Student Cards guides

A student credit card is designed for college students with little or no credit history, and it is for you if you are in school and want to start building credit with a low-risk first card. These cards usually have no annual fee and modest credit limits, and issuers design them for applicants with a thin credit file.

In the US, applicants under 21 must show enough independent income to make the payments, or have a co-signer, so check what income you can list before you apply. Compare the annual fee, any rewards, the regular APR, whether the issuer reports to all three credit bureaus, and whether the card can later move to a standard card. Using it well matters most: keep the balance small, pay in full and on time every month, and your score builds from there.

Read the best student credit cards and how to build credit with a credit card. Understanding your credit score explains what lenders see. The Discover it Student Cash Back is one no-annual-fee example.