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Best Starter Credit Cards
WalletHub makes it easy to find the best starter credit card for beginners.
A starter credit card is a great way for people with limited credit or bad credit to establish and improve their credit standing (including students and immigrants). Starter credit cards usually have a $300+ starting credit limit and an annual fee of $0 to $99, plus up to 1% cash back in rewards… show more… show more
Best Starter Credit Cards (May 2022)
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Citi® Secured Mastercard® Citi® Secured Mastercard®

- Relatively low minimum deposit
- No annual fee
- Expensive financing
- 3% foreign-transaction fee
- No rewards
- The Citi® Secured Mastercard® is a no annual fee credit card that helps you build your credit when used responsibly.
- Unlike a debit card, it helps build your credit history with monthly reporting to all 3 major credit bureaus. Once available, you will also have free access to your FICO score online.
- Use your card anywhere Mastercard® is accepted — worldwide.
- A security deposit is required. Once approved, your credit limit will be equal to your security deposit (minimum of $200).
- Get help staying on track with Auto Pay and account alerts.
- With Flexible Payment Due Dates, you can choose any available due date in the beginning, middle or end of the month.
- Manage your account 24/7 online, by phone, or in our mobile app.
- The standard variable APR for Citi Flex Plan is 23.24%. Citi Flex Plan offers are made available at Citi's discretion.
- See More Details & Reviews About TheCiti® Secured Mastercard®
Capital One Platinum Credit Card Capital One Platinum Credit Card

- No annual fee
- Available to people with limited credit
- Free credit-score access
- No foreign transaction fee
- No rewards
- Fairly high regular APR
- No reduced introductory rates
- No annual or hidden fees. See if you're approved in seconds
- Be automatically considered for a higher credit line in as little as 6 months
- Help build your credit through responsible use of a card like this
- Enjoy peace of mind with $0 Fraud Liability so that you won't be responsible for unauthorized charges
- Monitor your credit score with CreditWise from Capital One. It's free for everyone
- Get access to your account 24 hours a day, 7 days a week with online banking from your desktop or smartphone, with our mobile app
- Check out quickly and securely with a contactless card, without touching a terminal or handing your card to a cashier. Just hover your card over a contactless reader, wait for the confirmation, and you're all set
- Pay by check, online or at a local branch, all with no fee - and pick the monthly due date that works best for you
- See More Details & Reviews About TheCapital One Platinum Credit Card
Capital One Platinum Secured Credit Card Capital One Platinum Secured Credit Card

- No annual or monthly fees
- Starting credit line $200
- Great for credit-building
- No rewards
- Higher-than-average interest rate
- No annual or hidden fees. See if you're approved in seconds
- Building your credit? Using the Capital One Platinum Secured card responsibly could help
- Put down a refundable security deposit starting at $49 to get a $200 initial credit line
- You could earn back your security deposit as a statement credit when you use your card responsibly, like making payments on time
- Be automatically considered for a higher credit line in as little as 6 months with no additional deposit needed
- Enjoy peace of mind with $0 Fraud Liability so that you won't be responsible for unauthorized charges
- Monitor your credit score with CreditWise from Capital One. It's free for everyone
- Get access to your account 24 hours a day, 7 days a week with online banking to access your account from your desktop or smartphone, with our mobile app
- See More Details & Reviews About TheCapital One Platinum Secured Credit Card
Secured Sable ONE Credit Card Secured Sable ONE Credit Card

