Getting a credit card

How to Choose a Credit Card for Teens contents
See if You’re Pre-Approved , Opens new tab
A man and a woman sit on a bed with a laptop and papers spread out beside them.

How to Choose a Credit Card for Teens

8 min read
Last Updated: June 26, 2025
Getting a credit card

Table of contents

Key Takeaways

  1. Teenagers must be 18 or older to apply for a credit card in their name.

  2. A student or secured card can be a good credit card for teens 18 or older with little to no credit history.

  3. Teens under 18 may qualify to become an authorized user on someone else’s credit card.

As your teenager approaches adulthood, you may be thinking about their first credit card. A credit card can be an excellent tool for learning good credit habits and building a credit history. But how do you choose the best credit card for your teen? We can help you understand your options and make an informed decision.

Credit cards for teens 18 and older

When your teen turns 18, they can legally open a credit card in their name. But per the CARD Act of 2009, applicants between 18-20 years old must show they have adequate independent income to qualify. That means they can’t use their parents’ income or a partner’s income on their application. But income from a job or a regular allowance counts.

With the proper income and credit history, some young adults may qualify for a standard, unsecured credit card. However, most teens aren’t likely to meet the requirements. Luckily, many credit card issuers offer good options for young adults with little or no credit history.

Student credit cards

A student credit card is an unsecured credit card designed specifically for college students.

Most credit card issuers don’t have strict credit score or credit history requirements for student credit cards, since they’re designed for people who are just starting out. Income requirements for student cards also tend to be lower to accommodate the financial circumstances of a typical college student.

The credit limit on a student card is typically lower than the credit limit on most standard credit cards. A lower spending limit reduces your teen’s risk of accruing unmanageable credit card debt while they’re still learning good credit habits.

Your teen may also be able to earn rewards with their student card, like cash back on every eligible purchase.

The Discover it® Student Cash Back Card lets you earn 5% cash back on everyday purchases at different places you shop each quarter, up to the quarterly maximum when you activate.

Learn More

Secured credit cards

But what if your teen isn’t a college student, or doesn’t want an unsecured card? A secured credit card is another option that could help a young adult build credit history and learn good credit habits.

Like a student card, a secured card typically has lower credit and income requirements than most standard credit cards. That’s because secured cards typically require a refundable deposit at account opening as collateral. The card’s spending limit usually equals the deposit amount. If your teen can’t make payments, the credit card issuer may apply their deposit to the balance and close the account.

Over time, responsible use of a secured credit card builds positive credit history.

If your teen keeps their balance low and makes consistent on-time payments, they may be able to transition to an unsecured account and receive their deposit back after several months.

Did you know?

With a Discover it® Secured credit card, you can get your deposit back when you upgrade to an unsecured card after six consecutive on-time payments and six months of good status on all your credit accounts.1 And there’s no credit score required to apply.2

Learn More

Can a minor get a credit card?

No, a minor can’t get a credit card of their own. If your teen is under 18, they can’t apply for a credit card in their name. However, you may be able to add them to your account as an authorized user, as long as your credit card issuer allows it. For instance, Discover allows a primary cardmember to add an authorized user aged 15 and older to their credit card account.

Remember that as the primary cardmember you’re responsible for any charges an authorized user makes to your credit card account. If your teen runs up a high balance you can’t pay down, both of your credit scores can suffer.

Before you add your child to your account, make sure you discuss the basics of financial literacy, set expectations about financial responsibility, and agree to sensible spending.

As an authorized user, your teenager can build credit history. Both your card activity and your child’s card activity may appear on both of your credit reports and influence each credit score. Once they turn 18, their credit history may help them qualify for better terms when applying for their own credit line.

Get a prepaid card for your teen

If your teen isn’t quite ready for a credit card, you might consider a prepaid card instead. Your teenager can use a prepaid card like a credit or debit card to shop or even withdraw cash from an ATM. But before they can start spending, you (or someone else) has to deposit money onto the card. If you want to use a prepaid card to manage your kid’s allowance, you may use direct deposit to put a portion of each paycheck on the card.

A prepaid card may help you teach some basics of personal finance, like budgeting and saving money. But it’s not a line of credit, so using a prepaid card won’t build credit history.

Get a debit card for your teen

Typically, you have to be 18 to open a bank account of your own. However, some banks may issue younger teens debit cards connected to a parent or guardian’s checking account. Others may even allow minors to open accounts with a cosigner (usually a family member).

If your teenager has a job, you may want to help them set up direct deposit so they can access their paychecks with their debit card. A debit card can help teenagers learn how to manage a checking account, pay bills, and save money. However, using a debit card doesn’t build credit history.

What to know when choosing credit cards for teens

You and your teenager can work together to choose their first credit card. Start by introducing the basics of credit, like what an interest rate is, how to use a credit limit, the importance of making payments on time, what it means to build good credit, and ways to avoid credit card debt.

Once your teen has a strong foundation in financial literacy, you can start researching cards. To find the best credit card for your teen, consider the features that matter most to you both.

A credit card with a lot of fees may not be the best fit for a teenager who has just started building credit history. Look out for the following fees: 

 

  • Annual fees. Your teen may want a credit card with no annual fee so they don’t have to worry about an extra expense for keeping the card open. 
  • Foreign transaction fees. If your teen plans to study abroad or travel internationally for any reason, foreign transaction fees may add up. Discover has no foreign transaction fees.  
  • Late fees. Before opening a credit card account, your teen should understand that failing to pay a monthly bill on time may result in a late fee. 

While your teen probably won’t be eligible for the most premium rewards credit cards, that doesn’t mean they have to forgo credit card rewards altogether. Some secured cards and student cards offer rewards like cash back on eligible purchases.

To maximize rewards, look for a credit card that has a high rewards rate on the types of purchases your teenager makes most often, like gas or takeout.

Your teenager can only build credit history if their credit card company reports their activity to a credit bureau. The credit bureaus use that card activity to develop credit reports, which determine your teen’s credit score. Some credit card companies may not report activity from an authorized user, secured credit card, or student credit card.  Consider a credit card company (like Discover) that reports monthly activity to one or all of the three major credit bureaus.

Tools such as mobile apps for online banking can help your teen manage their account with features like automatic payments and text alerts that notify them when monthly bills are due, so they can avoid paying a late fee. Mobile and online banking tools make it easier to track expenses and payments. Some apps even help with budgeting for personal finance. 

The bottom line

There are a lot of factors to consider when choosing a credit card for your teen. It’s essential to explore your options and communicate with your teenager about responsible credit use. With the right card and a little guidance on money management, your teen can use a credit card to strengthen their financial future.

Important Information >
Five friends taking a selfie smiling together in the city.
Five friends taking a selfie smiling together in the city.

Enter to win a $5,000 scholarship for school

Discover® is giving away one $5,000 college scholarship every month until August 2025.3

Enter to Win

See Official Rules for sweepstakes eligibility and entry requirements, entry deadlines and drawing dates, details including odds, list of eligible colleges and universities, prize descriptions and an alternate method of entry.3

Next steps

Application Icon
See if you're pre-approved
Check Now
Card Icon
Learn about Discover student credit cards

See rates, rewards and other info

Learn More

You may also be interested in

Share article

Was this article helpful?

Glad you found this useful. Could you let us know what you found helpful?
Sorry this article didn't help you. Can you give us feedback why?

Was this article helpful?

Thank you for your feedback

Apply Now
Back to article