7 Credit Cards for 18-Year-Olds in 2023

Discover It® Student Cash Back is a great card for 18 year olds but it requires the applicant to be enrolled in a college or university. It is great for students looking for a card that requires no annual or foreign transaction fees, no security deposit, and does not have a minimum credit requirement. There is also no APR charged on purchases during the first 6 months.

With the Student Cash Back Credit Card, you can earn 5% cash back quarterly at grocery stores, restaurants, and gas stations, and an unlimited cash back of 1% on all other purchases. Like most Discover It® cards, this one also gives a dollar-for-dollar cash back match against all the cash back earned during the first year of having the card.

In case of making a late payment, there is a fee of up to $41 charged. Also, this card may not be the best to travel with as it has limited acceptability compared to other payment networks like a Mastercard or Visa.

The Deserve® EDU Mastercard is a good option for 18-year-olds as you don’t need a security deposit or a cosigner to apply. It is also a great credit card for international students as you don’t need a Social Security number to qualify. It has some great card perks, in addition to its low credit requirements.

Some benefits include a year of Amazon Prime Student membership when you spend $500 in the first three billing cycles. There is also a 1% cash back on all purchases. The Deserve® EDU Mastercard has a $0 annual fee and comes with a 22.99% variable APR.

Capital One Quicksilver Student Cash Rewards is specifically for students who are 18 years or older, have a limited credit history, are new to the country, or were authorized users on another card. It is great for students as they can enjoy various cash back rewards by using this card for purchases.

The cash back rewards program is much more simpler than many other rewards programs on other cards. On this card, students can get an unlimited 1.5% cash back on every purchase. On Uber and related categories, there is a higher cash back of 10% cash back offer, and 5% is given on hotels and rental cars. The card also has a welcome bonus of $50 which you can become eligible for by spending $100 in the first three months.

There is no annual or foreign transaction fee associated with the card but it does charge a late payment fee of up to $40.

Discover It® Secured is an easy-to-get card at 18 as it does not require a minimum credit or a credit check at all to qualify, but needs a security deposit for approval. The minimum security deposit that you can make is $200 and the maximum is $2,500, and the deposit amount sets the credit limit for this card.

Discover It® Secured charges no annual fees or foreign transaction fees. It offers simple rewards on purchases with a 2% cash back quarterly at gas stations and restaurants on spending $1000, and unlimited 1% on all other purchases. Moreover, You can double your cash back rewards at the end of your first year with the dollar-for-dollar cash back match offer.

By using Discover It® Secured responsibly, you can build a good credit history as this card reports to the three major credit bureaus. You should avoid making any late payments as Discover It® charges a fee of up to $41 for paying late and it can also hurt your credit history. After 7 months of building a credit history, you may become automatically eligible for a refund of the deposit you made and may also be able to upgrade to an unsecured card.

You can be eligible for Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards Secured card if you are at least 18 years old, a U.S. citizen, and can pay a minimum security deposit of $200.

Bank of America® Secured Credit Card does not have a minimum credit requirement. There is also no annual fee associated with this card and it comes with great benefits including a 3% cash back in the category of choice, 2% at grocery stores, and an unlimited 1% cash back on everything else. There is also a welcome bonus equalling $200 on spending at least $1,000 in the first quarter. For the first 15 billing cycles, there are no APR charges on purchases.

This secured card, however, charges other types of fees including a foreign transaction, late payment, and balance transfer fees. Moreover, there is a maximum spending limit on the card of $5000 and the limit you can get is equal to the deposit you make in the given range of $200 to $5000.

Capital One SavorOne Rewards is great for college students as it offers high cash back rewards, a welcome bonus, and other benefits in various categories. There is also no annual or foreign transaction fee attached to the card which makes it a more affordable option.

There is an unlimited cash back reward of 3% on dining, grocery stores, and online streaming services. Moreover, students can enjoy 10% in cash back on Uber and Uber Eats, 8% on entertainment purchases, and 5% on hotels and rental cars booked through their app. An unlimited 1% cashback is applicable on all other purchases. Students can redeem their rewards in multiple ways including via PayPal.

This card does have a minimum credit requirement; however, it is not very high. There is also a late payment fee of $40.

Chase Freedom Flex® credit card comes with multiple rewards and bonuses. However, their rewards system is a little complicated and they may be hard to keep track of. Moreover, the card requires the minimum credit to be 690 or above which is hard to build when you are only 18 years old. This would be the best option for those who have been an authorized user on someone else’s card with a good score before and have built history that way.

Young adults who are eligible for this card can save a lot with the rewards offered. It has $0 annual fees and it charges 0% APR on purchases in the first 15 months of account opening. With the Freedom Flex®, you can earn 5% cash back on categories like gas stations, grocery stores, and select online merchants each quarter. A further cash back of 5% is offered on travel purchased through the Chase Ultimate Rewards app.

You can also earn 3% back on your drugstore purchases and on spending in a restaurant, take-out, and eligible delivery services. On everything else, there is a chance to earn an unlimited 1% in cash back. Also, there is a $200 bonus for spending $500 in the first quarter.