LA Times' Recommended Credit Cards for No Credit History

Capital One Platinum Credit Card

Our rating:4.0

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Recommended credit

580-740 (Fair to Good) CreditCards.com credit ranges are a variation of FICO® Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application.

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Rewards rate

Card without rewards: This card doesn't offer cash back, miles, or points

Intro offer: No current offer

Annual fee: $0

Regular APR: 29.99% variable

Recommended credit: 580-740 (Fair to Good) CreditCards.com credit ranges are a variation of FICO® Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application.

Overall rating

Our rating:4.0

Rating methodology

Cost of Membership: 3.8
Ease of Building Credit: 4.0
APR: 1.0
Features: 2.5

Highlights

No annual or hidden fees. See if you're approved in seconds
Be automatically considered for a higher credit line in as little as 6 months
Help build your credit through responsible use of a card like this
Enjoy peace of mind with $0 Fraud Liability so that you won't be responsible for unauthorized charges
Monitor your credit score with CreditWise from Capital One. It's free for everyone
Get access to your account 24 hours a day, 7 days a week with online banking from your desktop or smartphone, with Capital One's mobile app
Check out quickly and securely with a contactless card, without touching a terminal or handing your card to a cashier. Just hover your card over a contactless reader, wait for the confirmation, and you're all set
Pay by check, online or at a local branch, all with no fee - and pick the monthly due date that works best for you

Rates & Fees

Annual Fee: $0
Intro Purchase APR: N/A
Regular APR: 29.99% (Variable)
Intro Balance Transfers APR: N/A

Capital One QuicksilverOne Cash Rewards Credit Card

Our rating:3.9

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Recommended credit

580-740 (Fair to Good) CreditCards.com credit ranges are a variation of FICO® Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application.

Apply now

Rewards rate

5%: Earn unlimited 5% cash back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, where you'll get Capital One's best prices on thousands of trip options. Terms apply
1.5%: Earn unlimited 1.5% cash back on every purchase, every day

Intro offer: No current offer

Annual fee: $39

Regular APR: 29.99% variable

Recommended credit: 580-740 (Fair to Good) CreditCards.com credit ranges are a variation of FICO® Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application.

Overall rating

Our rating:3.9

Rating methodology

Cost of Membership: 5.0
Ease of Building Credit: 3.0
APR: 2.0
Features: 5.0

Highlights

Earn unlimited 1.5% cash back on every purchase, every day
No rotating categories or limits to how much you can earn, and cash back doesn't expire for the life of the account. It's that simple
Be automatically considered for a higher credit line in as little as 6 months
Enjoy peace of mind with $0 Fraud Liability so that you won't be responsible for unauthorized charges
Help strengthen your credit for the future with responsible card use
Earn unlimited 5% cash back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, where you'll get Capital One's best prices on thousands of trip options. Terms apply
Monitor your credit score with CreditWise from Capital One. It's free for everyone
Check out quickly and securely with a contactless card, without touching a terminal or handing your card to a cashier. Just hover your card over a contactless reader, wait for the confirmation, and you're all set

Rates & Fees

Annual Fee: $39
Intro Purchase APR: N/A
Regular APR: 29.99% (Variable)
Intro Balance Transfers APR: N/A

OpenSky® Secured Visa® Credit Card

Our rating:3.0

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Recommended credit

(No Credit History) CreditCards.com credit ranges are a variation of FICO® Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application.

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Rewards rate

Up to 10%: Up to 10% cash back rewards on purchases at over 40,000 retailers

Intro offer: No current offer

Annual fee: $35

Regular APR: 24.89% variable

Recommended credit: (No Credit History) CreditCards.com credit ranges are a variation of FICO® Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application.

Overall rating

Our rating:3.0

Rating methodology

Cost of Membership: 2.5
Ease of Building Credit: 2.9
APR: 4.5
Features: 0.0

Highlights

New feature! Earn up to 10% cash back on everyday purchases
No credit check to apply. Zero credit risk to apply!
Looking to build or rebuild your credit? 2 out of 3 OpenSky cardholders increase their credit score by an average of 41 points in just 3 months
Get free monthly access to your FICO score in our mobile application
Build your credit history across 3 major credit reporting agencies: Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion
Add to your mobile wallet and make purchases using Apple Pay, Samsung Pay and Google Pay
Fund your card with a low $200 refundable security deposit to get a $200 credit line
Apply in less than 5 minutes with our mobile first application
Choose the due date that fits your schedule with flexible payment dates
Fund your security deposit over 60 days with the option to make partial payments
Over 1.4 Million Cardholders Have Used OpenSky Secured Credit Card To Improve Their Credit

Rates & Fees

Annual Fee: $35
Intro Purchase APR: N/A
Regular APR: 24.89% (variable)
Intro Balance Transfers APR: N/A

First Progress Platinum Prestige Mastercard® Secured Credit Card

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Rewards rate

1% Cash Back Rewards: Earn 1% Cash Back Rewards with First Progress Prestige!

