Can You Get a Credit Card With No Credit History?

Disclosure: Some links are sponsored. We may earn a commission if you apply through them and are approved, at no extra cost to you. This is general information, not financial advice.

Last reviewed: October 15, 2026 by the Smart Savings Guides editorial team. How we research and update articles.

Not financial advice: this is general education. Your situation is different, so read every product's full terms and consider free help from a nonprofit credit counselor before taking on new credit.

Yes, you can usually get a credit card with no credit history, but not just any card. Most mainstream cards are approved largely on your credit report and score, and if you have no history there's nothing for that part of the decision to work with. Some products are built for exactly this situation. This guide covers which ones, what issuers check instead, and how to avoid a first card that costs more than it should.

Quick answer

Most likely to approve you: secured credit cards, where a refundable cash deposit usually sets your limit.
Also worth a look: student cards (if you're enrolled), starter cards that weigh your income and bank account, becoming an authorized user on someone else's card, and car-secured cards if you own a vehicle.
Every issuer must check that you can afford the payments, so you'll be asked about income or assets even with no credit history.
Under 21? You need your own independent income or assets, or a co-signer aged 21 or older where the issuer allows one.

Own a car and want to skip the cash deposit?

Sponsored link: we may earn a commission if you apply and are approved through it, at no extra cost to you.

Check if you qualify for Yendo

Yendo says checking your offer takes about a minute and doesn't affect your credit score; if you accept an offer, it runs a full credit check, which can. Your car becomes collateral (a lien on your title), so if you don't repay you could lose it. Purchase APR 24.88% to 35.88%.

US only, and not available in every state: through our link it isn't offered in AK, HI, IA, LA, ME, MD, MA, MN, MO, NJ, NY, OK, SD or WI (details).

Why no history makes approval harder

With no credit history, the credit bureaus either have no file on you or a "thin" file with too little in it to produce a score. myFICO says that to calculate a FICO Score, your credit report needs at least one account that has been open for six months or more, and at least one account reported to the bureau in the last six months. VantageScore, the other big scoring model, can score some people sooner: Equifax notes it can generate a score with as little as one month of history and an account reported within the past two years.

No score is not the same as a bad score. You haven't done anything wrong; lenders simply can't predict how you'll handle credit. That's why the cards that accept beginners reduce the lender's risk in other ways: a deposit, a low limit, collateral, or a closer look at your income and banking.

What issuers check when you have no score

Ability to pay. Federal rules (Regulation Z, 12 CFR 1026.51) require card issuers to consider your ability to make the required minimum payments before opening an account or raising a limit. Expect questions about income, assets and housing costs.
Identity and residency. Usually a Social Security number, though some issuers accept an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN), plus a US address. Check each issuer's requirements.
Your existing relationship. Some banks are more willing to approve customers who already have a checking or savings account with them.
Collateral, for secured products: a cash deposit, or in Yendo's case your car.

The under-21 rule

If you're under 21, Regulation Z says a card issuer can't open an account for you unless you show an independent ability to make the required payments, or a co-signer, guarantor or joint applicant who is at least 21 and has the means to repay agrees to be liable. Many issuers don't accept co-signers at all, so in practice your own income or assets usually decide it. Parental income you don't have access to generally doesn't count as yours.

Your options compared

Option	How it works	Watch out for
Secured credit card	You put down a refundable deposit, which usually becomes your limit. You use it like a normal card.	Annual fees, high APRs, and whether it reports to all three bureaus. Secured cards explained.
Student card	An unsecured card for enrolled students, usually with a low limit.	You still need independent income if you're under 21.
Starter unsecured card	Some issuers look at income and bank-account data instead of a score.	Low limits, high APRs, and sometimes fees. Read the pricing table first.
Authorized user	Someone adds you to their card. If the issuer reports authorized users, their account history can appear on your report.	Their late payments or high balance can hurt you too. Only do this with someone who pays reliably.
Store card	A card that often works only at one retailer.	Store cards often carry high APRs. Only useful if you'd shop there anyway and pay in full.
Car-secured card (Yendo)	Your car's value secures the limit instead of a cash deposit.	A lien on your title: your car is at risk if you don't repay. Yendo vs a secured card.

