Credit Cards for People with No Credit

To get a credit card with no credit, apply online for a starter credit card, student credit card or other type of credit card for people with limited credit history. By choosing a card designed for people with no credit, newcomers who are at least 18 years old with enough income to afford monthly bill payments will have good approval odds. You don’t need credit history to get credit. But you do need to demonstrate the ability to repay future balances.

It’s actually easier than you might think to get a credit card with no credit. You just need to follow a few simple steps. We’ll tee them up below and then explain each in more detail.

How to Get a Credit Card with No Credit History

1. Check for a credit report/score to confirm you really have no credit
2. See if your school email still works, as student credit cards are the best available to beginners
3. Compare starter credit cards to find the lowest fees and highest approval odds
4. Apply online and get a decision within days, if not instantly
5. Activate your starter credit card

So, if you want to get a credit card without credit history, start by making sure you really have no credit, then compare credit card offers, select the best one for your needs and submit an application. You could have a new card in your hands within 7-10 business days of applying.

But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Let’s go through the steps involved in getting a credit card for the first time with no credit history in greater detail. 

Step 1: Confirm you have no credit. You might have credit history without even realizing it. This could have come from being an authorized user on a parent’s credit card account. Or, it could be some sort of a mistake. And it could either put you in line for a better starter credit card or make it harder to get approved. You can check your credit report and score for free on WalletHub.

Step 2: See if your school email still works. College students typically get much better credit cards than other people with no credit. So if you have an active “.edu” email address, it will be an asset in your credit card search.

Step 3: Compare starter credit cards. You have to comparison shop if you want to find the best credit card deal. Your top priority should be getting a card with no annual fee whose other terms complement your spending and payment habits nicely.

Step 4: Submit your application. Actually applying for a credit card is the simplest part of the process. Just click “Apply Now” when you find your favorite offer, and we’ll redirect you to the issuer’s secure online application page. Applying online is the fastest application method. You could even be approved instantly.

Step 5: Activate your new credit card (or place a deposit on a secured card). If you don’t get approved the first time you apply for a starter credit card, place a refundable deposit on a secured credit card. Secured cards have the highest approval odds because your deposit usually matches your spending limit.

It’s simple to get a credit card with no credit. But once you open a credit card account, make sure to use it responsibly. Above all else, that means paying your bill on time every month and keeping your credit utilization as low as possible. That will ensure your credit score starts strong and stays headed in the right direction. You can track your progress for free on WalletHub, the first and only site with free daily credit score updates.

The best unsecured credit card for no credit is the Capital One Platinum Card because it has a $0 annual fee, a $0 foreign fee, and a $300 minimum credit line. Capital One Platinum does not have rewards, but no annual fee is more important when you’re first starting out with credit. If you’re willing to pay for better perks, consider the Capital One QuicksilverOne Card, which has a $39 annual fee and gives 1.5% cash back on all purchases.

If you’re in college, you can get a student credit card. Student cards are unsecured credit cards for no credit that are available only to college students. They tend to give better terms than non-student unsecured credit cards for no credit because issuers predict college graduates will have larger incomes. One of the best options is Discover it Student Chrome. It gives 2% cash back on the first $1,000 you spend each quarter at gas stations and restaurants, plus 1% back on everything else. On top of that, Discover matches all the cash back you earn during your first year. And they give you $20 for every year you earn a 3.0 or higher GPA.

Here are the best unsecured credit cards for no credit:

