By
Bethany HickeyEdited by
Holly JenningsUpdated
Credit cards can be great financial tools, but if you’re not an adult, you won’t be able to get one on your own just yet. Getting credit cards for teens is possible, but teens will likely need to be an authorized user before their 18th birthday.
Credit cards give you access to a revolving line of credit. With each swipe of the card, you’re borrowing money from the card issuer. You’ll have a maximum credit limit, which is how much you can borrow, and you can reuse that line of credit over and over again.
Credit cards offer flexible repayment options. When you use the credit card for a purchase, you can repay the entire balance, in moderate chunks or with minimum payments over a few months. However, balances that roll over to the next billing cycle are charged interest.
The best way to manage a credit card is to spend only what you can pay back quickly to avoid interest altogether. Credit cards have notoriously high interest rates, and credit card debt can quickly become a problem if left unchecked.
Yes, but your exact age matters. To get a traditional credit card on your own, you must be at least 18 years old. So, to be clear, minors can’t get a credit card on their own, but 18- and 19-year-old teenagers can.
However, teens aged 13, 14, 15, and so on, may become authorized users on an adult’s account if the bank allows it. An authorized user gets their own card, and both users access the same line of credit. Many banks allow teenagers to be added as authorized users on their credit cards, including Bank of America, Chase, Discover and Step.
The Step cards can be a great way for teenagers to build credit history and financial experience.
9.6 Excellent
| Minimum deposit required | N/A |
|---|---|
| Annual fee | $0 |
| Minimum credit score | New / limited credit |
| Annual fee | $0 |
|---|---|
| Minimum deposit required | N/A |
| Balance transfer APR | N/A |
| Minimum credit score | New / limited credit |
| Minimum deposit required | N/A |
|---|---|
| Annual fee | $0 |
| Minimum credit score | New / limited credit |
Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express
Debit cards are not a line of credit, unlike credit cards. Debit cards are linked to a deposit account, typically a checking account. When you use the debit card, it “debits” money from that account, meaning you are spending your own funds, not borrowing from the bank.
Since debit cards don’t involve borrowing money, they’re typically considered a safer introduction to banking for teenagers than credit cards. Credit cards involve borrowing, interest and risk of credit score damage — features that debit cards won’t have at all.
There are plenty of debit cards for teens, including Greenlight, Chase First Banking and Current Teen Banking.
Similarly to credit cards, minors can’t typically get a debit card on their own. In most states, an adult is required to open a deposit account with the minor as a joint owner.
Consider these points carefully before you give your teenager a credit card under your name.
Even if you’re an adult, applying for a credit card may be tricky until you’re 21. There’s a minor stipulation for 18-, 19- and 20-year-olds. The Credit Card Accountability, Responsibility and Disclosure Act (CARD Act) requires that they provide proof of income to show their ability to repay the card’s payments, or have a cosigner who is at least 21 years old. Once they’re 21 years old, the co-signer requirement is lifted, though lenders are still required to ask for proof of income for anyone before approving a line of credit.
Getting your teen on the path to a credit card can be a great way to help them financially prepare for the future. However, before you make them an authorized user on an account, be sure they have proper financial supervision and understand how credit cards work.
There’s no legal age requirement for authorized users on credit cards, so financial institutions are free to set their own. If your bank allows it, you can add a 13-year-old as an authorized user on your existing credit card. Some banks, such as Bank of America, Chase and American Express, allow minors as young as 13 to be authorized users.
A 14-year-old can’t get their own credit card at Chase, but they can become an authorized user on an adult’s credit card. Chase accepts authorized users as young as 13.
Many parents add their children as authorized users on an existing credit card. However, to make sure they receive credit history, check the bank’s or credit union’s reporting practices. Learn more about building credit.
Bethany Hickey is the banking editor and personal finance expert at Finder, specializing in banking, lending, insurance, and crypto. Bethany’s expertise in personal finance has garnered recognition from esteemed media outlets, such as Nasdaq, MSN, Yahoo Finance, GOBankingRates, SuperMoney, AOL and Newsweek. Her articles offer practical financial strategies to Americans, empowering them to make decisions that meet their financial goals. Her past work includes articles on generational spending and saving habits, lending, budgeting and managing debt. Before joining Finder, she was a content manager where she wrote hundreds of articles and news pieces on auto financing and credit repair for CarsDirect, Auto Credit Express and The Car Connection, among others. Bethany holds a BA in English from the University of Michigan-Flint, and was poetry editor for the university’s Qua Literary and Fine Arts Magazine. See full bio
Modak has no monthly fee, but it’s slim on features. Greenlight starts at $5.99 but is a value for big families.
Compare the six best kids’ bank accounts that have no monthly fees.
Explore 8 ways to teach your teen healthy financial habits.
Help your kids learn about the stock market and practice investing before using real money with these fun games.
Teach your kids money management with these job ideas, including walking dogs, shovelings snow and teaching sports.
BusyKid is one of the best kids’ cards on the market, but you’ll pay $48 per year.
Compare the best kids’ debit cards with strong parental controls, minimal fees and fun features.
See our first-hand review of the Greenlight card to see if the $5.99 monthly fee makes sense for your family.
Compare the best five kids’ savings account options to save for their future.
Finder.com is an independent comparison platform and information service that aims to provide you with the tools you need to make better decisions. While we are independent, the offers that appear on this site are from companies from which Finder receives compensation. We may receive compensation from our partners for placement of their products or services. We may also receive compensation if you click on certain links posted on our site. While compensation arrangements may affect the order, position or placement of product information, it doesn't influence our assessment of those products. Please don't interpret the order in which products appear on our Site as any endorsement or recommendation from us. Finder compares a wide range of products, providers and services but we don't provide information on all available products, providers or services. Please appreciate that there may be other options available to you than the products, providers or services covered by our service.
We update our data regularly, but information can change between updates. Confirm details with the provider you're interested in before making a decision.
How likely would you be to recommend Finder to a friend or colleague?
Our goal is to create the best possible product, and your thoughts, ideas and suggestions play a major role in helping us identify opportunities to improve.
