Over half graduated in the last year, building stronger credit and long-term financial health
CLEVELAND, Sept. 8, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, KeyBank (NYSE:KEY) announced the first half 2025 graduating classes of the Key Secured Credit Card® program comprise more than 4,400 clients who have been empowered to improve their credit scores and establish financial stability. Fifty-nine percent of these clients graduated within 12 months of joining the program and 88% have done so within 24 months. Graduation events were increased to quarterly in 2024 to reward clients more frequently when demonstrating credit improvement. These graduations bring the total number of graduates to more than 40,300 clients since the program's inception in 2019.
The Key Secured Credit Card improves financial wellness by providing eligible clients with opportunities to establish or improve their credit history, bolster savings while building credit, and create better money habits. If clients graduate, their Key Secured Credit Card is upgraded to an unsecured credit card, releasing the funds in their Key Active Saver® account that were once pledged as collateral. This secured card program can provide a path of access to Key's traditional credit solutions.
"Consumers need a strong foundation to help them build financial literacy and resiliency, particularly in times of economic volatility," said Dan Brown, Director of Consumer Product Management at KeyBank. "The Key Secured Credit Card program is designed to provide our clients the building blocks and education needed to move forward on a financial path of success. We're proud to have helped so many graduates over the last six years gain the necessary skills needed to take the next steps in their financial journeys."
Since the start of 2024, KeyBank has introduced several enhancements to further support client success.
- Onboarding communications. The enhanced communication process, introduced in 2024 to our brand-new cardholders, provides access to tools and training to provide greater clarity and transparency to help card holders build credit1. In 2025, card holders were supported with additional communications around financial education and account engagement communications.
- Graduation support. KeyBank also expanded its support for those still enrolled in the program to help even more clients move toward graduation. Beginning in April 2025, more than 11,400 Key Secured Credit Card holders across a seven-state pilot program were invited to attend two live educational workshops focused on credit scores and reports and debt management.
- Credit Line increases. In 2024, a Credit Line Increase program was introduced as part of the graduation process for those who qualify, which has enabled more than 6,500 graduates to receive a credit line increase upon graduation. This access to additional credit provides more capacity to meet clients' daily payment needs.
- Access to traditional forms of credit. Additionally, a new Invitation to Apply campaign was launched in June 2025 for graduates ready to transition to traditional credit cards, reaching over 6,100 clients. The ongoing campaign introduces eligible clients to more traditional credit cards like the KeyBank Latitude® and Key Cashback® credit card products.2
Through the Key Secured Credit Card program, this year's graduates have made major steps to improve their financial wellbeing, such as:
- 72% received a Key Secured Credit Card with no FICO score.
- 28% had a FICO score.
- For those with a FICO score, the average improvement in credit score was 85 points.
For those who entered the program with no FICO score, the average graduation score this year was 724. Throughout the program's history, those with a FICO score at origination have shown an average increase of 68 points when they graduate3.
Additional Key Secured Credit Card features include:
- While clients build their credit1, their Key Secured Credit Card deposit must be kept in a Key Active Saver account, allowing users to build their credit and savings in tandem. The monthly maintenance service charge on the Key Active Saver account is waived for Key Secured Credit Card clients.4 In addition, there is a $0 annual fee on the Key Secured Credit Card5.
- Unlike prepaid or debit cards, the Secured Credit Card reports clients' history to credit bureaus, allowing them to show progress.
- Cardholders have the ability to check their FICO score6 for free anytime in online and mobile banking. It's quick, easy and does not impact their credit score.
- With Key's temporary lock security feature, cardholders can easily use online or mobile banking to lock and unlock a misplaced credit card, thus avoiding having to cancel it and open a new one—potentially harming their credit score.
For more information on Secured Credit Card, visit https://www.key.com/personal/credit-cards/key-secured-credit-card.jsp
1 Use of the Key Secured Credit Card can help build your credit when the minimum payment is made by the due date, each month.
2 All credit products are subject to credit approval.
3 Data based KeyBank Secured Card graduation rates from January 1-June 30, 2025.
4 The monthly maintenance service charge on the Key Active Saver account will be waived for Key Secured Credit Card clients. The monthly maintenance service charge waiver is only valid as long as the Key Secured Credit Card remains open. If you are graduated to an unsecured card or close your Key Secured Credit Card account, the Key Active Saver monthly maintenance service charge of $4.00 may apply, unless you are the owner on a KeyBank consumer checking account (including KeyBank Hassle-Free Account®).
5 The Key Secured Card requires the card holder to have funds on deposit in a Key Active Saver® account in an amount greater than or equal to the assigned credit limit. The credit limit is determined by your creditworthiness and will be in an amount between $300 – $5,000. The variable APR for purchases is 27.24%. This APR will vary with the market based on Prime Rate. There is a $0.50 minimum finance charge where interest is due. The annual fee is $0. Foreign Transaction fee: 3% of the amount of each foreign transaction after its conversion into U.S. Dollars. Transactions originating in Canada are excluded from this fee. The monthly maintenance service charge on the Key Active Saver account will be waived for Key Secured Credit Card clients. The monthly maintenance service charge waiver is only valid as long as the Key Secured Credit Card remains open. If you are graduated to an unsecured card or close your Key Secured Credit Card account, the Key Active Saver monthly maintenance service charge of $4.00 may apply, unless you are the owner on a KeyBank consumer checking account (including KeyBank Hassle-Free Account®).
6 Clients with newly opened credit card accounts may not see their first FICO® Score in online and mobile banking for up to 90 days after enrollment. In certain circumstances, a FICO® Score may not be available for various reasons, e.g., having a limited credit history. FICO is a registered trademark of Fair Isaac Corporation in the United States and other countries
ABOUT KEYCORP
In 2025, KeyCorp celebrates its bicentennial, marking 200 years of service to clients and communities from Maine to Alaska. To learn more, visit KeyBank Heritage Center. Headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, Key is one of the nation's largest bank-based financial services companies, with assets of approximately $185 billion at June 30, 2025.
Key provides deposit, lending, cash management, and investment services to individuals and businesses in 15 states under the name KeyBank National Association through a network of approximately 1,000 branches and approximately 1,200 ATMs. Key also provides a broad range of sophisticated corporate and investment banking products, such as merger and acquisition advice, public and private debt and equity, syndications and derivatives to middle market companies in selected industries throughout the United States under the KeyBanc Capital Markets trade name. For more information, visit https://www.key.com/. KeyBank Member FDIC.
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