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Best for students
Cardholder rating
Intro offer
Cashback Match
Rewards Rate
1% - 5%
Annual fee
$0
Regular APR
17.24% - 26.24% Variable APR
Why you'll like this:This card is every bit as valuable as its non-student counterpart, which is rare for a student card.
Reward Details
What you should know
Card Details
Best for a low deposit
Cardholder rating
Intro offer
N/A
Annual fee
$0
Regular APR
29.74% (Variable)
Why you'll like this:This card can give you a credit limit higher than your security deposit if you pay less than $200, giving you some breathing room while you build your credit.
What you should know
Card Details
Best secured card
Cardholder rating
Intro offer
Cashback Match
Rewards Rate
1% - 2%
Annual fee
$0
Regular APR
27.24% Variable APR
Why you'll like this:This card earns twice as many rewards as most other cards’ base rewards rates in two popular spending categories.
Reward Details
What you should know
Card Details
Best for no deposit
Intro offer
$25 statement credit
Rewards Rate
1.5%
Annual fee
$0
Regular APR
25.99%
Why you'll like this:It’s a great fit if you want a low-cost, rewarding starter card that doesn’t require a deposit.
Reward Details
What you should know
Card Details
Best for accessible credit
Intro offer
N/A
Rewards Rate
1% - Up to 15%
Annual fee
N/A
Regular APR
0% APR
Why you'll like this:You can build your credit while earning interest on funds you deposit on the card.
Reward Details
Why you’ll like this
Card Details
Best starter rewards card
Cardholder rating
Intro offer
N/A
Rewards Rate
1.5% - 5%
Annual fee
$0
Regular APR
29.74% (Variable)
Why you'll like this:Its solid flat rate matches the flat rewards rate of most other flat-rate cards, despite its status as a secured card.
Reward Details
What you should know
Card Details
Best for flexible credit line
Cardholder rating
Intro offer
N/A
Annual fee
None
Regular APR
N/A
Why you'll like this:You can build credit in a safer manner compared to other cards, without worrying about extra fees and high interest rates.
What you should know
Card Details
Best for building a credit mix
Cardholder rating
Intro offer
N/A
Annual fee
$0 annual fee for the first year only, $25 annual fee thereafter.
Regular APR
28.24% APR Variable
Why you'll like this:You can diversify your credit mix with just one product to build credit fast, without a security deposit.
What you should know
Card Details
Best for no bank account
Cardholder rating
Intro offer
N/A
Annual fee
$35
Regular APR
24.64% (variable)
Why you'll like this:If you have negative marks on your credit report, you could have an easier time qualifying for this card than other credit-builder cards.
Reward Details
What you should know
Card Details
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Compare Bankrate's top credit cards for no credit history
Students | Intro Offer: Cashback Match Intro Offer: Unlimited Cashback Match for all new cardmembers – only from Discover. Discover will automatically match all the cash back you’ve earned at the end of your first year! There’s no minimum spending or maximum rewards. So you could turn $50 cash back into $100. Or turn $100 cash back into $200. Regular APR: 17.24% - 26.24% Variable APR | 5.0 / 5 Our writers, editors and industry experts score credit cards based on a variety of factors including card features, bonus offers and independent research. Credit card issuers have no say or influence on how we rate cards. Apply now on Discover's secure site | ||
Low deposit | Intro Offer: N/A Regular APR: 29.74% (Variable) | 4.1 / 5 Our writers, editors and industry experts score credit cards based on a variety of factors including card features, bonus offers and independent research. Credit card issuers have no say or influence on how we rate cards. Apply now on Capital One's secure site | ||
Secured card | Intro Offer: Cashback Match Intro Offer: Unlimited Cashback Match for all new cardmembers—only from Discover. Discover will automatically match all the cash back you’ve earned at the end of your first year! There’s no minimum spending or maximum rewards. Regular APR: 27.24% Variable APR | 5.0 / 5 Our writers, editors and industry experts score credit cards based on a variety of factors including card features, bonus offers and independent research. Credit card issuers have no say or influence on how we rate cards. Apply now on Discover's secure site | ||
No deposit | Intro Offer: $25 statement credit Earn a $25 statement credit after signing up for automatic payments within the first three months of opening your account. With automatic payments, just pick a date and dollar amount to make sure your Credit Card gets paid on time. Regular APR: 25.99% | 4.2 / 5 Our writers, editors and industry experts score credit cards based on a variety of factors including card features, bonus offers and independent research. Credit card issuers have no say or influence on how we rate cards. Apply now on Chase's secure site | ||