- NEW! Get a dollar-for-dollar match on all cash back at the end of your first year with Sable Double Cash Bonus.
- Earn 2% cash back on everyday purchases at Amazon, Uber, Uber Eats, Whole Foods, Netflix, Spotify, and more! Plus, earn 1% cash back on all other purchases.
- No membership fees
- High rewards rate
- Low regular APR
- Qualify with limited or no credit history
- No rewards bonus
- Foreign fee
- Requires security deposit
- Auto-review to unsecured card in as FAST as 4 months, 3X faster than anywhere else with Sable’s graduation promise.
- Up to $10,000 credit limit
- No credit check or US credit history required.
- No SSN required for non US citizens.
- Build US credit history FAST. Sable offers enhanced reporting on more data points than any other card so you can build your credit faster.
- Premium benefits like coverage in the event your covered cell phone is stolen or damaged (including cracked screens!), rental car insurance, and much more!
- Please see terms and conditions for additional details.
- See More Details & Reviews About TheSecured Sable ONE Credit Card
Discover it® Secured Credit Card Discover it® Secured Credit Card
- Earn 2% cash back at Gas Stations and Restaurants on up to $1,000 in combined purchases each quarter. Plus, earn unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases – automatically.
- No annual or monthly fees & No fees for account opening
- Up to 2% cash back
- First-year rewards doubled
- Relatively low minimum deposit
- High regular APR
- No credit score required to apply.*
- No Annual Fee, earn cash back, and build your credit with responsible use.
- Using your secured credit card helps build a credit history with the three major credit bureaus. Generally, prepaid and debit cards can’t do that.
- Establish your credit line with your tax return by providing a refundable security deposit of at least $200. That means a $200 deposit for a $200 credit line. Or a $500 deposit for a $500 credit line. Bank information must be provided when submitting your deposit, and the security deposit equals your credit limit.
- Automatic reviews starting at 7 months to see if we can transition you to an unsecured line of credit and return your deposit.*
- Earn 2% cash back at Gas Stations and Restaurants on up to $1,000 in combined purchases each quarter. Plus, earn unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases – automatically.
- Get an alert if we find your Social Security number on any of thousands of Dark Web sites.* Activate for free.
- Click "APPLY NOW" to see rewards, FICO® Credit Score terms, Cashback Match™ details & other information.
- See More Details & Reviews About TheDiscover it® Secured Credit Card
Petal® 2 Visa® Credit Card Petal® 2 Visa® Credit Card

- Up to 1.5% cash back on eligible purchases after making 12 on-time monthly payments.
- 1% cash back on eligible purchases right away
- 2% - 10% cash back at select merchants
- No membership fees
- No foreign fee
- Qualify with limited or no credit history
- Does not require security deposit
- No rewards bonus
- No intro APR on purchases
- No balance transfers allowed
- No fees whatsoever. No late fee, foreign transaction fee, annual fee, or any-other-kind-of-fee, fee.
- Variable APRs range from 13.24% - 27.24%
- $300 - $10,000 credit limits
- No credit score? No problem. If eligible, we'll create your Cash Score instead.
- See if you're pre-approved within minutes without impacting your credit score.
- Build credit alongside hundreds of thousands of Petal card members.
- Petal reports to all 3 major credit bureaus.
- No deposits required
- Card issued by WebBank, Member FDIC
- See More Details & Reviews About ThePetal® 2 Visa® Credit Card
Capital One QuicksilverOne Cash Rewards Credit Card Capital One QuicksilverOne Cash Rewards Credit Card

- Earn unlimited 1.5% cash back on every purchase, every day
- No rotating categories or limits to how much you can earn, and cash back doesn't expire for the life of the account. It's that simple
- Earn unlimited 5% cash back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, where you'll get Capital One's best prices on thousands of trip options. Terms apply
- 1.5% cash back on all purchases
- Available to people with limited or fair credit
- No foreign fee
- $39 annual fee
- Average regular APR for a limited-credit card
- Be automatically considered for a higher credit line in as little as 6 months
- Enjoy peace of mind with $0 Fraud Liability so that you won't be responsible for unauthorized charges
- Help strengthen your credit for the future with responsible card use
- Monitor your credit score with CreditWise from Capital One. It's free for everyone
- Check out quickly and securely with a contactless card, without touching a terminal or handing your card to a cashier. Just hover your card over a contactless reader, wait for the confirmation, and you're all set
- See More Details & Reviews About TheCapital One QuicksilverOne Cash Rewards Credit Card
FIT Mastercard® FIT Mastercard®

