You’re just getting into a situation where you think you should have a credit card. It’s not always easy to start that process, especially if you’ve been committed to the idea of not having any debt. But, in many cases, you will come to a point where you really should consider the option.
But, if you’ve never established any sort of credit, this can be quite the journey. How can you be sure that you do things right and that you’ve got the resources you need? Are there options that are going to make sense?
There are a handful of options available if you’re thinking about getting a credit card with a credit score of “0” or no credit score at all. You’ll need some fairly specific paperwork in order to make it happen. Here are some of the things that you may need on hand if you’re applying for a credit card with no credit.
How to Get a Credit Card With No Credit
Job Information
Obviously, a credit card company is not going to want to give someone with no credit a credit card if they don’t have a job. You want to bring in some sort of proof that you’re working. Whether that’s your employment contract, a letter from your supervisor, or some other form of proof, you need to have it. You can also provide the credit card company with a recent pay stub. Not only will that tell them that you have a job, but it will also make it easier for you to show what your pay looks like, too.
Letters of Recommendation
When you don’t have credit, you need to “prove yourself” to the company that you’re applying for a card with. One of the best ways to do that is by going out there and getting letters of recommendation regarding your character. They can’t be from family members though – you’ll need to go to people like your employer, longtime friends, your landlord, and other people that may have worked with you in regards to money. These letters should either be sent via email or mailed to your credit card company.
Credit Information from Your Home Country
If you’re an immigrant, then you may need to take some additional steps in order to ensure that you can get a credit card. Do you have credit history from your home country? You can, sometimes, use that in order to get a credit card specially designed for immigrants. You will have to talk to your bank about the options that you have, but many of these companies will work with you and help you sort out the details. If you can’t get that information, you may have other options related to the process.
Proof of Address and Residence
Like with any sort of contract, you do need to have some sort of proof of where you reside. If you can’t prove where you live, they don’t have a reliable way to find you if you are delinquent on any sort of payment in the future. For this, you can provide an electric bill (or some other similar bill) and a form of identification. This could include things like a driver’s license, green card, and whatever else that you have to show where you live.
Bills or Other Indicators of Your Budget
If you’re planning on going to a more established company like Nova Credit for your credit card, you want to have some proof of your budget in there as well. Typically, you need to have some sort of bill or other indicator that lets your potential credit card company know how well that your job is paying for your day to day expenses and, alongside of that, if you’re going to be able to pay minimum payments for your card.
There are plenty of options out there for people just like you. While it can take a bit of time to sort out the details and find what works best, you want to be sure that you’re exploring every avenue that you can take in the meantime. See what you can find, learn as much as possible, and work it out. You’re sure to find some sort of resource that can make the process easier.