Accessible credit | Intro Offer: N/A Regular APR: 0% APR | 3.0 / 5 Our writers, editors and industry experts score credit cards based on a variety of factors including card features, bonus offers and independent research. Credit card issuers have no say or influence on how we rate cards. Apply now on Firstcard's secure site | ||
Starter rewards card | Intro Offer: N/A Regular APR: 29.74% (Variable) | 4.2 / 5 Our writers, editors and industry experts score credit cards based on a variety of factors including card features, bonus offers and independent research. Credit card issuers have no say or influence on how we rate cards. Apply now on Capital One's secure site | ||
Flexible credit line | Intro Offer: N/A Regular APR: N/A | 4.2 / 5 Our writers, editors and industry experts score credit cards based on a variety of factors including card features, bonus offers and independent research. Credit card issuers have no say or influence on how we rate cards. Apply now on Chime's secure site | ||
Building a credit mix | Intro Offer: N/A Regular APR: 28.24% APR Variable | 3.1 / 5 Our writers, editors and industry experts score credit cards based on a variety of factors including card features, bonus offers and independent research. Credit card issuers have no say or influence on how we rate cards. Apply now on Self's secure site | ||
No bank account | Intro Offer: N/A Regular APR: 24.64% (variable) | 3.1 / 5 Our writers, editors and industry experts score credit cards based on a variety of factors including card features, bonus offers and independent research. Credit card issuers have no say or influence on how we rate cards. Apply now on OpenSky's secure site |
What makes a great card for no credit?
While you're researching which cards are the best fit to establish your credit profile, here are a few factors to help you determine which options are a cut above the rest.
Agreat secured card only requires just the typical $200 minimum deposit, although a few cards may allow a lower deposit or a deposit value of your choice (like a prepaid card). There aren't many unsecured cards available that don’t require a credit history, but the few on the market typically charge higher rates and fees to skip the upfront deposit — and may provide a lower credit limit.
Great examples:Capital One Platinum Secured Credit Card,Discover it® Secured Credit Card,Chase Freedom Rise®,Chime Credit Builder Secured Visa® Credit Card
Typically, secured cards require an upfront security deposit (which can be later refunded), so the best options don't charge an annual fee. If you don’t want a card that requires a security deposit, consider anunsecured card for building credit. However, these unsecured cards may commonly come with a $59 to $99 annual fee.
Great examples:Discover it® Secured Credit Card,Discover it® Student Cash Back, Chime Credit Builder Secured Visa® Credit Card, Chase Freedom Rise®
Opportunities for credit line increases and asecurity deposit refund are some of the best features to kick-start your credit-building journey. Some issuers let youupgrade to an unsecured card with a potentially higher credit limit once you've established a positive payment history, and some of the best credit-building cards automatically review your account for this potential upgrade after six or seven months.
Great examples:Discover it® Secured Credit Card, Capital One Platinum Secured Credit Card,Navy Federal Credit Union nRewards® Secured Card*,Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards Secured Credit Card*
Rewards aren't a given among cards for no credit since building credit is the focus. However, you're more likely to find a consistent rewards rate with a secured card than an unsecured credit-building card.
Great examples:Discover it® Secured Credit Card, Discover it® Student Cash Back, Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards Secured Credit Card*
A hard inquiry will temporarilylower your credit score, but cards with preapproved or prequalified offers can help you gauge your approval odds and make your final decision without risking your credit score. You can also useBankrate's CardMatch™ to get personalized card recommendations with approval odds for an extra vote of confidence.
Great examples:Discover it® Secured Credit Card,OpenSky® Secured Visa® Credit Card
Bankrate insight
About 28 million Americans are"credit invisible," meaning they have no traditional credit report with the three major credit bureaus. Without adocumented credit history, lenders have no record of your ability to pay back debt, which could make it harder to borrow money, obtain excellent insurance coverage and some housing or job opportunities.
The data behind getting approved with no credit
Issuers begantightening their credit approval standards in 2021 in the wake of the pandemic, and issuers have continued decreasing their approval ratings slowly since. In fact, Bankrate’s2025 Credit Denials Survey showed that 48 percent of Americans who’ve applied for a loan, credit card or other financial product over the past 12 months have been rejected — with about 1 in 8 people being rejected for a credit card, although this figure is much higher for younger applicants (those more likely to have no credit or a thin credit profile).
