Even if you’re just starting out, you can establish positive credit and get a credit card with little or no credit history - and establish good credit in the process.

Credit card companies clamber to issue cards to college students that have no income and no credit history.

How do these students get these cards and why do card companies issue them so freely? They are looking to establish a long-term relationship with these new consumers, so the best way is to get them hooked early on credit.

To answer the question above, credit cards for college studentsare issued freely because the card issuer is betting that mom or dad will bail them out if they get into trouble. This is sort of a virtual safety net for card companies.

If you’re trying to rebuild your credit after some debt problems, find the perfect card here.

Getting Started

Even if you’re not a college student anymore, and you may pay monthly expenses like rent, utilities and even student loans. Even thought you pay these payments on time, they are usually are not reported to the 3 credit agencies unless you fail to pay once and then it gets reported as a negative very quickly.

So while you may pay your rent and utilities faithfully, you receive no positive credit whatsoever for that reliability.

First Step

It is a good idea toreview a copy of your credit report on a regular basis. The three agencies (Transunion, Equifax and Experian) are bound by law to provide you with a free copy of your report once a year on request at this website<. However, you won’t get a score, just a report.

After that, the reports cost about $9 or $10 each. In any event, get a copy, go over it and correct any errors or discrepancies before you apply for a card.

Now, apply for a no credit history credit card online. Most card issuers will be willing to give you a low limit card if you are employed full time and haven’t written any bad checks. That limit can be ramped up as you pay the bill on time. If you have lived at your present address or worked at the same place for a long time, that’s in your favor.

First time cardholders normally do not qualify for lower rates. That won’t matter if the balance is paid each month. This avoids the finance charge entirely and you can always negotiate for a better rate after, say, six months of on time payments.

Don’t apply for several cards simultaneously. Credit card issuers will see this and think the worst-that you will simply charge the limit and then not pay.

The Quick Way

The quickest way by far is to get a no credit history credit card is to apply for a secured or prepaid card. This is a card that draws on an account that is pre-funded. This gives the card issuer a sense of security and you a credit history.

Every payment you make is being reported to the bureaus, so keep them up.