• Best for no annual fee: Capital One Platinum. $0 annual fee. $0 foreign transaction fee. 26.99% (V) regular APR.
• Best for cash back: Capital One QuicksilverOne. $39 annual fee. $0 foreign transaction fee. 1.5% cash back on all purchases. 26.99% (V) regular APR.
• Best for business: Capital One Spark Classic for Business. Capital One QuicksilverOne. $0 annual fee. $0 foreign transaction fee. 1% cash back on all purchases. 26.99% (V) regular APR.
• Best for student cash back: Discover it Student chrome. $0 annual fee. $0 foreign transaction fee. 2% cash back on the first $1,000 at gas stations and restaurants per quarter. 1% cash back on all other purchases. First year’s cash back matched. 0% APR for 6 months on purchases. 12.99% - 21.99% (V) regular APR.
• Best for student travel: Bank of America Travel Rewards for Students. $0 annual fee. $0 foreign transaction fee. 25,000 bonus points when you spend $1,000 in the first 90 days. 3 points per $1 spent at the BofA Travel Center and 1.5 on all other purchases. 10% points bonus when you have a BofA checking or savings account. 0% APR for 12 months on purchases. 14.99% - 22.99% (V) regular APR.
• Easiest approval: Credit One Bank Platinum Visa for Rebuilding Credit. $0-$99 annual fee, depending on creditworthiness. 3% foreign transaction fee. 1% cash back on all purchases. 17.99% - 23.99% (V) regular APR.

It’s pretty easy to qualify for unsecured credit cards for no credit, provided that you have a steady income. But if you want the absolute highest chances of approval, you may want to consider secured cards. They help you build credit just as well as unsecured cards, but you have to put down a security deposit to open them.

To get a credit card for the first time, you must be at least 18 years old and have enough income to afford monthly credit card payments, in addition to your other expenses. The minimum payments on a starter credit card usually are around $15 per month. The two basic steps involved in getting a credit card for the first time are to: 1) compare credit card offers designed specifically for people with limited or no credit history; and 2) apply for one with no annual fee, if available – rewards and APRs can be the tiebreaker.

If you’re at least 21 years old, you can list household income and assets that you have reasonable access to on your credit card application. Younger applicants can only list independent income and assets. But even having a part-time job should provide enough income to get a credit card for the first time. Only people who are at least 18 years old can get their own credit card account. But there is no minimum age for being an authorized user on a credit card, in most cases.

High approval odds are one of the most important things to look for in your first credit card. The sooner you get approved, the sooner you can begin building your credit standing. Getting rejected for a credit card sets you back, both in terms of time and possible damage to your limited credit.

Low fees are another key feature to seek out when getting a credit card for the first time. Starter credit cards generally don’t offer rewards or interest rates worth paying high annual or monthly fees for. So it’s best to make your first credit card one with a $0 annual fee and always pay your monthly bill in full to avoid interest charges.

There are plenty of other things about the process of picking, applying for and getting your first credit that are also important to learn. We’ll walk you through them below, step by step.

How to Get a Credit Card for the First Time:

1. See if you have a credit report and score. You could have more credit history than you think, perhaps from being an authorized user on a family member’s credit card. This will help you determine how good of a credit card you should shoot for. Check your latest credit score and credit report for free on WalletHub.
2. Determine whether student credit cards are an option. College students can usually get better first credit cards than other people with no credit. Their youth and above-average expected income make them attractive to banks and credit unions. If you’re enrolled in school, check out the best student credit cards.
3. Compare secured and unsecured starter cards. Secured credit cards have the highest approval odds, but they require you to place a refundable security deposit. The amount of that deposit becomes your spending limit. Unsecured cards are harder to get but have no deposit.
4. Limit your search to cards with the lowest fees. Focus on weeding out cards with expensive non-refundable fees. A no annual fee credit card with no security deposit is best. But a low-fee secured card isn’t bad, either. You can get back your deposit when you close your account.
5. Choose the best remaining offer for your needs. If several credit cards are tied for the lowest fees and highest approval odds, consider the terms that are next most important to you. If you plan to pay your bill in full every month, that will probably be rewards. If not, you may want to focus on interest rates.
6. Submit your credit card application. Apply online for the fastest decision. You may even be approved instantly if you clearly meet the issuer’s criteria. You should receive your card within 7-10 business days of being approved.

Learning how to get a credit card for the first time is a rite of passage for young adults after turning 18 years old. And it’s a lot easier than you might think. The key is to choose wisely, by focusing on offers for people with limited credit and secured credit cards, which provide nearly guaranteed approval.

