7 Best Credit Cards for No Credit History (Feb. 2024)

Best Credit Cards For No Credit History

Building excellent credit takes time and patience — but the best credit cards for no credit history provide a runway to help you get there faster.

A credit card can help you prove your financial responsibility and build a track record of on-time payments that lenders look for when considering applications for larger loans and credit cards for good credit.

Consider your first credit card to be the audition for your financial future. To nail the part of the savvy consumer, you must first prove you’re ready for that role. Here’s your chance.

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Best Cards for Those with No Credit History

Having bad credit and no credit are two very different things. But whether you’re looking to build — or rebuild — your credit, you’ll likely have to start with an entry-level credit card.

The cards listed below offer low credit limits but report your payment history to the credit reporting bureaus to help you improve your credit rating over time.

  • PREMIER Bankcard credit cards are for building credit.
  • Start building credit by keeping your balance low and paying all your bills on time each month.
  • When you need assistance our award-winning US-based Customer Service agents are there to help.
  • Credit Limit Increase Eligible after 12 months of consistent responsible account management.
  • We report monthly to the Consumer Reporting Agencies to help you build your credit.
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Application Length Interest Rate Reports Monthly Reputation Score
4 minutes See Provider Website Yes 9.0/10

The PREMIER Bankcard® Mastercard® Credit Card approves applicants with bad credit history or no credit history at all. You can use this card to build credit by keeping your balance low and paying your bills on time each month.

  • You don’t need good credit to apply.
  • We help people with bad credit, every day.
  • Just complete the short application and receive a response in 60 seconds.
  • You can build or rebuild your credit: apply for a PREMIER Bankcard credit card, keep your balance low, and pay all your monthly bills on time.
  • Don’t let a low FICO score stop you from applying – we approve applications others may not.
  • FICO scores are used to represent the creditworthiness of a person and may be one indicator to the credit type you are eligible for. However, credit score alone does not guarantee or imply approval for any PREMIER Bankcard® product.
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Application Length Interest Rate Reports Monthly Reputation Score
4 minutes See Provider Website Yes 9.0/10

Like its sibling card above, the PREMIER Bankcard® Mastercard® Credit Card comes with lots of features designed to help cardholders build credit. This includes automatic payment reminders, a free FICO credit score, and text or email alerts for purchase limits, PIN changes, and more.

  • Up to $1,000 credit limit doubles up to $2,000! (Simply make your first 6 monthly minimum payments on time)
  • All credit types welcome to apply!
  • Monthly Credit Score – Sign up for electronic statements, and get your Vantage 3.0 Score Credit Score From Experian
  • Initial Credit Limit of $300 – $1,000 (subject to available credit)
  • Monthly reporting to the three major credit bureaus
  • See if you’re Pre-Qualified without impacting your credit score
  • Fast and easy application process; results in seconds
  • Online account access 24/7
  • Checking Account Required
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Application Length Interest Rate Reports Monthly Reputation Score
9 minutes 29.99% APR (Variable) Yes 8.5/10

The Surge Mastercard® works well as a first-time credit card because it charges no program or enrollment fees that you often find with other cards in this category. It does, however, charge an annual fee. Surge card features a competitive interest rate and a maximum $1,000 initial credit limit — which also outpaces the credit limits with most cards in its class.

4. Credit One Bank® Platinum Visa® for Rebuilding Credit

This offer is currently not available.

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The Credit One Bank® Platinum Visa® for Rebuilding Credit is a rare rewards credit card for those without an established credit history. Cardholders receive 1% cash back on eligible purchases while maintaining a competitive interest rate. You’ll also receive free online access to your Experian credit score to help track your credit-building progress.

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Application Length Interest Rate Reports Monthly Reputation Score
9 minutes 35.99%* Yes 8.5/10

New Total Visa® Unsecured Credit Card members receive a maximum $300 initial credit limit when approved following a short application. You must also pay a one-time program fee before activating your card.

  • Greater access to credit than before - $700 credit limit
  • Get a Mastercard accepted online, in store and in app
  • Account history is reported to the three major credit bureaus in the U.S.
  • $0 liability* for unauthorized use
  • Access your account online or from your mobile device 24/7
  • *Fraud protection provided by Mastercard Zero Liability Protection. If approved, you'll receive the Mastercard Guide to Benefits that details the complete terms with your card.
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Application Length Interest Rate Reports Monthly Reputation Score
8 minutes See terms Yes 9.0/10

The Milestone® Mastercard® offers an easy online application that provides a same-day credit decision. Your payment and spending activity will also be reported to the credit reporting bureaus to help build your credit score.

Best Cards for Students with No Credit History

The cards listed below can help you build a credit history that will serve you long after graduation. As long as you spend within your means and pay every bill on time, you could enter the “real world” with an established pattern of financial responsibility that will impress most lenders.

7. Discover it® Student Cash Back

Discover it® Student Cash BackThe Discover it® Student Cash Back card allows you to earn cash back while you work hard in the classroom. This card pays 5% cash back on purchases made within quarterly categories you activate and 1% on all other purchases.

At the end of your first year with the card, Discover will match all the cash back you earn as part of its Cashback Match program.

8. Discover it® Student chrome

Discover it® Student chromeWith the Discover it® Student chrome, you’ll earn 2% cash back at gas stations and restaurants on up to $1,000 in combined purchases each quarter. All other purchases earn 1% cash back and the Discover Cashback Match program will match the total amount of cash back you earn during your first year.

