Compare credit cards for no credit

If you want a credit card but have no credit history, there are plenty of options — as long as you limit your search mostly to secured and student cards. In some cases, you can apply with providers that have proprietary methods to screen applicants with no credit.

Best credit cards for no credit

Quick look: Best credit cards for no credit

• OpenSky® Secured Visa® Credit Card: Best secured card for no credit
• Petal® Visa® Credit Card: Best unsecured card for no credit

Best secured card for no credit

OpenSky® Secured Visa® Credit Card

Finder Rating: 3.8 / 5

★★★★★

Credit recommended (300-669) Apply now on Capital Bank N.A.'s secure site

300
Min. credit score

$35
Annual fee

n/a
Rewards

n/a
Welcome offer

• Info
• Pros & cons
• Details

A rare secured card with a intro APR on purchases for the first , then 17.39% variable.

• Build your credit. The card reports to all three major credit bureaus, which can help strengthen your credit. All you have to do is keep your utilization low and make timely payments.
• No credit check. OpenSky only uses your ID to confirm your identity — it won't do a credit pull.
• Credit line. You have full control over your credit line, as it's the sum of your security deposit. You can make a deposit from $200 up to $3,000.

• Annual fee. The card comes with a $35 annual fee.

Annual Fee	$35
Purchase APR	17.39% variable
Balance transfer APR	N/A
Welcome offer	N/A
Rewards	N/A

Best unsecured card for no credit

Petal® Visa® Credit Card

Finder Rating: 2.9 / 5

★★★★★

Credit recommended (600-850) Apply now on WebBank's secure site Rates & fees

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600
Min. credit score

$0
Annual fee

Up to 10%
Cash back

n/a
Welcome offer

• Info
• Pros & cons
• Details

Build your credit with rewards and no fees: Apply if you're new to credit or have a fair to good score.

• No credit history required. To be approved for most rewards credit cards, you need a good or excellent credit score. Petal, on the other hand, analyzes your income and financial records, including your checking accounts and bill payments to determine your eligibility.
• Cash back. Earn 1% cash back on all eligible purchases. Make six on-time monthly payments and your rewards rate goes up to 1.25%. After 12 on-time monthly payments, your cash back rate will increase again to 1.5%. As of December 2019, Petal awards you with up to 10% cash back at select merchants.
• No fees. You won't pay an annual fee for the card, no foreign transaction fees when using the card abroad or overlimit and late payment fees.

• No signup bonus. Most similar cards come with a signup bonus in one form or another. Unfortunately, you won't get anything extra with the Petal® Visa® Credit Card.

Annual Fee	$0
Purchase APR	12.99% to 29.49% variable
Balance transfer APR	N/A
Welcome offer	N/A
Rewards	Up to 10% cash back from select merchants, on other purchases earn 1% back, 1.25% after six on-time payments and 1.5% after 12 on-time payments

Other options for no credit

While we recommend the cards above if you’re able to get them, we understand you may be looking for other options. Consider these two products as well:

• Jasper Mastercard®. This is a card designed for professionals relocating to the US who don’t yet have credit scores. While it doesn’t offer rewards, it has a $0 annual fee and a lower-than-average purchase APR.
• Deserve® Classic Card. This product doesn’t offer rewards either, but it’s an unsecured card you may qualify for without a credit history.

Compare credit cards for no credit

What is considered no credit?

If you have no credit, it means you have no history on your credit report.

Your credit report is a record that shows information such as your debt, payment history and how long you’ve had credit accounts. If you haven’t borrowed money — for example, through a loan or credit card — you won’t have a credit history.

A credit history is important because it’s similar to a report card. It’s something lenders can use to judge how reliable of a borrower you are. If you have no credit, you’re a question mark to lenders, and they’ll be more hesitant to accept you as a customer.

