At What Age Can You Get a Credit Card? A Complete Guide by Age and Status

Building credit early is one of the smartest financial moves you can make. But the rules about age and credit cards aren’t always straightforward. Whether you’re a parent looking to teach your child about money or a young adult wondering when you can apply for your own card, understanding the age requirements and options available to you is essential.

The answer to how old you need to be to get a credit card depends on the specific situation. For those under 18, there’s a practical workaround. If you’re at least 18 years old, you can apply for your own account directly. But there’s more nuance involved, and the rules shift significantly once you reach 21.

Starting Early: When You Can Add Your Child as an Authorized User

One of the most overlooked ways to help young people begin building credit is by adding them to your existing credit card account as an authorized user. The beauty of this approach is that there’s almost no age minimum.

Different credit card companies have different policies, but most don’t impose strict age limits. American Express sets their minimum at 13 years old, while Discover requires children to be at least 15. U.S. Bank has set their threshold at 16 years old. Meanwhile, Bank of America, Capital One, Chase, Citi, and Wells Fargo allow authorized users of virtually any age—even infants in theory, though that’s rarely practical.

As an authorized user, your child receives their own card bearing their name, but the account remains under your control. This means you’re ultimately responsible for all charges made on the card, whether by you or your child. The key advantage is that this arrangement can help establish your child’s credit history from an early age, which compounds over time through the power of credit building.

When introducing young authorized users to the world of credit, supervision is crucial—at least initially. If your child accumulates charges that go unpaid, your credit history suffers the consequences, not theirs. For this reason, many parents choose to keep physical possession of the card and hand it over only for supervised transactions. This staged approach allows children to learn the mechanics of credit without the risk of running up unexpected balances.

Turning 18: Your First Shot at Your Own Credit Card

Once you reach your 18th birthday, you become legally eligible to apply for your own credit card account and establish your own credit line. This is a significant milestone, but it comes with an important catch that many young applicants don’t anticipate.

The catch has to do with income verification. Every credit card application requires proof that you have sufficient income to repay what you charge. However, if you’re between 18 and 21 years old, the credit card industry has specific rules about what counts as eligible income.

The source of your income matters during this period. You can count earnings from employment or scholarships and grants toward your application. However, income from other sources—such as gifts from parents, regular allowances, or family financial support—does not qualify. This restriction exists because of the CARD Act of 2009, which was designed to prevent young adults from obtaining credit cards they had no realistic way to repay.

If you don’t have qualifying income from a job or educational scholarships, you’re not completely stuck. You can potentially apply for a card with a cosigner—someone with established credit who agrees to take responsibility for your debt if you can’t pay. However, most major credit card issuers don’t actively offer cosigner options for credit cards. Your best bet in this scenario is to approach a local credit union, which may be more willing to work with young people seeking a cosigner arrangement.

Age 21 and Beyond: Restrictions Lift Significantly

When you turn 21, many of the restrictions on your credit card application disappear. The income limitations that governed your earlier years suddenly become much more flexible.

At this point, virtually any income to which you have a legitimate claim becomes eligible. This includes gifts and family allowances, various forms of government income, and income from retirement accounts. The income hurdle becomes less of a barrier, making the application process more straightforward than it was during your 18-21 years.

Even with expanded income options, new cardholders without an established credit history still face limitations in the cards available to them. First-time cardholders typically need to stick with cards specifically designed for people building credit from scratch. These starter cards often come with lower credit limits and higher interest rates, but they serve an important purpose: they give you the opportunity to demonstrate responsible credit behavior.

Building Your Credit Foundation

Regardless of which path you take—whether you start as an authorized user, apply for your first card at 18, or wait until 21—the fundamental principle remains the same: educate yourself before you start charging. Understanding how credit cards work, what APR means, how interest compounds, and the difference between revolving and installment credit will serve you far better than any card-carrying shortcut.

The earlier you understand these concepts and begin building a positive credit history, the better positioned you’ll be for major financial decisions down the road, from getting a mortgage to securing favorable rates on car loans. Credit isn’t something to fear; it’s a tool to master.