The hardest part about getting your first credit card is proving that you’ve got some source of income. I mean nobody wants to give you a piece of plastic with the power to buy things if you don’t have any money and will leave them liable. 

So here are 3 different ways you can get around it: 

1. Be an authorized user on someone else’s credit card. 

Be careful! Make sure that if you’re going to do this, the other person who owns the credit card is very good about paying back the entire balance. If they’re responsible, you’ll be able to use that credit card to build your credit history and work towards a rocking score! But at the same time, if they start forgetting to make payments or only pay back some of their balance and leave some left over, that can negatively impact your credit score too! 

Some credit card companies allow you to create separate accounts for authorized users, but most of the time, it’s all put into one account statement that needs to be paid off. I’d only do this with family - again if they’re responsible about managing their money - since it can be hard to coordinate with friends. 

Also, be wary about adding people as authorized users to your account. They can use your credit card, affect your credit limit, and are NOT liable to pay back any of the money they spent. So if you’re the one with the credit card account, you’re on the hook for anything they buy! Make sure you’re not adding someone that’ll go out and drop $1000 on Gucci loafers. 

2. Get a cosigner 

A cosigner is basically someone who is willing to say “hey if they don’t pay back the money, I’ll spot them.” The cosigner is essentially liable for all the money owed by the person (or people) using the credit card and racking up debt. Not all credit card companies allow for cosigners, so make sure you read the fine print and ask! 

Usually parents will cosign for their kids to get credit cards, their first apartment/home leases, and other monthly bills. Just know that if you don’t manage your expenses properly, their credit scores will be affected too. 

3. Opening a Secured Credit Card 

This is essentially like a debit card that helps you build your credit. Basically, you pay up front a (oftentimes) refundable amount that then becomes your credit limit. This way the credit card companies won’t feel as scared giving you a card with an amount of money that they might never see again. There are quite a few of these types of setups out there! It’s perfect to get started and learn how to effectively manage your mindset on using credit cards while getting a head start at boosting that credit score! 

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