Looking for your first credit card? Whether you’re a student, a recent graduate, or a young professional, discover the top credit cards for young adults.

There comes a time in every person’s life when they get their first credit card.

But how do you choose which card to sign up for? There are tons of cards out there, and you only want the best — ideally, one that offers good rewards, simple terms, and a low barrier to entry.

This guide will help you out.

Below, I’ll delve into the seven best credit card for young adults and explain why they’re considered excellent options.

How I came up with my list of the best five credit cards for young adults

When selecting the best credit cards for young adults, I focused on the following criteria:

  1. Offer better-than-average approval odds for those with limited credit histories. This helps newer credit users start building credit early.
  2. Good rewards rates for categories popular with young adults. These include online shopping, dining, and travel.
  3. Low fees.

Popular young adult credit card rewards

Overview: best credit cards for young adults

Credit cards can help you save money with rewards or even earn miles for free travel.

Of course, there’s the dilemma of getting your first credit card without much of a credit history. But don’t worry — there are good credit cards for young adults across the score spectrum.

Comparison of the best credit cards for young adults

Chase Freedom Unlimited®

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In A Nutshell

The Chase Freedom Unlimited® opens up with a terrific intro offer; earn an additional 1.5% cash back on everything you buy (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year) – worth up to $300 cash back! Tack on a 0% intro APR for 15 months on purchases and balance transfers (standard 19.74% – 28.49% Variable APR) add to that a strong everyday rewards program and it’s a terrific option for anyone looking to save a ton of money on everyday purchases.

Read review
Credit Score Requirements: Credit Score requirements are based on Money Under 30’s own research of approval rates; meeting the minimum score will give you the best chance to be approved for the credit card of your choice. If you don’t know your credit score, use our free credit score estimator tool to get a better idea of which cards you’ll qualify for. *Money Under 30 uses a FICO 8 score, which is one of many different types of credit scores. *A creditor may use a different score when deciding whether to approve you for credit.
Poor 500-599
Fair 600-699
Good 700-749
Excellent 750-850

What We Like:

  • Intro Offer: Earn an additional 1.5% cash back on everything you buy (on up to $20,000 in the first year) – worth up to $300 cash back!

  • Unlimited 1.5% cash back on all other purchases.

  • 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 15 months; then a variable APR of 19.74% – 28.49% Variable

  • Intro Offer: Earn an additional 1.5% cash back on everything you buy (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year) - worth up to $300 cash back!
  • Enjoy 6.5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards®, our premier rewards program that lets you redeem rewards for cash back, travel, gift cards and more; 4.5% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service, and 3% on all other purchases (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year).
  • After your first year or $20,000 spent, enjoy 5% cash back on Chase travel purchased through Ultimate Rewards®, 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service, and unlimited 1.5% cash back on all other purchases.
  • No minimum to redeem for cash back. You can choose to receive a statement credit or direct deposit into most U.S. checking and savings accounts. Cash Back rewards do not expire as long as your account is open!
  • Enjoy 0% Intro APR for 15 months from account opening on purchases and balance transfers, then a variable APR of 19.74% - 28.49%.
  • No annual fee - You won't have to pay an annual fee for all the great features that come with your Freedom Unlimited® card
  • Keep tabs on your credit health, Chase Credit Journey helps you monitor your credit with free access to your latest score, real-time alerts, and more.
Annual Fee
$0
Regular APR
19.74% - 28.49% Variable
Intro APR
Intro APR Purchases 0% Intro APR on Purchases for 15 months , 15 months
Intro APR Balance Transfers 0% Intro APR on Balance Transfers for 15 months , 15 months

Apply Now >>

Capital One Platinum Credit Card

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In A Nutshell

Finding an unsecured credit card with average credit can be difficult, but the Capital One Platinum Credit Card is happy to have your business. You won’t find many perks to owning this credit card, but it’s a great first card for young people looking to build a strong credit history and there’s no annual fee.

