FYI: Those who has/are recommending the Chase Freedom Flex or Freedom Unlimited, be aware that Chase prefer to see at least one year of personal credit history and/or existing banking relationship. If OP doesn’t have neither of those, then there’s a very high chance of denial. There’s only one Chase card that you can recommend someone with no existing credit history, and that’s the Freedom Rise. OP, update your post with the template and make sure to fill out the monthly spendings, for others to make recommendations. Universally, the Capital One SavorOne for students is a great choice for the majority of college students. Answer from madskilzz3 on reddit.com
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Reddit
reddit.com › r/creditcards › what’s the best credit card for a beginner?
r/CreditCards on Reddit: What’s the best credit card for a beginner?
November 23, 2023 -

I’m a college student and I need to start building my credit but I don’t know where to start. I don’t plan on using the card for any big purchases. Just day to day things like my groceries or gas. What is the best card for a beginner? And is there anything else I should know as I start my credit journey? Edit template:

  • Current credit cards you are the primary account holder of: N/A

  • FICO Scores with source (see note on FICO score sources below): N/A

  • Oldest credit card account age with you as primary name on the account: N/A

  • Number of personal credit cards approved for in the past 6 months: N/A

  • Number of personal credit cards approved for in the past 12 months: N/A

  • Number of personal credit cards approved for in the past 24 months: N/A

  • Annual income $: 18,000 ish CATEGORIES

  • OK with category-specific cards?: Yes

  • *OK with rotating category cards?: Yes

  • Estimate average monthly:

  • * Dining $: $50

  • * Groceries $: Kroger- $250 Target- $30

  • * Gas $: $160

  • * Travel $: $50-100 put into savings a month

  • * Do you plan on using this card abroad for a significant length of time (study abroad, digital nomad, expat, extended travel)?: No

  • * Subscriptions: Phone- $42. Insurance $9.52

  • * Can you pay rent by credit card? No

  • MEMBERSHIPS & SUBSCRIPTIONS

  • * Current member of Amazon Prime?: No

  • * Current Verizon postpaid customer?: Yes $42

  • * Current member of Costco or Sam's Club? No

  • * Planet Fitness- $15.99. Hulu $2.99. Peacock $1.99. Insurance $9.52.

  • * Current member of Chase, US Bank or any other big bank?: No

  • * Active US military?: No

  • * Are you open to Business Cards?: No

  • PURPOSE

  • * What's the purpose of your next card (choose ONE)?: First Credit Card

  • * If you answered "first credit card", are you an authorized user on any other cards? No

  • * Do you have any cards you've been looking at? Capital One student card I’d also like to add I am moving into my first apartment in a few weeks. Grocery cost is an estimation as I have living with my family. Wasn’t sure where to put this but my rent is $890/month. Thank you for all of your advice!

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Forbes Advisor
forbes.com › advisor › credit-cards › best › first-credit-card
Best Beginner Credit Cards To Build Credit – Forbes Advisor
3 days ago - We consider the Capital One QuicksilverOne Cash Rewards Credit Card (rates & fees) to be a good option for those with fair credit and we’ve seen people qualify with a limited credit history—even if that credit was built as an authorized ...
Discussions

Seriously, what’s the best beginner credit card?
Start with Discover It unless you're a student, in which case I would start with either Savor Rewards for Students or Quicksilver Rewards for Students. More on reddit.com
🌐 r/CreditCards
51
13
February 6, 2025
What’s the best credit card for a beginner?
FYI: Those who has/are recommending the Chase Freedom Flex or Freedom Unlimited, be aware that Chase prefer to see at least one year of personal credit history and/or existing banking relationship. If OP doesn’t have neither of those, then there’s a very high chance of denial. There’s only one Chase card that you can recommend someone with no existing credit history, and that’s the Freedom Rise. OP, update your post with the template and make sure to fill out the monthly spendings, for others to make recommendations. Universally, the Capital One SavorOne for students is a great choice for the majority of college students. More on reddit.com
🌐 r/CreditCards
62
55
November 23, 2023
What is a good beginner credit card?
Get a secured card, and pay it off in full every month. Once you have a decent credit history, switch to a rewards card. And keep paying it off in full every month. More on reddit.com
🌐 r/personalfinance
41
18
July 16, 2025
best credit card for beginners?
Capital One and Discover tend to be friendlier issuers for new or rebuilding players. Try pre-approving and let us know your results: Capital One (student): https://www.capitalone.com/credit-cards/preapprove/student/ Capital One (non-student): https://www.capitalone.com/credit-cards/preapprove/ Discover: https://www.discovercard.com/application/preapproval/initial Be sure to list the exact product names of the products you pre-approve for (e.g., “Savor Rewards” isn’t the same offer as “Savor Rewards for good credit”). More on reddit.com
🌐 r/CRedit
14
3
February 14, 2025
People also ask