It’s also really important to remember that learning how to get a credit card for the first time and getting approved are only the beginning. You also need to use that card responsibly, which means spending within your means, paying your bill on time every month, and keeping your credit utilization below 30%.

If you can avoid racking up costly credit card debt and hurting your credit score with missed payments, your first credit card will be a huge asset. It will add positive information to your major credit reports each month. That will gradually improve your credit standing. And better credit will make it easier to rent an apartment, buy or lease a car, find a job, get approved for good loans and lines of credit and save on car insurance premiums, among other things.

You can track your progress for free on WalletHub, the only site with free credit scores and reports that are updated daily. We’ll even tell you exactly what you need to do to improve your credit score at a given time, plus provide personalized credit card recommendations. You can use them to find your first credit card and then graduate from it when the time is right.

Insufficient credit history means that you don’t have enough experience as a borrower for a lender to approve you for a credit card or loan. Without a sufficient amount of information in your credit report, a financial institution cannot predict how you will handle borrowed money as accurately. So it’s common to see the term “insufficient credit history” on a letter of denial from a lender. But it may come up other times, too, like when you’re apartment hunting. Renters with insufficient credit history are more likely to be asked for money upfront.

Having insufficient credit history doesn’t mean you’ve done anything bad. It just means you’re inexperienced. And that won’t keep you from borrowing, building credit, finding an apartment, etc. You just have to choose wisely. For example, there’s an entire class of credit cards for people with limited or no credit. And using such a card responsibly will help you build a strong track record as a borrower, making insufficient credit concerns a thing of the past.

Here’s what insufficient credit history means and how to fix it:

• Insufficient credit history is a term that lenders use to tell you that there is not enough information in your credit report to approve you for a loan or credit card.
• If you have insufficient credit history, it might mean that you have less than 3 years of recent credit experience, a track record of credit mistakes, or just not enough experience with different types of borrowing.
• Insufficient credit history is something you can start to change in as little as a month. One way to start is to become an authorized user on someone else’s credit card. Or, you can apply for one of the many credit cards for people with limited or bad credit.
• There are plenty of credit cards for people with insufficient credit history, including secured cards (easiest to get, thanks to a required security deposit) and unsecured credit cards designed for applicants with limited or no credit history. As long as you have some form of income, you should be able to get a card.
• You can ask your local bank or credit union if they offer credit-builder loans. This involves the financial institution depositing a small sum of money in your savings account, which you then repay over an agreed-upon number of months. The lender reports your payment history to the credit bureaus each month. And you get access to the savings account afterward.

You don’t need to feel too stressed about having an insufficient credit history. But you should also strive to start building credit as soon as possible. Getting a credit card, making small purchases each month, and always paying your bill (in full) by the due date will set you firmly on the credit-building path.

You can check your latest credit score for free, and track its progress over time, on WalletHub.

The best secured credit card for no credit is the Discover it Secured Card because it has a $0 annual fee and a $0 foreign transaction fee, and offers the chance to graduate to an unsecured card after at least 8 months of on-time payments. The Discover it Secured Card also offers 1% to 5% cash back on purchases and doubles the rewards you’ve earned after the 1^st year. Discover it Secured requires a refundable security deposit of $200 or more, for a credit limit equal to the deposit amount.

Another good secured credit card for no credit is Capital One Secured. The Capital One Secured Card guarantees you a $200 credit limit, in return for a deposit of $49, $99 or $200, depending on your creditworthiness. This makes the card “partially secured,” as your credit limit would equal your deposit on almost all other secured cards. So Capital One Secured is best if you want a chance for a low deposit.

