Best Starter Credit Cards

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 even a passport in some cases).

Some of the Best Credit Cards for People With No Credit

Secured credit cards are the easiest credit cards to get with no credit. However, you will have to put down a refundable security deposit of at least $200 - $300 to open the account (depending on the card). 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 higher fees.

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

The banks with the easiest credit cards to get include Bank of America and Capital One. Both of these major banks are common choices for first credit cards. That’s because both have credit cards for every level of credit standing.

If you have bad credit or no credit, the best banks are the ones that offer secured credit cards. Capital One, Bank of America, Citibank, and U.S. Bank are some of the major banks that offer this type of cards. Secured credit cards require a deposit, which serves as your credit limit. And in general, you can get a secured credit card with bad credit.

Here are some of the easiest credit cards to get:

Other things to consider before getting a credit card:

It's worth noting that any previously-existing relationships you have with banks may come in handy, too. If the bank you have a checking account with offers a credit card, that will likely be an easy bank to get a credit card from.

Your established relationship with your bank gives them access to your day-to-day deposit account history, which doesn’t show up on your credit report. So, that’s extra potentially good information that’s available to your bank and not to other card issuers you might apply for a credit card with.

You can start building credit for the first time by applying for a starter credit card and using it responsibly. Either making purchases and paying the bill on time or simply maintaining a $0 balance will build your credit history and improve your credit score.

There are some other ways to build credit for the first time, too. You can learn about the best options below.

Ways to Start Building Credit for the First Time

1. Apply for a starter credit card for people with no credit. Student credit cards have the best terms.
2. Apply and pay for a credit-builder loan.
3. Take out a loan without a credit score requirement or with no credit check.
4. Pay a small deposit for a secured credit card.
5. Put down collateral to obtain a secured personal loan.
6. Become an authorized user on a family member’s or friend’s credit card account.
7. Have a family member or friend co-sign a loan for you.
8. Use a third-party company to report your on-time rent or utility payments to the credit bureaus.  

You can learn more about how to build your credit, as well as access personalized tips for improving your score, here at WalletHub.

You can also compare the best credit cards for people with no credit and no-credit loans.

The best Chase credit card for beginners is the Chase Freedom® Student credit card because it accepts applicants with limited credit and reports to the three main credit bureaus on a monthly basis. The Freedom Student card also has a $0 annual fee and gives 1% cash back on purchases.

This is a student credit card, which means only people enrolled in college can qualify. Chase does not currently offer any general-consumer credit cards for people with limited credit.

Best Chase Credit Cards for Beginners

If you already have good credit or better, you can find more options among the latest Chase credit card offers. If you don’t yet have a lot of credit history, you can compare the best credit cards for beginners.

A good starter credit card for students is the Chase Freedom® Student credit card. This card has a $0 annual fee and offers $50 after your first purchase made in the first 3 months. Plus, you can earn 1% cash back on all purchases.

It is worth noting that nearly all student credit cards qualify as starter credit cards. That is because you can get approved for these cards with limited or no credit history.

Here are some of the best starter credit cards for students:

In general, student credit cards are the best starter credit cards because they’re easy to get without prior experience. Plus, these cards usually offer far better terms than an inexperienced applicant would ordinarily receive. That’s because lenders want to appeal to students in the hope of gaining a long-term customer who may land a well-paying job upon graduation.

Ultimately, you can check out our editors’ latest picks on the best credit cards for students with no credit to see which better suits your needs.

Most people consider their first credit card to be a “starter” credit card. As such, the types of people who typically need starter credit cards include:

• Young People
• Immigrants
• Divorcees & Widowers (who haven’t had credit under their own name in the last few years)

All of these groups tend to have minimal credit history, either because they haven’t been eligible to access credit for very long or because circumstances that previously allowed them to rely on another party’s credit standing have changed.

Some of us may also seek out starter credit cards when looking to start our financial lives over after previous mistakes, such as missed payments, account default, or even bankruptcy.

The best instant approval credit cards offer really good rewards, low interest promotions and low fees, in addition to approving qualified applicants within minutes. Instant approval credit cards will evaluate applications in real time so that most people are able to get a decision – either approved or denied – right away. Getting an instant decision ultimately depends on the credit card company’s ability to validate your identity (some offers are from WalletHub partners). If a credit card issuer is unable to validate your identity, they may request additional information and take a few days to process the application.

The cards listed below offer high approval odds for people with bad credit, in addition to instant approval for some applicants. After all, people typically search for instant approval credit cards when they’re having trouble getting other cards due to damaged credit, and using a credit card responsibly is the key to rebuilding credit.
 
If you want to increase your odds of getting instant approval, focus on cards that are suitable for your credit standing. The higher your credit score is, the more instant approval credit cards there will be.

Best Instant Approval Credit Cards (2023)

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