Not a card, but closely related: a credit-builder loan holds your borrowed money in a locked account while you make payments, and reports those payments to the bureaus. Some people use one alongside a first card to add a second type of account.

How to apply without hurting your chances

Check your credit reports first. You can get free reports from all three bureaus at AnnualCreditReport.com. Make sure there's nothing there that isn't yours. See how to check your report for free.
Use pre-qualification tools. Many issuers offer a check that uses a soft inquiry, which doesn't affect your score. A full application usually triggers a hard inquiry.
Apply for one card at a time. myFICO says hard inquiries can stay on your report for up to two years, though FICO Scores only consider those from the last 12 months. Several applications in a short time can look risky.
Read the pricing table. Compare the APR, annual fee, any monthly or setup fees, the deposit and whether the card reports to Equifax, Experian and TransUnion.
Be wary of "guaranteed approval" offers that ask for money first. A legitimate issuer won't ask you to pay a fee by gift card or wire transfer before you're approved.

Using your first card to build credit

Getting approved is step one. The score comes from how you use the card. According to myFICO, payment history is the largest part of a FICO Score (about 35%), followed by amounts owed (about 30%), length of credit history (15%), new credit (10%) and credit mix (10%).

Put one small, regular purchase on the card and pay the full statement balance every month. Autopay helps.
Keep the balance that reports low compared with your limit. See credit utilization explained.
Never miss a payment. A payment 30 or more days late can be reported, and the CFPB says most negative information stays on your report for about seven years.
Expect your first FICO Score after around six months. Our guide on how long it takes to build credit walks through the timeline.

Where a car-secured card fits

If you own a car with equity but can't spare a few hundred dollars for a deposit, a car-secured card like Yendo is one alternative. It can offer a higher limit than a typical secured card, and it reports to all three bureaus. The cost is real, though: the purchase APR is 24.88% to 35.88%, and your car becomes collateral. If you depend on your car to get to work, a regular deposit-secured card is the lower-risk way to start. See our Yendo review for the full terms.

Sources

Official sources this article relies on, checked October 15, 2026. Rules and prices change, so confirm details at the source.

Considering a car-secured card? Yendo

We may earn a commission if you apply through these links and are approved, at no extra cost to you. This is a sponsored link.

Yendo is a credit card secured by your car's value instead of a cash deposit. Limits run from $450 to $10,000, the purchase APR is 24.88% to 35.88%, and it reports to all three credit bureaus. The trade-off: Yendo places a lien on your title, so if you don't repay, your vehicle is at risk. Checking your offer doesn't affect your credit score. Read our full Yendo review.

Check if you qualify for Yendo

Sponsored link. Checking doesn't affect your score; accepting an offer triggers a full credit check, and your car secures the account.

Where it's available: US only. Through our link, Yendo isn't offered in Alaska, Hawaii, Iowa, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, Oklahoma, South Dakota or Wisconsin. Yendo's own locations page also doesn't list Delaware, Vermont or Washington, D.C. The vehicle has to be registered in a state Yendo serves.

Frequently asked questions

What is the easiest credit card to get with no credit history?

Secured credit cards are usually the easiest to get, because your refundable deposit lowers the issuer's risk. Student cards and starter cards that look at income and bank data are other options.

Can I get a credit card at 18 with no credit?

Yes, if you can show independent income or assets to make the payments. Federal rules require that for applicants under 21, unless a co-signer aged 21 or older agrees to be liable, and many issuers don't accept co-signers.

Does applying for a credit card with no credit history hurt my score?

If you have no score yet, there's little to hurt, but a full application usually adds a hard inquiry to your report. Use soft-check pre-qualification tools where available and apply for one card at a time.

How long after getting my first card will I have a credit score?

A FICO Score needs an account open at least six months and reported in the last six months. VantageScore can sometimes score you after about a month of history.

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