22+ Best Credit Cards for 18 Year Olds in 2023

Why We Like It

Discover’s Unlimited cash back Match means that you’ll end your first year with double the number of rewards that you’ve earned, and you can also redeem your rewards for hard cash.

You don’t need a credit score to apply, so it’s a good choice for students looking to build credit and earn rewards at the same time.

Chase Freedom Unlimited Credit Card®

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Why We Like It

This Chase credit card will give your teenage coffers a big boost. That’s not to mention the great cash-back rewards you could earn (an extra 1.5% on everything you buy, on up to $20,000 the first year—worth up to $300 cash back; 6.5% on travel when purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards, 4.5% on dining and drugstores, 3% on all other purchases).

This card offers good cash back at gas stations and on takeout, a pretty impressive combination if you’re 18 (or 19 or 20).

Bank of America Customized Cash Rewards for Students

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Why We Like It

Choosing how you earn cash back is a great idea and can maximize your rewards. Pick between categories like gas, dining, and drug store spending and earn 3% on your purchases.

Perfect for new students who want to dine off campus, or face a long drive home at Thanksgiving.

U.S. Bank Altitude Go Secured Card

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Why We Like It

The Altitude Go lets you build your credit while earning redeemable points, so it’s a little different. Unlike straight cash back, these points can be traded in for offers in travel, merchandise, or even as cash off your purchases.

If you’re eighteen and without a credit history, this card offers a bit more variety in rewards than the standard secured card, but it has a higher deposit and APR that can’t match some others in that category.

Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express

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Why We Like It

If you’re an avid streamer (and what eighteen-year-old isn’t?) getting this card can net you $7 back each month after using card to spend $12.99 or more each month on eligible subscription to Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+ (enrollment required).

The everyday spending rewards are pretty great too, with opportunities to earn in lots of places. Even better, you don’t have to be a student to apply.

Best Credit Cards for Going to College

Chase Freedom® Student credit card

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Why We Like It

Not content with a $50 bonus, Chase is offering an extra $20 every year for five years if your account is in good standing. Students can easily earn an increase in their limit, too, just by making five on-time payments in the first ten months.

Sallie Mae Ignite Mastercard

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Why We Like It

The Ignite card doesn’t just encourage you to keep up your payments, it rewards you for it. As well as the bonus offers, you can earn 1% cash back on every purchase. It’s a little on the low side, but Sallie Mae is tailored toward helping students reach financial goals.

For all you eighteen-year-old freshmen, it’s a bit like having an extra mom to monitor your finances.

Discover it® Student chrome

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As with other Discover cards, the major benefit here is in the rewards. If you’re often the designated driver on the way to the game, take the chance to earn some rewards at the pump.

You won’t need a credit score or history to apply, which might be why this card is popular with students looking to build credit.

Bank of America Unlimited Cash Rewards Credit Card for Students

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Why We Like It

Spending $1,000 in your first three months of school will be terrifyingly easy, so why not make the most of it and earn some bonus cash? You can earn unlimited cash back, but at 1.5% it’s lower than other providers are offering. Still, with free access to your FICO score, you can ramp up your credit score and have access to better deals in no time.

Best Credit Cards for Travel Rewards

This… is a little trickier. Unfortunately, there aren’t that many travel reward cards geared toward eighteen-year-olds or even students. Unless it’s something that you need, we suggest looking above for some better deals on first-time credit cards.

Top Pick–Discover it® Miles

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Why We Love It

If you want to go further, this is the card. Discover guarantees to match your reward miles at the end of your first year, and you can redeem these against a ton of travel purchases, from hotel rooms to airline tickets. If you don’t have a license yet, you can even use them to pay for public transport.

Bank of America Travel Rewards Credit Card for Students

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Why We Like It

How do 25,000 bonus points sound? Well, if you spend $1,000 in your first three months you’ll earn enough points to get a $250 statement credit toward travel.

With students in mind, eighteen-year-olds will have a great chance to qualify, and no foreign transaction fees make this card ideal for that summer vacation to Europe.

Capital One QuicksilverOne Cash Rewards Credit Card

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Why We Like It

If you’re planning on traveling a lot, then you want to consider the Quicksilver One card. It doesn’t have the travel perks offered by the Quicksilver card, but once you’ve built your credit score, leveling up will be a lot easier. Until then, you can make use of Capital One Travel’s promise of cheap hotel rooms, and earn some cashback at the same time.

Best Credit Cards for 19-Year-Olds and 20-Year-Olds

If you’re older (or planning ahead) you might already want to know what the best second credit cards are (as long as you’ve paid off your first). Most of our recommendations above would suit you, but there are some extra credit cards to think about if you’ve already built a good credit score.

Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card

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Why We Like It

The big brother to our recommended Quicksilver One card.

