Young man sits at his desk and looks thoughtfully at his laptop

How to Get a Credit Card with No Credit

6 min read

Last Updated: May 2, 2025

Table of contents

Key Takeaways

There are credit card options if you don’t have a credit history.
A secured credit card is a type of card that requires a deposit at account opening.
A student credit card is for those enrolled in college and usually has a low credit limit.

Credit history and credit scores are major factors in getting approved for a credit card. That's because credit card issuers typically run a credit check before approving a credit card application. They want to know that you have experience making on-time payments and using credit responsibly.

But if you haven’t had a credit card before? Or what if you don't have an extensive credit history? You still have options to build your credit score and prove you’re a good credit risk.

While there isn’t one best credit card for building credit history, a secured credit card or a student credit card can be an excellent place to start. If you’re approved and have good spending habits, you can use your credit card to build personal credit and may be able to impact your credit score.

So, if you’re just starting your journey to build credit history, here’s what you need to know about how to get a credit card with no credit history.

Why does credit history matter?

Your credit history plays a big role in the credit cards, auto loans, mortgages, and lines of credit you qualify for. A good history might even improve the apartments you can rent. Lenders depend on your previous habits and behaviors to decide if you can responsibly manage future debt. A bad credit score signals that you may not be a reliable borrower. For example, if you’ve missed many credit card payments, lenders aren’t likely to trust that you’ll repay your loans in a timely manner.

Of course, everyone needs to start somewhere. As you begin building your credit history, remember that making responsible choices could improve your chances of qualifying for more credit in the future.

Apply for a credit card for people with no credit history

You could get the ball rolling with a card to build credit history. If it’s your first time getting a credit card, you can consider a credit card geared toward people with limited credit history or no credit history. You often don’t need a credit score to apply for these cards.

These options may come with higher interest rates or lower credit limits at first. However, with responsible use, you could establish a good credit score and build your creditworthiness.

There are two types of credit cards for people with no credit history: secured credit cards and student credit cards.

Secured credit cards

A secured credit card is a credit building card that requires a cash deposit as collateral. This upfront cash payment is typically equal to the credit limit and helps to minimize the risk to the credit card issuer. For a Discover it^® Secured Credit Card, your credit line will equal your deposit amount, starting at $200.²

Because the credit limits on secured cards are low, a secured card gives you an opportunity to learn responsible habits in a safe environment.

If get a secured card, you can use it like a traditional credit card. You’ll shop and make monthly payments. Interest will accrue on purchases if you don’t pay your balance in full each month, and any missed payments could show up on your credit report and may negatively impact your credit score. If you don’t repay your balance, the card issuer may use your deposit to cover what you owe and close the account.

The Discover it^® Secured Credit Card helps you build/rebuild your credit history with responsible use.³ Good habits include making on-time payments and keeping low credit card debt.

Learn More

With the Discover it^® Secured Credit Card, you upgrade to an unsecured card after six consecutive on-time payments and six months of good status on all your credit accounts.⁴

A secured card isn’t only a suitable credit building card; a secured credit card may also be helpful for those looking to rebuild credit with responsible use if they want to improve a poor credit score. If you need to determine your credit score, you can check your credit before applying for a secured credit card.

Student credit cards

Student credit cards are made for students with no credit score to start building their credit history. Your card issuer will report your activity to at least one major credit bureau, which will start your credit file. It’s important to pay at least your minimum monthly payment. On-time payments make up the biggest portion of your credit score.

To apply for a student credit card, you must:
Be at least 18 years old
Have a U.S. address
Have a Social Security number
Show proof of student enrollment
Provide all the other information the application requires

The requirements may vary from card issuer to card issuer.

Student credit cards may have a lower credit limit than standard cards and a higher APR or interest rate. The lower limit can help students learn to manage debt without a lot of risk of borrowing more than they can afford to pay back.

Student cards also may have perks such as no annual fee, no foreign transaction fee, or cash back rewards on everyday purchases. You may also be able to redeem any cash back rewards to pay your monthly statement balance.

Did you know?

Some student credit cards come with no annual fee as a credit building card. Discover has no annual fee on any of our cards, including student credit cards.

Learn More

With a Discover student credit card, you can build your credit with responsible use.⁵ In addition, with the Discover it^® Student Cash Back card you can earn 5% cash back on everyday purchases at different places you shop each quarter like grocery stores, restaurants, gas stations, and more, up to the quarterly maximum when you activate.

Some card issuers may also allow you to upgrade your student account to a standard credit card account upon graduation, especially if you’ve built or maintained a good credit score. The new card may also have an intro APR offer at account opening.

Build credit history as an authorized user

What if you don’t qualify for a credit card account directly? Or you’re not a student and aren’t interested in using a secured card? A friend or family member may be able to add you as an authorized user to their credit card account to build credit history. You may get a card in your name, but the account owner is still responsible for paying the account.

If you become an authorized user on someone else's account, it's important to check that all activity on the card is reported to each major credit bureau. You'll also want to make sure the primary cardholder is responsible when it comes to making payments; you’ll be sharing their credit history. For better or worse, it could show up on your credit report, which may impact your credit score.

The bottom line

Getting a credit card with no credit history or a limited credit history is possible. Whether you apply for a secured credit card, open a student card, or become an authorized user on someone else’s account, just remember to use your card wisely to build your credit score.

Make on-time payments, keep your balance low, and avoid accruing interest if you can. This way, you can improve your creditworthiness and become eligible for other types of credit cards.

Important Information >

Five friends taking a selfie smiling together in the city.

Enter to win a $5,000 scholarship for school

Discover^® is giving away one $5,000 college scholarship every month until August 2025.⁶

Enter to Win

See Official Rules for sweepstakes eligibility and entry requirements, entry deadlines and drawing dates, details including odds, list of eligible colleges and universities, prize descriptions and an alternate method of entry.⁶

Next steps

See if you're pre-approved

Check Now

View all Discover credit cards

See rates, rewards and other info

Learn More