Arro Card pros and cons

The Arro Card's main advantages are approval without a hard credit check or deposit, reporting to all three bureaus, and a limit that can grow to $2,500. Its main drawbacks are a starting limit of $300 or less, a membership of up to $60 a year, and email-only customer service.

Checked November 9, 2026 against Arro's own pages and the independent sources listed below. Written by the ArroCardApply Editorial Team.

Balance scale with a tick and a cross
On this page
  1. Side by side
  2. The pros in detail
  3. The cons in detail
  4. Bottom line

Side by side

ProsCons
No hard credit inquiryStarting limit of $300 or less
No security depositMembership up to $60 a year
Approval based on bank activity, not scoreRequires linking your bank through Plaid
Reports to all three bureausEmail-only support
Limit can grow to $2,500Complaints about payments, delivery and reporting
1% cash back on gas and groceriesNo cash advances or balance transfers
No foreign transaction feeNo upgrade path to a better card

The pros in detail

No hard inquiry. Applying leaves no mark on your report, so there is no penalty for trying.

No deposit. The people who most need to build credit often cannot lock away $200. Arro removes that barrier.

Bank-based approval. Steady deposits matter more than past mistakes. Requirements are light.

Three-bureau reporting. Whatever bureau a future lender checks, the account is there.

Room to grow. Limit increases come from lessons and on-time payments, with no new application.

Some rewards. Unusual for this tier, though small in practice.

Travel friendly. No foreign transaction fee.

The cons in detail

Small line. A $100 limit makes a $40 purchase look like heavy borrowing to a scoring model.

A fee for a small line. Fees are lower than most unsecured subprime cards, yet higher than free secured cards.

Bank data sharing. Arro reads your transactions. Not everyone is comfortable with that.

Support by email. No phone line means slower answers when something is urgent.

Operational complaints. Detailed in Arro complaints.

No cash access. The card cannot be used for cash, so it does not help in a cash emergency.

Nowhere to graduate. You will eventually apply to another issuer.

Bottom line

For a renter with a pay cheque and a thin credit file, the pros carry more weight. For someone who can afford a deposit, or who needs real borrowing power, the cons do. Our full reasoning is in the Arro Card review.

Questions people ask

What is the downside of the Arro Card?

A very small starting limit, a yearly membership fee and email-only support, along with user complaints about operations.

What is the main benefit of the Arro Card?

You can get an unsecured, bureau-reported credit card without a hard pull or a deposit.

Sources

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