Compare credit cards when you have no credit history
Representative 34.9% APR
MoneySuperMarket is a credit broker not a lender. You must be 18 or over and a UK resident.
A smart choice for building credit
0% interest for 6 months on balance transfers – see if you’re pre-approved, then apply with confidence
Representative Example: If you spend £1,200 at a purchase rate of 34.95% (variable) p.a. your representative APR is 34.9% APR (variable)
We work with a wide range of specialist credit card providers including:
If you’ve never borrowed money before, you may be confused as to why your credit rating is important when applying for a credit card. After all, if you’ve no credit history or debt problems, surely you’ll be attractive to lenders, right?
Well in reality, if you have a thin credit file lenders are often hesitant to lend to you as there is less available evidence that you’ve managed credit well in the past. It's also important to have a credit history and score if you want to take out a loan or a mortgage in the future.
Credit can be a tricky topic to get your head around. There are a few reasons why you may have no credit history, including:
When you’re younger, you’re not likely to have a credit history due to age limits on credit cards and other types of borrowing
Maybe you’ve never needed to borrow money or take out a loan before, or your family’s finances are in your partner’s name
If you’ve recently moved to the UK, your former credit record may be overlooked as credit agencies don’t share data overseas
If you have no credit history you could find your credit card options are limited. Your best option might be a credit builder credit card - while it has a lower credit limit, it makes it easier to:
Pay off your balance: Credit-builder cards are ideal for making small purchases that you know you can pay back in good time
Responsible borrowing: If you pay your balance off quickly, you’ll show lenders you’re a responsible borrower
Improve your score: As you pay off your balance, your credit score rise over a period of four to six months
When looking for cards with no credit history, MoneySuperMarket's credit card eligibility checker can show you eligible deals and your chance of being accepted as well as any cards you're pre-approved for, so you know where you stand before you apply.
Applying for a credit card can sometimes feel daunting, because it’s not always clear what deal you’ll get, or if you’ll be accepted. But when you’re pre-approved for a credit card you can relax, because you know the deal you see is the deal you’ll get. You’ll know where you stand, with the facts at your fingertips to help you make the right choice for you.
When you’re pre-approved, the interest rate, interest-free period and fee (if there is one) are all confirmed – the only thing not guaranteed is your credit limit.
You’ll see your unique, personalised chance of being approved for all credit cards, so you can easily compare all your options at a glance.
Knowing all this upfront puts you in the driving seat. You’re less likely to be turned down when you apply, so your credit score is protected.
There’s some information you’ll need to provide when applying for a credit card with no credit history including:
Lenders will want to see that you can afford to keep up with your card repayments. You could be asked to show evidence of income on your bank statements
You may be asked for your address/addresses of the last three years. In some cases lenders will require you to have lived at your address for a set amount of time
Most lenders will ask for documents so they can check your identity, this will often come from an official list and might include photo ID such as your driving licence or passport
There are a few simple ways you can start building your credit score – which could boost your chance of getting a credit card. By ticking off these steps, you could be closer to a stronger credit score:
Pay your bills on time: Making sure you pay your household bills on time will let lenders know you can keep your finances under control
Electoral register: If your name isn’t on the electoral roll – the list which shows you’re eligible to vote - you may find it harder to get credit. You can register on the government’s website
Not moving too often: Lenders like stability and tend to prefer borrowers who have been at the same address for a good period of time
You can keep an eye on your credit score and credit report without damaging it by using our free Credit Monitor service. Credit Monitor gives you access to your credit record, with easy ways to grow your score and improve your financial wellbeing.
If you think a credit card could be right for you but you have no credit history, the next step is to use our eligibility checker to see what cards are available - and which are most likely to approve you:
We'll ask you a handful of simple questions about you and your financial circumstances, and what you need from a credit card
We'll sift through dozens of credit cards offers from across the market, and show you the cards we think will suit you best
You'll be shown a range of credit cards, which you'll be able to sort according to APR, features and your chances of being approved
MoneySuperMarket is a credit broker – this means we’ll show you products offered by lenders. We never take a fee from customers for this broking service. Instead we are usually paid a fee by the lenders – though the size of that payment doesn’t affect how we show products to customers.
Being unemployed won’t mean an instant ‘no’ for getting a credit card. There are still credit card options available for those with a low income and if you are unemployed, such as credit-builder credit cards which come with a lower credit limit than standard cards. That said, if you are out of work weigh up why you’ll need the card and what it would be used for. Bear in mind that if you don’t pay back the minimum amount each month, you’ll need to pay more interest and fees on the money you’ve borrowed. It could be easy to get into problem debt if things go wrong.
If you have no credit history, the APR applied to your credit card will depend on your financial circumstances. A personal APR is the interest rate (plus any charges) you’re offered by a credit card provider - It is determined by your credit score and financial situation, including things like your household income and spending.
Your credit limit will be decided by the lender after it has assessed your credit score and financial circumstances. Want to check what credit card you’re eligible for and your chance of being accepted? Our Credit Card Eligibility Checker shows you what cards you’ll be eligible for and the rates and credit limits you may be offered. From there, you’ll know what to expect. That’s because if you’re accepted for the card you’ll definitely get the deal you saw when you applied.
Find out how to select, and get approved for your first credit card with our helpful guide.
Your credit score is what lenders use to decide whether you can manage debt. Find out about credit checks and scores.
See the pros and cons of credit cards in our guide.
FInd out about cards that could be easier to get if you have bad credit.
Credit cards come in all shapes & sizes, finding one that suits you can make a world of difference to your pocket.
A credit card can be a useful addition to any wallet, purse or pocket. Find out what type of card will suit you best.
Find out more about how balance transfer credit cards work and what’s available.
How can credit card protection help you to recover money?
Can't find what you're looking for? Try looking at our news, views and in-depth credit cards guides
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If you’re applying for a credit card, you might be able to find a better deal if you look through offers from different providers before taking one out. With MoneySuperMarket you’ll be able to search through multiple credit cards and compare them by a range of factors, including their interest rates and any benefits and rewards they come with.
All you need to do is answer a few questions about yourself and your financial situation, and our Eligibility Checker will show your chances of being accepted for different credit cards. This won’t affect your credit score, so you can run a check without any worries.
Once you know which card you want, you can normally apply by phone, online, or in person if the provider has a high street branch. However, when you do apply, the provider will usually run a hard credit check – which will show up on your credit report – to confirm whether they’ll give you the card. If you’re accepted they’ll tell you your credit limit and interest rate, and soon you’ll be ready to start using your credit card.
MoneySuperMarket gives you lots of clever ways to save a lot, by doing very little.
So how do we make our money? In a nutshell, when you use us to buy a product, we get a reward from the company you’re buying from.
But you might have other questions. Do we provide access to all the companies operating in a given market? Do we have commercial relationships or ownership ties that might make us feature one company above another?
We commit to providing you with clear and informative answers on all points such as this, so we have gathered the relevant information on this page.
