Absolute worst customer service.

Constant hassles and inconvenience.

Terrible communication when calling with concerns.

Don't get this card. I've had it for 4 years and ready to cancel it multiple times, will do so for sure next week. Many stores don't accept while travelling, I've had many issues travelling in major cities like NYC where payment doesn't go through. Also they automatically block the card the moment you miss one payment, despite a years long history of on time payments. Save yourself the hassle.

There are 3 CONS. No perks (rewards, warranties, etc.) They will charge a foreign conversion fee when ordering online from the US. They won’t offer you conversion to an unsecured card. You would need to apply for a new card. In addition, there is no flexibility. You can’t overpay the card to temporarily increase the limit. You can’t transfer money from you checking account, you actually have to pay it and wait for few days for payment to be processed.

Now, the PROs: They approved me for that card with a $500 security deposit. At that time I wasn’t sure if my creditors would approve my consumer proposal. I was deep in debt, near 200K. Every single month, for years, they reported to both agencies. Over the last 5 years, they improved, they added contactless payment and ApplePay. I had a situation with a vendor creating a mess with pending charges and double charges. They fixed that in 5 min, and restored my credit limit.

This card is not the only card that will help build your credit and should be a last resort. Capital One will give you a much pleasant experience, great customer service and in return can help build credit. With Home Trust, you will need thick skin and an extreme amount of patience. There is something not right in management and the friendly CSRs are limited how they can help you. You will wait upto a year to get your card and you will wait upto a year as well to get your deposit back when you close the account. If you have say $500 or more for the deposit and ok with not seeing it for 2+ years, this will work for you. They are quick to get your deposit and struggle to release it months and months after closing

Pros:

It’s a genuine credit card that all businesses accept for payment.

It’s not a prepaid visa debit card.

It works exactly like a credit card except your security deposit is your credit limit.

For people who have moral objections to consumer debt and need a credit card to function in the modern world then this card is a great choice.

It has a decent 2% foreign conversion fee.

Cons:

This is a bare bones card with no rewards program, no cash back, and no insurance. There isn’t a single perk.

On the plus side, there isn’t any incentive to chase rewards. There’s no temptation to use the card except when necessary.

After a few years of responsible use, there should be the option to convert the card to an unsecured card. Currently, you have to close the account and reapply to switch to an unsecured card.

The customer service is fine although they’re super strict and can’t help out if you’re in a bind and need a temporary limit increase.

The card won’t allow you to make a purchase if it puts you even one dollar above the limit.

Preauthorizations that reduce your available credit seem to linger for a long time. For example, after staying at a hotel, the hold for incidentals seems to take a week to drop.

Payments to the card take a long time to reach the account. Usually it takes three business days for a payment to get to Home Trust through online banking.

There’s no way to make an instant payment, which can be really inconvenient.

The application process is a bit dated and everything including the automated phone system is a generation or two behind other financial institutions.

Overall:

I recommend the card. It’s a great choice for people who need a real credit card and don’t want any debt or are unable to qualify fir an unsecured card.