Understanding Credit Card Age Requirements: When You Can Get Your First Card

If you’re wondering how old you have to be to get a credit card, the answer depends on your situation. Whether you’re a young teen wanting to learn about finances or a college student ready for your first plastic, the age requirements vary significantly based on the type of account you pursue.

Authorized Users: Building Credit Before 18

The easiest path to getting a credit card before turning 18 is becoming an authorized user on a parent’s or guardian’s account. This option allows young people of almost any age to access a credit card and start learning financial responsibility early.

Most major financial institutions have minimal or no age restrictions for authorized users, though a few set specific minimums. American Express requires authorized users to be at least 13 years old. Discover sets the bar at 15, while U.S. Bank requires 16. Other major providers like Bank of America, Capital One, Chase, Citi, and Wells Fargo have no minimum age requirement at all.

When you’re added as an authorized user, you receive your own card with your name printed on it, but the account remains under the primary cardholder’s control. The account holder retains full responsibility for any balance, including charges made by younger users. This arrangement makes it an ideal learning tool—young people can practice making purchases with real consequences while remaining under supervision.

Parents typically maintain control of the physical card during initial lessons, ensuring charges stay manageable. Even if your child never uses the card actively, having them listed as an authorized user can help establish their credit history early, creating a foundation for their financial future.

Turning 18: Your Path to Independent Credit

Legally, you become eligible to apply for your own credit card account once you reach 18 years old. However, there are specific conditions attached to this milestone, particularly if you’re between 18 and 21.

The challenge at 18 is proving you have adequate income to manage credit responsibly. The CARD Act of 2009 implemented this requirement specifically to prevent young adults without stable income from accumulating unmanageable debt. Here’s the catch: your income source is strictly limited at this age. You can only count earnings from employment or educational grants and scholarships. Money from other sources—including parental gifts, allowances, or investment income—doesn’t qualify.

Without qualifying income, you have a backup option: applying with a cosigner. A cosigner is someone with established good credit who agrees to take responsibility for your debt if you can’t pay. However, finding a credit card issuer willing to accept cosigners can be challenging. Your best bet may be a local credit union, which typically has more flexible lending practices than major national banks.

Age 21 and Beyond: Lifting Financial Restrictions

Once you hit 21, the income restrictions that limited your options as a younger cardholder essentially disappear. At this point, you can include virtually any income source on your application—gifts from relatives, government assistance, retirement income, or investment returns all become fair game.

Reaching 21 removes a significant barrier, but you’ll still face other obstacles if you’re building credit from scratch. Without an established credit history, you’ll be limited to cards specifically designed for first-time cardholders or those with limited credit profiles. These starter cards typically offer lower credit limits but provide the foundation you need to demonstrate responsible borrowing.

Starting Smart: Tips for Young Cardholders

Regardless of which path you take to obtain a credit card, financial education should come first. Understanding how credit scores work, how interest and annual percentage rates (APRs) function, and how balance transfers operate will serve you well throughout your financial life.

The difference between theoretical knowledge and practical mistakes can be substantial. Taking time to learn credit card fundamentals before making your first purchase helps you avoid years of dealing with high-interest debt and damaged credit scores. Whether you start as an authorized user or wait until 18 to get your own card, informed decision-making today sets the stage for financial success tomorrow.