Best First Credit Cards

To get a credit card for the first time, you must be at least 18 years old and have enough income to afford monthly credit card payments, in addition to your other expenses. The minimum payments on a starter credit card usually are around $15 per month. The two basic steps involved in getting a credit card for the first time are to: 1) compare credit card offers designed specifically for people with limited or no credit history; and 2) apply for one with no annual fee, if available – rewards and APRs can be the tiebreaker.

If you’re at least 21 years old, you can list household income and assets that you have reasonable access to on your credit card application. Younger applicants can only list independent income and assets. But even having a part-time job should provide enough income to get a credit card for the first time. Only people who are at least 18 years old can get their own credit card account. But there is no minimum age for being an authorized user on a credit card, in most cases.

High approval odds are one of the most important things to look for in your first credit card. The sooner you get approved, the sooner you can begin building your credit standing. Getting rejected for a credit card sets you back, both in terms of time and possible damage to your limited credit.

Low fees are another key feature to seek out when getting a credit card for the first time. Starter credit cards generally don’t offer rewards or interest rates worth paying high annual or monthly fees for. So it’s best to make your first credit card one with a $0 annual fee and always pay your monthly bill in full to avoid interest charges.

There are plenty of other things about the process of picking, applying for and getting your first credit that are also important to learn. We’ll walk you through them below, step by step.

How to Get a Credit Card for the First Time:

1. See if you have a credit report and score. You could have more credit history than you think, perhaps from being an authorized user on a family member’s credit card. This will help you determine how good of a credit card you should shoot for. Check your latest credit score and credit report for free on WalletHub.
2. Determine whether student credit cards are an option. College students can usually get better first credit cards than other people with no credit. Their youth and above-average expected income make them attractive to banks and credit unions. If you’re enrolled in school, check out the best student credit cards.
3. Compare secured and unsecured starter cards. Secured credit cards have the highest approval odds, but they require you to place a refundable security deposit. The amount of that deposit becomes your spending limit. Unsecured cards are harder to get but have no deposit.
4. Limit your search to cards with the lowest fees. Focus on weeding out cards with expensive non-refundable fees. A no annual fee credit card with no security deposit is best. But a low-fee secured card isn’t bad, either. You can get back your deposit when you close your account.
5. Choose the best remaining offer for your needs. If several credit cards are tied for the lowest fees and highest approval odds, consider the terms that are next most important to you. If you plan to pay your bill in full every month, that will probably be rewards. If not, you may want to focus on interest rates.
6. Submit your credit card application. Apply online for the fastest decision. You may even be approved instantly if you clearly meet the issuer’s criteria. You should receive your card within 7-10 business days of being approved.

Learning how to get a credit card for the first time is a rite of passage for young adults after turning 18 years old. And it’s a lot easier than you might think. The key is to choose wisely, by focusing on offers for people with limited credit and secured credit cards, which provide nearly guaranteed approval.

It’s also really important to remember that learning how to get a credit card for the first time and getting approved are only the beginning. You also need to use that card responsibly, which means spending within your means, paying your bill on time every month, and keeping your credit utilization below 30%.

If you can avoid racking up costly credit card debt and hurting your credit score with missed payments, your first credit card will be a huge asset. It will add positive information to your major credit reports each month. That will gradually improve your credit standing. And better credit will make it easier to rent an apartment, buy or lease a car, find a job, get approved for good loans and lines of credit and save on car insurance premiums, among other things.

You can track your progress for free on WalletHub, the only site with free credit scores and reports that are updated daily. We’ll even tell you exactly what you need to do to improve your credit score at a given time, plus provide personalized credit card recommendations. You can use them to find your first credit card and then graduate from it when the time is right.

WalletHub’s top three first credit card tips are: 1) Get a credit card because it’s the easiest way to build credit; 2) set up automatic monthly payments from a bank account because on-time payments fuel credit score improvement; and 3) Try to pay your bill in full every month because it will save you money and keep your spending under control.

In other words, it is important to get your first credit card as early as possible and then use it responsibly, by spending within your means and not missing due dates. If you do that, you’ll be able to graduate to a great second credit card sooner.

It all starts with picking the right first credit card, though. Most people looking for their first card have limited or no credit history, unless they’ve been an authorized user on a credit card or have a loan. As a result, cards that accept applicants with “limited credit” or “bad credit” are the most popular starter credit cards.

Below, you can find advice on which card to make your first as well as the steps to take for success with everything after that.

