Best credit cards for no credit history in March 2023

Discover it^® Student Cash Back: Best student card with rotating bonus categories

• What we love about the Discover it^® Student Cash Back: Discover is one of the few issuers to offer an intro APR offer for students with little-to-no credit history. 
• Who this card is good for: Students who don’t mind tracking and enrolling in bonus categories to maximize reward earning potential.
• Alternatives: The Discover it® Student chrome offers rewards on a couple of popular spending categories like dining and gas, but skips out on the hassle of tracking and enrolling in bonus categories each quarter.

Read our Discover it® Student Cash Back review.
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Discover it^® Secured Credit Card: Best secured card with rewards

• What we love about the Discover it^® Secured Credit Card: Discover will automatically match all of the cash back that you earned at the end of your first year — a great bargain for a starter credit card.
• Who this card is good for: Foodies, roadtrippers and credit-builders alike who want to earn rewards but may not have the credit requirements for a more lucrative rewards card.
• Alternatives: If you don’t mind keeping up with rotating categories and enrollment dates (and you’re a student), the Discover it^® Student Cash Back has the same welcome offer program and higher rewards rates in specified bonus categories.

Read our Discover it® Secured Credit Card Review.
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Capital One Platinum Secured Credit Card: Best for accessing a higher credit line

• What we love about the Capital One Platinum Secured: This card is one of the only secured options that may reward you with a credit limit that’s higher than your initial deposit. You also have the option to pay the security deposit in installments over a 35-day period.
• Who this card is good for: People focusing solely on building credit who aren’t set on earning rewards.
• Alternatives: The Citi Secured Mastercard is another low-cost and no-fuss option for anyone who is set on building credit first before needing the added incentive of earning rewards.

Read our Capital One Platinum Secured Credit Card Review.
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Self – Credit Builder Account with Secured Visa Credit Card: Best for building credit with savings

• What we love about the Self-Credit Builder Account with Secured Visa Credit Card: The combination of a savings account and a secured credit card, especially because neither requires a hard inquiry on your credit report.
• Who this card is good for: Enthusiastic credit-builders who want to build savings while building credit or who want a headstart on establishing a credit mix.
• Alternatives: A more straightforward card with rewards is the Discover it® Secured Credit Card. A standard $200 security deposit will get you immediate access to a credit line and rewards on spending in a few popular categories.

Read our Self — Credit Builder Account with Secured Visa Credit Card review.
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Capital One Quicksilver Secured Cash Rewards Credit Card: Best for flat-rate rewards

• What we love about the Capital One Quicksilver Secured: This card is one of only a handful of secured cards that earns rewards and offers cardholders the chance to graduate to an unsecured credit card with responsible use.
• Who this card is good for: Credit-builders interested in upgrading to a Capital One rewards card after they’ve improved their credit score. 
• Alternatives: The Merrick Bank Secured Credit Card won’t earn rewards, but it offers the same low APR to all qualifying cardholders, regardless of credit history. If you aren’t able to pay your balances in full each month, having a low APR is much more important than earning rewards. Or, if you’re looking for ways to build credit outside of getting a credit card, you can tap into tools like UltraFICO and Experian Boost to build credit.

Read our Capital One Quicksilver Secured Cash Rewards credit card review.
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OpenSky Secured Visa Credit Card: Best for no required credit check

• What we love about the OpenSky Secured: You can be approved for this card while skipping a credit check altogether. You don’t even need a bank account to apply. 
• Who this card is good for: Credit-builders with negative information on their credit report could have an easier time qualifying for this card than other credit-builder cards. 
• Alternatives: This card has an added annual fee on top of the required security deposit, but the lack of a credit check can be fairly enticing. The Capital One Platinum Secured card has no annual fee and the minimum security deposit you put down can be as low as $49, so it could be a more cost-effective alternative.

