How to Get a Credit Score without a Credit Card
- 1). Take out a personal loan. If you have a savings account at a bank or credit union, you can take out a small loan that is secured by the account. This will allow you to get the loan easily without having a credit score. You will build your score based on how you repay the loan.
- 2). Take out a car loan. Lenders may be willing to give you this type of loan, even if you haven't already built up a credit score, because it is secured by the vehicle. This is especially true if you can make a large down payment that reduces the loan amount to a total below the car's actual value. The car loan will count in building a credit score.
- 3). Apply for a store-based credit account. Many stores that sell big-ticket merchandise, such as furniture and appliance retailers, will allow you to do this. Their criteria for granting a loan are often less stringent than credit card issuers', so you may be able to qualify without a credit score. These accounts help you build up a credit score based on the same criteria as a credit card account.
- 4). Request free copies of your credit report to make sure all of your accounts are being reported to the three major credit bureaus. You are entitled to get one free copy per year from each of the bureaus. If you do not see an account reported, contact the lender and ask if it will do so. The credit bureaus must get the information in order to figure it into your credit score.
- 5). Request your credit score from the free Credit Karma website. This will allow you to see whether your efforts at getting a credit score without having a credit card are successful.
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