Paddy Sullivan, Member
@PaddySully
The best credit cards for millennials are as diverse as millennials themselves, considering the term can apply to anyone who is 24-39 years old in 2020. So while the best credit card for millennials who like to travel, as so many millennials do, is Capital One Venture, lots of younger millennials won’t have the good credit and income needed for approval. Similarly, millennials also love shopping online and buying organic groceries, which makes the Amazon.com Visa another great choice, as it offers up to 5% cash back on Amazon and Whole Foods purchases. But it too requires at least good credit. And the same goes for most 0% balance transfer cards, which could come in handy for reducing the cost of student loans.
The best credit cards for millennials who are new to credit are Journey Student Rewards (if you’re in school) and Capital One Platinum (if you’re not). And the best credit cards for millennials with bad credit are Discover it Secured and Capital One Secured. Almost all of these cards don’t charge annual fees, which is important when you have less-than-good credit. Let’s take a closer look at what else they offer.
Here are the best credit cards for millennials:
- Flexible Travel Rewards: Capital One Venture - 60,000 bonus miles when you spend $3,000 in the first 3 months. 2 miles per $1 on all purchases. $95 annual fee. Good credit required.
- Online Shopping & Organic Groceries: Amazon.com Credit Card - $50 gift card Amazon gift card loaded onto your account after you’re approved, $70 with an Amazon Prime membership. 3 points per $1 on all Amazon purchases, or 5 with Prime. 2 points per $1 at gas stations, restaurants, and drugstores, and 1 on all other purchases. No annual fee. Good credit required.
- Mobile Payments & Cell Phone Insurance: Wells Fargo Cash Wise Visa - $150 Cash Rewards bonus when you spend $500 in the first 3 months. 1.8% cash back on mobile wallet purchases (e.g. Apple Pay) and 1.5% cash back on everything else. $600 cell phone insurance when you pay your cell phone bill with your card. No annual fee. Good credit required.
- Paying Off Student Loans: Amex EveryDay - 0% APR on purchases for 15 months. 10,000 points for spending $1,000 in the first 3 months. 2 points per $1 on up to $6,000 in supermarket purchases per year and 1 on all other purchases. 20% more points when you use your card 20+ times in a billing cycle. No annual fee. Good credit required.
- Students: Journey Student Rewards from Capital One - 1% cash back on all purchases (1.25% if you pay on time). No annual fee. Limited credit accepted.
- Limited & Fair Credit: Capital One QuicksilverOne - 1.5% cash back on all purchases. $39 annual fee.
- Bad Credit Rewards: Discover it Secured - 2% cash back on $1,000 spent per quarter at gas stations and restaurants (1% on all other purchases), and Discover matches your first year’s cash back on your account anniversary. $200 minimum deposit. No annual fee.
- Bad Credit and Low Deposit: Capital One Secured - No rewards. No annual fee. $49, $99 or $200 minimum deposit depending on your creditworthiness. No annual fee.
At the end of the day, you have to decide what type of millennial you are in order to determine which of the best credit cards for millennials is right for you.

2021's Best Credit Cards
Compare CardsMoon Grey, Member
@moon_grey
It depends a lot on what your priorities are. The Uber Visa Card is a cool card. It earns you a $100 bonus after making $500 worth of purchases within the first 3 months. The cash back rewards are great too: 4% on dining, 3% on hotel and airfare, 2% on online purchases and 1% on everything else. And that's just part of the benefits.
Kevin Pebb, Member
@kevin_pebb
It really depends on what you want to do with them. If you're on Amazon a lot, you could go with their credit card.
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