Best starter credit card for building credit

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, annual fees as low as $0, and rewards of up to 1% cash back on purchasesshow more (some cards are from WalletHub partners)show more. If you’d like a recommendation, you can check out WalletHub’s top picks for the best starter credit cards below.

  Your objective in picking between these beginner credit cards should be to pay as little as possible in fees and interest. As long as you remember to pay your bill on time and in full every month, you will be able to build credit inexpensively with the right first-time credit card. Within a few years, you may be able to qualify for one of the market’s best overall credit cards.

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  • Winner: Capital One Platinum Credit CardLearn More
  • Cash Back: Capital One QuicksilverOne Cash Rewards Credit CardLearn More
  • Rewards & No Fee: Petal® 2 Visa® Credit CardLearn More
  • Secured Rewards: Discover it® Secured Credit CardLearn More
  • No Credit Check: OpenSky® Secured Visa® Credit CardLearn More
  • International Students: Deserve® EDU Mastercard for StudentsLearn More

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Best starter credit card for building credit

Secured Credit Card

Min Deposit of $200

WalletHub's Take: The PCB Secured Visa® Credit Card is a moderately priced secured credit card that can help cardholders build credit, thanks to monthly reporting to all three major credit bureaus. The PCB Secured Visa Card also offers a wide range of potential deposit amounts: $200 to $1,000 the first year, up to $5,000 after. This gives people with a lot of cash on hand extra flexibility with their spending limit.

Pros

  • Qualify with limited or no credit history
  • Reports to all three major credit bureaus

Cons

  • Membership fees
  • High regular APR
  • Foreign fee
  • Requires security deposit

Best starter credit card for building credit

Purchase Intro APR

Not Offered

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WalletHub's Take: The Capital One Platinum Credit Card is a good credit card for people with average credit or who are new to credit. It is worth applying for the Capital One Platinum Card because of its $0 annual fee and the fact that it reports account information to the 3 major credit bureaus each month. That’s all you need to build credit inexpensively. Just make sure to pay the monthly bills on time and keep your balance well below Capital One Platinum’s credit limit.

Pros

  • No annual fee
  • Available to people with limited credit
  • Free credit-score access
  • No foreign transaction fee

Cons

  • No rewards
  • Fairly high regular APR
  • No reduced introductory rates

Best starter credit card for building credit

Regular APR

26.99% - 29.99% (V)

WalletHub's Take: The Mission Lane Visa® Credit Card is a pretty good unsecured credit card for people with bad credit or limited credit history. The Mission Lane Card offers a starting credit limit of $300+ and does not require a security deposit, but it does have a high APR and an annual fee of $0 - $59.

Pros

  • Qualify with limited or no credit history
  • Does not require security deposit

Cons

  • Membership fees
  • High regular APR
  • Foreign fee

Best starter credit card for building credit

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15.99% - 29.99% (V)

WalletHub's Take: The Petal® 2 Visa® Credit Card is a very good starter credit card for people with limited or no credit. The Petal 2 Visa Card is worth considering because it has $0 fees, rewards equal to 1 - 1.5% cash back on all eligible purchases, and monthly credit-bureau reporting.

Pros

  • No membership fees
  • No foreign fee
  • Qualify with limited or no credit history
  • Does not require security deposit

Cons

  • No rewards bonus
  • No balance transfers allowed

Best starter credit card for building credit

Secured Credit Card

Min Deposit of $200

Regular APR

25.99% Variable

WalletHub's Take: The Discover it® Secured Credit Card is 2022’s best secured card because it has a $0 annual fee and gives good rewards on purchases (1% to 2% cash back). The Discover it Secured Credit Card is also worth it because it doubles the rewards cardholders earn the first year. The minimum deposit for Discover it Secured Credit Card – $200 – is on the low end for a secured credit card, too.

Pros

  • No annual or monthly fees & No fees for account opening
  • Up to 2% cash back
  • First-year rewards doubled
  • Relatively low minimum deposit

Best starter credit card for building credit

Purchase Intro APR

Not Offered

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WalletHub's Take: The Capital One QuicksilverOne Cash Rewards Credit Card is a very good credit card for people with limited or fair credit who want to earn rewards. Capital One QuicksilverOne is worth the $39 annual fee if you spend at least $780 to $2,600 per year and pay the bill in full each month, thanks to rewards of 1.5 - 5% cash back and a high APR.

