All beginner credit cards in one view. Student, secured, ITIN-friendly, and no-fee options. Use the section links below to jump to your category.
9 cards across student, secured, and alternative categories. All have $0 annual fees except OpenSky ($35) and the Zolve Classic ($0).
| Card | Annual Fee | Deposit | Cash Back | Approval Odds | Pre-Qualify | ITIN OK | Best For | Apply |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Chase Freedom Rise Chase | $0 | None | 1.5% on all purchases | High | ✓ | — | Students who want flat-rate cash back and a clear upgrade path to premium Chase cards | Apply |
Discover it® Student Cash Back Discover | $0 | None | 5% in rotating quarterly categories (up to $1,500/quarter); 1% on all else | High | ✓ | ✓ | Students who activate quarterly categories and want to maximise rewards from day one | Apply |
Capital One Savor Student Cash Rewards Capital One | $0 | None | 3% on dining, entertainment, streaming, groceries; 1% on all else | High | ✓ | ✓ | Students who spend heavily on dining, food delivery, and entertainment | Apply |
Bank of America® Cash Rewards Student Bank of America | $0 | None | 3% in a choice category (gas, dining, travel, etc.); 2% groceries; 1% other | High | — | — | Students with a Bank of America checking account who want a customisable cash back category | Apply |
Capital One Quicksilver Secured Cash Rewards Capital One | $0 | $200 minimum | 1.5% on all purchases | Near-guaranteed | ✓ | ✓ | Anyone who wants to build credit while earning 1.5% cash back on every purchase | Apply |
Discover it® Secured Credit Card Discover | $0 | $200 minimum, up to $2,500 | 2% at gas stations and restaurants (up to $1,000/quarter); 1% on all else | Near-guaranteed | ✓ | ✓ | People who want cash back at gas stations and restaurants while building credit | Apply |
Citi® Secured Mastercard® Citi | $0 | $200 minimum, up to $2,500 | None | Near-guaranteed | — | — | Applicants with a Citi banking relationship who want a Mastercard network secured card | Apply |
OpenSky® Secured Visa® Credit Card Capital Bank | $35 | $200 minimum, up to $3,000 | None | Near-guaranteed | — | ✓ | Applicants who have been rejected for other secured cards, or who have no bank account | Apply |
Firstcard® Secured Credit Builder Card Firstcard | $0 | $1 minimum (from Firstcard account balance) | Up to 10% cash back at select partner merchants | Near-guaranteed | — | ✓ | International students and immigrants with no SSN, no bank account, and no US credit history | Apply |
Designed for ages 18–24 with no credit history. No deposit required.
| Card | Annual Fee | Cash Back | Approval Odds | Pre-Qualify | Best For | Apply |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Chase Freedom RiseTOP PICK Chase | $0 | 1.5% on all purchases | High | ✓ | Students who want flat-rate cash back and a clear upgrade path to premium Chase cards | Apply |
Discover it® Student Cash Back Discover | $0 | 5% in rotating quarterly categories (up to $1,500/quarter); 1% on all else | High | ✓ | Students who activate quarterly categories and want to maximise rewards from day one | Apply |
Capital One Savor Student Cash Rewards Capital One | $0 | 3% on dining, entertainment, streaming, groceries; 1% on all else | High | ✓ | Students who spend heavily on dining, food delivery, and entertainment | Apply |
Bank of America® Cash Rewards Student Bank of America | $0 | 3% in a choice category (gas, dining, travel, etc.); 2% groceries; 1% other | High | — | Students with a Bank of America checking account who want a customisable cash back category | Apply |
Require a refundable deposit. Available to everyone including people with no SSN.
