Credit card without a CIBIL score: first cards for students and anyone with no credit history

Can I get a credit card with no CIBIL score or credit history?

Yes, some banks say in their own documents that they do not need a credit history, mostly on cards backed by a fixed deposit. IDFC FIRST Bank says this for FIRST WOW and Unity Bank for Roarbank's starter limit. HDFC Bank asks for no credit score on its FD-backed Pixel card, but says it still runs a bureau check and that not every application is approved.

Having no history is different from having a bad one. CRIF High Mark, a credit bureau, says that if it finds no data on you, you get an NH or No History report. That is a blank record, not a low score. Bank of Baroda's PRIME page shows the difference: issuance is guaranteed, except for customers it calls CIBIL delinquent.

The RBI's Credit Information Reporting Directions, updated as on 1 July 2026, list this as a best practice: "First time borrowers' loan applications should not be rejected just because they have no credit history." Commercial banks must take best practices into account when they set policy, and these Directions exclude small finance banks such as Unity and Utkarsh. The line speaks of loan applications, does not name cards and does not promise approval.

Which fixed deposit cards can I get with no credit history?

IDFC FIRST WOW says it needs no credit history. HDFC's FD-backed Pixel needs no score but runs a bureau check, and Axis's FD cards, including My Zone Easy, need no minimum score. ICICI, Utkarsh Wish, Bank of Baroda PRIME and Canara RuPay Platinum Secured are also issued against a deposit, but their pages do not say whether someone with no history qualifies.

In this table, the smallest stated deposit runs from Rs 2,000 at Utkarsh Wish to Rs 50,000 at ICICI. Your FD is the bank's security. Our guide to credit cards against an FD covers more cards and their deposit terms, and the secured card list shows every card we hold.

Bank of Baroda's PRIME page states a deposit of Rs 30,000 and age 18 to 85, but the data behind the same page lists Rs 15,000 and 21 to 65. Ask BOBCARD which applies before you open a deposit. The SBI Card pages we opened showed no deposit terms, so it has no row.

Read on 31 October 2026 from each bank's product page, plus HDFC's Pixel FD FAQs of 23 February 2026 for its row and Axis's FD card page for its age and limit. A bank can change these at any time; Utkarsh says its minimum deposit and limit are at its sole discretion.

Can I get an unsecured first card with no credit history?

Sometimes, but few documents say so. Unity Bank's Roarbank is the clear one we read: Indian residents aged 21 to 60, salaried or self-employed, with PAN and Aadhaar, and "available for those without a credit score through starter limit". The page asks for no deposit, though it does not use the word unsecured.

The card is linked to a new zero-balance Roarbank savings account, and its MITC sets the limit on a credit assessment at onboarding. Fees are Rs 0, and the page says the limit grows with timely repayment.

HDFC Pixel Go lists an income test instead: age 21 to 60 with Rs 12,000 a month if salaried, or age 21 to 65 with an ITR above Rs 6 lakh if self-employed. Its "no credit score" line sits under the FD-backed version. The page does not say whether the unsecured card needs a history.

A salary or savings account helps only where the terms say so, and none we read says it replaces a credit check. PNB's RuPay Platinum salary card is for EXCEL scheme salary account holders. Tamilnad Mercantile Bank's Wings needs a savings account held for a year, two years of ITR, Rs 3 lakh income and a CIBIL score of at least 700, so it is closed to someone with no score.

Can a student or someone under 21 get a credit card?

Yes, mainly against a fixed deposit. IDFC FIRST WOW and Utkarsh Wish both start at age 18, and Axis's FD card page also says 18 and above.

IDFC's page speaks directly to students: no income proof or credit history required. Unity Roarbank and HDFC Pixel Go, the no-deposit cards above that state an age, start at 21.

We found no student card without a deposit. Of the 743 cards we track, the only one with student or campus in its name is City Union Bank's Dhi FD Backed/Campus card, and its terms group it with the FD card without listing student criteria.

If you earn a stipend, the documents we read do not say whether it counts as income. Ask the bank, and use the card finder to narrow by age and income.

Can I start with an add-on card on a parent's account?

Yes, if the main cardholder asks for it and the bank allows that relative. The RBI says add-on cards go only to people the principal cardholder identifies, and that the liability for dues rests solely with the principal cardholder. Bank of Baroda's PRIME allows spouse, parents, siblings or kids above age 18.

Whether it builds your own record is less clear. RBL Bank's and DBS's MITCs say they report data on add-on cardmember accounts to CIBIL and other bureaus. Axis's cardmember agreement and Canara's MITC say they may share add-on cardholder information, including defaults, with bureaus. None says this builds a score for the add-on holder, so ask your bank. Our add-on card guide has more.

What does a first card really cost in the first year?

On the cards below it runs from Rs 0 to Rs 590 if you pay in full, and much more if you miss a payment. The FD itself keeps earning interest, as IDFC, ICICI and HDFC say, so it is locked rather than spent. Year one figures and totals include 18% GST; listed charges are before GST.

An example. You open a Rs 15,000 FD for Axis My Zone Easy. The joining fee of Rs 500 plus Rs 90 GST is Rs 590. That is the product page figure. Axis's FD card page lists Nil fees, so ask Axis which applies. The product page also lists a Rs 500 annual fee with no start date. Now say one Rs 5,000 bill goes unpaid. The late fee on that slab is Rs 500. One month of interest at 3.40% is Rs 170. GST on Rs 670 is Rs 120.60. That slip costs Rs 790.60, taking the total to Rs 1,380.60 before any annual fee. Axis counts days from each purchase, so real interest may differ. Our late fee guide explains the slabs.

Worked out from each bank's page. GST at 18% on the listed charge: Rs 200 + Rs 36, Rs 249 + Rs 44.82, Rs 250 + Rs 45, Rs 500 + Rs 90.

What happens to my FD, and does the card build my credit score?

Your FD usually stays locked while the card is live, and the bank can use it if you default. The card can build a record, because banks report it to credit bureaus.

HDFC says you cannot close the deposit while the card is live, and the lien goes only after closure and clearing dues. Axis says that on default it may encash the deposit early and apply it to what you owe. City Union Bank's lien covers the whole FD including interest. Utkarsh Wish has a 7 day lock-in, and withdrawing a deposit after that lowers your limit.

ICICI's FD card page says the card helps you build or improve your credit history, and City Union Bank says it reports to bureaus monthly. The RBI bars reporting a new account before activation, so a card you never activate builds nothing. Missed payments count too: an account more than three days past due can be reported, FD or no FD. No document we read says how long until a bank offers an unsecured card.

What if my application is rejected?

The bank must tell you why in writing. The RBI's card directions require the issuer to give the specific reason for rejection, so ask for it if you did not get it.

If you have no history and an unsecured card was refused, a deposit route is what the documents above support. Our guide to rejected applications has more.

What does each bank publish as eligibility?

Most banks publish age and income; some publish only a deposit requirement. The table shows the wording we hold for open cards, with source and date. Not every card has one.

Rows marked Not confirmed came from a source we could not check against the bank. Check IDFC FIRST, Axis or HDFC for each bank's full list.

394 of 562 open cards, from 38 banks. 168 open cards have no figure here because we did not find one. Rows marked Not confirmed are figures we could not check against the issuer document, so check with the bank.