Here are the best secured credit cards for no credit:

• Best rewards: Discover it Secured. $0 annual fee. $200 minimum deposit, $2,500 maximum. 2% cash back on up to $1,000 spent at gas stations and restaurants each quarter. 1% back on everything else. Eligible for possible deposit return after 8 months (approval not guaranteed).
• Best for low deposit: Capital One Secured. $0 annual fee. $200 credit line. Eligible for possible credit limit increase with no additional deposit after 5 months. Can graduate to different unsecured card (no set timeframe), but cannot get deposit back without closing Capital One Secured account.
• Best for business: Wells Fargo Business Secured. $25 annual fee. $500 minimum deposit, $25,000 maximum. 1.5% cash back on all purchases. No pre-set timeframe for deposit return.
• Highest personal credit line: Wells Fargo Secured. $25 annual fee. $300 minimum deposit, $10,000 maximum. No pre-set timeframe for deposit return.
• Easiest approval: OpenSky Secured Visa. $35 annual fee. $200 minimum deposit, $3,000 maximum. No credit check when you apply. Eligible for possible deposit return once you reach a credit score of 699.

In general, secured credit cards offer high approval odds to people with limited or no credit. They’re designed for rebuilding credit, after all, and even people with bad credit scores can get approved. But even the best secured credit cards should only be a backup plan for people with no credit.

There are also unsecured credit cards for no credit with no deposit required. Student credit cards are the best deals, with $0 annual fees and more than 1% back on purchases. But other people with limited credit should be able to find a good offer, too. So you might want to try for an unsecured card for no credit first and then settle for a secured card if you don’t get approved.

You can’t get a credit card at 16, at least not your own account. The law prohibits issuers from offering credit cards to anyone under 18. And even then, you’ll need your own income to qualify. These restrictions prevent minors and young adults from taking on unmanageable amounts of debt due to inexperience or youthful impulsiveness.

But you can get a credit card at 16 if a friend or family member makes you an authorized user on their account. You won’t be responsible for bill payments as an authorized user, but you will build credit as long as the primary cardholder pays on time. That’s not the only way to get access to credit in your teens, either.

Here are the alternatives to getting a credit card at 16: 

• Become an authorized user: There’s no minimum age requirement for authorized users.
• Get a job and wait two years: You can get your own credit card account when you’re 18, as long as you have enough independent income for monthly bill payments. You should get a student credit card if you go to college, as they tend to have much better terms than other starter credit cards. A secured credit card is a good backup plan, too.  
• Get a debit card: This won’t help you build credit, and you won’t be able to borrow money. But a debit card linked to your checking account will free you from having to carry cash all the time.

You can get a credit card at 16. You just can’t get an account in your own name. But if someone is willing to add you as an authorized user, you can start learning about, using and building credit. And in a couple years, you’ll be able to get your first card.

The only American Express card for people with no credit used to be the USAA Secured American Express card, but you can’t apply for it anymore. They stopped accepting new applications in 2018. Now, there are no American Express credit cards for no credit.

I was thinking about applying for the USAA Secured Amex because my brother-in-law had it. But even if it wasn’t discontinued, I still wouldn’t be able to get it because you have to be in the military or have an immediate family member who is. I’m not too disappointed though. This isn’t really a true Amex card anyway.

The best store credit card for no credit is the Fingerhut Credit Account because it has easy approval and a $0 annual fee. There are no one-time fees or monthly fees, either. But even though the Fingerhut Credit Account is an inexpensive store credit card for people with no credit or bad credit, there are limitations. You can only use it to make Fingerhut purchases. And while Fingerhut is as an online retailer that sells a wide range of products similar to what you’d find in a department store, it doesn’t have everything. You’ll also want to pay your balance in full every month because there’s a super high APR.

Most store credit cards require fair credit or better for approval. That means you need a credit score of 640 or higher. There are, however, a number of co-branded cards for no credit. They’re affiliated with a particular store or company but can be used anywhere.

Here are the best store credit cards for no credit:

• Fingerhut Credit Card: $0 annual fee. No monthly or one-time fees. Reports to all three major credit bureaus. Can only be used at Fingerhut.
• Aeromexico Secured Card: 3,500 bonus miles and a companion certificate worth $99 when you pay the $25 annual fee and make your first purchase. 2 miles per $1 spent on gas and grocery purchases and 1 mile per $1 on all other purchases. Free checked bag on Aeromexico flights. $300 deposit required to open account. Can be used anywhere.
• Credit One Bank Official NASCAR Credit Card: $0 - $99 annual fee, based on creditworthiness. 2% cash back on NASCAR.com Superstore purchases and 1% on other purchases. Can be used anywhere.
• Harley-Davidson Secured Credit Card: $0 annual fee. 1 H-D rewards point per $1 spent on all purchases. $300 deposit required to open account. Can be used anywhere.

