Student Credit Cards with No Credit

The easiest credit cards for students to get are student credit cards for applicants with limited or no credit history and secured credit cards, which are available to people with no credit or even bad credit. Since college students tend to have higher incomes in the long term, issuers are willing to extend them better offers than most people without established credit could get. Think of it as an investment in a student’s future financial needs, which could prove quite profitable for a bank that gets in on the ground floor.

The best student credit cards, including Journey Student Rewards from Capital One and the Bank of America® Travel Rewards Credit Card for Students, will be easy to get as long as you’re enrolled in school and have at least a small income as well as a credit score that’s anything but bad. In fact, you can get them even if you don’t have a credit score yet because you’ve never had a loan or line of credit before. And if you do have bad credit, a secured card will still be pretty easy to get.

Easy Credit Cards for Students to Get

• Journey Student Rewards from Capital One – Pay-On-Time Bonus
• Discover it® Student chrome – Good-Student Rewards
• Bank of America® Cash Rewards Credit Card for Students – Best for Cash Back
• Bank of America® Travel Rewards Credit Card for Students – Best for Travel Rewards
• Secured Mastercard® from Capital One – Best Partially Secured Card
• Discover it® Secured Credit Card – Best for High Approval Odds

The easiest credit cards for students to get allow young people to begin building credit before entering the real world. If you use your card responsibly and pay your bills on time, you should be able to get a better deal once you graduate. And that’s true whether you’re starting with a student credit card or a secured card.

One of the best starter credit cards for students is the Discover it Student chrome card because it has a $0 annual fee and offers 1%-2% cash back on purchases. Cardholders get 2% back on up to $1,000 in gas and restaurant purchases per quarter, and 1% back on everything else. Plus, Discover doubles all the rewards new cardholders earn the first year and gives a $20 annual bonus to students who carry a 3.0 GPA or higher (for up to 5 years).

Those same bonuses can also be found on Discover’s other student card, the Discover it Student Cash Back card. And it too comes with a $0 annual fee. The difference is that it offers 5% cash back up to $1,500 spent in select categories every quarter and 1% back on everything else. So it’s a contender, too. A lot comes down to spending habits and preference.

Nearly all student credit cards qualify as starter credit cards because you can get approved for them with limited or no credit history. That’s true of both Discover student credit cards, as well as the Capital One Journey Student Rewards Card, the Wells Fargo Cash Back College Card – both of which are great options – and countless others. Citi’s Student Card is the only prominent example of a student credit card that’s not for beginners. It requires good credit for approval.

In general, students credit cards are the best starter credit cards because they’re easy to get without prior experience yet offer far better terms than an inexperienced applicant would ordinarily command. That’s because lenders want to appeal to students in the hope of gaining a long-term customer who may land a well-paying job upon graduation.

There are credit cards are available for high school students. But until you’re 21 years old, you’ll have to meet one of two requirements. You’ll have to have an income, one that demonstrates your ability to pay back the debt. Or, have a co-signer at least 21 years old on the application. The co-signer agrees to assume responsibility for your account, meaning they’re liable for any of your unpaid debt.

These requirements are mandated under the Credit Card Act of 2009. Its intent is to prevent teenagers and young adults from running up credit card debts they can’t pay back. So, if you’re under 21 and have the income or a co-signer, you have a number of credit card options to help you begin building credit.

As student credit cards are limited to those enrolled in college, you can choose a traditional credit card designed for people with limited credit. An alternative would be a secured credit card. They’re easier to get than secured credit cards, and typically don’t come with any fees. But you will have to put down a security deposit to open the account. The amount of the deposit determines your credit limit and is fully refundable when you close the account in good standing.

Here are some good high school credit cards:

• Capital QuicksilverOne Cash Rewards: 1.5% cash back on all purchases. $39 annual fee.
• Discover it Secured: Minimum $200 deposit required. 2% cash back at gas stations and restaurants up to $1,000 annually. No annual fee.
• Capital One Platinum: Eligible for increased credit limit when you pay your bill on time for the first 5 months. No annual fee.
• Citi Secured Mastercard: Minimum $200 deposit required. No annual fee.

