It's time to get your first credit card. But you can't just apply for any card out there: You'll typically need a history of responsible credit to qualify for one.
Several of our recommended cards are issued by Discover, which is well-known to be friendly to students and other adults who are just getting started with credit.
Others come from Chase and Capital One, which offer many other credit products that can further enhance your financial life down the road.
Here are some of the best starter credit cards to consider if you're a credit beginner, including several that earn travel and cash-back rewards.
Best Credit Cards for Beginners
- Best for flat-rate cashback: Capital One QuicksilverOne Cash Rewards Credit Card
- Best for travel rewards: Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card
- Best for students: Discover it® Student Cash Back (activation required)
- Best for Chase customers: Chase Freedom Rise℠
- Best for security deposits: Discover it® Secured Credit Card
Check for Credit Card Offers for Beginners
Capital One QuicksilverOne Cash Rewards Credit Card: Best First Credit Card for Earning Flat-Rate Cash Back
Introductory APR: N/A (then 29.74% variable APR)
Annual Fee: $39
Rewards: 5% cash back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel and unlimited 1.5% cash back on other purchases
The Capital One QuicksilverOne Cash Rewards Credit Card is designed for consumers with "fair" credit, which makes the card more attainable for first-time applicants with limited credit, or anyone who has made credit mistakes in the past.
With this card, you can earn 5% cash back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel and a flat 1.5% cash back for each dollar you spend on other purchases. That's not bad for a rewards credit card, and it's especially good for cards available to consumers with fair credit.
Capital One also promises to reconsider your credit limit and potentially boost it after you've made six on-time payments on your credit card. This card also comes with no foreign transaction fees and several benefits, which is a lot more than many credit cards for fair credit offer.
$39
N/A
29.74% variable
N/A
Average, Fair and Limited
- Earn 5% back on Capital One Travel hotel and car rental bookings and 1.5% on everything else
- You're eligible to apply with limited or average credit
- You'll automatically be considered for a higher credit line in as little as six months
- No welcome bonus
- Annual fee
- High APR for purchases and balance transfers
The Capital One QuicksilverOne Cash Rewards Credit Card could be the right choice for you if you're building your credit history. You could be able to qualify for the card even if you don't have an excellent credit score, and you'll earn at least 1.5% cash back on your purchases.
QuicksilverOne Cash Rewards 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
- 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
- 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
- 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
Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card: Best First Credit Card for Earning Travel Rewards
Introductory APR: 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 15 months (intro fee of 3% for the first 15 months, then 4% of the amount of each balance transfer at a promotional APR that Capital One may offer you at any other time) (then 19.24% - 29.24% Variable APR)
Annual Fee: $0
Rewards: 5 miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel and unlimited 1.25 miles on every purchase
The Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card is typically only available to consumers with good credit or better, but it's important to note that a good credit score typically starts in the 670+ FICO score range. If you qualify, this card can serve as a starter travel credit card that can help you get accustomed to earning rewards.
Once you're approved, you'll earn a flat 1.25 miles for each dollar you spend. You can also earn 20,000 miles after spending $500 on purchases within three months from account opening.
On the redemption side of the equation, you can redeem Capital One miles for any type of travel at a rate of 1 cent apiece, or for Capital One transfer partners for airfare and hotel stays. This card also comes with no annual fee and no foreign transaction fees.
$0
0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 15 months (intro fee of 3% for the first 15 months, then 4% of the amount of each balance transfer at a promotional APR that Capital One may offer you at any other time)
19.24% - 29.24% Variable
Earn 20,000 miles
Good to Excellent
- No annual fee or foreign transaction fees
- Versatile rewards
- Earn 1.25 miles per dollar on all purchases with no bonus categories to track
- Lower earning rate than some other no-annual-fee rewards cards
- Limited benefits
The VentureOne Rewards Card is a slimmed-down version of the popular Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card. It's one of the few no-annual-fee cards on the market that gives you the option to redeem miles for cash back or transfer them to travel partners.
