Credit Building > How to get a credit card with no UK credit history

How to get a credit card with no UK credit history

Wollit Team3 minute read · Updated 1st July 2024

While it is possible to get a credit card in the UK even if you have no credit history, your options will be limited. Here are the steps you need to take.

First, go through the basics of starting your credit file

In order to have a credit file in the UK, you’ll need to go through a few steps to “get on the radar” of the credit reference agencies: Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion. These are companies that hold your credit file and calculate your credit score.

Here is what you need to do:

Register to vote at your current address. If you’re new to the UK, you might only have the right to vote in the local council elections. That’s okay – voting doesn’t affect your credit score, but registering to vote does. If you’re not sure whether you have the right to vote in the UK, check out this guide to registering to vote on the GOV UK website.
Open a bank account. Some banks have easy account options for expats. HSBC, for example, has an option to open a UK account internationally, depending on which country you arrived from. If you’re not eligible for a deal like this, open a basic bank account with an online bank like Monzo or Starling.
Get a mobile phone contract that comes with a phone. This will be your first credit account since it technically counts as a loan for the value of the phone. The mobile network company will report your monthly payments to the credit reference agencies, and this will start to slowly build your credit history.

Have a steady income

If you have no credit history yet, credit card providers can’t know how risky you are.

This means that they’ll rely on affordability checks instead of credit checks to decide whether you are eligible for the credit card or not. Most banks expect at least £10k per year minimum.

Also, banks prefer if you’re employed versus self-employed.

If you have a full-time job, usually 3 to 6 months of job history is sufficient, but if you’re self-employed they’ll expect you to have been doing it for at least 2 years. You’ll also need to show two years of tax return to prove this income, while someone with a full-time job will only need a P60 or the latest payslips.

Look into credit builder cards

Credit builder cards are designed specifically for people with no or poor credit history. These cards usually have low credit limits and high interest rates, but the idea that if you use them responsibly then they can help you build your credit history over time.

Some of the more popular credit builder card providers in the UK are:

Vanquis Card;
Marbles Card;
Aqua Classic Card;
Asda Money Select;
Zopa Card;
Capital One Classic Card.

To apply for these cards, you'll usually need to be a UK resident aged 18 or over with a regular income. The application process is similar to other credit cards – you'll need to provide personal details, employment information, and details of your income and outgoings.

Before applying for a credit card, use an eligibility checker to see which cards you're likely to be approved for. This performs a "soft search" on your credit file, which doesn't impact your credit score. A full credit card application, however, uses a “hard check”, which can actually lower your credit score temporarily. In other words, don’t make too many applications at once.

If you don’t qualify for a credit builder card, try one of these other options:

Consider a secured credit card. With these cards, you make a refundable security deposit, which becomes your credit limit. The deposit shows the lender you can manage credit responsibly. After a period of on-time payments, you may get the deposit back and be eligible for a higher credit limit.
Did you have an American Express card in your home country? They have a Global Card Transfer program where they use the credit history from your home country to give you a card in the UK.
Download a specialised credit-building tool. Building your credit history with a credit card requires you to first buy things on debt and then repay them as soon as possible. However, there are now a whole range of credit-building apps in the UK. One of them is Wollit.

With Wollit, you only need to pay a fixed monthly subscription. Wollit then reports this subscription as a loan repayment to all three credit reference agencies.

This directly builds your credit history and improves your credit score, while keeping you safe from high interest charges, maxed-out credit limits, or the risk of more debt.

More importantly, as your credit score increases, you’ll eventually become eligible for credit cards with higher credit limits and lower APRs than the credit builder cards we mentioned.

On top of this, Wollit can also report your monthly rent payment to Experian, adding another line in your credit report that shows lenders you're responsible and pay your bills on time.