How to get a credit card with no credit

To get a credit card with no credit, start by looking for a card that’s open to applicants like you. These typically include secured and student cards, but may include unsecured and store products. Avoid cards that are stacked with features, as they usually require strong credit.

Once you’ve identified the right card, apply for it by completing the issuer’s application. Have information such as your contact details, Social Security number and total annual income on hand. For a secured card, collect the necessary amount of money for a deposit.

Here are a few tips to increase your odds of approval:

• Check reviews to see if a card is open to applicants new to credit. We include this information with every review at Finder.
• Read the issuer’s requirements to see if you qualify. Issuers often have language on their card pages or terms that give guidelines on how to get approved.
• Apply for cards one at a time. Take your time and research cards you have a high likelihood of qualifying for. Then, narrow your choice to one card and apply for that one.

How to start building credit

If you’re new to credit, follow these steps to start building a credit history:

1. Decide on a credit account.
   Compare different types of credit accounts that can help you start accumulating data on your credit report. You can open a credit card, for example, or get a credit-builder loan.
2. Compare lenders or issuers.
   Make sure your lender reports your activity to the three major US credit bureaus: TransUnion, Equifax and Experian. Over time, this gets you a credit score derived from the information from these bureaus. This is important because lenders often pull credit reports from just one bureau when making approval decisions.
3. Make payments consistently.
   Once you’re approved for a credit account, make your payments on time and keep your account in good standing. This will ensure your lender reports positive activity to the credit bureaus. After at least six months of credit activity, you’ll get a credit score.

The aim is to eventually build a good credit score — at least 670 for your FICO score. This gives you the opportunity to apply for more valuable credit cards and get better interest rates on loans. There are four types of credit-building credit cards that are especially useful if you’re just starting out.

How credit cards can help you build credit

One of the best ways to beef up your credit report is by opening a credit card.

Look for a product that’s available to someone new to credit — such as a secured card. As you spend with your card and pay your card bill on time, your provider will report your positive payment activity to the credit bureaus. Eventually, you’ll get a credit score. And as you continue being a responsible cardholder, you’ll steadily see your score rise.

Types of credit cards for no credit

You’ll want to apply for credit cards you have a good chance of being approved for. These include:

• Secured credit cards.
  A secured card requires an upfront deposit — typically at least $200. While the deposit is a bummer, you’ll have many secured cards to choose from.
• Student credit cards.
  These can be great options if you’re enrolled in a college or university. Most student credit cards don’t require security deposits, unlike secured cards.
• Business credit cards for no credit.
  If you’re a business owner, you might want this type of card to separate your personal and business expenses. While you’re mostly limited to secured cards, you might also want to consider a line of credit such as the The Kabbage Card.

Unsecured cards for no credit

If you don’t want to put down a deposit for a secured card, look for providers that welcome applicants new to credit. Consider products such as the Deserve® Classic Card and Petal® Visa® Credit Card.

But when you have no credit history many unsecured cards will currently be out of reach. Beware of unsecured cards that seem easily available to you, as they may come with very high fees and interest. Before applying for a card, dig around for its fee table to see what you might pay.

You might see an unsecured card and jump at the chance to apply. But a closer look at its fee table may reveal extremely high fees and interest rates.

Bottom line

If you have no credit, there are plenty of good credit cards to start with. As you make card payments on time, you’ll steadily build your credit score. With a strong score, you can apply for better credit cards, including cashback and travel products.

Frequently asked questions

• What is the difference between a secured card and an unsecured card?

  You must put down a deposit to open a secured card. An unsecured card doesn’t have this requirement.

• Do I build a credit score only by making payments on time?

  That’s a large part of it, but it’s not everything. You can also help your score by keeping your card balance low, retaining your cards for a long time, opening other types of credit accounts and opening new accounts sparingly.

• Why should I consider unsecured-card providers like Deserve and Petal?

  These providers have proprietary methods to evaluate applicants, so they don’t require credit scores. Also, you won’t pay annual fees for their credit cards.