Read our OpenSky Secured Visa Credit Card Review.
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Citi Secured Mastercard: Best for no monthly maintenance fee

• What we love about the Citi Secured: The access to exclusive deals and other perks through Citi Entertainment.
• Who this card is good for: Credit newcomers looking for a minimal-fee route to good credit.
• Alternatives: The First Progress Platinum Prestige Mastercard® Secured Credit Card is another secured card that also carries an annual fee, but the low ongoing APR could be helpful if you need to carry a balance.

Deserve EDU Mastercard for Students: Best for international students

• What we love about the Deserve EDU Mastercard: The accessibility of the card for international students, since you don’t need a Social Security number (SSN) to apply — a rare perk of this credit card.
• Who this card is good for: International students who want to earn cash back.
• Alternatives: The Journey Student Rewards from Capital One is another low-maintenance rewards card for students that’s still up for grabs for international students. This card application will accept either an SSN or an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number.

Read our Deserve EDU Mastercard for Students Review.

Your credit history, detailed in your credit report, is a record of your performance as a borrower and credit user. A positive credit history with little to no delinquencies or late payments indicates that you’re a reliable and financially responsible borrower.

According to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, approximately 26 million Americans are credit invisible, meaning they have no credit history with any of the three major credit bureaus. Without a documented credit history, lenders have no record of your ability to pay back debt.

If someone has no credit history, they will likely have trouble getting approved for loans and credit cards. Without access to traditional loans, people with no credit are more likely to seek out alternative options and may fall prey to predatory lending practices, such as payday loans, which can come with sky-high interest rates that keep people stuck in a cycle of debt.

Used responsibly, a credit card can help you build credit when you have no credit history.

Accessing a credit card without a credit history is not impossible, though there are certain requirements you’ll have to meet. Make sure you check a few boxes below and you can be on your way to establishing a credit history in no time.

These are the requirements to apply and be eligible for a credit card:

• You must be at least 18 years old. You cannot be approved for your own credit card as a minor. Even at 18 to 20 years old, you have to provide proof of independent income or to have a parent co-sign on your application, as required by the Credit CARD Act of 2009.
• You must have an income source or access to an income source. Credit card applications will ask for your annual income. If you don’t have an independent source of income, you may list parent’s or partner’s income, as long as you have “reasonable expectation of access” to that money, like having a shared bank account. This factor comes from a final rule that affects the interpretation of the CARD Act of 2009.
• You’ll usually need a Social Security number or an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number. In most traditional cases, you must provide your SSN on a credit card application. However, some issuers may accept an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) in place of a SSN. An ITIN is a nine-digit number the IRS issues to a tax-paying individual who lives in the U.S. and does not have a Social Security number. Keep in mind that you may still be denied for a credit card if you have no credit, despite also having an ITIN.

Tips on applying for your first credit card

Still unsure on the right card type for you? Check out our Credit Card Spender Type Tool where you can get personalized credit card recommendations based on your credit score, spending habits and daily needs.

Credit cards can be excellent credit-building tools when used correctly. They offer flexibility and protections that debit cards just can’t match (some even reward you for using them). But if you don’t want a credit card or are having a hard time qualifying for one, it is entirely possible to build your credit without using a credit card.

• Make building credit a priority. As you learn more about credit, remember that the primary function of a starter card is to kick off your credit-building journey. While some cards offer rewards, many of the most beneficial starter credit cards will incentivize good credit habits. Often these incentives are higher credit limits and, of course, a higher score over time.
• Use credit monitoring tools. One hallmark feature of many starter credit cards is an issuer’s tools to help track your progress. Many of these tools include snapshots of your FICO score, payment due date reminders and spend analysis breakdowns.
• Don’t be afraid to start slow. There’s no need to run up balances or open too many cards at once to try to speed up the process. In fact, behaviors like these may be more harmful than helpful. Take your time as you build your credit. Start by making small purchases, paying them off immediately and setting up payment reminders so you never miss your bill due date.

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For Capital One products listed on this page, some of the above benefits are provided by Visa® or Mastercard® and may vary by product. See the respective Guide to Benefits for details, as terms and exclusions apply.