Credit Cards to Build Credit History

Credit cards to build credit FAQs

Your credit score is based on your credit history, which includes the length of time you've had credit and how you manage your credit. Opening a credit card account can establish your credit history if you don't have one, and using the card responsibly by paying bills on time can help your credit score.

Yes, any credit line or type of credit card can help you build credit history by influencing the factors that affect your credit score. But you're responsible for managing your credit well if you want a good credit score. If you spend more on it than you repay, you'll accumulate credit card debt which can contribute to poor credit and a bad credit history.

A new credit card account usually needs to be open and used for at least six months before it's considered for your credit score by the major credit bureaus. To use your credit cards to build credit, make sure your credit utilization remains low, don't charge above your credit limit, and make sure you pay every statement on time.

Authorized users can build their credit history if the primary cardmember uses their card responsibly, like paying their bill on time and keeping a low credit utilization. If the credit card issuer allows authorized users, you’ll want to make sure the issuer reports both the primary and the authorized user’s credit activity to credit bureaus.

But be aware of the risks involved too. An authorized user’s credit history could be negatively impacted if the primary account holder makes late payments or maintains a high balance on the account.

You only need one credit card account to start building a credit history. By making on-time payments and keeping your balance low, you can demonstrate responsible use of your credit card account and help improve your credit score.

Building credit and achieving a high credit score can help you meet both near- and long-term financial goals. A good credit score may help you qualify for credit cards with exceptional rewards and a lower interest rate, or even help with renting an apartment or landing a job if your credit history is reviewed during the application process. A high credit score may also help you secure better terms and lower interest rates on other types of loans in the future, like a mortgage or auto loan. Better terms could end up saving you money over the duration of the loan.

Getting approved for a credit card isn’t guaranteed. Depending on the type of card you’re applyingfor, requirements may vary for approval.

ADiscover it® Secured Credit Cardrequires you to be at least 18, have a Social Security number, U.S.address, and U.S. bank account, and provide all required application information. If approved, youneed to put downa refundable security deposit, which will equal your credit line, of at least $200.² For aDiscover student credit card, you’ll need to be 18 years old, have a U.S. address and SocialSecurity number, show proof of education, andprovide any required information requested in yourDiscover application.

If you’re not sure which credit card you may qualify for, use the Discover pre-approval tool to checkyour eligibility. Checking tosee if you’re pre-approvedis fast, easy and won’t impact your creditscore.⁸

What to look for in a credit building credit card

To build your credit history, make sure your credit activity is being reported to the credit bureaus. Discover reports your credit history to the 3 major credit bureaus, and every Discover^® Cardmember has access to their Credit Scorecard to help monitor their credit score.

When building credit history, you don’t want anything that could negatively impact your score. With Discover, see if you’re pre-approved without a hard credit inquiry.⁸ Hard inquiries typically impact your credit score.

The best credit card to build credit history may be one that lets you seamlessly upgrade to a better card with more perks. With Discover, upgrade to an unsecured card after 6 consecutive on-time payments and maintaining good status on all your credit accounts.⁹

Consider any fees your credit card issuer may charge and compare them to the rewards you can earn. If the fees, like an annual fee, cost more than you can earn in rewards, there may be better options for you that won’t cost you money. Discover cards have no annual fee.

light-themedark-theme

See Your Pre-approved Offers

†† You earn a full 2%Cashback Bonus^® on your first $1000 in combined purchases at Gas Stations (stand-alone), and Restaurants each calendar quarter. Calendar quarters begin January 1, April 1, July 1, and October 1. Purchases at Gas Stations and Restaurants over the quarterly cap, and all other purchases, earn 1% cash back. Gas Station purchases include those made at merchants classified as places that sell automotive gasoline that can be bought at the pump or inside the station, and some public electric vehicle charging stations. Gas Stations affiliated with supermarkets, supercenters, and wholesale clubs may not be eligible. Restaurant purchases include those made at merchants classified as full-service restaurants, cafes, cafeterias, fast-food locations, and restaurant delivery services. Purchases must be made with merchants in the U.S. To qualify for 2%, the purchase transaction date must be before or on the last day of the offer or promotion. For online purchases, the transaction date from the merchant may be the date when the item ships. Rewards are added to your account within two billing periods. Even if a purchase appears to fit in a 2% category, the merchant may not have a merchant category code (MCC) in that category. Merchants and payment processors are assigned an MCC based on their typical products and services. Discover Card does not assign MCCs to merchants. Certain third-party payment accounts and digital wallet transactions may not earn 2% if the technology does not provide sufficient transaction details or a qualifying MCC. Learn more atDiscover.com/digitalwallets.SeeCashback BonusProgram Terms and Conditionsformore information.

Student Credit Cards:Discover it Student^®Cash Back, Student Chrome Card

Secured Credit Card:Discover it^®Secured credit card

Student Credit Cards

Intro purchase APRisx%forx monthsfrom date of account opening then the standard purchase APR applies.Intro Balance Transfer APRisx%forx monthsfrom date of first transfer, for transfers under this offer that post to your account bythen the standard purchase APR applies.Standard purchase APR: x% - x%variable, based on your creditworthiness.Cash APR: x%variable. Variable APRs will vary with the market based on the Prime Rate. Minimum interest charge: If you are charged interest, the charge will be no less than $.50.Cash advance fee:Either$10or5%of the amount of each cash advance, whichever is greater.Balance transfer fee: x%Intro fee on balances transferred byand up tox%fee for future balance transfers will apply.Annual Fee: None. Rates as of. We will apply payments at our discretion, including in a manner most favorable or convenient for us. Each billing period, we will generally apply amounts you pay that exceed the Minimum Payment Due to balances with higher APRs before balances with lower APRs as of the date we credit your payment.