If you still don’t have an income or a co-signer, you can sign on to another person’s existing credit card account as an authorized user. You’ll receive a card with your name that’s linked to the primary cardholder. You’ll be able to use the primary cardholder’s good credit history to help build your own. The drawback is, if the primary cardholder’s credit score takes a dive, yours will also take a negative hit.

A student credit card is a credit card branded specifically for use by college and graduate students with limited credit history or better. Student credit cards are easier to get than the average credit card, and they usually have $0 annual fees, rewards equal to at least 1% cash back on purchases, and minimum credit limits of $300 or so. Some student credit cards offer low introductory APRs, but the regular APRs on student credit cards tend to be above average.

Students generally have less credit history and less income than professionals and older adults. But students also come with assumed future earning potential, so credit card companies are more willing to approve a student with no credit history than a non-student newcomer. Student credit cards work just like regular credit cards, however, because they are regular credit cards. They’re just aimed at students.

Student credit cards can help students with fair, limited, or no credit build their credit history. The right student card can also teach responsible credit card habits to people who are new to the game. For example, some give bonus rewards for on-time bill payments and/or good grades.

You’ll need to be at least 18 years old to apply for a student credit card—or any credit card— on your own. If you’re under 21, you’ll need an independent income that the credit card company can verify. Income from even a part-time job will help your approval odds. And of course, you should be a student; you’ll most likely be asked about your school information on the application. Limited or no credit history usually is not an issue with student cards, but if you already have bad credit, you may not get approved. In that case, you may want to aim for a secured credit card, like the Discover it® Secured Credit Card.

It’s important to remember that student credit cards are definitely real credit cards. Like all unsecured cards, you can get in over your head if you aren’t using it responsibly. And the higher APRs of student cards can be a big extra weight if you carry a balance.

You can apply for a student credit card online, at a branch or (in some cases) by phone. To be eligible for approval, student credit card applicants must be at least 18 years old, earn enough income to afford monthly bill payments, and have limited credit or better (just not bad credit). To fill out a student credit card application, you will need to provide your annual income, your Social Security number (or an applicable alternative for international students) and other personal information – usually along with information about your school.

As with any credit card, when you apply for a student credit card, you could receive a decision instantly if you apply online, or it could take as long as 10 business days. It usually takes 7-10 business days to receive a card in the mail after approval.

Student credit card issuers obviously expect applicants to be students, and many require proof. But they all do it a little differently. For example, the Citi Rewards Student Card asks for your school’s details and your expected graduation date on the application, and its terms say the card is for currently-enrolled students only. At least one student credit card, the Capital One Journey Student Credit Card, doesn’t require applicants to be students in its terms and conditions.

Applying for a student credit card might sound complicated and intimidating, especially if it’s your first credit card application. Try not to sweat it, though—the process is fairly simple in reality.

How to Get a Student Credit Card:

1. Apply online, over the phone, or in-person. Make sure to have your SSN (or accepted alternative) and annual income at hand. If you’re under 21, you’ll need to have independent income to get approved for a credit card. 
2. Wait for a decision. Sometimes, you’ll get an instant decision. If not, the typical waiting period for credit card applications is 7-10 business days.
3. Watch your mailbox. If you’re denied, the credit card company will send you a letter explaining your denial. If you’re approved, you’ll receive your credit card in the mail 7-10 days after you’re approved.

Student credit cards are a good way for students without much credit history to build credit. Their rewards can also work in a student’s favor. Some offer statement credits for good grades and perks for paying the bill on time. And you definitely need to pay all the bills on time if you want to be successful after you apply for a student credit card.

Here’s what to put for income on a credit card application as a student: income from full or part-time jobs (including work-study), investment dividends, and most other funds that are regularly deposited into your bank account. Excess scholarship money that ends up in your bank account after tuition expenses generally counts as income, too. Some credit card companies may even consider the entire amount as income if it lands in your bank account first. Social Security payments and pensions from deceased relatives, and public assistance payments also count as income. Money from grants may or may not count, depending on the credit card company.

In general, if the money is available to pay a debt you owe, and is not earmarked exclusively for education expenses, it usually counts as income on a credit card application. The exception is borrowed money, including student loans.