| Card | Annual Fee | Deposit | Cash Back | Approval Odds | Pre-Qualify | ITIN OK | Best For | Apply |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Capital One Quicksilver Secured Cash RewardsTOP PICK Capital One | $0 | $200 minimum | 1.5% on all purchases | Near-guaranteed | ✓ | ✓ | Anyone who wants to build credit while earning 1.5% cash back on every purchase | Apply |
Discover it® Secured Credit Card Discover | $0 | $200 minimum, up to $2,500 | 2% at gas stations and restaurants (up to $1,000/quarter); 1% on all else | Near-guaranteed | ✓ | ✓ | People who want cash back at gas stations and restaurants while building credit | Apply |
Citi® Secured Mastercard® Citi | $0 | $200 minimum, up to $2,500 | None | Near-guaranteed | — | — | Applicants with a Citi banking relationship who want a Mastercard network secured card | Apply |
OpenSky® Secured Visa® Credit Card Capital Bank | $35 | $200 minimum, up to $3,000 | None | Near-guaranteed | — | ✓ | Applicants who have been rejected for other secured cards, or who have no bank account | Apply |
Firstcard® Secured Credit Builder Card Firstcard | $0 | $1 minimum (from Firstcard account balance) | Up to 10% cash back at select partner merchants | Near-guaranteed | — | ✓ | International students and immigrants with no SSN, no bank account, and no US credit history | Apply |
| Card | Annual Fee | Deposit | Cash Back | Approval Odds | Pre-Qualify | ITIN OK | Best For | Apply |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Capital One Quicksilver Secured Cash Rewards Capital One | $0 | $200 minimum | 1.5% on all purchases | Near-guaranteed | ✓ | ✓ | Anyone who wants to build credit while earning 1.5% cash back on every purchase | Apply |
Discover it® Secured Credit Card Discover | $0 | $200 minimum, up to $2,500 | 2% at gas stations and restaurants (up to $1,000/quarter); 1% on all else | Near-guaranteed | ✓ | ✓ | People who want cash back at gas stations and restaurants while building credit | Apply |
OpenSky® Secured Visa® Credit Card Capital Bank | $35 | $200 minimum, up to $3,000 | None | Near-guaranteed | — | ✓ | Applicants who have been rejected for other secured cards, or who have no bank account | Apply |
Firstcard® Secured Credit Builder Card Firstcard | $0 | $1 minimum (from Firstcard account balance) | Up to 10% cash back at select partner merchants | Near-guaranteed | — | ✓ | International students and immigrants with no SSN, no bank account, and no US credit history | Apply |
Discover it® Student Cash Back Discover | $0 | None | 5% in rotating quarterly categories (up to $1,500/quarter); 1% on all else | High | ✓ | ✓ | Students who activate quarterly categories and want to maximise rewards from day one | Apply |
Capital One Savor Student Cash Rewards Capital One | $0 | None | 3% on dining, entertainment, streaming, groceries; 1% on all else | High | ✓ | ✓ | Students who spend heavily on dining, food delivery, and entertainment | Apply |
| Card | Annual Fee | Deposit | Cash Back | Approval Odds | Pre-Qualify | ITIN OK | Best For | Apply |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Capital One Quicksilver Secured Cash RewardsTOP PICK Capital One | $0 | $200 minimum | 1.5% on all purchases | Near-guaranteed | ✓ | ✓ | Anyone who wants to build credit while earning 1.5% cash back on every purchase | Apply |
Discover it® Secured Credit Card Discover | $0 | $200 minimum, up to $2,500 | 2% at gas stations and restaurants (up to $1,000/quarter); 1% on all else | Near-guaranteed | ✓ | ✓ | People who want cash back at gas stations and restaurants while building credit | Apply |
Citi® Secured Mastercard® Citi | $0 | $200 minimum, up to $2,500 | None | Near-guaranteed | — | — | Applicants with a Citi banking relationship who want a Mastercard network secured card | Apply |
OpenSky® Secured Visa® Credit Card Capital Bank | $35 | $200 minimum, up to $3,000 | None | Near-guaranteed | — | ✓ | Applicants who have been rejected for other secured cards, or who have no bank account | Apply |
Firstcard® Secured Credit Builder Card Firstcard | $0 | $1 minimum (from Firstcard account balance) | Up to 10% cash back at select partner merchants | Near-guaranteed | — | ✓ | International students and immigrants with no SSN, no bank account, and no US credit history | Apply |
Chase Freedom Rise is designed specifically for people with no credit history. It earns 1.5% cash back on every purchase — a genuinely useful rate for a first card — and reports to all three credit bureaus. The $25 autopay bonus is a nice incentive to build the right habit immediately. What makes it stand out is the upgrade path: after 12 months of responsible use, you can move to Freedom Flex or Freedom Unlimited without losing your account history,...
