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Credit Cards for No Credit History

No credit score required to apply for a Discover credit card 1

College students with no credit history could be eligible for a beginner Student credit card from Discover.
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Discover it Student Cash Back Credit Card

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Discover it Student Cash Back Credit Card

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Discover it Student Chrome Credit Card

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What to do before you apply for a credit card with no credit score

What to look for in a starter credit card

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No annual fee

When a credit card has an annual fee, you pay money every year just to keep the account open — even if you aren’t using it. So it may be a good idea to find a starter credit card without an annual fee.
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Lower credit score requirements

No credit score is required for students to apply for Discover it Student Cash Back or Discover it Student Chrome cards. 1

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Flexible secured credit cards

Some secured credit card issuers automatically upgrade secured card customers to a standard credit card after they’ve had their secured card for a specific amount of time and have demonstrated responsible financial behaviors that have built credit.

New credit users in the U.S. can build credit with responsible use 2

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To help make every credit card monthly payment on time, create a budget for your income to cover expenses including credit card bills. Responsible credit use means budgeting your credit card expenses to make sure you can always make at least your minimum amount due by your due date for each monthly payment.

FAQs about credit cards for beginners

Rates And Fees Information

The offer terms presented on this page (including, but not limited to, APR rates) may be different than offer terms displayed if you navigate away from this page. Check the terms of your specific offer before you move forward with submitting an application.

  1. Footnote 1:

    No credit score required to apply (Student): We may use credit scores if available.

  2. Footnote 2:

    Many factors affect your credit, such as payment history and amount of credit extended and used. Using your credit responsibly may help you build good credit.

  3. Footnote 3:

    About product reviews: All customer reviews used are authentic. Testimonials may be shortened or edited for clarity. We calculate the average product rating based on ratings that customers submit. Some product ratings and reviews may be obtained from customers with different versions of the product. We exclude some reviews from being displayed for reasons such as the customer included profanity, reviewed the wrong product, submitted inappropriate or irrelevant content, or revealed personally identifying information. Reviews are not filtered, edited, or deleted simply because they are negative or are lower rated. If a review is excluded, the associated rating is not calculated in the average product rating.

  4. Footnote 4:

    2% Cash Back at gas and restaurants: You will earn 2% cash back on your first $1000 in combined purchases at gas stations (stand-alone) and restaurants each calendar quarter. Calendar quarters begin January 1, April 1, July 1, and October 1. Purchases at gas stations and restaurants over the quarterly cap, and all other purchases, except as noted below, earn 1% cash back. Gas station purchases include those made at merchants classified as places that sell automotive gasoline that can be bought at the pump or inside the station, and some public electric vehicle charging stations. Gas stations affiliated with supermarkets, supercenters, and wholesale clubs may not be eligible. Restaurant purchases include those made at merchants classified as full-service restaurants, cafes, cafeterias, fast-food locations, and restaurant delivery services. Restaurants located inside of or affiliated with another business, such as hotels or retails stores and establishments classified as a bakery, may not qualify. Purchases must be made with merchants in the U.S. To qualify for 2%, the purchase transaction date must be before or on the last day of the offer or promotion. For online purchases, the transaction date from the merchant may be the date when the item ships. Rewards are added to your account within two billing periods. Capital One uses merchant category codes to determine if a purchase is in one of the additional cash back categories. This means that sometimes a purchase may not earn additional cash back. For example, some food trucks or food carts may use a merchandise code and restaurants in department stores or hotels may use a merchandise or hotel code instead of a dining code. Certain third-party payment accounts and digital wallet transactions may not earn additional cash back if the technology does not provide sufficient transaction details or a qualifying MCC. Capital One is not responsible for merchant category codes used by merchants. Applies to all rewards: Earnings will apply to net purchases (purchases minus any credits or returns). Cash advances, balance transfers, transfers from Discover or Capital One checking or other deposit accounts, and checks used to access your account are not considered purchases and will not earn rewards. Portions of purchases paid with rewards, transactions that do not comply with our policies and/or applicable laws, or any cash you receive in connection with a purchase at the point of sale through Discover’s Cash at Checkout feature will not earn rewards. See Your Rewards Program Terms & Conditions and your online account for more details.

  5. Footnote 5:

    Cashback Match: We’ll match all the cash back you’ve earned on your credit card from the day your new account is approved through your first 365 days and add it to your rewards account within two billing periods. You earn cash back only when transactions are processed, which may be after the transaction date. We will not match: rewards that are processed after your match period ends; statement credits; rewards transfers from Discover or Capital One checking or other deposit accounts; or rewards for accounts that are closed. This promotional offer may not be available in the future and is exclusively for new cardholders. No purchase minimums.

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