- Qualify with limited or no credit history
- Does not require security deposit
- One-time fees
- No rewards
- No rewards bonus
- No intro APR on purchases
- $400 credit limit doubles to $800! (Simply make your first 6 monthly minimum payments on time)
- All credit types welcome to apply
- Monthly reporting to the three major credit bureaus
- Initial Credit Limit of $400.00* (Subject to available credit)
- Fast and easy application process; results in seconds
- Use your card at locations everywhere Mastercard® is accepted
- Free access to your Vantage 3.0 score from Experian* (When you sign up for e-statements)
- Checking Account Required
- See More Details & Reviews About TheFIT Mastercard®
OpenSky® Secured Visa® Credit Card OpenSky® Secured Visa® Credit Card

- Reasonable $35 annual fee
- $200 minimum deposit
- 3% foreign transaction fee
- No credit check to apply and find out instantly if you are approved.
- OpenSky gives everyone an opportunity to improve their credit with an 85% average approval rate for the past 5 years
- Get considered for a credit line increase after 6 months, with no additional deposit required
- You could be eligible for the OpenSky Gold Unsecured Card after as few as 6 months
- Reports to all 3 major credit bureaus monthly, unlike a prepaid or debit card
- Nearly half of OpenSky cardholders who make on-time payments improve their FICO score 30+ points in the first 3 months
- Your refundable* deposit, as low as $200, becomes your OpenSky Visa credit limit
- Easy application, apply in less than 5 minutes right from your mobile device
- Offer flexible payment due dates which allow you to choose any available due date that fits your payment schedule
- * View the cardholder agreement
- See More Details & Reviews About TheOpenSky® Secured Visa® Credit Card
Reflex Mastercard® Reflex Mastercard®