Unfortunately, we don’t expect this to improve in the immediate future due economic uncertainties and theFederal Reserve’s prime rate remaining steady to attempt to balance these factors.
Ourproprietary data echoes this trend, indicating that11.03 percent of Bankrate users with thin credit who applied for a card on our pages were approved — a fairly low approval rate — and slightly lower than the 13.70 percent approval rate we saw at the beginning of April 2025. This is in line with the approval rate changes we’ve seen since then across other credit ranges. Approval rates only decreased a percentage point or less for those with excellent and fair credit, but applicants with good, bad and even thin credit experienced about a 2 to 3 percent drop.
Although it can be hard to say which individual cards offer the best approval odds, you should have a better chance with cards on this page. For an extra vote of confidence, our data also shows more Bankrate users applied to these starter cards than any other (in order of number of card applications):
- Discover it® Student Cash Back
- Capital One Platinum Credit Card
- Capital One QuicksilverOne Cash Rewards Credit Card
- Capital One Platinum Secured Credit Card
- Milestone® Mastercard® - $1,000 Credit Limit
- Chime Credit Builder Secured Visa® Credit Card
- Firstcard® Secured Credit Builder Card with Cashback
- OpenSky® Secured Visa® Credit Card
- Discover it® Secured Credit Card
- Nav Prime Card
- Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards Secured credit card*
Bankrate's experience with building credit
How you can best build credit will depend on what you’re most comfortable with and what you can afford. In my case, I moved out for college before I was old enough to qualify for a secured card or student card, and the authorized user route would have made it harder to manage my own account. Instead, I was able to open a joint credit card with my father at the credit union my family used. A joint credit union card let me learn the ropes with an unsecured $1,500 credit line and lower rates and fees than major card issuers typically provide.
Bankrate expertsSteve Dashiell,Benét J. Wilson andHarlan Vaughn offer insight on just how many options you have for building credit, even if you have no credit history.
Bankrate staff insights
“Rather than thinking of your lack of credit history as a negative, think of it as a blank slate. You’re unproven to most lenders, which means that while you may not qualify for some of those juicy high-earning rewards cards, you still have a variety of credit-building options available through most issuers.
And if you don’t feel comfortable managing your own credit card just yet, you can do what I did: ask to become an authorized user on a trusted family member’s credit card. This lets both of you benefit from the main cardholder’s credit habits but frees you from managing payments. Once your score improves, and you become more comfortable with how a credit card works, you can apply for a card in your own name.”
Steve Dashiell, Bankrate credit cards editor“I got the BankAmericard® Credit Card for Students* in 1981 — during the wild west of credit cards when card companies recruited at colleges with free T-shirts, Frisbees and maybe even a beer (depending on the state's drinking age back then). You'd get a flyer with the fine print, but we were too busy tossing Frisbees to actually read it.
I got the card because my grandfather was a bank manager at Bank of America, and he walked me through the fine print (which I forgot five minutes after the lecture). Looking back, I would have chosen the same card, but I would have been a lot more responsible with it.”
Benét J. Wilson, Bankrate credit cards lead writer“My first credit card was a Chase student card that's no longer available. I used its $500 credit limit for books and supplies in college, and I still use it regularly 22 years later after eventually upgrading it to a Chase Freedom Unlimited® card. It has served me incredibly well for over many life changes and is an anchor in my credit history.”
Harlan Vaughn, Bankrate credit cards senior editor*The quotes and citations included on this page have been verified by our editorial team and are accurate as of the posting date. Be sure to check the issuer's website/terms and conditions for all up-to-date content. Outlinked content may contain views and opinions that do not reflect the views and opinions of Bankrate.
How to make the most of your starter card
When you have no credit, you won’t be approved for top-shelf, premium rewards cards, but you do have the advantage of starting with a clean slate. Havingno credit can be better than having bad credit since you can establish yourself as a reliable credit user at the start, but you’ll need to be careful and disciplined with your starter card to make the most of this opportunity. Here are a few pointers to start your credit profile off on the right foot:
- Always pay on time.
The biggestfactor in your credit score is your payment history, so always paying your monthly minimum card payment on time is the best thing you can do to lay a trustworthy credit foundation. Setting up an autopayment could help keep you on track, and also avoid the sky-high interest rates, penalty APR and other fees that starter cards usually carry.
- Pay off your balance each month (or keep it as low as possible).
