Because you have no credit history. No history is worse than a bad history. Bad at least means that someone was previously willing to lend you money and you probably made some payments on it.

I agree with @Lightlyseared

There is a couple of tips on getting good credit card history:

1)You can secure it with savings, or assets, with a bank ect.
2) You can get a family member to co-sign and guaranteed payments.
3) You can get a starter card with a low credit amount (Like $300 or something like that).
4)You can make payments on utilities, in your name, that helps build your score indicating that you pay on time.

You haven’t proven that you’re a good credit risk. Credit cards are unsecured credit. They have nothing to confiscate if you don’t pay. A loan for a car they can take your car. A loan for a house They can take your house.

Back in the day department stores would give a $300 limit to people without a credit history. Maybe they stopped doing it.

Are you still living at home? I don’t remember how old you are. You could get on a card with a parent. You need to make sure it will affect your credit. If you don’t live with your parents you need some bills in your name. Utilities, that sort of thing.

Edit: I see the jelly above said basically the same thing, sorry for the repeat.

You haven’t proven you are capable of handling a loan properly so a store is not going to give you a chance. Sometimes you can find a store that will offer to approve you no matter what your credit history is. These stores use a third party lending institution and usually charge a very high interest rate

Have you in fact been denied? And more to the point, have you researched your credit scores or merely assumed they don’t exist?

My first credit card was a store card. Then I got an auto loan and my mom cosigned for it. Can one of your parents cosign the card application for you? That would do it, or if you know someone with good credit that would cosign for you, that would get it.

The other thing you can try is to build up your bank balance and try to get a credit card from your bank.

Purchase something big with a store credit card then pay if off quick.
( example: if you already have cash, apply for credit at store ,purchse item then use that set aside cash to pay if off within a few months…equals established credit.)

Okay, so it’s because I am a risk.

Thanks for the responses.

Creditkarma has helped a few friends build credit. They also get you approved on cards after 6 months or so.

You are considered a ghost to credit organizations if you have no credit usage history.
You may need to get a credit card that is secured with some of your funds. There are starter card programs out there. Just secure it with $300–400. Then buy things like groceries or gas and pay it off right away. After several months to a year you will work to a non-secured card.
I also suggest pulling your credit report (free once per year)

When I was seventeen my mother took me to her bank and I got a $50 loan and paid it back in several monthly payments. That established a credit history. It’s that easy.

To establish a credit history, a long time ago, I bought something at a shop that offered a payment plan, and then I paid it off dutifully on time. Some stores still offer payment plans (e.g. four monthly payments of $x.yz). Find something you need and buy it that way.