VentureOne Rewards Card- $0 annual fee and no foreign transaction fees
- Earn a bonus of 20,000 miles once you spend $500 on purchases within 3 months from account opening, equal to $200 in travel
- Earn unlimited 1.25X miles on every purchase, every day
- Miles won't expire for the life of the account and there's no limit to how many you can earn
- Earn 5X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, where you'll get Capital One's best prices on thousands of trip options
- Use your miles to get reimbursed for any travel purchase—or redeem by booking a trip through Capital One Travel
- Transfer your miles to your choice of 15+ travel loyalty programs
- Enjoy 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 15 months; 19.24% - 29.24% variable APR after that; balance transfer fee applies
Discover it® Student Cash Back: Best First Credit Card for Students
Introductory APR: 0% intro APR for six months on purchases (then 17.24% - 26.24% Variable APR)
Annual Fee: $0
Rewards: 5% cash back on everyday purchases at different places you shop each quarter like grocery stores, restaurants, gas stations, and more, up to the quarterly maximum when you activate and unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases automatically
Students who like to maximize rewards should consider the Discover it® Student Cash Back, which is typically available to consumers who don't have an extensive credit history.
Once you're approved, you can enroll to earn 5% cash back up to a quarterly maximum limit spent on purchases every quarter, which you can track using our Discover cash back calendar.
You'll also earn 1% back on everything else (from January 1 to March 31, 2025, earn 5% cash back at restaurants, home improvement stores, and select streaming services on up to $1,500 in purchases after enrollment, then 1%).
Like other cash-back Discover credit cards, this card will also match all the rewards you earn at the end of the first account year.
This card also lets you see your credit score for free each month, and you'll get Social Security Number monitoring, zero fraud liability, and no late fee on your first late payment (then up to $41). Consider applying if you want to earn rewards and build credit at the same time without an annual fee.
Read more in our Discover it Student Cash Back card review.
Chase Freedom Rise℠: Best First Credit Card for Chase Customers
Introductory APR: N/A (then 26.74% APR)
Annual Fee: $0
Rewards: Earn unlimited 1.5% cash back on purchases
The Chase Freedom Rise℠ should be on your shortlist if you're completely new to credit cards, because it's geared specifically toward people with no credit history at all. This no-annual-fee card earns 1.5% cash back per dollar on all purchases, which is a solid rate of return for a starter credit card.
Chase credit cards are incredibly powerful because they earn Chase Ultimate Rewards®, some of the most highly valued points you can earn in the credit card rewards ecosystem. Business Insider values Ultimate Rewards at 1.8 cents apiece on average, and you can get far more from each point through Chase travel partners.
Chase Freedom Rise℠ cardholders can only redeem rewards for cash back, statement credits, andn gift cards. But if you open one of several best Chase cards after boosting your credit score, you can combine your points and use Ultimate Rewards to book business- and first-class flights worth thousands of dollars for as little as $5.60 in cash.
To improve your chances of approval for the Chase Freedom Rise℠, you should have or open a Chase checking account with a $250 balance within two days of applying for the card. You won't need to maintain a minimum checking account balance after approval.
Read more in our Chase Freedom Rise review.
Discover it® Secured Credit Card: Best First Credit Card for Security Deposits
Introductory APR: N/A (then 27.24% Variable APR)
Annual Fee: $0
Rewards: 2% cash back at gas stations and restaurants (on up to $1,000 in combined purchases each quarter, then 1%) and 1% cash back on all other purchases
If you have poor credit or no credit history at all, you may need to get started with a secured credit card. Unlike unsecured credit cards that extend a line of credit without collateral, secured cards require a small cash deposit upfront in order to secure an equally small line of credit.
The Discover it® Secured Credit Card is widely considered to be one of the best secured credit cards because, unlike other cards in this niche, it doesn't charge an annual fee or any hidden fees.
Cardholders also earn 2% cash back at gas stations and restaurants on up to $1,000 in combined purchases each quarter (then 1%), as well as 1% back on all other purchases. Discover will also match all the rewards you earn at the end of your first account year.
Other top benefits include a free look at your FICO score each month, zero liability for fraudulent purchases, and your first credit card late fee waived (after which you'll pay up to $41 per infraction).
With this card, automatic reviews start at seven months to see if Discover can transition you to an unsecured line of credit and return your deposit.
$0
N/A
27.24% Variable APR
Earn Unlimited Cashback Match®
New/Rebuilding
- Offers cash-back rewards, which isn't a given for secured credit cards
- Discover matches cash back after your first account year
- Other secured cards let you start with lower minimum security deposits
- You must fund the security deposit from a bank account
The Discover it® Secured Credit Card is worth considering if you're new to credit or are working on rebuilding your score, since it's unlikely you'll be approved for any of the best credit cards on the market. It's unique because it earns strong rewards when most other secured credit cards do not.
