No credit card is the best choice for every family, every purchase, or every budget. As a result, we’ve decided to pick out the best credit cards for beginners in a way that will be most useful to the widest range of readers. In this article, we address questions such as “what are the best credit cards to start with?” “where do I get my first credit card” and “how do I apply for my first credit card”.
We also weighed the expense and benefits of each credit card to select the best beginner credit cards for each category. Annual fees, foreign transaction fees, and expenses necessary to qualify for the welcome promotion are all included in the price of each credit card. Welcome offers, cash rewards or other incentives, bonus category offers, balance transfer offers, status benefits, and other benefits are all included in benefits.
1. Citi® Double Cash Card
If you’re looking to get your first credit card, this is one of the best starter credit cards for beginners. The Citi® Double Cash Card is a great option if you want a simple cashback card. There are no limits or categories to follow, so you’ll get a flat amount of cashback on every purchase. If you also have a Citi Premier® or Citi Prestige® card, you can convert your rewards into ThankYou points, which can then be transferred into airline miles.
Earn 2% cashback on all transactions — 1% when you make the purchase and 1% when you pay your credit card bill — on all purchases. There is no welcome offer. It’s the best credit card to start with.
Fees: $0 per year
2. The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
If you’re looking to get your first credit card, this is one of the best starter credit cards for beginners. It is one of the best credit cards for international travel and among the best credit cards for travel miles. The Chase Sapphire Preferred® card can be a great starting point if you want to enter the Chase ecosystem, but the annual fee for the Chase Sapphire Reserve® card is scaring you away.
Cardholders earn 5 points for every dollar spent on travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards®, 3 points for every dollar spent on dining, 2 points for every dollar spent on all other travel purchases, and one point for every dollar spent on all other qualifying transactions. You’ll also earn 5 points for every dollar spent on Lyft rides through March 2022.
Welcome Offer: After spending $4,000 on purchases within the first three months of opening an account, new cardholders can earn 100,000 bonus points.
Fees: $95 per year
3. Hunt Freedom Flex℠
It is one of the best credit cards for international travel and among the best credit cards for travel miles. The Chase Freedom FlexSM, which debuted in late 2020, is a relative newcomer to the field. He can earn significant Chase Ultimate Rewards points when paired with a premium Chase Ultimate Rewards card like the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, Chase Sapphire Reserve®, or Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card. It’s hard to top even as a standalone cash back card.
Rewards: Each quarter you activate, get 5% back on up to $1,500 in rotating categories, 5% back on travel booked through Chase Ultimate Rewards, 5% back at restaurants and drugstores, and 5% % discount on all other transactions.
Earn a $200 bonus after spending $500 on purchases within the first three months of opening your account. Plus, up to $12,000 spent in the first year, get 5% back on grocery store purchases (excludes Target® and Walmart® purchases).
Fees: $0 per year
4. The American Express® Gold Card
If you’re looking to get your first credit card, this is one of the best starter credit cards for beginners. Look no further than the American Express® Gold Card if you’re a foodie. This card gives you extra Membership Rewards points when you shop at restaurants and supermarkets in the United States. This is great news for foodies who want to quickly increase their points balance.
Earn 4 Membership Rewards points for every $3 spent in restaurants and up to $25,000 in annual grocery spend in the US, 1 point for every $3 spent on flights booked directly with the airline or through Amextravel.com, and XNUMX points for every dollar spent on all other purchases.
Spend $4,000 on qualifying purchases with your new card in the first 60,000 months to earn Membership Rewards® points.
Fees: $250 per year (fees and fees)
5. Chase Sapphire Reserve® Card
It is one of the best credit cards for international travel and among the best credit cards for travel miles. The non-refundable portions of many trips, such as hotel reservations or prepaid tours, are tied to specific dates. You could lose a lot of money if your trip is interrupted or canceled. The Chase Sapphire Reserve® card includes trip cancellation and interruption insurance for covered scenarios, trip delay insurance, baggage loss and baggage delay insurance, primary rental car insurance, and more, in addition to the opportunity to earn valuable points on transactions.