Read review
Credit Score Requirements: Credit Score requirements are based on Money Under 30’s own research of approval rates; meeting the minimum score will give you the best chance to be approved for the credit card of your choice. If you don’t know your credit score, use our free credit score estimator tool to get a better idea of which cards you’ll qualify for. *Money Under 30 uses a FICO 8 score, which is one of many different types of credit scores. *A creditor may use a different score when deciding whether to approve you for credit.
Poor 500-599
Fair 600-699
Good 700-749
Excellent 750-850

What We Like:

  • Only average / fair / limited credit is required for approval

  • Be automatically considered for a higher credit line in as little as 6 months

  • No annual fee or foreign transaction fees

  • No annual or hidden fees. See if you're approved in seconds
  • Be automatically considered for a higher credit line in as little as 6 months
  • Help build your credit through responsible use of a card like this
  • Enjoy peace of mind with $0 Fraud Liability so that you won't be responsible for unauthorized charges
  • Monitor your credit score with CreditWise from Capital One. It's free for everyone
  • Get access to your account 24 hours a day, 7 days a week with online banking from your desktop or smartphone, with Capital One's mobile app
  • 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
  • Pay by check, online or at a local branch, all with no fee - and pick the monthly due date that works best for you
Annual Fee
$0
Regular APR
29.99% (Variable)
Intro APR
Intro APR Purchases N/A , N/A
Intro APR Balance Transfers N/A , N/A

Apply Now >>

Capital One Quicksilver Student Cash Rewards Credit Card

Apply Now On the Capital One US Secure Website

In A Nutshell

Students will love the simplicity of this cash back credit card from Capital One. Earn an unlimited 1.5% cash back on every purchase, every day, and your rewards won’t expire for the life of the account. Plus there’s no annual fee, foreign transaction fees, or other hidden fees to worry about.

Read review
Credit Score Requirements: Credit Score requirements are based on Money Under 30’s own research of approval rates; meeting the minimum score will give you the best chance to be approved for the credit card of your choice. If you don’t know your credit score, use our free credit score estimator tool to get a better idea of which cards you’ll qualify for. *Money Under 30 uses a FICO 8 score, which is one of many different types of credit scores. *A creditor may use a different score when deciding whether to approve you for credit.
Poor 500-599
Fair 600-699
Good 700-749
Excellent 750-850

What We Like:

  • Early Spend Bonus: Earn $50 when you spend $100 in the first three months

  • Earn unlimited 1.5% cash back on every purchase, every day

  • Enjoy no annual fee, foreign transaction fees, or hidden fees

  • Earn unlimited 1.5% cash back on every purchase, every day
  • Early Spend Bonus: Earn $50 when you spend $100 in the first three months
  • Earn 10% cash back on purchases made through Uber & Uber Eats, plus complimentary Uber One membership statement credits through 11/14/2024
  • Enjoy peace of mind with $0 Fraud Liability so that you won't be responsible for unauthorized charges
  • Enjoy no annual fee, foreign transaction fees, or hidden fees
  • Lock your card in the Capital One Mobile app if it's misplaced, lost or stolen
  • Earn up to $500 a year by referring friends and family when they're approved for a Capital One credit card
  • Build your credit with responsible card use
  • Whether you're at a 4-year university, community college or other higher education institution, this card might be an option for you
Annual Fee
$0
Regular APR
19.74% - 29.74% (Variable)
Intro APR
Intro APR Purchases N/A , N/A
Intro APR Balance Transfers N/A , N/A

Apply Now >>

Petal® 1 "No Annual Fee" Visa® Credit Card

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In A Nutshell

The Petal® 1 “No Annual Fee” Visa® Credit Card (issued by WebBank) is a great no-annual-fee card with a solid rewards system for people with limited or no credit. It reports to all three major credit card bureaus and you can possibly score a higher credit limit between $300- $5,000 — just make sure to use your card responsibly.

Read review
Credit Score Requirements: Credit Score requirements are based on Money Under 30’s own research of approval rates; meeting the minimum score will give you the best chance to be approved for the credit card of your choice. If you don’t know your credit score, use our free credit score estimator tool to get a better idea of which cards you’ll qualify for. *Money Under 30 uses a FICO 8 score, which is one of many different types of credit scores. *A creditor may use a different score when deciding whether to approve you for credit.
Poor 500-599
Fair 600-699
Good 700-749
Excellent 750-850

What We Like:

  • No credit history required, making it perfect for beginners.

  • No annual fee, and no over-limit or foreign transaction fees, either.

  • 2% – 10% cash back at select merchants.