Naturally, it takes some time to establish a good payment history and alengthy credit age (another credit scoring factor). Your credit utilization accounts for about a third of your score, and it's the biggest factor you can actively control, so it's important to pay off your card in full each month. If you absolutely must carry a balance for a short time, keep your balance below 30 percent of your available credit if you can.
- Save up for a large security deposit, and plan for unexpected expenses.
Keeping a low credit utilization ratio could be challenging if you have an emergency expense since credit-building cards typically have smaller credit lines. You may want to consider a secured card if this is a concern since you can save up for a larger deposit and obtain a matching, higher credit limit. It may be harder to develop a back-up plan if you choose an unsecured card with a traditionally low limit, but if your card earns rewards, stockpiling cash back for a rainy day could help.
- Consider keeping your first credit account open.
Closing your first credit card couldhurt your credit score if you don't have a lengthy credit history with more than one credit account. It could be worth keeping your starter card open until your credit profile is a bit more seasoned. Don’t forget to use the card occasionally to prevent it from closing for inactivity as well. Setting up autopayment and using the card for a recurring purchase (like a streaming or subscription service) is one of the easiest ways to keep a card active and paid off.
Frequently asked questions about credit cards for no credit history
Since your payment history and the length of your credit history combine to be the biggest factors indetermining your credit score, building up to a prime credit score can take some time — especially if you’ve made some credit missteps in the past. Fortunately, having no credit history can expedite the process since you’restarting with a clean slate.
Thefastest way to build up good credit is by paying your balance on time, which can establish a positive credit history on your FICO report after your first six months and after just a month or two on your VantageScore report.
- It's possible to access a credit card without a job or a credit history. Here are a few options to consider:
- Find a co-signer: Having aco-signer on your credit card application could bolster your chances of approval depending on the strength of your co-signer’s credit history, income and other factors.
- Get a secured credit card: Rather than income, a secured credit card prioritizes whether or not you can pay a security deposit. If you can afford theupfront cost of a security deposit, then this type of card might be accessible even without a job.
- Apply for a joint credit card account: Some banks may allow you to apply for a joint credit card with someone, like a spouse or partner. Both applicants get a credit check, but the income is considered jointly.
You can’t get approval for your own credit card if you’reunder 18. For applicants younger than 21 years old, theCredit CARD Act of 2009 requires proof of independent income or a parent or guardian cosigner.
Credit card applications also ask for your annual income, so you must have an income source or access to one.If you don’t have an independent source of income, you may list your parent’s, guardian's or partner’s income as long as you have “reasonable expectation of access,” like having a shared bank account.
If you don’t want a credit card or are having a hard time qualifying for one, here’s how you canbuild your credit without using a credit card:
How we choose the best cards for building credit
We select cards for “Best” credit cards pages based primarily on how cards score in ourproprietary card rating system, our editors’ subjective assessment of card quality, card approval odds and credit requirements and unique card features.
Cards typically must score a minimum of 3.0 stars to be included on a “Best” list. However, we may include cards with scores below 3.0 if they have low credit requirements or unique features — despite their scores, these cards may still be among the “best” in certain categories. Card ratings are not influenced by advertisers or issuer relationships in any way.
Card selection and ordering may vary based on business considerations, including Bankrate visitor interest, site interactions and card application volume. Affiliate commissions (see how we make money), limited-time offers and a card’s general popularity in the product landscape may also influence which cards we feature on our pages and the order in which they appear. Bankrate’s editorial and business teams also strive to feature a variety of card types from various issuers.
Here’s a quick look at how our rating methodology breaks down for cards available with no credit history:
Build credit, minimize fees
Cards available with no credit score can include no-annual-fee secured cards, pricey unsecured cards and many options in between. While fees tend to be a bit more forgiving on cards designed for people with limited credit than cards available with bad credit, cost is still a major consideration. As such, cost is a key factor in our credit-building card rating methodology, along with how easy it is to build credit with the card.
Here’s how overall scoring breaks down for credit-building cards.
- Cost45.00%
- Ease of building credit25.00%
- APR10.00%
- Perks10.00%
- Customer experience10.00%
A credit-building card’s cost has a large influence on its overall score and our decision to include it in our best cards list. This is because cards in this category tend to be much pricier than traditional credit cards designed for people with a good or better credit score.
We compare a card’s total cost, including any annual fees, account activation fees, monthly fees and more against the total cost of other cards in the credit-building category and assign each card a score based on its affordability. We also factor rewards-earning potential into our assessment of a credit-building card’s total cost, subtracting expected earnings from the sum of its fees.