Pros

  • 1.5% cash back on all purchases
  • Available to people with limited or fair credit
  • No foreign fee

Cons

  • $39 annual fee
  • Average regular APR for a limited-credit card

Best starter credit card for building credit

Secured Credit Card

Min Deposit of $200

WalletHub's Take: The Citi Secured Mastercard is a good secured credit card for people who are new to credit because it has a $0 annual fee and requires a refundable security deposit of just $200. Those features make it easy to get approved and begin building credit inexpensively.

Pros

  • Relatively low minimum deposit
  • No annual fee

Cons

  • Expensive financing
  • 3% foreign-transaction fee
  • No rewards

Best starter credit card for building credit

Secured Credit Card

Min Deposit of $49, $99 or $200

WalletHub's Take: The Capital One Platinum Secured Credit Card is a very good credit card for building credit at a low cost. The card is easily worth it because it offers a $0 annual fee and a $200 starting credit limit in return for a refundable security deposit that could be as low as just $49. Or, the deposit requirement could be $99 or $200, depending on the specifics of your credit history and the current state of your finances.

Pros

  • No annual or monthly fees
  • Starting credit line $200
  • Great for credit-building

Cons

  • No rewards
  • Higher-than-average interest rate

Best starter credit card for building credit

Secured Credit Card

Min Deposit of $200

WalletHub's Take: The Capital One Quicksilver Secured Cash Rewards Credit Card is a good credit card for people who want to earn rewards and avoid fees while building upon limited credit history or a bad credit score. Capital One Quicksilver Secured has a $0 annual fee and rewards cardholders with 1.5 - 5% cash back on purchases. You will have to put down a $200+ security deposit to open an account, and the amount of the deposit will become your spending limit. But the deposit is fully refundable, and it actually makes the card easier to get.

Pros

  • Great rewards
  • No annual fee
  • Relatively low minimum deposit
  • Qualify with limited credit history

Best starter credit card for building credit

Secured Credit Card

Min Deposit of $200

WalletHub's Take: The OpenSky Credit Card is a good credit card for people with bad credit who want high approval odds because there is no credit check when you apply. The downside of the OpenSky Card is its $35 annual fee, but that can be worth it for the chance to rebuild your credit.

Pros

  • Reasonable $35 annual fee
  • $200 minimum deposit

Cons

  • 3% foreign transaction fee

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Capital One Platinum Credit Card

 

Why We Like It: The Capital One Platinum Credit Card is the best starter 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.

 

What We Don’t Like: You won’t earn rewards on purchases, and interest will cost you a lot if you carry a balance from month to month.

 

Who Should Get It: Apply for Capital One Platinum if you want a simple, easy-to-use starter credit card that will help you build credit inexpensively.

 

Alternatives to Consider: The Capital One QuicksilverOne Cash Rewards Credit Card is a great option for relatively big spenders.


Capital One QuicksilverOne Cash Rewards Credit Card

 

Why We Like It: The QuicksilverOne Card, which is available to people with limited credit, rewards cardholders with at least 1.5% cash back on all purchases and reports to the major credit bureaus each month.

 

What We Don’t Like: There is an annual fee of $39.

 

Who Should Get It: Capital One QuicksilverOne Cash Rewards Credit Card is the best starter credit card for beginners who plan to charge more than $2,600 per year and pay their monthly bills in full. That’s required to save money overall, considering the card’s annual fee and APR.

 

Alternatives to Consider: The Capital One Platinum Credit Card and the Petal® 2 Visa® Credit Card are both great starter cards as well.
 


Petal® 2 Visa® Credit Card

 

Why We Like It: The Petal® 2 Visa® Credit Card is the best beginner credit card for rewards with no annual fee. 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.

 

What We Don’t Like: You have to be on your best behavior for months before getting an above-average rewards rate. The APR can be pretty high, too.

 

Who Should Get It: Consider applying for the Petal 2 Card if you want a starter credit card with rewards and no annual fee.

 

Alternatives to Consider: If you’re a college student, there are lots of great options available.
 


Discover it® Secured Credit Card

 

Why We Like It: The Discover it® Secured Credit Card is the best starter credit card for rewards and good approval odds. 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.

 

What We Don’t Like: The main 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.