  • $0 Annual Fee
  • Variable APRs range from 24.74% - 34.24%
  • $300 - $5,000 credit limits
  • Earn a credit limit increase in as little as 6 months. Terms and conditions apply.
  • No credit score? No problem. If eligible, we'll create your Cash Score instead.
  • 2% - 10% cash back at select merchants
  • See if you're pre-approved within minutes without impacting your credit score.
  • No annual or foreign transaction fees.
  • Build credit alongside hundreds of thousands of Petal card members.
  • Petal's mobile app makes it easy to manage your money, track your spending, and automate payments.
  • Petal reports to all 3 major credit bureaus
  • No deposits required
  • Card issued by WebBank
Annual Fee
$0
Regular APR
24.74% - 34.24% Variable
Intro APR
Intro APR Purchases N/A ,
Intro APR Balance Transfers N/A ,

Apply Now >>

Details: best credit cards for young adults

I collected a few of the best cards for a wide range of scores to help you find something that fits your credit profile.

Let’s look at each, from highest to lowest credit requirements.

Chase Freedom Unlimited® Card

Best for rewards and sign-up bonus

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The Chase Freedom Unlimited® card offers quite the sign-up bonus. Earn an additional 1.5% on all purchases (up to $20,000 spent in the first year). Add a healthy intro APR and a strong rewards structure, and you’ve got one of the best credit cards for young adults with good credit.

What I Like

  • Massive welcome bonus: earn an additional 1.5% on all purchases (up to $20,000 spent in the first year)
  • Excellent cash back rates.
  • 0% Intro APR on Purchases for 15 months and 0% Intro APR on Balance Transfers for 15 months (followed by an APR of 19.74% - 28.49% Variable)
  • No annual fee.

The Chase Freedom Unlimited® card is one of the best cash back rewards cards out there.

First off, it earns Chase Ultimate Reward which can be highly valuable travel rewards points. Plus, you’ll earn an additional 1.5% on all purchases (up to $20,000 spent in the first year).

Oh, and you’ll pay 0% Intro APR on Purchases for 15 months and 0% Intro APR on Balance Transfers for 15 months(followed by an APR of 19.74% - 28.49% Variable).

As for regular credit card rewards, this card offers the following:

  • 3% on dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery services.
  • 3% on drugstore purchases.
  • 1.5% on everything else.

There’s no expiration on the rewards; you get all this for no annual fee. If you choose to use this card while traveling keep in mind that it does have a foreign transaction fee.

Read our full Chase Freedom Unlimited® review.

Chase Freedom Flex℠ Card

Best for cash back

The Chase Freedom Flex℠ offers new users an excellent $200 bonus after you spend $500 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.. Plus, they earn 5% on quarterly rotating categories and excellent rates in several other categories. The rewards never expire, and users get a long 0% intro APR.

What I Like

  • Welcome bonus: $200 bonus after you spend $500 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening..
  • 0% Intro APR on Purchases for 15 months and 0% Intro APR on Balance Transfers for 15 months  (followed by an APR of 19.74% - 28.49% Variable)
  • Rotating 5% cash back on up to $1,500 in combined purchases quarterly.
  • 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery services, and unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases.

The Chase Freedom Flex℠ card is another excellent rewards card offering from Chase.

This card offers 5% cash back on up to $1,500 in purchases every quarter on rotating categories. For example, it might offer 5% on up to $1,500 in Amazon purchases and streaming services for 3 months.

At the same time, you can earn 3% on dining, takeout, eligible delivery, and drugstore purchases and 1% cash back on everything else.

Read our full Chase Freedom Flex℠ review.

Card info has been collected by MoneyUnder30 to help consumers better compare cards. The financial institution did not provide or approve card details.

Capital One Platinum Credit Card

Best for having no annual fee

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Great for those with average credit can get a good unsecured credit card with the Capital One Platinum Credit Card.

What I Like

  • Unsecured card for average credit.
  • Automatic credit line review six months after opening.
  • Low fees.

Need a credit-building card but don’t want a secured card? The Capital One Platinum card could be a good choice.

This card is relatively straightforward. There are no annual or foreign transaction fees, and you can qualify with average credit.

Plus, Capital One automatically considers you for a credit line increase six months after opening if you use the card responsibly.

The downside is that this card earns no rewards. But it can be a good starting point if you’re still working on your score.

Read our full Capital One Platinum Card review.

Capital One Quicksilver Student Cash Rewards Credit Card

Best for students

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Capital One QuickSilver Student Cash Rewards Credit Card combines credit building and cash back opportunities. There are no annual, foreign transaction, or hidden fees, and you’ll also get $50 when you spend $100 on purchases within 3 months from account opening.

What I Like

  • No foreign transaction, annual or hidden fees.
  • Unlimited 1.5% cash back on all purchases.
  • Welcome bonus: $50 when you spend $100 on purchases within 3 months from account opening

College is a great time to start building credit. The Capital One Quicksilver Student Cash Rewards card is an excellent choice for this.

