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Best credit cards for no credit history in October 2024

Updated October 13, 2024

Advertiser Disclosure: The listings that appear on the website are from credit card companies from which Bankrate receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site (including, for example, the order in which they appear). This site does not include all credit card companies or all available credit card offers. Here's an explanation for and how we rate our cards.

Best credit cards for no credit history in October 2024

Updated October 13, 2024

Advertiser Disclosure: The listings that appear on the website are from credit card companies from which Bankrate receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site (including, for example, the order in which they appear). This site does not include all credit card companies or all available credit card offers. Here's an explanation for and how we rate our cards.

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Showing 7 results

Best for students

Discover it® Student Cash Back

Bankrate score

star iconstar iconstar iconstar iconstar icon
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5.0
Bankrate review
No Credit History
Apply nowLock

on Discover's secure site

See Rates & Fees

Intro offer

Cashback Match

Rewards Rate

1% - 5%

Annual fee

$0

Regular APR

17.74% - 26.74% 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.

Best for credit line upgrade

Capital One Platinum Secured Credit Card

Bankrate score

star iconstar iconstar iconstar iconstar icon
star iconstar iconstar iconstar iconstar icon
4.1
Bankrate review
No Credit History
Apply nowLock

on Capital One's secure site

See Rates & Fees

Intro offer

N/A

Annual fee

$0

Regular APR

29.99% (Variable)

Why you'll like this: This card could give you a credit limit higher than your security deposit, which can give you some breathing room while you build your credit.

Best secured card for gas and dining

Discover it® Secured Credit Card

Bankrate score

star iconstar iconstar iconstar iconstar icon
star iconstar iconstar iconstar iconstar icon
4.5
Bankrate review
No Credit History
Apply nowLock

on Discover's secure site

See Rates & Fees

Intro offer

Cashback Match™

Rewards Rate

1% - 2%

Annual fee

$0

Regular APR

27.74% 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.

Best starter rewards card

Capital One Quicksilver Secured Cash Rewards Credit Card

Bankrate score

star iconstar iconstar iconstar iconstar icon
star iconstar iconstar iconstar iconstar icon
4.0
Bankrate review
No Credit History
Apply nowLock

on Capital One's secure site

See Rates & Fees

Intro offer

N/A

Rewards Rate

1.5% - 5%

Annual fee

$0

Regular APR

29.99% (Variable)

Why you'll like this: Its solid flat rate matches the flat rewards rate of most other cards, despite its status as a secured card.

Best for flexible deposit

Chime Credit Builder Secured Visa® Credit Card

Bankrate score

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star iconstar iconstar iconstar iconstar icon
4.2
Bankrate review
No Credit History
Apply nowLock

on Chime's secure site

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.

Best for building credit with savings

The Card with No Credit Check - The Secured Self Visa® Credit Card*

Bankrate score

star iconstar iconstar iconstar iconstar icon
star iconstar iconstar iconstar iconstar icon
3.1
Bankrate review
No Credit History
Apply nowLock

on Self's secure site

Intro offer

N/A

Annual fee

$25

Regular APR

29.24% (Variable)

Why you'll like this: You can diversify your credit mix with just one product to build credit fast — and without a security deposit.

Best for no credit check

OpenSky® Secured Visa® Credit Card

Bankrate score

star iconstar iconstar iconstar iconstar icon
star iconstar iconstar iconstar iconstar icon
3.1
Bankrate review
No Credit History
Apply nowLock

on Capital Bank's secure site

Intro offer

N/A

Annual fee

$35

Regular APR

25.64% (variable)

Why you'll like this: With solid financials, you can deposit up to $3,000 to establish a strong credit line with plenty of breathing room to build credit.

compare
Compare

Compare Bankrate's top credit cards for no credit history

Card name Best for Annual fee Regular APR Bankrate review score

Students

$0
Intro Offer: Cashback Match
Info Icon
Regular APR: 17.74% - 26.74% Variable APR

5.0 / 5

Info Icon
(Read card review)
Apply now Lock Icon
on Discover's secure site

Credit line upgrade

$0
Intro Offer: N/A
Regular APR: 29.99% (Variable)

4.1 / 5

Info Icon
(Read card review)
Apply now Lock Icon
on Capital One's secure site

Secured card for gas and dining

$0
Intro Offer: Cashback Match™
Info Icon
Regular APR: 27.74% Variable APR

4.5 / 5

Info Icon
(Read card review)
Apply now Lock Icon
on Discover's secure site

Starter rewards card

$0
Intro Offer: N/A
Regular APR: 29.99% (Variable)

4.0 / 5

Info Icon
(Read card review)
Apply now Lock Icon
on Capital One's secure site

Flexible deposit

None
Intro Offer: N/A
Regular APR: N/A

4.2 / 5

Info Icon
(Read card review)
Apply now Lock Icon
on Chime's secure site

Building credit with savings

$25
Intro Offer: N/A
Regular APR: 29.24% (Variable)

3.1 / 5

Info Icon
(Read card review)
Apply now Lock Icon
on Self's secure site

No credit check

$35
Intro Offer: N/A
Regular APR: 25.64% (variable)

3.1 / 5

Info Icon
(Read card review)
Apply now Lock Icon
on Capital Bank's secure site

Advice about cards for no credit history

Most credit cards and loans have credit score requirements for qualification. If you have no credit history, you won’t be able to qualify for many credit cards, including some of the most valuable rewards cards. Before issuers are willing to work with you, they want to know that you’re a reliable borrower who pays your accounts regularly and on time. 

