Credit card issuers take a risk when issuing unsecured credit cards. If you max out your credit line, can’t pay the balance and declare bankruptcy, the bank has to cover that amount. Because of that, people with low credit scores or a limited credit history may be unable to win approval for a traditional credit card.aying for Purchases. At the point of sale, a secured card works exactly like an unsecured card. You swipe it at a merchant location or type the number into the form for an e-commerce site, and the transaction goes through if you have enough money remaining on your credit line.