Updated: July 16, 2024
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If you’re a student, a first-time credit card seeker or someone with poor or no credit history, it’s natural to assume a good credit card is likely out of your reach. But you actually have several great options. While most of these cards have higher-than-usual interest rates, the top ones allow you to earn cash back/rewards while you’re on your journey to build your credit.
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A common factor that connects all the top first-time credit cards is that you may qualify for them even if you don’t have a well-established or good credit history. While some such cards come with annual fees, others don’t. Since issuers make these cards available to people with poor or no credit histories, they tend to come with higher interest rates than cards meant for consumers with good to excellent credit.
Depending on the first credit card you get, you might be able to earn rewards or cash back. If you plan to use your card outside the U.S., consider getting one that charges no foreign transaction fees. Added perks that come with these cards also need your attention.
We aim to simplify how you look for a suitable first-time credit card after accounting for your specific requirements through useful tips, tables, card selections and more.
The best beginner credit cards are usually ones that come with no annual fees, although there are a few exceptions. We’ve selected the best of the lot based on other aspects as well. These include annual percentage rates (APRs), rewards/cash back and additional benefits. You get more options to choose from further down the page.
Card Name | Annual Fee | Rewards Rate | |
|---|---|---|---|
1. | #N/A | #N/A | |
2. | $0 | 1% Cash Back | |
3. | #N/A | #N/A | |
4. | $0 | None | |
5. | $0 | None | |
6. | $39 | 1.5% Cash Back | |
7. | $0–$99* | None | |
8. | $99 | None | |
9. | $36* | None | |
10. | OakStone Platinum Secured Mastercard® | $49 | None |
11. | $0 | None |
The links in the table above will take you to one of our partner's sites where you can compare and apply for a selected credit card.
MoneyGeek experts have narrowed down on the best first-time credit cards after accounting for factors such as the creditworthiness required to apply, annual fees, APRs, rewards/cash back and added perks. We are quick to highlight a card’s advantages as well as possible drawbacks.
The best first-time credit cards for the general population are typically ones that come with no annual fees, no foreign transaction fees and offer rewards or cash back. Some of these cards come with introductory spend-based bonus offers too.
Capital One Platinum Credit Card - Ideal for building credit without paying annual or foreign transaction fees
This beginner’s credit card from Capital One comes with no annual fees and no foreign transaction fees. Capital One automatically considers cardholders for higher credit lines in as little as six months. Setting up automatic payments is possible. Free access to CreditWise lets you easily monitor your TransUnion VantageScore 3.0 credit score.
Capital One QuicksilverOne Cash Rewards Credit Card - Great for earning cash back on all purchases
This Capital One card makes it to the list of best credit cards for beginners because it offers 1.5% unlimited cash back on all purchases. However, it charges an annual fee of $39. You pay no foreign transaction fees when you use this card outside of the U.S. Monitoring your credit score is easy through the free-to-use CreditWise platform. You may also set up automatic payments to ensure that you never miss a payment.
Indigo® Platinum Mastercard® - Good for people with less-than-perfect credit
The Indigo® Platinum Mastercard® issued by Celtic Bank is available to people with less-than-perfect credit. You get to choose from different colors and designs. It comes with an annual fee that varies from $0 to $99 based on eligibility criteria. You pay a 1% foreign transaction fee when you use this card outside of the U.S.
Credit One Bank® Platinum Visa® for Rebuilding Credit - Good for earning cash back on gas, groceries and internet, mobile phone, satellite TV and cable services
This Credit One Bank credit card for beginners requires that you pay a $75 annual fee for the first year and $99 per year after that. Choosing your payment date is possible, which makes it easier to match your pay schedule. You get 1% cash back on everyday spending across multiple categories. This card comes with a 3% foreign transaction fee.
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Qualifying for a secured credit card is typically easier than a regular credit card because the former requires you to pay a security deposit. Depending on your need, the best option might come with a low minimum security deposit requirement or let you get a high credit limit by paying a large security deposit. The top cards from this category usually do away with annual fees.
Capital One Secured Mastercard - Best for building credit without paying annual or foreign transaction fees
The Secured Mastercard from Capital One is a good first credit card to build credit as it comes with no annual fees or foreign transaction fees. The starting credit limit is $200, and it requires a security deposit of $49, $99 or $200, depending on your eligibility. However, you may go as high as $1,000 with a larger deposit. Choosing your own due date is possible. Capital One reviews your account for an automatic increase in credit line in as few as six months.
Merrick Bank Double Your Line® Secured Credit Card - Ideal for those seeking credit limits of up to $3,000
This secured credit card for first-time users from Merrick Bank requires a $200 security deposit, which also serves as your credit line. If you make your first seven minimum monthly payments on time, your credit line increases to $400. You have the option of increasing your security deposit and corresponding credit limit to as much as $3,000. This card comes with a $36 annual fee for the first year, and you are billed $3 per month thereafter. Using this card outside of the U.S. comes with a 2% foreign transaction fee.
