You also don't have to start building debt. Having a credit card you don't use is enough.
Unless: Someone has them cosign for a loan or credit card. This is somewhat common with a first car loan or some student loans, but less common with credit cards. They won't be able to do that if they have a low score.
Otherwise, you are basically on your own. The credit stuff you would have experienced coming here is what many 18-year olds hav to deal with. Some older women find themselves in a similar position - the accounts were all in their husband's name.
Perhaps one's parents can't help in any formal way, but for me, my parents' creditworthiness and relationship with a local bank helped get me my first credit card.
Right before I left home for college, I applied for a credit card with my local bank, and was initially declined. When I asked for reconsideration by the branch manager, he looked into the situation and indicated that he couldn't do anything to assist.
When my mother found out I was declined, she took me back to the branch, and asked the branch manger to reconsider the credit decision. Upon a review of my parents' standing with the bank, the branch manager overrode the previous decision and I was given a Visa card with a moderate ($1000 USD) limit. My mother wasn't even asked to co-sign on the account, provide any kind of guarantee, or be associated with the credit card in any way.
With regards to credit score, of course, I never said it did.
With regards to getting a first credit card thats simply not true. Maybe if you go into a bank and open an account but if you have had a relationship with that bank for several years it is going to help you get one to begin with. Of course it helps you if you have had a history with the bank. And of course there are americans who can't just get a credit card thats still not what I am talking about.
I know plenty of 18 year olds who never had to deal with what I had and no matter what it doesn't really change anything from my original claim which is that the US credit history system is built on distrust not trust.
Citibank offers customers credit cards based on how much they have on their savings account. So it's simply not true that history doesn't help. Of course it does as it should.
I am not talking about credit card history but about history of being a US citizen, having a bank account etc.
I think a lot here are missing the point.
The question is not about your credit score but about getting the credit card to begin with. Once you get the card they assign you a credit score but in order to get it you have to start building debt (and as a foreigner I had to do that with my own money)