 

Who Should Get It: Consider applying for the Discover it Secured Credit Card if you want to earn lots of rewards and don’t mind placing a refundable security deposit.

 

Alternatives to Consider: The Capital One Quicksilver Secured Cash Rewards Credit Card also offers great rewards.

 

OpenSky® Secured Visa® Credit Card

 

Why We Like It: The OpenSky® Secured Visa® Credit Card is the best starter credit card for high approval odds because there is no credit check for new applicants. That means no hard inquiry when you apply. The OpenSky Card also reports to all 3 major credit bureaus on a monthly basis.

 

What We Don’t Like: OpenSky charges an annual fee of $35.

 

Who Should Get It: Consider applying for the OpenSky Card if you’re starting over after past mistakes with credit.

 

Alternatives to Consider: The First Progress Platinum Elite Mastercard® Secured Credit Card has no credit check but charges an annual fee of $29.
 


Deserve® EDU Mastercard for Students

 

Why We Like It: The Deserve® EDU Mastercard for Students is the best starter credit card for international 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.

 

What We Don’t Like: This card has a high APR, so carrying a balance from month to month could get expensive.

 

Who Should Get It: Consider applying for this card if you’re a college student, especially if you were born abroad.

 

Alternatives to Consider: The best student credit cards are excellent starter options for college students with limited or no credit history.
 


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 1,500 credit card offers.

Best Starter Credit Cards Comparison

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.

Best Beginner 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.

Why People Trust WalletHub

Unlike other sites that only promote cards they're paid by, WalletHub's editors focus on finding the best cards. WalletHub makes it easy to find the best starter credit cards.


John S Kiernan

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.

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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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What is a starter credit card called? Reply 25 0

Best starter credit card for building credit

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Best starter credit card for building credit

Milvionne Chery Copeland, Writer

Answer provided by user: Milvionne Chery Copeland, Writer

A starter credit card is also called a beginner credit card or a first credit card and is designed for people with limited or no credit. The best starter cards tend to be secured credit cards and student credit cards as both are easy to get with no credit history and report monthly to the credit bureaus. There are some worthwhile unsecured options for beginners who aren’t in school, too.

Below, we’ll provide some more details on each type of starter card as well as some of the best starter credit cards to consider.

Best Starter Credit Cards

  • Best Overall: Capital One Platinum Credit Card
  • Best for Cash Back: Capital One QuicksilverOne Cash Rewards Credit Card
  • Best for No Credit Check: OpenSky® Secured Visa® Credit Card
  • Best for Students: Bank of America® Unlimited Cash Rewards credit card for Students
  • Best for Rewards and No Fee: Petal® 2 Visa® Credit Card
  • Best Secured Credit Card: Capital One Quicksilver Secured Cash Rewards Credit Card

Types of Starter Credit Cards

Secured Credit Cards

Secured credit cards have some of the highest approval odds since they require a refundable security deposit as collateral. The security deposit will be equal to your credit card limit, keeping you from spending more than you can afford to repay. The security deposit also allows issuers to charge low fees.

Student Credit Cards

As the name states, student credit cards are geared to students and allow them the opportunity to build credit early. Since college and graduate students have high earning potential, card issuers also tend to give students favorable terms, such as low interest, no annual fees and good rewards. With some student cards, you may be required to provide proof of school enrollment.

Other Unsecured Credit Cards for No Credit

There are also some unsecured credit cards for people who have limited or no credit history but aren’t in school. Unlike secured cards, they do not require a security deposit to open the account, and some of them may even offer rewards. To check out those options, take a look at WalletHub’s list of the best unsecured credit cards for no credit.

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What are the easiest credit cards to get approved for? 27 0

Best starter credit card for building credit

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Best starter credit card for building credit

John S Kiernan, Credit Card Editor

Answer provided by user: John S Kiernan, Credit Card Editor

The easiest credit cards to get approved for with no credit or bad credit are secured credit cards. These cards have annual fees as low as $0 and report monthly to the 3 major credit bureaus. Some even give rewards of 1% or more. To help people with no credit or bad credit maximize their odds of approval for a credit card, WalletHub’s editors compared the approval requirements for more than 1,500 credit card offers, along with their fees, rates and rewards.