OakStone Platinum Secured Mastercard® - Good for people who need high credit limits of up to $5,000
The OakStone Platinum Secured Mastercard® comes with a $49 annual fee. Depending on the security deposit you provide, your credit line may vary from $200 to $5,000. Foreign transaction fees stand at 3%.
Citi® Secured Mastercard® - Good for building credit without paying annual fees
The Citi® Secured Mastercard® can make for a good beginner’s credit card, given that it charges no annual fee. However, using this card outside of the country comes with a 3% foreign transaction fee. You need to provide at least a $200 security deposit that serves as your credit limit, and this amount may go up to $2,500.
Ideally, the card that you choose will increase your credit limit or convert to an unsecured card after you've been responsible with your credit for a period of time. A higher limit adds flexibility to your finances and can increase your credit score by lowering your utilization ratio. — Lee Huffman, credit card expert at BaldThoughts.com
The best starter credit cards for students don’t require that you have an extensive credit history, and you may qualify for a few even if you have no credit history at all. The leading cards from this segment offer rewards or cash back. It is also common for good student credit cards to charge no annual fees.
Chase Freedom® Student credit Card - Good for earning cash back and getting an automatic credit limit increase
This student credit card from Chase comes with no annual fees. It offers $20 Good Standing Rewards after each account anniversary for up to five years. All purchases come with 1% cash back. This card charges a 3% foreign transaction fee. You qualify for an increase in credit limit by meeting some credit criteria and making five monthly payments on time within 10 months of account opening.
Deserve® EDU Mastercard for Students - Ideal for earning cash back and receiving cell phone protection
You pay no annual fees or foreign transaction fees for using the Deserve® EDU Mastercard for Students. It offers 1% cash back on all purchases. You may apply for this card as an international student since its application does not require a Social Security number. This card offers Amazon Prime Student membership for a year if you meet some basic requirements as well as cell phone protection.
Journey Student Rewards from Capital One Card - Best for earning cash back and paying no foreign transaction fees
The Journey Student Rewards from Capital One Card charges no annual fees and no foreign transaction fees. All purchases you make come with 1% cash back, which increases to 1.25% if you pay your bill on time. You also stand to earn a $5 statement credit per month for 12 months on specific streaming subscriptions by making your payments on time.
Starter credit cards are typically easier to qualify for than conventional credit cards meant for people with at least good credit. In addition, they give you access to revolving lines of credit, just like regular credit cards. However, these cards may come with several differences as well, which is why you need to pay attention to various aspects.
Getting your first credit card is relatively straightforward, provided you know what steps to follow. For instance, you’ll need to keep different types of information close at hand to get through the application process quickly.
This might be the case if you’ve taken out a student loan, been an authorized user on someone else’s card, or if your rent or bill payments have been reported to credit bureaus. Once you know your credit score, you can look for cards that fit the bill accordingly.
If you’re an existing student, consider applying for any of the student credit cards listed in the table above. If you have no credit history and have difficulty qualifying for a regular starter card, getting a secured card might be an option. No matter what type of card you’re looking for, compare the top ones from the category across parameters such as fees, APRs, rewards/cash back and added perks
If you’re 18 to 21 years of age, you need to show that you earn adequate independent income to repay your debt, otherwise, you must have a cosigner. There is no minimum income requirement specified by issuers of student cards, and most let you add income from multiple sources.
Depending on the card issuer you select, you might be able to initiate the application process online, over the phone or in person. Irrespective of how you choose to apply, the information you need to provide remains the same.
A credit card gives you the ability to build credit in different ways. The first is by making all your payments on time. This is because credit card issuers report payment histories to credit bureaus.
While making payments on time helps build credit, making late payments or defaulting on a credit card debt has an adverse effect on your credit score. Your payment history is the most important factor that affects your creditworthiness, accounting for 35% of your FICO score.
The other way you may use a credit card to improve your credit score is by keeping your credit utilization ratio low. This refers to the amount you’ve used from your total available credit.
For example, if your only credit card comes with a credit limit of $500, and you’ve used $400 of this limit, your credit utilization ratio is 80%. Ideally, your credit utilization ratio should be below 30%. This aspect accounts for 30% of your FICO score. So, if you have a credit card with a credit limit of $1,000, keep its outstanding balance below $300.
The longer you maintain your first credit card, the better it is for your credit score. This is because your credit length history accounts for 15% of your FICO score.
If you already have a student or an auto loan, getting a credit card may help improve your credit score. This is because your credit mix accounts for 10% of your FICO score.