The Discover it® Student chrome doesn’t charge an annual fee, nor do any of the other student cards on this list.

9. Journey Student Rewards from Capital One

Capital One JourneyThe popular Journey Student Rewards from Capital One has a two-tiered cash back structure that pays out 1% when you make your purchase and another 0.25% when you make an on-time payment. The card features no annual fee and gives all cardholders access to Eno® — a virtual assistant that helps manage your account via mobile text message.

Another cool feature with this card is the ability to earn access to a higher credit limit when you make six consecutive on-time payments.

Which Credit Card is Best for No Credit History?

There’s a pretty big difference between having no credit and having bad credit — and the credit card you choose should reflect the difference.

Bad credit means you have a history of financial mistakes. Having no credit means you’re credit invisible. Essentially, you have no (or not enough) recorded history of borrowing money from which the credit reporting bureaus can generate a reliable score.

Bad credit often means you’ll have to settle for cards that offer higher rates and other fees since the card issuer takes a risk with every card it approves for someone with a negative history. You shouldn’t incur penalties for not having a credit history.

The Surge Mastercard® is a great entry-level card because it only charges an annual fee when you activate your card. Most cards in this category charge both a program fee and an annual fee at the time of activation. Both can quickly eat away at your available balance.

The Surge Mastercard® also offers higher potential credit limits, with a maximum $1,000 limit for new cardholders.

How Do I Build My Credit with My First Credit Card?

Financial discipline, persistence, and patience. All three things sound boring and time-consuming, but they’re also the three keys that can take you from no credit to excellent credit.

FICO Score FactorsFive factors account for your overall credit score. While some of these are within your control, such as paying on time and keeping your credit card balances low, others aren’t so easy to manage.

As much as 15% of your credit score, for example, focuses on the age of your credit history. While lenders like to see on-time payments, it’s even more appealing when there’s a long history of them. Most lenders consider seven years to be a good length of credit history.

If you’re just starting out, the only way to build a lengthy history is to remain steadfast and patient.

Your credit mix also accounts for 10% of your credit score. Lenders like to see that you’re capable of handling multiple credit types. This means you can have different forms of loans — credit cards, personal loans, mortgages, auto loans, and others — to prove your creditworthiness.

Each of these factors acts as a single spoke in the wheel of your credit rating. You need all of them to obtain this elusive rating — so don’t try to rush your way to perfection.

How Fast Can You Build Credit?

You can start to build your credit history in a matter of months — but it takes far longer to build an excellent credit rating.

When you first start out, the credit reporting agencies need at least three months of account data before they can consider your payment patterns for scoring. That means three months of on-time payments can net you a score in the low-end of a good credit score, somewhere in the mid-600s.

From that point, your score can fluctuate wildly depending upon your behavior. Unfortunately, it can decrease much faster than it can increase. One late payment can drop your score by as many as 100 points, whereas you’ll likely only gain a few points each month as you continue to build a positive history.

Some new credit builders report surpassing the 700-mark within a year of starting their journey. You can improve your chances by keeping your balances low, your payments on-time, and improving your credit mix by adding a personal loan or another small loan to your credit-building portfolio.

That said, you should only take on debt that you’re certain you can pay off without problems. Adding debt only to improve your credit score often has the opposite effect, so be patient and your score will increase over time.

What Credit Score Do You Start With?

A common misconception is that people start with a credit score of zero. This isn’t true — partly because it’s impossible to have a credit score of zero.

Your FICO credit score, for example, can range between 300 and 850. But newcomers aren’t relegated to a 300 score. That’s reserved for consumers with tremendous negatives in their financial past.

FICO® Score Range

Instead, you start off with no score at all — also called being credit invisible. This means you haven’t generated enough financial information to calculate a reliable score.

You’ll need to put together at least three months of history before you can earn a credit score. Even then, there isn’t a set starting point.

If you only make on-time payments and keep your balances low, you’ll likely start out with a score between 650 and 670. If you continue that behavior, your score will steadily increase over time.

But if your first three months of recorded history includes a late or missed payment — or if you quickly charge your first credit card to its limit and let it sit there — you’re more likely to start out in the low- to mid-500s.

How Can I Get Excellent Credit?

Excellence doesn’t happen overnight. That’s true whether you’re writing a book, learning to cook, or mastering a jump shot.

The same goes for reaching excellent-credit status — which often starts around a score of 800. You won’t get there simply by making on-time payments.

People who have excellent credit keep their balances low, maintain a good credit mix, have a long history of accounts in good standing, and only apply for credit when needed.

All these behaviors take time and patience. Consider this a marathon and not a sprint. If you’re just starting out, don’t focus solely on getting excellent credit.

While that’s certainly a great long-term goal, you should first focus on generating a credit score. Then move to a good score, then a very good score.

Over time, as you pass these milestones, you’ll accumulate the knowledge and history needed to eventually break into excellent territory.

Building Credit Takes Time

No one likes being patient. We live in a society where we want what we want — and we want it now. But the truly important things in life take time to build. This can be a personal relationship, a career, or a credit score.

You’ll begin your journey to excellent credit when you start with one of the best credit cards for no credit history listed above. Just make sure you stay disciplined along your path. That means keeping your balances low, your limits high, and your payments on-time.

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