> Why is it so difficult to get a credit card in the U.S., the land of credit cards itself and, for what I've read, where credit card applications seem to virtu

> Why is it so difficult to get a credit card in the U.S., the land of credit cards itself and, for what I've read, where credit card applications seem to virtually pour in all the time among junk mail? It's not hard for most people - it's only a problem if you don't have a credit history at all, aren't in college, and can't prove a stable salary. But for those people, it's really the suck - and that's a lot of our demographic. Freelancers, business owners, and self employed people often have a very hard time getting their credit started. > I can easily understand if you had bad credit record but not having one at all being a showstopper really puzzles me. Most people pay their credit card bills anyway so any random newcomer to the business is probably a safe bet. I thought about that too. The credit card companies have very sophisticated metrics and algorithms though, and they seem to think lending to someone with no credit is a very bad idea because they're incredibly hesitant to do it. My best guess is it's a defense against fraud.