Best Credit Cards for People with No Credit in 2022

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

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.

One of the best credit cards for no credit with no deposit is the Capital One Platinum Credit Card. The card has a $0 annual fee and reports account information to the major credit bureaus on a monthly basis. This gives cardholders the opportunity to build credit inexpensively. 

Another great option is the Petal® 2 Visa® Credit Card. This card offers 1 - 1.5% cash back, depending on the type of purchase. The Petal 2 Card also comes with a $0 annual fee and reports monthly to the major credit bureaus.

Best Credit Cards for No Credit with No Deposit

There are plenty of options to pursue as far as credit cards for no credit with no deposit go. But if you find yourself rejected for the first one or two you apply for, you should consider going with a secured credit card. They have much higher approval odds, and your security deposit is fully refundable as long as you pay off your balance. Secured credit cards can help you build credit just as well as unsecured credit cards, so you shouldn't rule them out entirely.

Yes, there are credit cards for no credit that offer instant approval, if you apply online and clearly meet the approval requirements. But it is also worth noting that no credit card approves applicants instantly 100% of the time.

Some applications always require a closer, longer look. Some people will be instantly rejected, too. That’s likely to be the case for people with bad credit who apply for credit cards for no credit. And with that said, let’s look at some of the best credit cards for people with no credit, which you could get instantly approved for (but may not).

Here are credit cards for no credit that may have instant approval:

• Capital One Platinum Credit Card. This card doesn’t offer rewards, but it also has a $0 annual fee. It’s a great card to build credit, and you can get access to a higher credit line if you pay on time for 6 months.
• Capital One QuicksilverOne Cash Rewards Credit Card. You get 5% cash back on hotel and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, as well as 1.5% cash back on all other purchases. But there’s a $39 annual fee.
• Capital One Platinum Secured Credit Card. This card doesn’t offer rewards, but it comes with a $0 annual fee. Once approved, your credit line will be equal to your security deposit (minimum of $49, $99 or $200).
• OpenSky® Secured Visa® Credit Card. This card doesn’t even run a credit check, so its approval odds are very high. You just need to place a security deposit of at least $200 that will serve as your credit line. There’s a $35 annual fee.

Since you don’t have any credit history yet, your approval is going to hinge more on whether you can afford to make purchases and pay them off. In other words, your income is going to be a large factor, so doing anything you can to boost that will help. You’ll also want to make sure you have all other necessary details in order. For example, you’ll probably need a U.S. mailing address, SSN or ITIN, and U.S. bank account for payments.

While you could get instantly approved for any of these no-credit credit cards, it’s also possible that the issuer could take more time, even up to a month, to make a final decision. Again, no card can guarantee instant approval 100% of the time. If you want to increase your approval chances by having a positive credit history, you could always become an authorized user on someone else’s card and make some purchases with it.

Yes, you can apply for a credit card even if you don’t have credit. There are many credit cards designed specifically for people who have no credit history, including both secured credit cards and unsecured cards for no credit.

While you don’t need credit to get a credit card, you will need some sort of an income, as well as a bank account in most cases. In addition, you will need to be at least 18 years old and have a Social Security number (you may be able to substitute an ITIN or passport).

Best Credit Cards for People With No Credit

Secured credit cards are the easiest credit cards to get with no credit, though you will have to put up a refundable security deposit of at least $200 - $300 to open the account. The card’s credit limit is usually equal to the amount of the security deposit. Unsecured credit cards for no credit don’t require a deposit, but they tend to have more expensive fees.

To learn more about what credit card options you have with no credit history, check out the top-ranked offers on WalletHub.

Gas cards for people with limited or no credit history are rare, given that gas rewards are a niche category and are typically only offered with high credit line credit cards (i.e. those used by people with good or excellent credit). If you cannot find a gas credit card listed below that will satisfy your needs (Note: some of the offers are issued by WalletHub advertising partners) , you might want to expand your search to include other types of rewards credit cards for which people with limited credit may qualify. After all, a rewards credit card could just as easily help you save on gas purchases; it just won't have the branding of a gas card. Still, you shouldn’t let your desire to earn rewards distract from your primary personal finance objective at this stage in your life: building credit at the lowest cost possible. No annual fee credit cards for limited credit should therefore be considered as well, as they may provide a cheaper means of accomplishing your end goal: qualifying for a lucrative gas credit card for people with excellent credit.

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Yes, you can get a Chase credit card with no credit. The best Chase credit card for people with no credit is the Chase Freedom® Student credit card because it accepts applicants with limited or no credit history and has an annual fee of $0.

Using a Chase credit card for no credit will allow you to establish a credit history and build a good credit score over time. But you’ll have to consistently pay your bills on time, maintain low credit utilization, and otherwise manage your account responsibly.

An easy way to track your progress is to sign up for a free WalletHub account. You’ll get free access to your latest credit score and report, personalized credit improvement advice, and 24/7 credit monitoring.

The main differences between bad credit and no credit are access and cost. It’s easier to get a credit card, loan, apartment rental, car lease and more with no credit history than it is with a bad credit score. And people with no credit tend to get more favorable terms – rates, fees, rewards, etc. – when borrowing than those with bad credit.

Before going into more details about what it’s like to have bad credit vs. no credit, it’s first important to understand what each term means. Credit scores are divided into tiers, ranging from “bad” to “excellent.” People with credit scores from 300 to the mid-600s are generally thought to have bad credit.  It’s difficult to be more specific because lenders have the final say on credit categories. People with no credit, on the other hand, are unlikely to even have a credit score. The label means you don’t have experience with your own loan or line of credit, at least not recently.

The easiest way to find out which credit category you fit into is to check your latest credit score for free on WalletHub. You’ll also get a personalized credit analysis, breaking down what you need to do to improve and how long that will take.

Although bad credit is more costly and difficult to deal with, neither bad credit nor no credit is a life sentence, fortunately. There are a number of ways to build or rebuild your credit, as the case may be. Still, there are plenty of differences between the two credit categories. And the table below showcases the most important ones.

Bad Credit vs No Credit

*Stats in this table are subject to change over time. But the difference between having no credit and bad credit should stay fairly consistent.

Which is worse? Bad credit by a big margin. It’s usually much easier to build good credit from scratch than it is to repair bad credit. And creditors are more likely to trust someone with a blank slate than someone with a history of making mistakes.

Whether you’re building or rebuilding your credit, the best approach is to use a credit card responsibly, even if that means placing a refundable security deposit on a secured card. First and foremost, responsible use means always paying your monthly bills on time. If you don’t trust yourself to do that, or to spend within reason, just get a credit card and don’t use it. Simply having an open account will improve your credit standing.   

For more tips, check out WalletHub’s credit improvement guide.