If you don’t have a credit history, your credit card choices are more limited than if you have fair credit, which is already restrictive. Here’s some expert advice to help you choose a secured card or another credit-building card that can steer you toward your ultimate financial goals. 

How to choose a card for no credit

Here are some tips to help you find the right card when you have no credit.

  1. Review the application requirements. Some cards for no credit history don’t require a credit check or use other means to determine creditworthiness, such as rent payments and financial history. Some also don’t require a Social Security number to apply, but you’ll need to provide basic information to verify your identity.
  2. Understand the costs and fees. When you’re focused on building your credit score, you don’t want to risk additional costs that might cause you to carry a balance. Typically, secured credit cards require an upfront security deposit that the issuer uses as collateral if you default on payments. If you don’t want a security deposit, consider an unsecured card for building credit.
  3. Look for additional credit-building features. Opportunities for credit line increases and a security deposit refund are some of the best features to look for. Some issuers let you upgrade to an unsecured card with a potentially higher credit limit once you've established a positive payment history.
  4. Check for preapproval. A hard inquiry will temporarily lower your credit score, but prequalified offers can help you choose a card you’re more likely to qualify for without risking your credit score. You can use Bankrate's CardMatch™ to get personalized card recommendations and see your approval odds.
  5. Limit your applications. You want to present yourself as a stable applicant, and applying for multiple cards in a short period of time could signal to lenders that you want more credit than you can responsibly handle, and multiple hard credit checks can add up and temporarily lower your credit score.
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Bankrate Insight

About 28 million Americans are credit invisible, meaning they have no traditional credit report with the three major credit bureaus. Without a documented credit history, lenders have no record of your ability to pay back debt.

How real people use cards to establish credit history

Discover and Chase cards are popular among Reddit users in the r/CreditCards subreddit, with several people praising the Discover it® Secured Credit Card and Chase Freedom® Rise℠ Card for their generous rewards and low cost. Users also pointed to cards like the Capital One Platinum Secured Credit Card and various student cards as options for people with limited credit history.

“Chase Freedom Rise is my pick. To what others have said, it’s an unsecured credit builder card without any real disadvantages when compared to ‘normal’ cards. This can also be useful for you down the road, since you can establish a relationship with Chase, and Chase has some of the best rewards cards on the market. It also offers a good product change path, as the [Chase Freedom Flex℠ and Chase Freedom Unlimited®] are both fantastic cards to have.”

Reddit user*

Whichever route you take, it’s best to look for cards that ideally offer a clear upgrade path to better cards down the line. But if you don’t want a secured card, more high-quality cards are available than those designed solely for a low credit score. Bankrate editor Steve Dashiell offers insight on just how many options you have for building credit, even if you have no credit history.

“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 accountholder’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, Editor, Credit Cards

*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.

Our data: Is bad credit better than no credit?

A common question from potential cardholders is whether having bad credit is better than having no credit. Given the nature of FICO credit scoring, this is a fair question, because generally, the higher your credit score, the better. So is having no credit worse than having a 500 credit score?

We looked at our proprietary data of Bankrate readers who applied for a card on our site in 2023 to see the difference in card approvals based on credit score. Bankrate users with no credit history were almost 33 percent more likely to get approval for cards on our site than users with bad credit. These trends suggest that having no credit can slightly increase your chances of qualifying for a credit card than having bad credit.

The truth is, you’re in a much better position with no credit score than you are with a poor credit score. When you have no credit score, it simply means you don’t have any credit activity that would reflect on your credit reports. You haven’t done poorly to have a low credit score — you just haven’t done anything at all. However, having a bad credit score means you made some credit missteps in your journey like missing payments, defaulting on accounts or using too much of your available credit.

Remember that your credit score isn’t the only factor issuers consider when reviewing credit card applications. They might also consider your income, homeownership status and other financial factors.

How we assess the best cards for building credit

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50+
cards rated
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500+
data points analyzed
Debt Icon
250+
fees tracked
Credit Card Reviews Icon
40+
perks evaluated

When evaluating the best cards available with a limited credit history, we consider a mix of factors, including how cards score in our proprietary card rating system and whether cards offer features that make it easy to build credit history while keeping costs low.

We analyzed over 50 of the most popular cards designed for people with a limited credit history and rated each based on its cost, APR, credit-building features and more to determine whether it belonged in this month’s roundup.

Here are some of the key factors that we considered: 

Build credit, minimize fees

  • Cost 45.00%
  • Ease of building credit 25.00%
  • APR 10.00%
  • Perks 10.00%
  • Customer experience 10.00%

Have more questions for our credit cards editors? Feel free to send us an email, find us on Facebook, or Tweet us @Bankrate.

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.

Frequently asked questions about credit cards for no credit history