Easiest Credit Cards to Get Approved For

  • Best for No Credit Check: OpenSky® Secured Visa® Credit CardLearn More
  • Best Unsecured: Credit One Bank® Platinum Visa® for Rebuilding CreditLearn More
  • Best for No Annual Fee: Petal® 2 Visa® Credit CardLearn More
  • Best for Cash Back: Capital One Quicksilver Secured Cash Rewards Credit CardLearn More
  • Best for Students: Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards Credit Card for StudentsLearn More
  • Best for No Credit: Capital One Platinum Credit CardLearn More


Why People Trust WalletHub

Unlike other sites that only promote cards they're paid by, WalletHub's editors focus on finding the best cards. WalletHub makes it easy to find the easiest credit cards to get.

It’s important to get a good credit card because credit cards are the best credit-building tools available to us. They all report information to the major credit bureaus on a monthly basis, and unlike loans, they don’t require you to incur any debt. Some credit cards are much easier to get approved for than others, though. You can learn all about the best easy approval credit cards below.

This content is not provided or commissioned by any issuer. Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of an issuer, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by an issuer. Please keep in mind that while some offers may come from WalletHub advertising partners, sponsorship status played no role in card selection. 

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How can I build credit at 18? Reply 21 0

Best starter credit card for building credit

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Best starter credit card for building credit

Answer provided by user: WalletHub

The best way to build credit at 18 is to get a credit card in your name and use it responsibly. All major credit cards report account information to the credit bureaus each month, allowing you to build credit history. As long as the information shows on-time payments and reasonable credit utilization, that credit history will be positive and you’ll be on your way to building a good credit score.

There are two ways to get a credit card at 18: as an authorized user or by applying for your own account. If you have enough independent income to afford monthly bill payments, you can get your own credit card account when you turn 18. The best type of credit card to get at 18 is a student credit card, assuming you’re in college. Credit cards for students tend to have better rewards as well as lower rates and fees than other starter credit cards for people with no credit.

How to Build Credit at 18 Years Old

  1. Become an authorized user on a family member’s credit card.
  2. Apply for a starter credit card.
  3. Set up automatic payments from a bank account for your starter card.
  4. Make sure your card’s monthly statement balance is much lower than the credit limit.
  5. Work toward a high-paying job.
  6. Save as much as possible and minimize debt.
  7. Monitor your credit and make adjustments when needed.

Other Ways to Build Credit at 18

Using a credit card isn’t the only way to build credit at 18. There are several alternatives worth at least considering.

Credit-builder loan

A credit-builder loan is essentially a loan that holds the borrowed money in a bank account while you make payments. This allows you to build credit easily, and doesn’t require a good credit score. Once you’ve made all of the payments, the money is released to you. Credit builder loans are typically small (think around $1,000) and have short repayment times, usually just a year, so their sole intent is to help you build your credit.

Car loan

Financing a car using an auto loan can also help you build credit. Just like with any other loan, payments you make are reported to the credit bureaus. Getting an auto loan can also help your credit because a portion of your score is determined by your “credit mix,” and having an installment loan adds variety once you have a credit card.

Rental payments

You can arrange to have apartment rental payments reported to the credit bureaus. Some landlords report monthly rental payments to the credit bureaus automatically, but not all do. If your landlord doesn’t, you can still have your rental payments reported through a third-party service. Some of the top ones are RentTrack and eRentPayment. Paying rent is something you’d have to do each month anyway, so you might as well use it to build your credit, too.

Final Thoughts

Getting a starter credit card and/or becoming an authorized user on a family member’s or friend’s account is the best approach to building credit at 18 years old. Just remember that having your own account requires more responsibility, as you’ll be the one who has to pay the bills. If you don’t, your credit score will suffer. When you’re an authorized user, bill payments are the primary accountholder’s responsibility. Because of that, authorized users can file a dispute with the credit bureaus to get negative information removed from their credit reports.

You can keep track of what’s on your TransUnion credit report and check your latest credit score for free on WalletHub. You’ll get personalized tips for how to build credit most efficiently, too.

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Who needs a starter credit card? Reply 31 4

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Best starter credit card for building credit

John S Kiernan, Managing Editor

Answer provided by user: John S Kiernan, Managing Editor

Most people consider their first credit card to be a “starter” credit card. As such, the types of people who typically need starter credit cards include:

  • Young People
  • Immigrants
  • Divorcees & Widowers (who haven’t had credit under their own name in the last few years)

All of these groups tend to have minimal credit history, either because they haven’t been eligible to access credit for very long or because circumstances that previously allowed them to rely on another party’s credit standing have changed.