This card topped the list of best credit cards for travel beginners because of all these top-notch features. When you purchase travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards®, you’ll earn 5 points each on air travel and 10 points each on hotels and car rentals after you spend the first $300 in travel purchases per year. Earn 3 points for every dollar spent on other travel and meals, and 1 point for every dollar spent on everything else.
New cardholders can get up to 60,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 on purchases within the first three months of opening their account.
Fees: $550 per year
6. American Express Platinum Card®
It is one of the best credit cards for international travel and among the best credit cards for travel miles. The Platinum Card® from American Express is a good choice if you want a luxury travel experience, especially if you want access to a variety of airport lounges. It also comes with many other benefits and perks.
Earn 5 Membership Rewards points for every dollar spent booking flights directly with the airlines or through American Express Travel up to $500,000 each year, 1 Membership Rewards point for every dollar spent at prepaid hotels booked through American Express Travel, and XNUMX point for every dollar spent on all other qualifying purchases.
Earn 100,000 Membership Rewards® points after spending $66 on purchases with the Platinum card during the first 10 months of your membership. Plus, during your first 25,000 months of card membership, earn 25,000 points on eligible purchases made with the card at restaurants worldwide, and when you make small purchases in the United States, up to 25,000 $100 in combo purchases. Terms and conditions of application.
Annual cost: $695 (rates and fees)
7. American Express Delta SkyMiles® Reservation Card
If you’re looking to get your first credit card, this is one of the best starter credit cards for beginners. Reserve American Express Card is not the best option for booking all flights, it is one of the best credit cards for beginners in terms of flights due to the welcome bonus and its comprehensive set of additional benefits.
Rewards: 3 miles for every dollar spent on Delta Card purchases and 1 mile for every dollar spent on all other qualifying purchases.
After spending $5,000 on purchases in your first three months as a cardholder, you will receive 20,000 bonus miles and 2021 Medallion® Qualifying Miles (MQMs). This offer will expire in November XNUMX, XNUMX.
Fees: $550 per year
8. United ClubSM Infinite Card
It is one of the best credit cards for international travel and among the best credit cards for travel miles. If you’re a regular United traveler, especially if you value access to United Club lounges, the United ClubSM Infinite Card may be the card for you. Even if you don’t enjoy any of the card’s other benefits, this card is a great way to access United Club lounges. Earn $75,000 bonus miles after spending $3,000 on purchases within the first three months of account opening.
Earn 4 MileagePlus miles for every dollar spent with United, 2 miles for every dollar spent on all other travel purchases, 2 miles for every dollar spent at restaurants and qualifying delivery services (Caviar, Seamless, GrubHub, and Doordash), and 1 mile for every dollar spent on everything else.
Fee per year: $525
9. The World of Hyatt credit card
If you’re looking to get your first credit card, this is one of the best starter credit cards for beginners. If you want more hotel benefits but don’t want to spend money on the Hilton Honors Aspire Card from American Express, the World of Hyatt credit card is a good option. This card has no high annual fee and still provides a free night certificate for a Category 1-4 hotel and a base level of Hyatt status each year.
Earn 4 World of Hyatt points for every $1 spent at Hyatt properties, 2 points for every $1 spent at restaurants, airfare purchased directly from the airline, local transportation and commuting, gym memberships and fitness clubs, and 1 point for every dollar spent on all other purchases.
Earn 30,000 bonus points after spending $21 on purchases within the first three months of opening your account. Plus, earn 6 bonus points for every $15,000 spent in the first 6 months from account opening on purchases up to $15,000.
Fees: $95 per year
10. Hilton Honors Aspire Card from American Express
It is one of the best credit cards for international travel and among the best credit cards for travel miles. The American Express Hilton Honors Aspire Card offers premier elite status in the Hilton program. The Aspire Card comes with complimentary Hilton Diamond status, which entitles you to upgrades, breakfast at participating hotels, late check-out, and other perks. Earn 150,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points after spending $4,000 with the card within the first three months of card membership.
