing your security deposit can lower your utilization and improve your score, withdrawing your funds too early can prevent your credit score from reaching its full potential!
1 Sesame Cash is a prepaid debit card issued by Community Federal Savings Bank (CFSB). Building credit with Sesame Cash requires you to also open a virtual secured credit card with CFSB that is reported to the credit bureaus. Use money from your Sesame Cash account to create a virtual secured credit card. Your debit card purchases are then added up to create a balance on your virtual secured credit card. As you make these purchases, an amount equal to the balance on your virtual secured credit card is also set aside in your Sesame Cash account to ensure you can make timely payments to pay off the balance on your virtual secured credit card at the end of each month, allowing you to build a positive payment history. Credit Sesame does not guarantee credit score improvement. Any predicted credit improvement from the use of your virtual secured credit card assumes that you will maintain healthy credit habits, including paying bills on time, keeping credit balances low, avoiding unnecessary inquiries, appropriate financial planning, and more.
2 Sesame Cash fees include a $9.99 monthly fee ("Monthly Fee") and a $3 monthly inactivity fee ("Inactivity Fee"). However, we may waive these fees as follows: To qualify for the waiver of the Monthly Fee, you must either deposit $500 into your Sesame Cash account through direct deposit or spend $1,000 each month with your Sesame Cash account. Spending can be satisfied either through point of sale transactions or by using your Sesame Cash card to pay your bills. To qualify for the waiver of the Inactivity Fee, there must be money movement or a purchase made with your Sesame Cash account at least once within a 30-day rolling period. As a courtesy, we will not charge you the Monthly Fee or the Inactivity Fee within the first 30 days of account opening. Review the Sesame Cash Cardholder Agreement for the full fee schedule and additional details. International and out-of-network cash withdrawal fees apply. Third-party and cash deposit fees may also apply.
3 Cash back offers are powered by Button, Inc. Cash back requires the activation of any active offer before payment is made. Offers vary by geographic location and are subject to change. Please review the full program terms for more details.
4 Direct deposit and earlier availability of funds are subject to payer’s support of the feature and timing of payer’s funding.