Some of us may also seek out starter credit cards when looking to start our financial lives over after previous mistakes, such as missed payments, account default, or even bankruptcy.

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How do I get credit cards for my kids? Reply 24 0

Best starter credit card for building credit

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Best starter credit card for building credit

Answer provided by user: WalletHub

You can get credit cards for kids by making them authorized users on your credit card account. A child legally cannot get their own independent credit card account until they turn 18 years old, but making your child an authorized user on your credit card can help them get a head start on building their credit history. Some credit card companies have minimum age limits for authorized users, but most credit card companies do not.

When a primary cardholder pays the bill on time and maintains low credit utilization, any authorized users on the account benefit from it. An authorized user doesn’t even have to use the credit card to reap the benefits. Also, some card issuers allow primary cardholders to set spending limits for each authorized user, which could come in handy if you’re giving a credit card to a child.

That said, if you’re trying to teach your kids about budgeting in a more hands-on way, you may also consider letting them use a prepaid or reloadable debit card designed for kids. These prepaid cards - one example is the Greenlight Card - allow parents to load money onto the card from an app and closely monitor their kids’ transactions. The big downside to a prepaid card for kids is that it does not build their credit history, because it’s not a credit card.

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Best starter credit card for building credit

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Everyone's gotta' start somewhere. But the learning curve can be quite tough with personal finance in general and credit cards in particular. That's why we assembled a panel of personal finance experts to provide tips and insights into how newcomers can kick off their credit careers on a positive note. You can check out who they are, what we asked them and how they responded, below.

  • Are starter credit cards safer than other credit cards?
  • When is the best time to get a starter credit card?
  • Why do banks even offer starter credit cards?
  • Is it harder or easier to get a starter credit card now than before the Great Recession?
  • Why do some starter credit cards require a security deposit?
  • Is it possible to skip starter credit cards entirely?
  • Are starter credit cards better than starter loans for credit-building purposes?

Best starter credit card for building credit

Joyce Shotick
Associate Professor, Judson University
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Best starter credit card for building credit

Tim LaPlante
Associate Professor Business, Finance and Management, Baton Rouge Community College
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Best starter credit card for building credit

P. Edward Hensley
CPA, CGMA, Instructor of Accounting, Wabash College
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Best starter credit card for building credit

Connie O'Brien
Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Accounting, Minnesota State University Mankato, College of Business
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Best starter credit card for building credit

Ananth Seetharaman
Ph.D., CPA, CGMA, Don and Donna Millican Professor of Accounting & Department Chair, Department of Accounting, G. Brint Ryan College of Business, University of North Texas
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Best starter credit card for building credit

Monty Mansur
Ph.D., Professor (Emeritus) of Finance and Distinguished University Professor, Widener University
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More Experts

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Which credit card is best for 1st time?

MoneyGeek's Take: Top First-Time Credit Cards in 2022.
Capital One Platinum Credit Card. ... .
Capital One QuicksilverOne Cash Rewards Credit Card. ... .
Indigo® Platinum Mastercard® ... .
Credit One Bank® Platinum Visa® for Rebuilding Credit. ... .
Merrick Bank Double Your Line® Secured Credit Card. ... .
OakStone Platinum Secured Mastercard®.

Which credit card is best for credit score building?

Best credit cards for building credit.
Winner: Petal® 2 “Cash Back, No Fees” Visa® Credit Card..
Runner-up: Discover it® Secured Credit Card..
Best for cash back: U.S. Bank Cash+® Visa® Secured Card..
Best low deposit: Capital One Platinum Secured Credit Card..
Best for international applicants: Deserve Digital First Card™.

Is opening a credit card a good way to build credit?

Using a credit card responsibly is one of the best ways to build credit history. You should pay on time, every time, and spend only a small portion of your credit limit. With that routine, you can generate an excellent credit score.

What is the easiest way to start building credit?

Payment history is a very important factor in your credit score, so making payments on time is one of the best things you can do to build credit. Making timely payments goes beyond your credit card balance. You want to make timely payments on all your bills — car loans, student loans etc. — to establish good credit.