How do I get a first credit card with no credit history?
If you have little or no U.S. credit file, start with the CFPB explanation of how a credit history begins. It describes product types such as secured cards. This page does not name a bank, quote a rate, or tell you which card to open.
What to do next
- A credit report is the record of borrowing. A credit score is a number calculated from that record. The CFPB explains the difference. You do not need a score in hand before you understand which one a lender is asking for.
- Read the CFPB page on starting or rebuilding credit. A secured card is one type of product they mention. Whether you are approved is the card issuer’s decision, not this site’s.
- If you want to see whether a file already exists, use the official free-report site named by the Federal Trade Commission. Sites that lead with a “free score” can add other conditions.
Source: Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (opens in a new tab) · Checked:
Related sections: Credit cards and scores
This is a map of public pages, not advice about your own case.