Intro APR Offer
x% intro APR† for x months on purchases.
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Start your credit journey with a beginner credit card from Discover.
Unlimited Cashback Match
Get an unlimited dollar-for-dollar match of all the cash back you earn at the end of your first year, automatically. There is no limit to how much we'll match.7
Earn 5% cash back on everyday purchases at different places you shop each quarter, up to the quarterly maximum when you activate.
Plus, earn 1% cash back on all other purchases.
Intro APR Offer
x% intro APR† for x months on purchases.
Then x% to x% Standard Variable Purchase APR will apply.
Intro APR Offer
x% intro APR† for x months on purchases.
Then x% to x% Standard Variable Purchase APR will apply.
Unlimited Cashback Match
Get an unlimited dollar-for-dollar match of all the cash back you earn at the end of your first year, automatically. There is no limit to how much we'll match.7
Earn 2% Cashback Bonus® at Gas Stations and Restaurants on up to $1,000 in combined purchases each quarter, automatically.6
Plus, earn unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases.
x% intro APR† for x months on purchases.
Then x% to x% Standard Variable Purchase APR will apply.
x% intro APR† for x months on purchases.
Then x% to x% Standard Variable Purchase APR will apply.
Unlimited Cashback Match
Get an unlimited dollar-for-dollar match of all the cash back you earn at the end of your first year, automatically. There is no limit to how much we'll match.7
Earn 2% Cashback Bonus® at Gas Stations and Restaurants on up to $1,000 in combined purchases each quarter, automatically.6
Plus, earn unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases.
Build your credit with responsible use.2
Your credit line will equal your deposit amount, starting at $200.8
x% Standard Variable Purchase APR† applies.
Build your credit with responsible use.2
Your credit line will equal your deposit amount, starting at $200.8
x% Standard Variable Purchase APR† applies.
If you are looking for your first credit card, a student credit card or a secured credit card may have different credit requirements than traditional credit cards. Among other criteria, student cards require active student status. Secured cards require a security deposit from your bank account, which secures your credit limit.
Making multiple applications at once for many credit cards may impact your credit score negatively, because the applications will result in hard inquiries placed on your credit report. But applying for credit cards that are built for people with no credit scores may make more sense for someone starting their credit journey.
Paying every bill on time can help you build credit with responsible use.2 After you use a secured credit card responsibly for a while, you may be able to upgrade to an unsecured card. With the Discover it® Secured credit card, you can upgrade to an unsecured card after 6 consecutive on-time payments and maintaining good status on all your credit accounts.3
No credit score is required to apply for Discover it® Student Cash Back, Discover it® Student Chrome, and Discover it® Secured Credit Card.1 Discover will consider information you include on your application and provided by others to determine your eligibility.
Your credit card company may review your account to see if you qualify to upgrade from a secured credit card to a traditional card. If you have a secured credit card with Discover, you can get your deposit back when you upgrade to an unsecured credit card after six consecutive on-time payments and six months of good status on all your credit accounts.3
Student Credit Cards: Discover it Student® Cash Back, Student Chrome Card
Secured Credit Card: Discover it® Secured
Student Credit Cards
Purchase APR: x% intro rate for x months, then x% variable to x% variable. Balance Transfer APR: x% intro rate for x months, then Purchase APR applies. Cash Advance APR: x% variable. Minimum interest charge: $.50. Cash advance fee: greater of $10 or 5% of the advance amount. Balance transfer fee: x% Intro fee of the amount transferred; x% fee for future transfers. Annual Fee: None. Rates as of .
Secured Credit Card
Purchase APR: x% standard variable purchase APR. Balance Transfer APR: x% for x months, then Purchase APR applies. Cash Advance APR: x% variable. Minimum interest charge: $.50. Cash advance fee: Either $10 or 5% of the amount of each cash advance, whichever is greater. Balance transfer fee: x% Intro fee of the amount transferred; x% fee for future transfers. Annual Fee: None. Rates as of .
