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I am 20 years old. I am not currently a student. I have literally 0 credit history. None. Nothing. No hospital bills, no student loans, you name it, nothing. I earn about $500 a month from a min wage job that I work part-time and I live with my boyfriend. I wanted to get the CHASE freedom card because of the signup bonus of $150, and in order to build a credit history. The thing is, I don't really make big purchases, ever, but right now it's a once-in-a-while sort of exception where I'm going to buy a new phone for $400. So I was really hoping to make some money and start a credit history.
I literally will not buy anything that expensive probably for the next SEVERAL years. Literally.
So is there any hope for me to get a credit card right now where I can make a bonus $100 or something? I literally almost never make big purchases like this.
Can CHASE people use my car insurance history instead of credit history? I've had car insurance for about 8 months, ever since I bought my first car for $800 (let's hope it will last me at least the next few years while I go to college!). For the car insurance, I actually pay monthly instead of full price. I tried calling CHASE but they said they don't have any credit history for them to go on, and I was like "Well, how do I get a credit history when I just got denied for a credit card here?" and they suggested I apply for a "gas card" or something.
@streampaw wrote:I am 20 years old. I am not currently a student. I have literally 0 credit history. None. Nothing. No hospital bills, no student loans, you name it, nothing. I earn about $500 a month from a min wage job that I work part-time and I live with my boyfriend. I wanted to get the CHASE freedom card because of the signup bonus of $150, and in order to build a credit history. The thing is, I don't really make big purchases, ever, but right now it's a once-in-a-while sort of exception where I'm going to buy a new phone for $400. So I was really hoping to make some money and start a credit history.
I literally will not buy anything that expensive probably for the next SEVERAL years. Literally.
So is there any hope for me to get a credit card right now where I can make a bonus $100 or something?[1] I literally almost never make big purchases like this.
Can CHASE people use my car insurance history instead of credit history? [2] I've had car insurance for about 8 months, ever since I bought my first car for $800 (let's hope it will last me at least the next few years while I go to college!). For the car insurance, I actually pay monthly instead of full price. I tried calling CHASE but they said they don't have any credit history for them to go on, and I was like "Well, how do I get a credit history when I just got denied for a credit card here?" and they suggested I apply for a "gas card" or something. [3]
1) The good news is there is hope for you. Since you don't have any credit history, your best choice now will be to forget the Chase card and get secured cards. After six months, you shoud be able to generate a history to get you started on good cards.
2) No, they won't use your car insurance to qualify you for a credit card.
3) Yeah, you don't want to be ringing Chase to ask them to reconsider you for a card when you have no credit history. Be glad they didn't give you a roasting over the phone and actually suggested a gas card.
Moving forward, the plan should be to get some sort of credit history established before applying for cardsa with bonus. Now that you are starting, start your credit journey well and don't do it in haste.
Welcome to the board by the way....
Without credit history you will not be able to get a credit card with a big signup bonus. You're also unlikely to get a credit card with a limit for making big purcheses.
Your best bet is to start building credit with a secured card. Or I would also try for Capital One building card like a Platnum. It's not the card you want but it's a start.
Good luck on your journey in building your credit.
op, you need to apply for a capitalone quicksilver visa. check their prequals. they are great to build credit with and will give you respectable limit and terms with little to no history. chase likes to see 1 year of current payment on revolving accounts before letting most everyone in. they are known for that. but start with capitalone or discover and in one year, you will be set!
OP cannot prequal because OP is under 21.
Earlier this month, I was discussing my daughter's similar situation with a young banker at my local chase. She said she had her own checking and savings accounts with chase AND she worked for Chase and still got denied because of no credit. Her fiance added her to his cards as an authorized user and she opened a small store card, then Chase approved her.
I have another question. If my boyfriend applies for the CHASE freedom card and puts me as an authorized user, would that help me build a credit score? I asked a CHASE banker about this, but she said that it wouldn't affect my credit score. But when I called customer service, they said that this was an option... so I'm kinda confused.
Is there any credit card I can apply for that doesn't have an annual fee or a deposit involved? I just don't have the $200 to actually deposit into it, because I need that $200 for living expenses (car insurance, gas, food, etc). I kinda live paycheck to paycheck, and now I'm wondering if it's possible at all to open up a credit card if I don't have any savings to deposit into it. I can still pay it off every month, I just don't have the savings on hand. If I spend it on a deposit, I won't be able to get a new phone, which I was very looking forward to. And it takes me a while to save up money like that, so I don't know. Maybe I just should just leave the whole credit card thing alone for now.
sorry i forgot op was under 21 and cant prescreen. but still what is ops fico score? capitalone sounds like a great stepping stone for them to gain history. i agree with opening a capitalone card and a store card for history and account mix.
also establishing a checking or savingd with chase in my experience is good at also getting on their radar for a card down the line, although ymmv with that.
from what I have read, chase will usually decline an applicant whose credit report reflects history of someone elses payment ability over theirs. they want to see some history on your own.
So get a card with someone else, use that card and maybe start banking with chase to start your relationship if that isnt a hassle to change banks and what not.
op if you are not in the position to take on payments or debt you cant afford right now, then its best to go for a capitalone platinum or quicksilver1 mastercard, as they approve people with scores in the 500's. it will be a low limit depending on your score, but this way you cant get into much trouble and will be setting the foundation for better cards down the road.