Student loans don’t count as income

There’s no law against including student loan disbursements in your total annual income. But student loan money shouldn’t be counted as income on a credit card application because it’s not income—it’s debt. Any money that must be repaid should not be counted as income. Many students use loan money for personal expenses while in school, but that doesn’t mean it’s income.

What portion of scholarship or grant money counts as income?

Customer service representatives from different credit card companies have different opinions on this. For example, Chase reps say it depends on where the awarded money lands first. If the money goes directly to your school to pay for tuition and fees, you can only include whatever amount ultimately lands in your bank account. If the money comes to you first, you can include the entire amount—even if you pay tuition with it.

A Capital One rep said that no matter where scholarship money lands first, it’s up to the student to decide what gets counted in the application. That said, the rep did distinguish that grants do not count as income: “Neither student loans nor grants count as income because they are not considered a stable, continuous source of income."

If you’re in doubt, it’s best to call your credit card company’s customer service line and ask directly.

A student’s age impacts income on credit card applications

It’s worth noting that shared income can only be included on a credit card application if you’re over 21 years old. Those under 21 must have independent proof of income or a cosigner to get a credit card. That rule dates back to the Credit CARD Act of 2009. Credit card companies now have a more formal obligation to assess an applicant’s ability to pay their debt before extending a credit line.

How credit card companies interpret the law

There is a bit of a grey area between the CARD Act’s rules and credit card company guidelines for annual income. The law requires credit card companies to consider independent income for applicants under the age of 21. But based on the way major card issuers seem to interpret it, independent income doesn’t necessarily mean money earned directly by a student for doing a job.

For example, a Chase customer service representative suggested including any type of allowance you might receive from someone else to help pay your bills, if it’s deposited in your own bank account. Similarly, a Capital One representative noted that money must be “reasonably available” to you for it to count as independent income. That means the money must be regularly deposited into your personal account, or an account you share with the person depositing the funds.

So if your parents regularly deposit money into your bank account, you can use that amount in your annual income figure, according to Chase and Capital One reps. And if you’re 21 or older, you're allowed to report shared household income as your own on a credit application, as long as you have a reasonable expectation of access to the money. Sharing a bank account is not required in that case.

Does my annual income have to be 100% accurate?

Theoretically, credit card companies can take steps to verify what you put for income on your application. If they have a reason to doubt the number you give them, they can request information from your tax returns or use data from your credit report to create an estimate of your income. Keep that in mind because it’s against federal law to put false information on a credit card application. The law isn’t commonly prosecuted, but technically, breaking it is punishable by up to 30 years in federal prison per offense.

Having income from at least a part-time job will help a student get a credit card. But many students are unemployed while they’re in school. A 60% majority of full-time college students don’t have jobs, according to a 2019 study by the National Center for Education Statistics. That puts many college students at a disadvantage when it comes to getting a credit card. If your income is too low, try to find a cosigner or become an authorized user on a friend or family member’s account.

College students should have credit cards because it is the best way to begin building credit history. Simply owning a credit card account and keeping it in good standing can allow a student to go from having no credit at the start of college to fair credit or even good credit by graduation. As a result, responsible credit card use will give students a leg up when they enter the real world. Without a strong credit profile, students may have a difficult time renting an apartment, getting a car loan, finding cheap car insurance, and even landing a job.

Despite cautionary tales of student spending run amok, nearly half of all parents agree that college students should have their own credit cards. Roughly 40% of parents say young people should get their first credit card between the ages of 18 and 20, according to a WalletHub survey, while 7% say it’s good to have a card even earlier.

It’s actually a myth that college students can’t get credit cards. To qualify, you have to be at least 18 years old and demonstrate the ability to afford monthly bill payments. More specifically, anyone between the ages of 18 and 21 must prove their ability to independently pay back debt before they can own a credit card, per the Credit CARD Act of 2009.Or, an applicant may have a co-signer who is at least 21 years old. The cosigner would be financially liable for the account. Most credit card companies don’t allow co-signers anymore, though.

At the very least, college students should have a credit card as an authorized user on a parent’s account. You can build credit as an authorized user while the primary cardholder is responsible for making payments. The primary cardholder can also monitor the account. If there’s any sign of reckless card use, they can remove the authorized user at any time.