Do store cards make good beginner credit cards?

A store card can help you build credit, but this type of card often has higher interest rates than general-use credit cards. The Amazon Prime Secured Card* could be worth considering for those who often shop at Amazon.com. It earns 2% back at Amazon.com, Amazon Fresh and more for eligible Prime members, non members do not currently earn rewards with this card. It also has a lower-than-average 10.00% fixed rate APR on purchases.

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forbes.com
forbes.com › advisor › credit-cards › best › first-credit-card
Best Beginner Credit Cards To Build Credit – Forbes Advisor
Do you understand the basics of credit cards?
Knowing how credit cards work may help you avoid some common pitfalls, like overspending or falling behind on payments. A credit card gives you access to a line of credit that you may use as needed, up to your credit limit. Every month, you get a bill for the amount you owe. You have the option to pay your balance in full or make at least the required minimum payment and carry the rest over to the next month. Any balance you carry over typically accrues interest based on your credit card’s annual percentage rate (APR). That interest may build quickly, so it’s better to pay the full balance whe
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discover.com
discover.com › card smarts › getting a credit card › getting your first credit card
How to Choose the Best First Credit Card for You | Discover
What’s the difference between a beginner card and a card for bad credit?

While a beginner credit card is designed for people new to credit, a credit card for bad credit is tailored to those with damaged credit scores looking to rebuild. Cards for those with bad credit (under 580 in the FICO scoring model), tend to have less favorable terms and rewards than starter credit cards. While both types of cards can help you build credit, a beginner card should be your preferred choice if you don’t have a negative credit history that could stand in the way of your approval.