Helpful First Credit Card Tips:

1. Compare credit card offers thoroughly: Your main options include secured cards, which are the easiest to get and require a security deposit, and cards for limited credit, which tend to give slightly better terms and cater to people who have little/no credit experience. It’s important to find the right card right away so you only have to apply once.
2. Put your needs first: Start with a no annual fee credit card, if you can, and use other terms as a tiebreaker. Rewards are best if you plan to pay your bill in full every month. First credit cards usually have high interest rates, so it’s best to pay in full.
3. Never max out your spending limit: You don’t have to use your card to build credit. But if you do, it’s important to not overspend. Try to use less than 30% of your available credit. If you’re tempted to overspend, keep the account open but lock the card away.
4. Never miss a due date: Payment history is one of the most important portions of your credit score. Late payments will cause a lot of damage. But you can avoid ever paying late by setting up automatic monthly payments with your issuer.
5. Pay in full to avoid interest. Most first credit cards have very high interest rates. But you will only owe interest if you carry a balance from month to month. So paying your first card’s bill in full each month is not only great for your credit, but it will also save you money.
6. Watch your utilization: While it is best to use 30% or less of your credit limit, the reality is that a lot of first credit cards have very low limits. Paying your bill multiple times per month can help keep your end-of-month utilization figure low.
7. Review your monthly statements: Getting into this routine will help you better understand your spending habits. And it will help you avoid getting overcharged if any of the merchants you bought from made a mistake (or if someone used your card fraudulently).
8. Stick to a budget: Figure out how much you can afford to spend each month and try keep your charges from exceeding that amount. If you do have to carry a balance between months at some point, make a plan for paying off what you owe as quickly as possible.

When you’re in the market for your first credit card, you probably don’t have a credit score yet. But it’s possible you’ve built a bit of credit history through other means. If that’s the case, you could have far more credit card options available to you. You can check your latest credit score for free on WalletHub. It’s also good to check your credit reports, just to make sure there’s nothing inaccurate or suspicious on them.

Once you get a card and begin using it on a regular basis, it’s even more important to monitor your credit to make sure everything is correct. Knowing your credit score will also help you decide when the time is right to graduate to your second credit card.

You can get a credit card at 17 as an authorized user, but you have to be at least 18 years old to open a credit card account in your own name. And when you turn 18, you’ll need to show that you have your own independent income to qualify. In the meantime, you can begin to build credit as an authorized user or with a co-signed loan, and you can always use a debit card for everyday purchases.

Here’s what you can get instead of a credit card at 17:

• Authorized user card: If someone makes you an authorized user on their card, the account will be added to your credit report. And if the main accountholder pays the monthly bills on time, your credit score will improve. The main accountholder may or may not decide to give you a card that you can use to charge purchases to the account. But you won’t be responsible for making payments either way.
• Co-signed loan: You’re highly unlikely to get a loan by yourself as a minor, but if you have an adult co-signer, the lender will look at their credit and income when deciding whether to approve. That’s because the co-signer is legally responsible for paying if you don’t. This option allows you to build credit.
• Debit card: Most banks will give you a debit card connected to your checking account. You’ll be spending your own cash, not borrowing money, so you don’t need to be 18 to get one. Different banks have different rules, but most require you to be 13 or 14 years old. You won’t build credit with a debit card, but having one can make life more convenient until you turn 18.

So to recap, you can’t get a credit card at 17, at least not one of your own. But if you find someone to back you, then you can start building credit right away. And in just a year, you’ll be eligible for student cards, secured cards and other options for people new to credit.

You can’t get a credit card at 15. You won’t be able to get one in your own name until you’re 18. And even then, you might need to start out with a secured card until you’ve built up your credit history. The law prohibits minors from getting credit cards and requires anyone under 21 to show that they have their own income when they apply for a card. 

But just because you can’t get your own credit card account doesn’t mean you have no options. Your best bet is becoming an authorized user on someone else’s card. Authorized users can charge purchases to the primary cardholder’s credit account, but they don’t have any legal responsibility for payment. And as long as the primary cardholder makes payments on time, the authorized user gets positive information on their credit report. 

There are other ways to build credit without a credit card, like making rent payments, but they aren’t available to most 15-year-olds.  And if you want a credit card because carrying cash all the time is a hassle, many banks allow teenagers to open checking accounts with debit cards. Debit cards draw on the money in your checking account, so you don’t have to borrow money to use them. Prepaid cards (reloadable) and gift cards (usable until balance runs out) are other good spending tools. 

So instead of getting a credit card at 15, it’s probably best to focus on becoming an authorized user, getting a debit card or both.

Chase does not offer credit cards targeted to first-time credit card users. Good credit or excellent credit is needed for high approval odds for a Chase credit card, depending on the card.

You can check your latest credit score for free on WalletHub to see where you stand. Some people shopping for their first credit card may already have good credit as a result of being an authorized user on a credit card account in the past. You can also check for Chase credit card pre-approval to see which, if any, offers Chase thinks you’re qualified for, based on a harmless “soft pull” of your credit report.

If it doesn’t seem like an offer from Chase is in the cards for your first account, don’t worry. There are plenty of worthwhile alternatives from other issuers.

