WordsLittle or no credit history
Thin file
Shorthand for a credit report with very little in it, usually because the first card or loan is recent. A report lists each card and loan your lenders report, with its limit or amount, balance and payment history, plus the enquiries made in the last two years, so a thin file has only a few of those lines.
Experian, one of the four credit bureaus, counts how long you’ve had credit among the factors in its score. It gives two usual reasons for having no score with it at all: no credit yet, or none used in the last ten years.
Where this comes from
- Experian India, Frequently Asked QuestionsWhat is in a Credit Report?, What are the score factors? and Why don't I have an Experian Credit Score?
- RBI, Credit Information Reporting Directions, 2025Paragraphs 10(1) and 25, as updated 1 July 2026
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NTC
New to credit
No history at the credit bureaus yet: no loan, no card, so no score. Everyone starts here.
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Your credit score, as people say it
India's first credit bureau, and the name most people use for their credit score, which runs from 300 to 900.
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A card against a deposit
The bank holds a fixed deposit of yours and gives you a limit against it. A common first card when a bank has nothing else to go on.
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A card on someone else's account
A second card on someone's account, often a parent's. It shares their limit, and the bill is theirs to pay.
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What happened to members, not financial advice. Offers change, so check with the bank. Terms of use