- Qualify with limited or no credit history
- Does not require security deposit
- No rewards
- No rewards bonus
- No intro APR on purchases
- No balance transfers allowed
- Up to $1,000 credit limit doubles up to $2,000! (Simply make your first 6 monthly minimum payments on time)
- See if you’re Pre-Qualified with no impact to your credit score
- All credit types welcome to apply
- Free access to your Vantage 3.0 score from Experian* (When you sign up for e-statements)
- Initial Credit Limit of $300 - $1,000* (subject to available credit)
- Monthly reporting to the three major credit bureaus
- Fast and easy application process; results in seconds
- Use your card at locations everywhere Mastercard® is accepted
- Checking Account Required
- $0 monthly fee for the first 12 months. $10.00 per month starting the second year, waived for those with a $750 or $1,000 credit limit
- See More Details & Reviews About TheReflex Mastercard®
Best Starter Credit Cards of May 2022
Capital One Platinum Credit Card
The best starter credit card is the Capital One Platinum Credit Card because it has a $0 annual fee and reports account info to the 3 major credit bureaus each month. Plus, anyone with limited or fair credit is eligible. That’s really all a newcomer needs to build credit inexpensively. Capital One Platinum has been one of the top starter credit cards for years, too, so you can have confidence that it will help you start things off right.
Capital One QuicksilverOne Cash Rewards Credit Card
The best starter credit card for beginners who plan to charge more than $2,600 per year and pay their monthly bills in full is the Capital One QuicksilverOne Cash Rewards Credit Card. In return for an annual fee of $39, cardholders earn 1.5% cash back on all purchases. The QuicksilverOne Card, which is available to people with limited credit, also reports to the credit bureaus each month.
Petal® 2 Visa® Credit Card
The best beginner credit card for rewards with no annual fee is the Petal® 2 Visa® Credit Card. It gives at least 1% cash back on all eligible purchases, with the earning rate increasing as you prove yourself to be a responsible cardholder. After six months of on-time payments, it goes up to 1.25% cash back. And after 12 months of paying on time, the rewards rate jumps to 1.5% back. The Petal 2 Visa Card, which is available to people with limited credit or better, also reports monthly to the 3 credit bureaus.
Discover it® Secured Credit Card
The best starter credit card for rewards and good approval odds is Discover it® Secured Credit Card. It has a $0 annual fee, gives 1 - 2% cash back on purchases, and doubles the rewards you earn the first year your account is open. The one potential drawback is that you need to place a security deposit of at least $200, and the amount of that deposit will serve as your spending limit. But the deposit is also fully refundable, and it actually helps make the card easier to get.
OpenSky® Secured Visa® Credit Card
The best starter credit card for high approval odds is the OpenSky® Secured Visa® Credit Card because there is no credit check for new applicants. That means no hard inquiry when you apply. The OpenSky Card also has a reasonable annual fee, at $35, and it reports to all 3 major credit bureaus on a monthly basis.
Deserve® EDU Mastercard for Students
The best starter credit card for international students is the Deserve® EDU Mastercard for Students because it has a $0 annual fee, gives 1% cash back on purchases, and does not require international students to list a Social Security number on the application. Plus, new cardholders who spend $500 in the first three billing cycles get a free year of Amazon Prime Student. You can learn more from our Deserve EDU review.
As you can see, newcomers have plenty of starter credit card options available to them, especially students. For your convenience, we’ll recap the best of the bunch below. WalletHub’s editors identified these offers as being the best first time credit cards for different types of newcomers after comparing more than 1,000 credit card offers.
Best Starter Credit Card Comparison
Credit Card | Best For | Annual Fee | Rating |
Capital One Platinum Credit Card | Overall | $0 | 5/5 |
Petal® 2 Visa® Credit Card | Rewards & No Fee | $0 | 5/5 |
Discover it® Secured Credit Card | Secured Rewards | $0 | 5/5 |
Capital One QuicksilverOne Cash Rewards Credit Card | Cash Back | $39 | 4.7/5 |
OpenSky® Secured Visa® Credit Card | Easy to Get Approved | $35 | 4/5 |
Deserve® EDU Mastercard for Students | International Students | $0 | 3.5/5 |
Now that you’re familiar with WalletHub’s editors’ picks for the best starter credit cards, it’s important to note that finding the best beginner credit card for your needs is only half the battle. You also need to use it responsibly if you want that starter card to be a stepping stone to financial success, not a source of mistakes that could haunt your credit history for years.
Negative records about things like missed payments, default and bankruptcy will remain on your major credit reports for 7 to 10 years. There’s no way around that, either. So even though you’re using a credit card for beginners, you need to act like a veteran. Above all else, that means always paying your monthly bill on time and only spending what you can afford to pay back. And since those things are way easier said than done, some specific pointers are in order.
Below, we’ll lay out our best first-time credit card tips, covering both how to find the right card and how to use it right once you have it.
Starter Credit Card Tips
1. When in doubt, get the cheapest secured card
This is a good type of card for beginners because it allows you to start building credit as soon as possible. And it lets you do so in a relatively low-risk environment, where you can practice responsible habits without the temptation to overspend.