To get a sense of a credit-building card’s rewards-earning potential, we estimate its average annual rewards rate and average annual earnings based on the most popular spending categories (as covered in the latestBureau of Labor Statistics consumer spending report).
However, we use a slightly lower spending assumption ($300 per month or $3,600 per year) to estimate average earnings, assuming credit-builders will start out with a lower credit limit, will want to keep credit utilization low and will focus primarily on small purchases they can easily pay off.
While low-cost credit-building cards will always be at a major advantage in our scoring system and will likely earn a higher spot on our best cards list, no-annual-fee credit-building cards can be hard to come by, especially if you’re looking for an unsecured card. With this in mind, we may include unsecured cards with high fees in our list if they offer other benefits for credit-builders, like a high starting credit limit or useful perks.
A card’s APR is also a major factor in its credit-building score. Each card’s average APR is compared against the average APR of other cards in the category, and the cards with lower-than-average APRs receive a higher rating.
Given the many costs students face — from textbooks to laptops — the presence of an introductory APR on purchases or balance transfers also plays a role in a student card’s score and its inclusion on our list.
Though high APRs are hard to avoid when you’re just starting out or working on your score, credit-builders and students should strive for as low an APR as possible since they’re likely to either be new to managing cards or trying to establish better financial habits and avoid falling into debt.
Along with a credit-building card’s cost, we consider how easy the card makes it to build credit. To assess this, we evaluate its credit limit potential and minimum deposit requirement.
Unsecured cards with a high starting credit limit and secured cards that let you put down a large deposit and get a matching high credit limit will score the highest according to our “Ease of building credit” rubric and are more likely to appear on our list.
This is because a high credit limit can make it much easier to keep your credit utilization low, a primary credit-building factor that makes up 30 percent of your FICO credit score.
Secured cards have a slight advantage in this category since the maximum credit limit on a secured card tends to be much higher than the typical starting credit limit on an unsecured card that’s available with a bad or fair credit score. However, unsecured credit-building cards have the upper hand in another key aspect of building credit: accessibility.
Cards that carry no or a low deposit requirement can also receive a high score according to our “Ease of building credit” rubric since these cards offer a lower barrier to entry than secured cards that require you to put up hundreds of dollars in an upfront deposit.
Indeed, some users may prefer to pay a non-refundable $50 annual fee while they work on their credit score than tie up hundreds in a refundable security deposit.
We evaluate a student or credit-building card’s benefits based on how useful they are for someone looking to build a positive credit history or save money on everyday spending.
We consider the inclusion of a rewards program, student-centric perks, access to your credit score or a credit monitoring service of prime importance, along with the ability to prequalify for the card with only a soft credit pull and a clear path to increase your credit limit or graduate to an unsecured or full-fledged rewards card.
Cards that include these benefits are likely to score higher according to our credit-building card and student card scoring rubrics and are more likely to earn a place in our list.
Have more questions for our credit cards editors? Feel free to send us anemail, find us onFacebook, or Tweet us@Bankrate.
*The information about the BankAmericard® Credit Card for Students, Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards Secured Credit Card, Citi® Secured Mastercard® and Navy Federal Credit Union nRewards® Secured Card has been collected independently by Bankrate.com. The card details have not been reviewed or approved by the card issuer.
For Capital One products listed on this page, some of the benefits may be provided by Visa® or Mastercard® and may vary by product. See the respective Guide to Benefits for details, as terms and exclusions apply.
We use primary sources to support our work. Bankrate’s authors, reporters and editors are subject-matter experts who thoroughly fact-check editorial content to ensure the information you’re reading is accurate, timely and relevant.
“Financial inclusion and access to credit.” OliverWyman. Accessed on June 12, 2025.
“Credit Card Accountability Responsibility and Disclosure Act of 2009 (Credit CARD Act).” Federal Trade Commission. Accessed on June 12, 2025.
* See the online application for details about terms and conditions for these offers. Every reasonable effort has been made to maintain accurate information. However all credit card information is presented without warranty. After you click on the offer you desire you will be directed to the credit card issuer's web site where you can review the terms and conditions for your selected offer.
Editorial Disclosure: Opinions expressed here are the author's alone, and have not been reviewed or approved by any advertiser. The information, including card rates and fees, is accurate as of the publish date. All products or services are presented without warranty. Check the bank's website for the most current information.