Popular First-Time Credit Card Offers:

• [url https://wallethub.com/d/capital-one-platinum-83c/]Capital One® Platinum Credit Card[/url]
• [url https://wallethub.com/d/quicksilverone-rewards-75c/]Capital One® QuicksilverOne® Cash Rewards Credit Card[/url]
• [url https://wallethub.com/d/discover-it-chrome-for-students-credit-card-548c/]Discover it® Student chrome[/url]
• [url https://wallethub.com/d/capital-one-journey-381c/]Journey® Student Rewards from Capital One®[/url]
• [url https://wallethub.com/d/open-sky-credit-card-503c/]OpenSky® Secured Visa® Credit Card[/url]

Using one of these cards responsibly – particularly paying the bill on time every month – is the ticket to a higher credit score and your chance of getting one of the best Chase credit cards in the future.

A good APR for a first credit card is anything below 20%. The best low interest first time credit card is the BankAmericard Credit Card for Students because it offers introductory APRs of 0% for 15 months on purchases and 0% for 15 months on balance transfers, with a regular APR of 14.99% - 24.99% (V). It also has a $0 annual fee, a $0 balance transfer fee and a $0 foreign transaction fee. With non-student first time credit cards, it’s hard to find a regular APR below 25% and nearly impossible to get a 0% intro rate.

Most first-timers have no credit history, so they need to prove themselves as responsible borrowers before getting a really low APR. But there are exceptions. One way to get a good APR for a first credit card is to apply for a secured card. But because these cards require you to deposit the entire amount they allow you to spend, it doesn’t make sense to carry a balance. You would in effect being paying interest to borrow money from yourself. Student cards also give lower rates, but naturally only to students.

Therefore, the very best APR for a first credit card is one that never affects you. Since you’re unlikely to get approved for a low APR, you should pay your balance in full every month. And if you do that, you won’t have to pay interest. Still, it’s worth knowing what rates are available, just in case.

Here are good APRs for first time credit cards:

• BankAmericard Credit Card for Students: 0% for 15 months. 14.99% - 24.99% (V) regular APR. $0 annual fee.
• Capital One QuicksilverOne Cash Rewards: 26.96% (V). $39 annual fee.
• Capital One Platinum Credit Card: 26.96% (V). $0 annual fee.
• Discover It Secured: 24.99% (V). $0 annual fee.
• Capital One Secured Mastercard: 26.99% (V). $0 annual fee.
• Green Dot primor Visa Gold Secured: 9.99%. $49 annual fee.
• OpenSky Secured Visa: 19.64% (V). $35 annual fee.
• First Progress Platinum Select MasterCard Secured: 14.74% (V). $39 annual fee.
• First Progress Platinum Prestige MasterCard Secured: 10.74% (V). $49 annual fee.

If you’re in the market for your first credit card, you probably don’t have much credit history, unless you’ve been able to build some as an authorized user on someone else’s card. So you probably won’t get a low APR. As a result, your aim should be to find a card with no annual fee that you can get approved for (rewards are a bonus). Then, pay in full every month by the due date to avoid interest. Paying your bill on time will also help you build credit and graduate to a card with a lower APR.

You should get your first credit card from an issuer that offers secured cards. For a credit card first-timer, they’re easier to get than an unsecured card for people with limited or no credit. And they’ll likely have fewer fees and a slightly lower interest rate.

You will have to make a deposit before you can open a secured card account. The deposit serves as the collateral for the issuer. If you default on your payments, the issuer keeps the deposit. If you maintain your account in good standing, you’ll get your deposit back after several months of timely payments, or when you close your account. The deposit also sets your credit limit. You can set your own credit limit, but you’ll likely have to put up a minimum $200 deposit.

If you’re a student, consider a first credit card designed specifically for students looking to build credit. They’re unsecured cards, which means there’s no security deposit required. You’ll likely start out with a low credit limit, but most student cards don’t come with the annual fees that traditional unsecured cards tend to charge.

Here’s where to get your first credit card:

• Credit Card Comparison Website: Our Compare Credit Cards landing page makes it easy to apply for your first credit card. Just filter your search based on the type of card and features you want. A side by-side comparison increases the odds of you landing your ideal credit card.
• Banks: Major banks offer starter credit cards for people with limited or no credit. You can apply online or at a local branch.
• Credit Unions: You can often find starter credit cards with excellent terms. Credit Unions do have specific membership requirements to be eligible to apply, so check on line or at a local branch for details.
• Stores: Major retailers offer their own credit cards. You can apply online or in-store. You’ll typically need fair credit in order to be approved.

Once you get your first credit card, use it responsibly. Secured and student cards both, or should, report your activity to the credit reporting bureaus. You will start out with a low credit score, but you’ll notice an increase over time as you keep up timely payments and keep your debt-to-credit limit low.