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Credit Cards to Build Credit

Start your credit history or rebuild your credit

See if you’re pre-approved with no harm to your credit score.8

OR

No annual fee, no credit score required to apply1

The Discover it® Secured Credit Card is not a prepaid card or a debit card

It’s a real credit card that gives rewards with no annual fee.

A rewards card that helps with building credit

There are lots of benefits if you're ready to build your credit history

Build your credit with responsible use.3 Use it for everyday purchases, pay your bills on time and in full, and stay within your credit limit.

Benefits beyond building credit

Inward Curve

College student? See how to build credit and earn cash back

Explore the different cash back cards designed specifically for students with no credit history to earn rewards.

Credit cards to build credit FAQs

Your credit score is based on your credit history, which includes the length of time you've had credit and how you manage your credit. Opening a credit card account can establish your credit history if you don't have one, and using the card responsibly by paying bills on time can help your credit score.

A new credit card account usually needs to be open and used for at least six months before it's considered for your credit score by the major credit bureaus. To use your credit cards to build credit, make sure your credit utilization remains low, don't charge above your credit limit, and make sure you pay every statement on time. 

Yes, any credit line or type of credit card can help you build credit by influencing the factors that affect your credit score. But you are responsible for managing your credit well if you want a good credit score. If you spend more on it than you repay you will accumulate credit card debt which can contribute to poor credit and a bad credit history.

Inward Curve

Learn how to build credit with credit cards

Inward Curve

†† You earn a full 2% Cashback Bonus® 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, 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. 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. Even if a purchase appears to fit in a 2% category, the merchant may not have a merchant category code (MCC) in that category. Merchants and payment processors are assigned an MCC based on their typical products and services. Discover Card does not assign MCCs to merchants. Certain third-party payment accounts and digital wallet transactions may not earn 2% if the technology does not provide sufficient transaction details or a qualifying MCC. Learn more at Discover.com/digitalwallets. See Cashback Bonus Program Terms and Conditions for more information.

 

Student Credit Cards: Discover it Student® Cash Back, Student Chrome Card

Secured Credit Card: Discover it® Secured credit card

Student Credit Cards


Intro purchase APR is x% for x months from date of account opening then the standard purchase APR applies. Intro Balance Transfer APR is x% for x months from date of first transfer, for transfers under this offer that post to your account by  then the standard purchase APR applies. Standard purchase APR: x% - x% variable, based on your creditworthiness. Cash APR: x% variable. Variable APRs will vary with the market based on the Prime Rate. Minimum interest charge: If you are charged interest, the charge will be no less than $.50. Cash advance fee: Either $10 or 5% of the amount of each cash advance, whichever is greater. Balance transfer fee: x% Intro fee on balances transferred by  and up to x% fee for future balance transfers will apply. Annual Fee: None. Rates as of . We will apply payments at our discretion, including in a manner most favorable or convenient for us. Each billing period, we will generally apply amounts you pay that exceed the Minimum Payment Due to balances with higher APRs before balances with lower APRs as of the date we credit your payment.

Secured Credit Card


x% standard variable purchase APR . Intro Balance Transfer APR is x% for x months from date of first transfer, for transfers under this offer that post to your account by  then the standard purchase APR applies. Cash APR: x% variable. Variable APRs will vary with the market based on the Prime Rate. Minimum interest charge: If you are charged interest, the charge will be no less than $.50 . Cash advance fee: Either $10 or 5% of the amount of each cash advance, whichever is greater. Balance transfer fee: x% Intro fee on balances transferred by  and up to x% fee for future balance transfers will apply. Annual Fee: None. Rates as of . We will apply payments at our discretion, including in a manner most favorable or convenient for us. Each billing period, we will generally apply amounts you pay that exceed the Minimum Payment Due to balances with higher APRs before balances with lower APRs as of the date we credit your payment.

  

  1. No Credit: Based on the preceding 12 months of Discover Student credit card application data. When we evaluate your creditworthiness we consider all the information you provide on your application, your credit report, which includes your credit score if applicable, and other information.

    Based on 2022 Discover it Secured credit card application data, applicants without a credit score may qualify. You must meet other applicable underwriting criteria. When we evaluate your creditworthiness, we consider all the information you provide on your application, your credit report, and other information. If you have a credit score, we may use that in our evaluation.

  2. Minimum Security Deposit: If approved, you must make a minimum security deposit of $200 (or more, in increments of $100 up to $2,500), which will equal your requested credit limit. Discover will determine your maximum credit limit by your income and ability to pay.

  3. Builds credit with responsible use: Discover reports your credit history to the three major credit bureaus so it can help build/rebuild your credit if used responsibly. Late payments, delinquencies or other derogatory activity with your credit card accounts and loans may adversely impact your ability to build/rebuild credit.

  4. Cashback Match: Only from Discover as of March 2024. We'll match all the cash back rewards you've earned on your credit card from the day your new account is approved through your first 12 consecutive billing periods or 365 days, whichever is longer, and add it to your rewards account within two billing periods. You've earned cash back rewards only when they're 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 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 cardmembers. No purchase minimums.

  5. Online Privacy Protection: Online Privacy Protection is offered by Discover Bank at no cost and only available in the mobile app. About every 90 days we will scan at least 10 people-search sites for your online personal information and help you submit opt-out requests. Types of personal information found on these sites will vary.

  6. Discover® Identity Alerts (Alerts) are offered by Discover Bank at no cost, are available only online, and do not impact your credit score. The Alerts currently provide: (a) daily monitoring of your Experian® credit report and an alert when a new inquiry or account is listed on your report; (b) daily monitoring of thousands of Dark Web sites known for revealing personal information and an alert if your Social Security Number is found on such a website. Alerts are only provided to Primary cardmembers who agree to receive them online and whose accounts are open, in good standing, have a Social Security Number, and an email address on file. This benefit may change or end in the future. Discover Bank is not a credit repair organization as defined under federal or state law, including the Credit Repair Organizations Act. To see a list of Frequently Asked Questions, visit discover.com/freealerts.

  7. Freeze it®: When you freeze your account, Discover will not authorize new purchases, cash advances or balance transfers (including checks). However, some activity will continue including charges from merchants where your card is stored or billed regularly, as well as returns, credits, dispute adjustments, delayed authorizations (such as some transit purchases), payments, Discover protection product fees, other account fees, interest, rewards redemptions and certain other exempted transactions.

  8. There is no hard inquiry to your credit report to check if you’re pre-approved. If you’re pre-approved, and you move forward with submitting an application for the credit card, it will result in a hard inquiry which may impact your credit score. Receiving a pre-approval offer does not guarantee approval. Applicants applying without a social security number are not eligible to receive pre-approval offers. Card applicants cannot be pre-approved for the NHL Discover Card.

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