Incidentally, applying for multiple credit cards in quick succession may affect your credit score adversely. This is because the number of hard inquiries that lenders carry out when you apply for credit and how many credit accounts you’ve opened recently account for 10% of your FICO score.
Know that there is no way to improve your credit score overnight, and the answer to how quickly you can rebuild your credit depends on several factors. In most cases, getting your credit score to an acceptable level takes six months or longer. If you have poor or fair credit, the best way to reach the average or good range is by making your payments on time, making more than the minimum monthly payments, not accumulating more debt and not applying for new credit. If you’re aiming for excellent creditworthiness, the process may take two to three years or even longer.
Getting a credit card might be worth your while if you wish to build credit by developing healthy financial habits.
You might also benefit by getting a credit card that offers rewards/cash back, provided the value of your rewards/cash back exceeds the cost of the card through its annual fee and interest. If you plan to maintain revolving balances in your account, you may want to consider getting a low APR card instead of a rewards card.
Using a credit card also makes it easy to avoid losing money through fraudulent transactions. For instance, in case of possible misuse of your debit card, the money disappears from your bank account straight away.
However, if you detect a fraudulent transaction on your credit card, you simply need to notify your card provider about it, and the card provider then works on resolving the matter. As long as you notify your credit card provider in time, you are not held liable for unauthorized transactions.
Our lists of the best credit cards are based on publicly available data from card issuers and other reputable sources like the Consumer Finance Protection Bureau. We review each card’s fees, interest rates, rewards, benefits and more to assign a rating for each feature. These ratings are stack ranked and weighted for each card category to determine our top selections for each type of user. Because card details change regularly, we revisit our data each month to update our ratings, recommendations and other card information as needed. Learn more about our data collection and ranking process.
Improve the odds of finding the best first-time credit card by understanding the answers to other commonly asked questions about how these cards work and what to expect when you use them.
Some of the credit cards you may qualify for easily despite having a poor or short credit history include the Capital One Platinum Credit Card, the Indigo® Platinum Mastercard® and the Credit One Bank® Platinum Visa® Card for Rebuilding Credit.
The best first credit cards are ones that are made available to people with little or no credit histories. The top ones tend to come with no annual fees. Some offer cash back/rewards as well.
If you're 18 to 21 years old, you need to show that you earn enough independent income or get a cosigner. Even if you're older than 21 years of age, the income you earn still plays a role. While some starter credit cards require that you have a basic credit history in place, others do not. Most such cards are made available to people who can provide valid SSNs.
It's never too early or late to get a credit card, provided you use it responsibly. Getting a credit card while still in college might work well for you if you use it to build a good credit history. This way, you’ll have access to more competitive financial products and interest rates going forward.
If you have an existing banking relationship with a bank or a credit union, this might be a good place to look for your first credit card, as you may stand a better chance of approval. If this is not the case, it’s best to compare your alternatives based on your specific requirements before making a decision.
If you’ve received your beginner credit card without any credit history, you can expect to see your first FICO score after six months of reported payment history. Given that multiple factors affect your credit score, the time it takes to get to a good credit score may vary from one to two years or more. While you get some good options to choose from once you have average credit, the best cards are typically made available for those who have good to excellent credit.
If you get a secured credit card to be your first credit card, you’ll need to use it for at least six months before the generation of your first FICO score.
Examples of starter credit cards that do not charge international fees include the Capital One Platinum Credit Card, the Capital One QuicksilverOne Cash Rewards Credit Card, the Capital One Platinum Secured Credit Card, the Deserve® EDU Mastercard for Students and the Journey Student Rewards from Capital One Card.
You can apply for a credit builder card with little to no credit history. Once you receive your card, you get to use it like a regular credit card. You get access to a predetermined line of credit, which you may access at any time. While you get the option of making minimum monthly payments toward your outstanding balance, paying it off in full every month is better as this helps you avoid interest charges. If you use your credit builder card responsibly, you can expect to improve your creditworthiness over time.
When you apply for a new credit card, you may expect the card issuer to carry out a hard inquiry of your credit report. This lowers your credit score slightly. Going forward, if you use your credit card in the right manner, you may expect to see positive changes in as little as six months.
Some of the best credit cards you can apply for with no credit include the Platinum Secured Card from Capital One, the OakStone Platinum Secured Mastercard®, the Petal 2 Visa Card, and the Deserve® EDU Mastercard for Students.
Now that you know how the best credit cards to build credit work, select one after considering your existing creditworthiness and other individual requirements. When comparing your options, make sure you pay attention to aspects such as fees, interest rates, rewards and added benefits.
About Rajiv Baniwal
Rajiv Baniwal is a former finance writer at MoneyGeek, with more than 15 years of experience covering financial topics. His expertise includes mortgages, loans, credit cards, insurance and international money transfers.
Baniwal has a bachelor’s degree in art studies from Delhi University.