Missing payments and racking up debt are the biggest reasons people say not to get a credit card as a college student. But there are easy ways to minimize the risk while still reaping all the benefits. For example, you’ll be less likely to miss any due dates if you set up automatic payments from a bank account. You could also pay any annual fee the card may have and then lock the card away somewhere safe – to resist the temptation to overspend. You’ll still build credit that way.

Finally, it’s worth noting that if you wait until after college to get a credit card, you could be costing yourself when it comes it annual fees and rewards. Credit cards for college students tend to be a lot more attractive than other credit cards for people with limited or no credit.

The best Visa credit card for students is Journey Student Rewards from Capital One because it has great cash back rewards, gives you extra for paying on time and doesn’t charge an annual fee. But there are a lot of good options to consider. For example, Bank of America® Cash Rewards Credit Card for Students is great for 0% interest at the start, and the Bank of America® Travel Rewards Credit Card for Students has terms well-suited to study abroad.

In general, despite having little credit experience, college students can expect better-than-average rates, fees and rewards because they have high earning potential and many years of financial needs ahead of them. Banks want to get in early, in other words. And you can take advantage of that by getting a great student credit card and saving lots of money.

Best Visa Credit Cards for Students

• Most Cash Back – Journey Student Rewards from Capital One: The normal cash back rate is 1% but you can get 1.25% if you pay your bill on time. There’s no annual fee and you don’t need a credit history in order to be approved.
• Intro APR – Bank of America® Cash Rewards Credit Card for Students: This card won’t charge you any interest for 12 months, both on purchases and on balance transfers. You get 3% cash back on your first $2,500 in gas, 2% at grocery stores and wholesale clubs, and 1% on everything else. There’s also a $200 bonus when you spend $1,000 in the first 90 days. And there’s no annual fee, nor do you need a credit history.
• Travel Benefits – Bank of America® Travel Rewards Credit Card for Students: If you’re planning to travel often, this card is for you. You get unlimited 3 points / $1 at the Bank of America Travel center and 1.5 points / $1 on all other purchases. And you get 25,000 bonus points when you spend $1,000 in purchases in the first 90 days. The card doesn’t have an annual fee and there’s no credit history necessary for approval. 
• Bonus Cash Back – Wells Fargo Cash Back College℠ Card: This card gives 3% cash back on gas, grocery and drugstore purchases for the first 6 months. After that, you’ll earn 1% back on all purchases. The Wells Fargo Cash Back College card doesn’t charge an annual fee.

Any of these choices are good for students, but Journey Student Rewards and Bank of America Cash Rewards are probably the best two because they offer cash back rewards and don’t charge annual fees. You’ll be able to get the most consistent value out of them. But it’s good to look at cards from networks other than Visa, too. Some of the best choices include Discover it® Student Cash Back and the Capital One Secured Mastercard.

The best travel credit card for students is the Bank of America® Travel Rewards Credit Card for Students. Bank of America® Travel Rewards Credit Card for Students offers a $0 annual fee, a 0% foreign transaction fee, and rewards of 3 points / $1 spent at the Bank of America Travel Center (1.5 points / $1 on other purchases). It also has an initial bonus of 25,000 points for spending $1,000 in the first 90 days.

Best Travel Credit Card for Students

• Bank of America® Travel Rewards Credit Card for Students
• Journey Student Rewards from Capital One
• Deserve® EDU Mastercard for Students

In general, the best travel credit cards for students have no annual fees, no foreign transaction fees, and attractive rewards. They also accept college students and graduate students with limited or no credit history. For more options worth considering, check out WalletHub's complete list of the best credit cards for college students. 

Yes. You have to be a student to get a student credit card most of the time. Most student credit cards require applicants to provide the name of their school, their expected graduation date, or some other proof of enrollment.

The terms and conditions for some student credit cards also state that the card is specifically for currently-enrolled students. It’s illegal to lie on a credit card application, so applicants are legally compelled to be honest about their college enrollment status.

Even if a student credit card application doesn’t ask you about your enrollment status, student cards are meant for students. If you don’t qualify as a currently-enrolled student, there are plenty of alternatives for people just starting to build their credit. You can get a secured credit card or a starter credit card, for example, without needing to be a student.