Secured Credit Card

x% standard variable purchase APR.Intro Balance Transfer APRisx%forxmonthsfrom date of first transfer, for transfers under this offer that post to your account bythen the standard purchase APR applies.Cash APR: x%variable. Variable APRs will vary with the market based on the Prime Rate. Minimum interest charge: If you are charged interest, the charge will be no less than$.50.Cash advance fee:Either$10or5%of the amount of each cash advance, whichever is greater.Balance transfer fee: x%Intro fee on balances transferred byand up tox%fee for future balance transfers will apply.Annual Fee: None. Rates as of. We will apply payments at our discretion, including in a manner most favorable or convenient for us. Each billing period, we will generally apply amounts you pay that exceed the Minimum Payment Due to balances with higher APRs before balances with lower APRs as of the date we credit your payment.

No Credit: Based on the preceding 12 months of Discover Student credit card application data. When we evaluate your creditworthiness we consider all the information you provide on your application, your credit report, which includes your credit score if applicable, and other information. Not having a credit record may impact your approval odds.
Based on 2023 Discover it Secured credit card application data, applicants without a credit score may qualify. You must meet other applicable underwriting criteria. When we evaluate your creditworthiness, we consider all the information you provide on your application, your credit report, and other information. If you have a credit score, we may use that in our evaluation.
Minimum Security Deposit:If approved, you must make a minimum security deposit of $200 (or more, in increments of $100 up to $2,500), which will equal your requested credit limit. Discover will determine your maximum credit limit by your income and ability to pay.
Build credit with responsible use(Secured):Discover reports your credit history to the three major credit bureaus so it can help build/rebuild your credit if used responsibly. Late payments, delinquencies or other derogatory activity with your credit card accounts and loans may adversely impact your ability to build/rebuild credit.
Cashback Match:Only from Discover as of June 2024. We'll match all the cash back rewards you've earned on your credit card from the day your new account is approved through your first 12 consecutive billing periods or 365 days, whichever is longer, and add it to your rewards account within two billing periods. You've earned cash back rewards only when they're processed, which may be after the transaction date. We will not match: rewards that are processed after your match period ends; statement credits; rewards transfers from Discover checking or other deposit accounts; or rewards for accounts that are closed. This promotional offer may not be available in the future and is exclusively for new cardmembers. No purchase minimums.
Online Privacy Protection:Online Privacy Protection is offered by Discover Bank at no cost and only available in the mobile app. About every 90 days we will scan at least 10 people-search sites for your online personal information and help you submit opt-out requests. Types of personal information found on these sites will vary.
Discover^® Identity Alerts (Alerts) are offered by Discover Bank at no cost, are available only online, and do not impact your credit score. The Alerts currently provide: (a) daily monitoring of your Experian^® credit report and an alert when a new inquiry or account is listed on your report; (b) daily monitoring of thousands of Dark Web sites known for revealing personal information and an alert if your Social Security Number is found on such a website. Alerts are only provided to Primary cardmembers who agree to receive them online and whose accounts are open, in good standing, have a Social Security Number, and an email address on file. This benefit may change or end in the future. Discover Bank is not a credit repair organization as defined under federal or state law, including the Credit Repair Organizations Act. To see a list of Frequently Asked Questions, visit discover.com/freealerts.
Freeze it^®:When you freeze your account, Discover will not authorize new purchases, cash advances or balance transfers (including checks). However, some activity will continue including charges from merchants where your card is stored or billed regularly, as well as returns, credits, dispute adjustments, delayed authorizations (such as some transit purchases), payments, Discover protection product fees, other account fees, interest, rewards redemptions and certain other exempted transactions.
There is no hard inquiry to your credit report to check if you’re pre-approved. If you’re pre-approved, and you move forward with submitting an application for the credit card, it will result in a hard inquiry which may impact your credit score. Receiving a pre-approval offer does not guarantee approval. Applicants applying without a social security number are not eligible to receive pre-approval offers. Card applicants cannot be pre-approved for the NHL Discover Card.
Getting your deposit back: Monthly reviews start your seventh month as a customer. We will refund your security deposit if you have made all payments on time for the last six consecutive billing cycles on all your Discover accounts including any loans, and you've remained in "good status" on all credit accounts you are responsible for whether they are Discover accounts or not. "Good status" means: (1) your credit report shows no delinquencies, charge-offs, repossessions, or bankruptcies for the six months prior to our review; and (2) your Discover secured card is not in a prohibited status at the time of our review, including, but not limited to: closed, revoked, suspended, subject to tax levy, garnishment, deceased, lost/stolen, or fraud. Monthly reviews may be delayed if you change your payment due date. We typically process your refund in 2-3 business days based on your delivery preference. If you close your account and pay in full, we'll return your deposit within two billing cycles plus ten days.

Expand

Credit Cards to Build Credit History | Discover (2024)

Credit cards to build credit FAQs

What to look for in a credit building credit card

References