This card pays unlimited 1.5% cash back on every purchase, and points don’t expire. The card also charges almost no fees.

Plus, you can earn $50 when you spend $100 on purchases within 3 months from account opening.

Overall, this is a no-frills student card for those who want to build credit and earn some cash back simultaneously.

Read our full Capital One Quicksilver Student Cash Rewards card review.

Petal® 1 “No Annual Fee” Visa® Credit Card

Best for people with low credit

Apply Now On the Secure Website

The Petal® 1 “No Annual Fee” Visa® Credit Card is an unsecured card with no fees and the opportunity to earn significant cash back on purchases at certain brands. Responsible use can qualify you for a credit limit of up to $5,000. These factors make it a good starter card for building credit.

What I Like

  • 2-10% cash back at select merchants.
  • No annual, over-limit, or foreign transaction fees.
  • No credit history required.

The Petal® 1 “No Annual Fee” Visa® Credit Card is among young adults’ best first credit cards. It can also work well if you’re repairing your credit.

You don’t need any credit history to qualify. WebBank, the issuer, charges no annual, foreign transaction, or over-limit fees to make this card as accessible as possible. And the card is unsecured — with no security deposit needed.

Plus, users can earn 2-10% cash back at select merchants. You can check the app to see which brands near you are offering rewards.

Credit limits up to $5,000 are available. Petal decides your limit but, with the Leap program, you can earn a credit line increase in 6 months by making qualifying on-time payments.

Read our Petal® 1 ”No Annual Fee” Visa® card review.

Summary of the best credit cards for young adults

Table summarizing the best credit cards for young adults

Frequently asked questions

Can I get a credit card if I’m under 21?

You must be at least 18 to get a credit card.

However, the Credit Card Accountability Responsibility and Disclosure (CARD) Act has made it harder to get unsecured credit cards before the age of 21; this is meant to protect young adults from predatory credit card practices.

You must show proof of steady income or assets — in other words, the ability to repay your debt.

If you can’t do this, you may need to start with a secured card or get a cosigner.

How do I get a credit card if I have no credit history?

You have two options for getting a card with no credit history:

  • Get a cosigner: have a parent, family member, or trusted friend with good credit become a cosigner. Under this kind of agreement, the cosigner agrees to pay your bill if you can’t.
  • Secured credit cards: these accept lower scores and sometimes don’t even run a credit check. Instead, you put down a cash deposit as your credit line. However, most do report to the three major credit bureaus and can help you build credit.

Parent cosigner for a child’s credit card

How do secured credit cards work?

A secured credit card are very easy to qualify for regardless of your credit score. They work by requiring a refundable security deposit and then issuing a line of credit equal to the amount of your deposit.

For example, if you deposit $500 you will have a $500 credit limit.

Then you’ll use the secured credit card just like you would any other credit card. You can make charges to the card and then you’ll make payments towards your balance. Your payments are reported to the three credit bureaus which can build your credit and increase your credit scores.

Once your credit score is high enough to qualify for an unsecured card then you can close your secured credit card and receive your deposit back.

Here’s a list of our favorite secured credit cards.

Do you have any tips for using a credit card for the first time?

Credit cards offer many benefits, including cash back, travel benefits, intro APRs, and opportunities to build your credit score.

But if you don’t use them wisely, you can wreck your credit and fall into debt.

Here are some tips once you get a card:

  • Spend within your means: watch your spending closely. Try not to change your spending habits at all. This will reduce the chance of getting stuck in credit card debt while letting you earn cash back and postponing expenditures for a month or longer. Keeping your balances low will also help boost your credit.
  • Pay off the balance in full each month: carrying a balance costs you a lot in interest.
  • Pay off your balance on time: late payments can incur late fees and damage your credit.

Summary

As a young adult, the best card for you is the one that’s easy to qualify for and saves you money through rewards and other perks. Conveniently, this article has already summarized the best cards for young adults, so you must pick the one best for you.

But before you apply for a card, you’ll want to know your score first. Knowing your score will help you choose the best card you will likely qualify for. And if you don’t know your current score, you can use Money Under 30’s free Credit Score Calculator tool.

About the author

Chris Muller picture
Total Articles: 285
Chris has an MBA with a focus in advanced investments and has been writing about all things personal finance since 2015. He’s also built and run a digital marketing agency, focusing on content marketing, copywriting, and SEO, since 2016. You can connect with Chris on Twitter.