Discover it Student is one of the most rewarding beginner cards available. The Cashback Match in year one effectively doubles all your earnings — meaning a student who earns $75 in cash back gets $150 at the end of year one. Discover also accepts ITIN (not just SSN), which opens this card to a broader range of students. The rotating 5% categories require activation each quarter but can yield strong returns on groceries, restaurants, and Amazon purchases. Pre-qualification is available...
For students whose spending is dominated by food, streaming, and social activities, the Capital One Savor Student is hard to beat. The 3% rate on dining, entertainment, popular streaming services, and grocery stores captures how most students actually spend. Capital One accepts ITIN and offers a pre-qualification tool, and the upgrade path to SavorOne or Quicksilver is straightforward. Capital One also offers automatic credit limit increases after 6 months of on-time payments, which helps improve utilisation ratios....
Bank of America's student card stands out for its choice-category 3% rate — you pick from gas, dining, travel, online shopping, drug stores, or home improvement and can change it monthly. The $200 welcome bonus is the most substantial of any student card listed here, though it requires $1,000 in spending over 90 days. Bank of America Preferred Rewards members get a 25–75% rewards boost. Note that pre-qualification is not available, and an SSN is required....
Capital One Quicksilver Secured is one of the best secured cards available: $0 annual fee, 1.5% flat cash back, ITIN acceptance, and a clear path to an unsecured card. Capital One reviews your account automatically after 6 months for a potential credit limit increase and after 12–18 months for graduation to an unsecured card (returning your deposit). The minimum $200 deposit is competitive, and for qualified applicants Capital One sometimes extends a $49 or $99 deposit option. Pre-qualification is available...
Discover it Secured is unique among secured cards because it earns real cash back — 2% at gas stations and restaurants, plus the Cashback Match at the end of year one. Discover reviews your account at 7 months to consider graduating you to an unsecured card and returning your deposit. ITIN is accepted. No annual fee. The deposit range of $200–$2,500 lets you set a higher credit limit if you want to keep utilisation low while spending normally. Discover reports...
Citi Secured Mastercard is a straightforward credit-building card with no rewards, no annual fee, and a 18-month deposit hold. It reports to all three bureaus and the Mastercard network is accepted virtually everywhere. The upgrade path to Citi Custom Cash or Double Cash is excellent — both are strong long-term cards. Citi requires an SSN (no ITIN) and does not offer a pre-qualification tool, making it better suited for applicants who already have a banking relationship with Citi and are...
OpenSky Secured Visa is the only card on this list with truly zero credit check — not even a soft pull. This makes it the option of absolute last resort or first resort for applicants with significant negative marks or no banking history at all. No bank account is required to apply. ITIN is accepted. The $35 annual fee is a real cost compared to $0-fee options, but for someone who genuinely cannot get approved for any other card, it...
Firstcard is a fintech-first credit builder aimed squarely at international students and new immigrants. It accepts passport alone — no SSN, no ITIN required — and the minimum deposit is just $1 (drawn from your Firstcard account balance). This makes it the most accessible option for new arrivals. Reports to Experian and Equifax. The cash back is available at partner merchants only and is variable, but the accessibility profile is unmatched: if you cannot get any other card, Firstcard will...