You need an excellent credit score to apply, but if traveling is your thing, this is a very good card to have in your pocket. With travel accident insurance and 24-hour travel assistance, you can jet off with peace of mind.

Add to that the complimentary concierge service for personalized help wherever you are, and this is a great second credit card after you’ve built up your score.

Citi® Double Cash Card – 18 month BT offer

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Why We Like It

You don’t have to pick a category or plan your spending to earn with this card from Citi.

A lot of cards offer 1% cash back on purchases, but with the Double Cash card, you earn 1% on buying and another 1% when you pay your bill. That gives you plenty of motivation to keep paying on time and improve your credit further.

You can even get your rewards back as cash, either by check or direct deposit. If you’re looking for a second credit card and to boost your balance, this is a good choice.

Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

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Why We Like It

Another card that uses points rather than cashback. If you have a very good credit score, and you’re a big spender, upgrading to this card might work out great. You can earn in a lot of categories that you might spend a lot on already.

You get travel insurance benefits too, and the 60,000 bonus welcome points can be redeemed for hotels and airfare. A drawback is the high annual fee, but you can offset this by strategically using all those points.

Citi Simplicity® Card

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Why We Like It

This has to be the most basic card on our list, but it’s one of the most interesting too. As well as a long 0% intro APR period, this card promises no late fees or penalties, ever.

This is a no-frills card, with no rewards on offer. If your biggest concern is saving money and having peace of mind as you build credit, this might be a good choice.

The Best Credit Cards For 18 Year Olds—The More You Know

Whether you want to build credit, are seeking financial independence, or just like the convenience of paying with plastic, there are dozens of credit cards for 18-year-olds. If you’re just starting, take a look at our quick-start credit card guide for the basics.

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How to Get a Credit Card at 18

Now that we’ve shown you the best cards out there, it’s time to learn how to get them. The Credit CARD Act (2009) (the fun Congress has with acronyms) has a clause that stops anyone under twenty-one from solely applying for a credit card. It’s a measure designed to make sure young consumers don’t put themselves into debt they can’t afford, and a way to make sure card companies can get their money back.

So how do you get approved for a credit card at 18?

1. Get a co-signer

Having a ‘co-signer’ means asking someone that’s twenty-one or older to accept liability if you don’t pay your bill.

The card will be yours alone, and you’ll get all the nice credit-building perks and rewards. However, if you don’t pay, your co-signer will have to—and it’ll still have an adverse effect on your credit history.

2. Become an authorized user

A different route from getting a co-signer.

As an authorized user, you can join a card that someone else already has. You’ll be named separately on the account and aren’t solely liable for the bills. You’d still have access to the rewards if you get permission from the main account holder and call the provider.

If you want to go this route, make sure that the card reports data separately for different users. That way you’ll build your credit.

3. Fill in your application

Applying online is as simple as clicking the “apply now” button on your chosen card’s webpage. That’ll open up your application form. To fill it in, you’re going to want a few documents ready. These will be:

• Your monthly income and expenses
• Your Social Security number
• Your mailing address and phone number
• Employment details
• Details for your co-signer

After that, you wait. And probably wait some more. The checks and process can take a little while, but you’ll know if you’re approved or not soon.

Read more:

What to Look For in Your First Credit Card

Pay attention to the Annual Percentage Rate (APR)

APR is a form of interest you’ll pay if you carry a balance from month to month. The lower, the better. Most of the cards we’ve selected have a 0% APR for at least the first year.

Be sure to look for any annual fees

We’ve made sure most of the cards below have no fees attached, but if you aren’t careful, you could be adding more to your bill than you need to.

Have a look at your credit report.

If you’ve already been making payments for a cell phone or on a student loan, you’ll have a credit score that might help you get a card. If not, you might need to build credit first or think about getting a secured credit card.

Dig into cash-back and rewards.

This can be anything from money off gas to offers on dining out. Cards designed for younger people and students can offer some great rewards when spending. Shop around and find the best deals to suit your lifestyle.

Getting a Credit Card at 18 – My Closing Note

There is no right card out there, but there is a right card for you. Consider what your primary goal is: build credit, get money from cash back, or take a reliable card to college. Most likely, it’ll be a mixture of those reasons and more.

Once you’ve picked your card, got your co-signer lined up, filled in your application, and you’re ready to spend, take one last piece of advice. 

Do not go into debt. Don’t spend more than you can afford, always make your payments on time, and pay down your credit card well before you hit your limits. If you find you’re going down that road, take a look at our guides to pay card debt off before it gets too bad. There’s also this handy (and free) credit card pay-off calculator, in case you need it now or in the future.

Okay, I’ll put the lecturing voice away. Now get out there and (responsibly) spend! 

Editorial note: For rates and fees of the Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express, please see the table of rates & fees.

Editorial disclosure: Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed or approved by any of these entities.