Earn 14 Hilton Honors Bonus Points for every $1 spent on card purchases at participating Hilton hotels and resorts, 7 Hilton Honors Points for every $1 spent on qualifying purchases for flights booked directly on American Express Travel, U.S. restaurants, and select airlines. car rentals and 3 Hilton Honors points for every dollar spent on all other purchases.
Fee per year: $450
11. Amex eachDay® Preferred Credit Card
It is one of the best credit cards for international travel and among the best credit cards for travel miles. The Amex eachDay® Preferred Credit Card offers good bonus categories, especially if you use your card at least 30 times a month, or “every day”, and is a good option if you want to try out the Membership Rewards system without yourself. commit to a high annual fee.
Earn 3 Membership Rewards points for each spend at U.S. supermarkets up to $6,000 per year, 1 point for each spend at gas stations and prepaid flights or hotels in the U.S. booked through Amex Travel, and 30 points for every spend on all other purchases. If you use your card for at least 50 purchases per month, you’ll get a 4.5% bonus on all points earned that month, which equals 3 points for every dollar, 1.5 points for every dollar, and 1.5 points for every dollar into the categories mentioned above.
Earn 15,000 Membership Rewards® points after making purchases of $1,000 with your new card in the first three months.
Fees: $95 per year
12. Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Signature Card
If you’re looking to get your first credit card, this is one of the best starter credit cards for beginners. The Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Signature Card has always been good. Due to our recent increase in reliance on Amazon for day-to-day needs, this is a great deal. If you spend the majority of your purchases with Amazon, you might as well be rewarded for it.
Earn 5% cash back at Amazon.com and Whole Foods Market. 2% in restaurants, petrol stations, and pharmacies; and 1% on all other purchases. Upon approval, you will receive a $100 Amazon.com gift card. With the Prime subscription, there are no annual fees.
13. Discover it® secure credit card
If you’re looking to get your first credit card, this is one of the best starter credit cards for beginners. If you’re new to credit or have made credit mistakes in the past, you might need a secured card to help you build or rebuild your credit. If you are approved, Discover will provide you with an equal line of credit in exchange for a security deposit. Most secure credit cards do this, but Discover it® Secured takes it a step further by including rewards.
Earn 2% cashback at restaurants and gas stations on up to $1,000 in purchases per quarter, and 2% cashback on all other purchases.
Welcome Bonus and Introductory Offer: Unlimited Cash Back – only available on Discover. At the end of your first year, Discover will automatically match any Cash Back you have earned! There are no maximum or minimum spending requirements. It’s just a dollar-for-dollar game. There are no annual fees.
14. Bank of America® Student Travel Rewards Card
It is one of the best credit cards for international travel and among the best credit cards for travel miles. If you’re a student looking for the best credit cards for beginners, the Bank of America® Travel Rewards Credit Card for Students is a good place to start. It offers good rewards and a welcome bonus but does not require you to pay an annual fee.
Earn 1.5 points for every $1 spent on rewards.
Welcome Bonus: 25,000 bonus points if you spend at least $90,250 in the first 1,000 days of opening your account, redeemable for a $250 credit on your travel statement. There are no annual fees.
15. Capital One QuicksilverOne Cash Rewards Credit Card
It is one of the best credit cards for international travel and among the best credit cards for travel miles. The Capital One Venture Rewards credit card is a good choice if you want to earn travel rewards without having to track spend categories and want rewards that are easy to redeem. Plus, Venture Miles can be transferred to partners, making this a good card to take with you if you want to learn more about the more valuable redemptions available.
Earn unlimited 2 miles for every dollar spent on all purchases.
Welcome Bonus: Earn 60,000 miles after spending $600 on purchases within three months of opening your account, which equals $3,000 in travel.
Fees: $95 per year