Intro offer: No current offer

Annual fee: $49

Regular APR: 14.49% variable

Recommended credit: (No Credit History) CreditCards.com credit ranges are a variation of FICO® Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application.

Highlights

Earn 1% Cash Back Rewards with First Progress Prestige!
Apply now and fund your security deposit over 90 days with the option to make partial payments.
You Can’t Rebuild credit with a Debit Card. Try First Progress Today!*
Build your credit history across 3 major credit reporting agencies: Equifax, Experian and TransUnion.*
All credit types welcome to apply!
*Cardholders who keep their balance low and pay their credit card bill on time every month typically do see an increase in their credit score.

Rates & Fees

Annual Fee: $49
Intro Purchase APR: N/A
Regular APR: 14.49% (V)
Intro Balance Transfers APR: N/A

Discover it® Secured Credit Card

Our rating:4.1

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Rewards rate

2%: Earn 2% cash back at Gas Stations and Restaurants on up to $1,000 in combined purchases each quarter, automatically.
1%: Earn unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases.

Intro offer: Cashback Match™ Intro Offer: Unlimited Cashback Match - only from Discover. Discover will automatically match all the cash back you've earned at the end of your first year! There's no minimum spending or maximum rewards. Just a dollar-for-dollar match.

Annual fee: $0

Regular APR: 27.49% Variable APR *Rates as of December 12, 2024.

Recommended credit: (No Credit History) CreditCards.com credit ranges are a variation of FICO® Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application.

Overall rating

Our rating:4.1

Rating methodology

Cost of Membership: 5.0
Ease of Building Credit: 3.3
APR: 1.3
Features: 2.5

Highlights

No credit score required to apply. No Annual Fee.
Your secured credit card requires a refundable security deposit, and your credit line will equal your deposit amount, starting at $200. Bank information must be provided when submitting your deposit.
Raise your credit score by 30+ points.
Automatic reviews starting at 7 months to see if we can transition you to an unsecured line of credit and return your deposit.
Earn 2% cash back at Gas Stations and Restaurants on up to $1,000 in combined purchases each quarter, automatically. Plus earn unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases.
Discover could help you reduce exposure of your personal information online by helping you remove it from select people-search sites that could sell your data. It’s free, activate with the mobile app.
Get an alert if we find your Social Security number on any of thousands of Dark Web sites. Activate for free.
Terms and conditions apply.

Rates & Fees

Annual Fee: $0
Intro Purchase APR: N/A
Regular APR: 27.49% Variable APR *Rates as of December 12, 2024.
Intro Balance Transfers APR: 10.99% for 6 months

The Card with No Credit Check - The Secured Self Visa® Credit Card*

Our rating:2.5

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Rewards rate

Card without rewards: This card doesn't offer cash back, miles, or points

Intro offer: No current offer

Annual fee: $25

Regular APR: 28.49% variable

Recommended credit: (No Credit History) CreditCards.com credit ranges are a variation of FICO® Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application.

Overall rating

Our rating:2.5

Rating methodology

Cost of Membership: 2.0
Ease of Building Credit: 3.0
APR: 2.0
Features: 3.8

Highlights

With no credit check or prior credit required, anyone can start building credit. Fund your card with a minimum security deposit of $100 and use it anywhere Visa® is accepted in the U.S. Build credit by making on-time payments and maintaining a low credit utilization ratio. Every on-time payment helps build credit history.
If you don’t have the $100 security deposit today, consider a Credit Builder Account² starting at $25 a month⁴. Consistent, on-time payments help you build credit and build savings to secure the Self Visa® Credit Card³.
*The secured Self Visa® Credit Card is issued by Lead Bank or First Century Bank, N.A., each Member FDIC.
²Credit Builder Accounts & Certificates of Deposit made/held by Lead Bank, Sunrise Banks, N.A., First Century Bank, N.A., each Member FDIC. Subject to credit approval.
³Qualification for the secured Self Visa® Credit Card is based on meeting eligibility requirements, including income and expense requirements and establishment of security interest. Criteria Subject to change.
⁴$25/mo, 24 mos, 15.92% APR; $35/mo, 24 mos, 15.69% APR; $48/mo, 24 mos, 15.51% APR; $150/mo, 24 mos, 15.82% APR. See self.inc/pricing

Rates & Fees

Annual Fee: $25
Intro Purchase APR: N/A
Regular APR: 28.49% APR Variable
Intro Balance Transfers APR: N/A

Capital One Platinum Credit Card

Rewards rate

At A Glance

Capital One QuicksilverOne Cash Rewards Credit Card

Rewards rate

At A Glance

OpenSky® Secured Visa® Credit Card

Rewards rate

At A Glance

First Progress Platinum Prestige Mastercard® Secured Credit Card

Rewards rate

At A Glance

Discover it® Secured Credit Card

Rewards rate

At A Glance

The Card with No Credit Check - The Secured Self Visa® Credit Card*

Rewards rate

At A Glance