How to Get Your First Credit Card With No Credit

Eight major card issuers approved 41 percent of applications for general purpose credit cards in 2024, and 65 percent of adults aged 18 to 29 already have a card. This guide to a first card with no credit covers the odds, the rules, where to start, pre-approval and the notice a lender must give if it says no.

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In 2024 eight major card issuers approved 41% of applications for general purpose credit cards, and approval ran from 84.1% for superprime applicants to 12.9% for subprime and deep subprime. We cover how many adults really have no credit record (the CFPB roughly halved its old 2010 estimate in June 2025; by December 2020 the share was 2.7%), the under-21 rule, secured cards and credit builder loans, what pre-approved really means, who has a card by age, what you're owed if you're denied, and the line in Regulation B about "your score wasn't high enough". Plus three steps from the documents. Facts, not financial advice.

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Chapters
0:00 Intro
0:27 The Odds
1:19 No Credit, Really?
1:59 The Rules
2:37 Where to Start
3:14 Pre-Approved?
3:56 Who Has One
4:29 If You're Denied
5:00 The Line
5:35 Three Steps

Sources
- CFPB, The Consumer Credit Card Market (Dec 2025): https://files.consumerfinance.gov/f/documents/cfpb_consumer-credit-card-market-report_2025.pdf
- CFPB, Credit card market report figure data (2025): https://files.consumerfinance.gov/f/documents/cfpb_consumer-credit-card-market-report-figure-data_2025.xlsm
- CFPB, Technical correction and update to the credit invisibles estimate (June 2025): https://files.consumerfinance.gov/f/documents/cfpb_update-credit-invisibles-estimate_2025-06.pdf
- Federal Reserve, Economic Well-Being of U.S. Households in 2025 (May 2026): https://www.federalreserve.gov/publications/files/2025-report-economic-well-being-us-households-202605.pdf
- 12 CFR 1026.51, Ability to pay (2025 edition): https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/CFR-2025-title12-vol9/pdf/CFR-2025-title12-vol9-sec1026-51.pdf
- 12 CFR 1002.9, Notifications (2025 edition): https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/CFR-2025-title12-vol8/pdf/CFR-2025-title12-vol8-sec1002-9.pdf
- CFPB, What are some ways to start or rebuild a good credit history?: https://www.consumerfinance.gov/ask-cfpb/what-are-some-ways-to-start-or-rebuild-a-good-credit-history-en-2155/
- CFPB, What is a prescreened credit card offer?: https://www.consumerfinance.gov/ask-cfpb/what-is-a-prescreened-credit-card-offer-en-1/
- CFPB, My credit application was denied because of my credit report: https://www.consumerfinance.gov/ask-cfpb/my-credit-application-was-denied-because-of-my-credit-report-what-can-i-do-en-1253/
- CFPB, How do I get a free copy of my credit reports?: https://www.consumerfinance.gov/ask-cfpb/how-do-i-get-a-free-copy-of-my-credit-reports-en-5/

Research and fact-checking: Wealth Filings. Henry is a fictional, illustrated presenter. This video is for information only, not financial advice.