Best Unsecured Cards for Short Credit Histories of December 2023
ALSO CONSIDER: Best credit cards of 2023 || Best credit cards for fair credit || Best starter cards for no credit || Best rewards credit cards
Most credit cards are "unsecured," meaning you don't have to put up any collateral in order to use them to borrow money for purchases. People with good or excellent credit don't have much trouble qualifying for unsecured cards. Those with short credit histories can have a harder time finding an unsecured card that will approve them without charging exorbitant fees. Even so, when it comes to getting approved for an unsecured credit card, a short credit history is better than none.
If you're starting with no credit history at all, though, getting a secured credit card — a card that requires a refundable security deposit — is still your best bet. After six months to a year of on-time payments and responsible credit use, you might be able to qualify for a better offer.
These cards stand out as the best unsecured cards for people with short histories and fair or average credit profiles (FICO scores of 630-689).
Show summary
NerdWallet's Best Unsecured Cards for Short Credit Histories of December 2023
Capital One QuicksilverOne Cash Rewards Credit Card: Best for Cash-back rewards
Capital One Platinum Credit Card: Best for No annual fee + boosting your credit limit
Upgrade Cash Rewards Visa®: Best for Cash back + flexibility
Mission Lane Cash Back Visa® Credit Card: Best for Pre-qualification + up to 1.5% cash back
Prosper® Card: Best for Help for 'less than perfect credit'
Discover it® Student Chrome: Best for College students
AvantCard Credit Card: Best for Pre-qualification
Best Unsecured Cards for Short Credit Histories From Our Partners
Credit card | NerdWallet rating | Annual fee | Intro APR | Regular APR | Learn more |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Find the right credit card for you.
Whether you want to pay less interest or earn more rewards, the right card's out there. Just answer a few questions and we'll narrow the search for you.
Whether you want to pay less interest or earn more rewards, the right card's out there. Just answer a few questions and we'll narrow the search for you.
Cash-back rewards
No annual fee + boosting your credit limit
Cash back + flexibility
Pre-qualification + up to 1.5% cash back
Help for 'less than perfect credit'
College students
Pre-qualification
FULL LIST OF EDITORIAL PICKS: BEST UNSECURED CARDS FOR SHORT CREDIT HISTORY
Before applying, confirm details on the issuer’s website.
Capital One QuicksilverOne Cash Rewards Credit Card
Our pick for: Cash-back rewards
This card for people with fair or "average" credit pays the same cash-back rate as the regular Quicksilver card, which targets people with excellent credit. The key difference is that this version charges an annual fee while the regular one does not (see rates and fees). Read our review.
Capital One Platinum Credit Card
Our pick for: No annual fee + boosting your credit limit
You don't get rewards with the Capital One Platinum Credit Card, or a sign-up bonus or a 0% period (see rates and fees). But if you've got fair credit and you need a card you can use to build credit without paying an annual fee, it's definitely worth a look. Read our review.
Petal® 1 "No Annual Fee" Visa® Credit Card
Our pick for: No annual fee + cash back at select merchants
The issuer of the Petal® 1 "No Annual Fee" Visa® Credit Card doesn’t only rely on credit scores to determine eligibility. Instead, it assesses your creditworthiness based on your income, expenses, savings and debts. The card earns a decent rate of up to 10% cash back when you use the card to shop with select merchants. And there's no annual fee, late fees or foreign transaction fees. Read our review.
Upgrade Cash Rewards Visa®
Our pick for: Cash back + flexibility
The $0-annual-fee Upgrade Cash Rewards Visa® is a cross between a credit card and a personal loan, and it can offer the best of both worlds: flexibility, but with predictable terms from month to month. The card also lets you see what terms you'd qualify for before officially applying. And on top of all that, it earns cash back, too. Read our review.
Mission Lane Cash Back Visa® Credit Card
Our pick for: Pre-qualification + up to 1.5% cash back
The Mission Lane Cash Back Visa® Credit Card is a great option for people who aren't sure whether their credit is good enough to qualify for a rewards card. The issuer's prequalification process lets you see the offer you're eligible for — which could be up to 1.5% cash back — before you actually apply.
Prosper® Card
Our pick for: Help for 'less than perfect credit'
The Prosper® Card doesn't offer rewards, and it charges an annual fee, but the issuer goes out of its way to encourage people with "less than perfect credit" to apply. If you're looking to beef up your credit, it's a decent place to start. Read our review.
Discover it® Student Chrome
Our pick for: College students
Simplicity makes the Discover it® Student Chrome a standout for students searching for their first credit card. You'll earn bonus cash back at restaurants and gas stations with no activation required and no rotating categories to keep track of. Read our review.
AvantCard Credit Card
Our pick for: Pre-qualification
The AvantCard Credit Card is an option for applicants with a thin credit file who don't want to risk hurting their credit scores by applying for multiple cards in search of approval. You first go through a pre-qualification process that doesn't require a hard credit check. That will give you an idea of your likelihood of being accepted. If you'd like to proceed from there, you can complete the application process with a full credit check. Read our review.
Last updated on November 14, 2023
Methodology
NerdWallet's credit cards team selects the best credit cards in each category based on overall consumer value. Factors in our evaluation include fees, promotional and ongoing APRs, and sign-up bonuses; for rewards cards, we consider earning and redemption rates, redemption options and redemption difficulty. A single card is eligible to be chosen as among the "best" in multiple categories. Learn how NerdWallet rates credit cards.