You're never responsible for unauthorized purchases on your Discover Card.9
Get an alert if we find your Social Security number on the dark web.10 Sign up to activate this free benefit.
If you misplace your card, you can prevent new purchases and cash advances in seconds with the on/off switch on our mobile app and website.11
You can talk to a real human on our customer service team any time.12
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.
Annualcreditreport.com requires some basic information like your name and Social Security number and then provides you with one free credit report from each major credit bureau (Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion) every year. Reviewing your credit report can help you confirm that the information reported is accurate, can build credit knowledge and see why lenders may think you have good credit, fair credit, poor credit, or limited credit.
While your payment history is the biggest factor in your FICO® Score, your amounts owed (including your balances as compared to your limits), the age of your credit accounts, the mix of your credit accounts, and the number of credit applications you have submitted all can impact your score.4
For people immigrating to the U.S. with a limited credit history, establishing personal credit can be challenging, but not impossible. After you have the required documents to apply, a secured credit card or student credit card may help you build a credit history with responsible use.2
Build a credit history with responsible use2
Establishing a credit history requires having a credit card or other credit line like a personal loan that reports activity to a credit bureau. Payments you make (or miss) on a Discover credit card and other information will be reported on your credit report to begin building your credit history with responsible use,2 where a debit card or prepaid card generally won't report activity to credit bureaus
Some cards offer cash back rewards
Cash back rewards are one of the best benefits of many credit cards. And Discover it® Student Cash Back, Discover it® Student Chrome, and Discover it® Secured all allow you to earn rewards on every purchase. Learn more about our cash back program.
If you want to build your credit history with responsible use,2 it will take time and won't happen overnight. You have to show creditors you can responsibly manage credit from month to month. By knowing how credit scores are calculated, you can better use your card responsibly to help improve your score. Consider two of the biggest credit scoring factors:
There’s no set time for credit card payments to help develop your credit score. As your credit history shows more and more activity reported to the different credit bureaus, your credit score will evolve. Keep in mind, credit bureaus may keep records of missed payments for several years.
Any time you apply for credit, it creates a hard credit inquiry on your credit report, which typically lowers your score. But if you have no credit history, you're what's considered "credit invisible". Since there’s no single “starting” credit score for everyone’s credit, your first credit score depends on your credit activity over at least the first 6 months that you manage a loan or card. If you practice responsible credit habits, you may start with a higher score.
People who have no credit history, a limited credit history, or those who need to rebuild their credit with responsible use2 may find credit cards for no credit most beneficial.
Whether having no credit is better than having bad credit may depend on the type of credit card you're applying for and the credit card issuer. With that said, no credit just means you haven't established a credit history. In that case, you may have access to more types of credit meant for people just starting out. On the other hand, bad or poor credit means you likely have some negative credit activity in your credit history and you may be more suited to credit cards specifically designed to help rebuild credit with responsible use.2
There are different types of credit cards meant for people with no credit history. There's no credit score required to apply for a Discover it®️ Secured credit card1, but you’ll need to provide a refundable security deposit, which will equal your credit line, or at least $200.8 Student credit cards are also popular with students who may not have sufficient credit history to apply for traditional credit cards.
If you’re new to the U.S., you may not have any credit history: but be sure to review your credit report, as student loans or other bills may supply some level of credit history.
Look for a secured credit card if you can provide a security deposit for the card or see if you're pre-approved for an offer with low eligibility requirements.
When you've established credit, you may qualify to get your deposit back on a secured credit card.
For many credit cards, having no credit history could disqualify you from getting approved. However, as many people need to start their credit journey somewhere, student credit cards and secured credit cards often have different eligibility standards than traditional unsecured cards. There's no credit score required to apply for a Discover it® Secured credit card1 or a Discover it® Student credit card.1
Learn more about the importance of credit and how it can impact your financial health.
Learn what credit score you start with and what goes into building a credit score.
Everything you need to know about credit cards for beginners, from finding the best starter credit card to building your credit history.