How do I build credit with no credit history?
Start with one of: a secured card (Capital One Quicksilver Secured — Discover it Secured is currently paused for new applications), Petal 2 (cash-flow underwriting), or becoming an authorized user on a parent or partner's well-managed card. Pay in full, every cycle. Wait 6 months and apply for one more card.
Three credit-building paths: (1) secured card with a $200 deposit — refundable on graduation, reports to all 3 bureaus; (2) Petal 2's cash-flow underwriting can approve no-credit applicants without a deposit; (3) authorized user status on a family member's old, well-managed card inherits that history into your file. Path 1 or 2 builds a personal credit identity faster than path 3, which is supplementary. Note: Discover it Secured is temporarily not accepting new applications as of 2026-06-02 pending a relaunch under new owner Capital One, and as of 2026-08-15 still hasn't reopened (WalletHub, updated 2026-05-28; MoneyAtlas, updated 2026-08-04) — Capital One Quicksilver Secured is the one still open to new applications today.
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