The Imagine® Visa® is one of the most-negotiable cards in America — because it’s one of the most expensive. If you hold one (or a sibling card from the same shop), the fee structure itself is the leverage.
What the Imagine card actually costs
- Issuer/servicer: WebBank (Salt Lake City) issues it; Atlanticus services it — the same platform behind Fortiva, Aspire (identical 3% gas/groceries/utilities rewards) and Mercury, which Atlanticus acquired in September 2025.
- APR: 19.24%–36% fixed; most holders sit at 36%.
- Annual fee: up to $175 in year one on a $1,000 limit (dropping to roughly $49+ after).
- Monthly maintenance: $15/month from year two — $180/year on top.
- Rewards: 3% on gas, groceries and utility bills, 1% elsewhere.
- Limit: typically $300–$1,000.
Run the math: a $1,000-limit holder can pay $355 in year two between the annual and maintenance fees alone — before a single dollar of interest at 36%.
The three levers on this card
- Annual fee waiver. First-year fees on rebuild cards are routinely reversed when the holder asks — retention’s floor on a fee-heavy account is much lower than the cardholder agreement suggests.
- Maintenance fee removal. The $15/month charge from year two is discretionary. Ask for it to be waived “as a retention courtesy”; if refused, threaten closure — Atlanticus programs approve these constantly.
- APR hardship. Carrying a balance at 36%? Hardship programs cut the rate for 6–12 months at zero cost to enter. On a $6,000 balance, moving 36% → 9% saves roughly $1,600 in interest in a year.
The same play works across the Atlanticus family
Because Imagine, Fortiva, Aspire and Mercury run on one servicing platform, the retention logic is shared: fee waivers, hardship APRs and limit reviews are all standard menu items. The same conversation applies almost word for word — mention a competing no-fee card and the waiver has precedent.
Going wider — Credit One ($39–$99 annual), Merrick, Mission Lane and the big issuers (full fee playbook here) — and if the card is already in collections, the game changes entirely (settlement playbook).
Not sure what’s waivable on your card? Send us one statement (redact the number) — we’ll tell you what’s realistic before anyone calls. The full service, including hardship and settlement work, lives at credit card bill negotiation.
Put this guide to work
Credit card bill negotiation
Hardship APR programs, annual and late-fee waivers and settlements — the fee math in this guide, negotiated for you.