Discover it Secured Card- No credit score required to apply. No Annual Fee.
- Your secured credit card requires a refundable security deposit, and your credit line will equal your deposit amount, starting at $200. Bank information must be provided when submitting your deposit.
- Raise your credit score by 30+ points.
- 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, automatically. Plus earn unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases.
- Discover could help you reduce exposure of your personal information online by helping you remove it from select people-search sites that could sell your data. Activate by mobile app for free.
- Get an alert if we find your Social Security number on any of thousands of Dark Web sites. Activate for free.
- Terms and conditions apply.
Cardholder Reviews of the Best Credit Cards for Beginners
Our team of experts scoured online forums such as Reddit, Facebook, and FlyerTalk to see what everyday cardholders are saying about their favorite first credit cards for newbies.
Focus on Cards Within Your Reach
One online commenter rightly said, "The best first credit card is the one you can actually get." Applying for a credit card and getting rejected won't hurt your finances, but it's easiest to focus on attainable products, then upgrade or add to your wallet as you build credit.
Discover is well-known to be especially friendly to first-time credit card applicants, which is why we've included the Discover it® Student Chrome, Discover it® Student Cash Back, and the Discover it® Secured Credit Card in this guide.
And if you get the Chase Freedom Rise℠ and open a Chase bank account to build your relationship with this major issuer, it will be easier to get approval for popular cards such as the Chase Sapphire Reserve® down the road.
Since the Chase Freedom Rise℠ automatically upgrades to the Chase Freedom Unlimited® after one year, you'll be able to transfer rewards you earned from your Rise/Unlimited card to the Sapphire card, then use those rewards toward a variety of travel opportunities at a fraction of the cash value.
Prioritize Grocery Rewards
Many cardholders agree that everyone can benefit from bonus rewards on supermarkets and grocery stores.
Some recommend the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express, which earns 6% back on groceries at U.S. supermarkets and streaming subscriptions as well as 3% back on gas and transit costs (1% on everything else). However, Amex cards can be harder to acquire for first-time applicants, since American Express often has stringent requirements for credit approval.
Instead, beginners can consider the Capital One Savor Student Cash Rewards Credit Card, which earns 3% back on restaurants, groceries, streaming services, and entertainment purchases (1% on everything else). Most students, young adults, and individuals new to credit can easily maximize these spending categories, and responsible usage on this card will build good credit over time that will help toward qualifying for premium cards from Amex.
Beginner Credit Card Features to Prioritize
When choosing a first credit card, it's important to consider features such as low or 0% intro APR, low or no annual fees, rewards programs, and credit-building tools. These features can help you effectively manage your credit effectively and take advantage of benefits such as purchase protection, travel insurance, and extended warranty.
All of the cards we've reviewed here offer perks that enhance your financial security and protect your investments.
Credit Cards for College Students
Students, young adults, and beginners who are un- or underemployed face unique challenges when applying for credit cards because they have less income than many issuers want to see when offering credit.
If you're a college student, be sure to read our guide to the best student credit cards to learn more. You may also benefit from learning how to boost your credit score by having a parent or guardian add you as an authorized user on their credit card.
Why You Should Trust Us: How We Chose the Best Credit Cards for Beginners
Business Insider chose the best starter credit cards by first considering credit cards that don't require an excellent credit score to be approved.
From there, we focused on cards that appeal to those just starting out with credit, including credit cards for students with no credit and secured credit options.
We then narrowed down the list by evaluating the card's features, including rewards earning, annual and other fees, simplicity, and benefits.
Here's our methodology for how we rate credit cards.
FAQs
You should choose the right beginner credit card for you by prioritizing your spending habits and understanding your credit score so you know which cards you qualify for. If you've never had a credit card before, you may need to start with a secured credit card that requires a cash deposit to shore up a small line of credit.
Editorial Note: Any opinions, analyses, reviews, or recommendations expressed in this article are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any card issuer. Read our editorial standards.
Please note: While the offers mentioned above are accurate at the time of publication, they're subject to change at any time and may have changed, or may no longer be available.
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