Opting for a secured card will also help you avoid unnecessary credit-score damage. Too many applications (3+) within too short of a timeframe (three months) will drag down your score, as repeated hard inquiries signal a worrisome desperation for added spending power.
Besides, secured credit cards are indistinguishable from unsecured cards. Physically, there’s no difference in their appearance. Same thing when it comes to credit building. They look exactly the same on your credit report. And information about both types of cards gets reported to the credit bureaus on a monthly basis.
2. Start with a student credit card if you have an EDU email address
Banks offer college students more attractive terms because they prize their above-average earning potential and the potential that exists for them to become lifelong customers. Students can expect to get a card that does not charge an annual fee yet offers either a rewards earning rate of least 1% or a 0% introductory APR.
3. Get a boost from a store card
If you want to boost your credit building and rewards earning capabilities, you may also want to get a store card associated with one of your favorite retailers, as they are typically free to use.
4. Don’t worry about looks
Long ago, you learned not to judge a book by its cover, and it’s the same story with credit cards. What your card looks like isn’t important. Hardly anyone is going to see it, and even fewer will care.
What matters is getting a good deal and saving money. That’s why the coolest credit cards are the ones with the best value proposition.
5. Non-students should consider three types of cards
A secured card is your best bet for approval, as you are essentially guaranteed to get one if you can place a security deposit of at least $200. That deposit will also serve as your credit line, thereby preventing overspending.
Store credit cards can only be used at the particular retail chain they are affiliated with. For example, the Target REDcard can only be used to make purchases at Target. The appeal of store cards is that they tend to have fairly lenient approval standards as well as great rewards. The stores want more people spending more money at their locations, after all.
Unsecured credit cards for limited credit, on the other hand, may offer the most spending power…and charge the highest fees.
6. Remember that travel rewards aren’t for everyone
Airline miles and hotel points are flashy, and they may even draw your eye when shopping for your first credit card. What most first time credit card users will eventually learn, however, is that cash back rewards are far more reliable and transparent. It’s far easier to understand their value, and cash cannot be devalued. You don’t need to be a frequent traveler to maximize your earnings either.
7. Try to compare apples to apples
One reason comparing credit cards is so difficult is that they all list account information differently. But if you put things in dollar terms, it will be much easier to find the offer that’s right for you.
In other words, convert points and miles into cash back percentages by determining how many points/miles you’ll need for a certain gift card, flight, hotel room, etc. You can also compare rewards cards with different annual fees based on the net amount each would save you, considering both what you’d earn and what you’d have to spend. You could even factor in interest rates if you plan on carrying a balance from month to month.
8. Always pay your bill on time
Payment history accounts for more than a third of 35% of your overall credit score. And because paying your account’s monthly minimum is all that’s required to make sure this score component stays positive, there’s really no excuse for tripping up in this regard.
The best way to take forgetfulness out of the equation is to set up automatic monthly payments from a bank account. You can do so through your online account or by calling customer service. And you’ll be able to choose between paying the monthly minimum, your full balance or a custom amount.
At the end of the day, the best type of first time credit card is easy to identify: It’s an offer catered to people with limited or no credit that does not charge any fixed fees. After all, your top priorities at this stage in your credit career should be to get approved and start building credit as quickly and inexpensively as possible.
Finding the single best credit card to start with is a bit trickier. And while we’ve done the legwork for you, you may prefer to do the search yourself. In that case, following the tips above will definitely lead you in the right direction.
Methodology for Picking the Best Starter Credit Cards
To identify the best starter credit cards, WalletHub’s editors regularly compare more than 1,500 credit card offers based on their rewards, fees, interest rates, special features, and approval requirements. This enables us to maintain an up-to-date list of the best credit cards for beginners of all types, from starter credit cards for students to the best rewards cards for newcomers. Some cards come from WalletHub partners, but advertiser status does not affect WalletHub’s editors’ picks in any way. Selections are made based on cardholder savings.
About the author
John Kiernan has covered the credit card industry for more than 10 years as a writer and editor for WalletHub. His work has been featured by major media outlets such as The Washington Post and The New York Times and has been cited by industry regulators such as the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Read Full Author Bio
Best Starter Credit Cards FAQ
Comparing can be tough. But you’ve got the knowledgeable WalletHub community on your side. We encourage everyone to share their knowledge while respecting our content guidelines. Please keep in mind that editorial and user-generated content on this page is not reviewed or otherwise endorsed by any financial institution. In addition, it is not the financial institution’s responsibility to ensure all posts and questions are answered.show more
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