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forbes.com
forbes.com › advisor › credit-cards › best › first-credit-card
Best Beginner Credit Cards To Build Credit – Forbes Advisor
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Credit Karma
creditkarma.com › credit-cards
Best Credit Cards | January 2026
4 weeks ago - Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card: You’ll get a steady rewards rate on every purchase and a straightforward redemption process for travel. Learn more in our Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card review. These best credit cards with 0% intro APR offers are good for people who run into unexpected expenses or need to finance a major purchase.
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Bankrate
bankrate.com › credit cards › building credit
Best Starter Credit Cards | Bankrate
September 9, 2025 - The opensky® Secured Visa® Credit Card is a secured credit card that doesn’t require a credit check to apply, making it a good starter card option for someone with no credit or a recent bankruptcy.
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Discover
discover.com › card smarts › getting a credit card › getting your first credit card
How to Choose the Best First Credit Card for You | Discover
October 3, 2025 - Secured and student credit cards are good options for building credit history and developing healthy financial habits. A secured credit card requires collateral—a refundable security deposit—at account opening.
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The Points Guy
thepointsguy.com › credit-cards › best-first-credit-cards
Best first credit cards for beginners - The Points Guy
July 31, 2025 - Here are some recommendations for the best first credit cards for beginners. Welcome offer: Earn 75,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening. Annual fee: $95. ... Standout benefits: The Sapphire Preferred Card earns Chase Ultimate Rewards points on every purchase and features popular bonus categories to get more points to use toward travel on common expenses. It’s easy to collect points to use toward travel with this card.
Find elsewhere
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Mastercard
mastercard.com › us › en › personal › find-a-card › credit-card › credit-type › excellent-credit.html
Credit Cards for Excellent Credit - Mastercard
The Gemini Credit Card is issued by WebBank and offers various benefits from Mastercard. Show more Show less ... A FICO score/credit score is used to represent the creditworthiness of a person and may be one indicator to the credit type you are eligible for. However, credit score alone does ...
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Bank of America
bankofamerica.com › bank of america › credit cards › credit cards to build credit
Credit Cards to Help Build or Rebuild Credit
Answer a few quick questions to see what offers are waiting for you. It will only take a minute and won’t impact your credit score. ... Choosing a credit card can be overwhelming. We’ve compiled some important considerations to help you pick the best credit card for you.
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Mastercard
mastercard.com › us › en › personal › find-a-card › credit-card › credit-type › no-credit.html
Credit Cards for No Credit - Mastercard
Get access to your account 24 hours a day, 7 days a week with online banking to access your account from your desktop or smartphone, with Capital One’s mobile app ... A FICO score/credit score is used to represent the creditworthiness of a person and may be one indicator to the credit type ...
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Discover
discover.com › credit-cards › secured-credit-card
Discover Secured Credit Card | Build Your Credit History
Seeing how your credit score is affected by your credit actions can help you improve your credit knowledge. ... With the Discover it® Secured Credit Card, you provide a refundable security deposit to back your credit line.
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Navy Federal Credit Union
navyfederal.org › go to makingcents › credit & debt
A Guide to Choosing the Best First Credit Card | Navy Federal Credit Union
If you use your secured card responsibly, you can build a positive credit history over time. A good option for people with no credit history is the Navy Federal cashRewards Secured Credit Card.
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Academy Bank
academybank.com › article › why-credit-builder-is-the-best-credit-card-for-beginners
Best Credit Card for Beginners: Credit Builder | Blog | AcademyBank
Looking for the best way to build credit? It's easy! Learn why Academy Bank's Credit Builder Secured Credit Card is the top credit card for beginners.
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Capital One
capitalone.com › learn & grow › money management › first credit card
How to Get Your First Credit Card | Capital One
Capital One might have a few options worth exploring: The Platinum Mastercard and Platinum Secured cards are good options for first-time applicants. The Quicksilver Secured and QuicksilverOne cards even let cardholders earn rewards.
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CreditCards.com
creditcards.com
Credit cards: Find the Right Card For You at Creditcards.com
Find the best credit cards by comparing a variety of offers for balance transfers, rewards, low interest, and more. Apply online at CreditCards.com.
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Quora
quora.com › Which-are-the-best-credit-cards-for-beginners
Which are the best credit cards for beginners? - Quora
Answer: In my personal view the below listed cards are best for beginners: 👉🏻SBI SimplySave(Best for offline transactions) 👉🏻SBI SimplyClick(Best for online transaction) 👉🏻SBI Cashback 👉🏻 Amazon Pay ICICI / ICICI Platinum ...
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Quora
quora.com › What-is-a-good-credit-card-for-someone-who-has-never-had-one-and-is-only-just-beginning-to-try-to-build-credit-Any-insight-helps
What is a good credit card for someone who has never had one and is only just beginning to try to build credit? Any insight helps. - Quora
Answer (1 of 2): The best credit card at this stage is the one that you will be approved for. Just apply for some until you get one. You just need to start using one and pay off the balance in full as soon as possible. If you can't pay for your purchase in less than the grace period (21–28 days...
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Consumer Finance
files.consumerfinance.gov › f › documents › cfpb_adult-fin-ed_how-to-find-the-best-credit-card.pdf pdf
How to find the best credit card for you
credit cards that have the lowest · interest rates. These cards typically · do not offer rewards and do not · charge an annual fee. If you have consistently paid off · your balance every month, then you · may want to focus more on fees and · rewards. Always compare the value · of rewards you expect to receive · (and use) each year with the annual ·
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Chase
chase.com › education center › credit cards › building credit
How To Pick a Credit Card if You Are New to Credit | Chase
November 22, 2023 - There are credit cards designed for those who are brand new to credit. Learn about key features of starter cards.
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U.S. Bank
usbank.com › credit-cards.html
Credit Cards | Apply and Compare Credit Card Offers | U.S. Bank
November 7, 2025 - There are simple things you can do to build and maintain good credit. Pay your entire balance on time every month, stay below your credit limit and follow these other tips for improving your credit score. U.S. Bank offers a variety of rewards credit cards, including cash back, travel and points rewards. You can compare and choose the best card that fits your lifestyle.