If you can’t find a suitable store credit card for no credit, consider a normal credit card designed for people with limited or no credit history. Capital One has a couple good ones. The Capital One Platinum card has a $0 annual fee, and the QuicksilverOne Card gives 1.5% cash back on all purchases (with a $39 annual fee). Neither one requires a deposit.

The best Discover card for no credit is the Discover it Secured Card because it gives 2% cash back on up to $1,000 spent per quarter at gas stations and restaurants, 1% back on all other purchases, and a cash back bonus matching the amount you earn during your first year. It requires a $200+ deposit to open, and your credit limit is equal to your deposit. But after eight months of on-time payments, your account will be considered for an upgrade to an unsecured Discover card. So there’s a chance you could get your deposit back if you’re responsible.

There is no Discover card with no deposit for most people with no credit. Students are an exception. The best Discover card for students with no credit is the Discover it Student chrome card because it gives 2% cash back, has a 0% APR on purchases for 6 months, and offers a $20 statement credit each year you have a 3.0+ GPA.  The other option is Discover it Student Cash Back, which offers 5% cash back on up to $1,500 spent per quarter in categories that rotate. You also get the 0% APR and good grades credit. Both Discover it student cards have no annual fee and are available to students with limited or no credit.

Here are the best Discover cards for no credit history:

• Discover it Secured: $0 annual fee. $200+ deposit required. 2% cash back at gas stations and restaurants, up to $1,000 spent each quarter; 1% back on all other purchases. First year’s cash back matched.
• Discover it Student Chrome: $0 annual fee. 2% cash back at gas stations and restaurants, up to $1,000 spent each quarter; 1% back on all other purchases. First year’s cash back matched. $20 statement credit for a 3.0+ GPA each school year. 0% APR on purchases for 6 months.
• Discover it Student Cash Back: $0 annual fee. 5% cash back on up to $1,500 spent per quarter in spending categories that rotate. 1% cash back on all other purchases. First year’s cash back matched. $20 statement credit for a 3.0+ GPA each school year. 0% APR on purchases for 6 months.

A Discover card for no credit can be a valuable tool to help you establish credit history and, eventually, build a good credit score. Just always pay on time (and in full if you’re able), and you’ll be in good shape.

No credit means no credit score. That means you have no credit report, which in turn means that you have no recent experience with loans or lines of credit. You may never have borrowed money from a lender that reports to the credit bureaus, which store information about your credit history. Or, you have not done so in the past 7-10 years.

Having no credit score also means that you don’t have any financial red flags, such as collections accounts, that would appear on a credit report and count against you. That’s what separates people with no credit from having bad credit. On that note, “no credit score” isn’t the same thing as having the lowest possible credit score (300). You simply don’t have a score yet. And when you start building credit, your first credit score will depend on your initial performance, particularly your ability to pay the bills by the due date.

Here’s what it means to have no credit score:

• You have never borrowed money from a lender who reports information to the credit bureaus, or have not done so in the past 7-10 years.
• You have not recently applied for a credit card or other type of loan. Doing so puts a “hard inquiry” on your credit report and will lead to you having a credit score.
• There aren’t any negatives in your financial life that might appear on a credit report. For example, you don’t have any accounts in collections.
• You don’t have the lowest possible credit score (300). You have no score at all.
• It’s possible to go from no credit score to having a credit score in as little as one month.
• Your first credit score could be 300 to 700+, depending on how you manage bill payments early on.

Having no credit score can make it more difficult to get a loan, an apartment or even a job in the future. That’s why it’s good to begin building your credit as soon as possible. Start with a secured credit card if you have to, and make sure you pay on time every month. You’ll be on your way to a good credit score in no time.