At What Age Can You Get a Credit Card? (2024)

FAQs

At What Age Can You Get a Credit Card? ›

You have to be at least 18 to open a credit card account. A potential way to access credit if you're under 18 is to become an authorized user on someone else's credit card account. If you're under 21, you have to prove your income and show the ability to make monthly payments when applying for a credit card.

It is possible to get a credit card at 16 by becoming an authorized user on an adult's credit card account. To get your own credit card, you'll need to wait until you're at least 18, and even then, you'll need to prove you have independent income or get a cosigner.

You have to be at least 18 years old to apply for a credit card of your own; however, card applicants under 21 have to apply with a cosigner or proof of income. Even with the additional requirements, turning 18 opens the door to new financial opportunities that can help you build a strong credit score.

How old do you have to be to get a credit card? You can be an authorized user as young as 13, but you have to be 18 to sign up for your first credit card on your own. When you're ready for this step, you'll need to be prepared to show some documentation.

Children 13 and older can check their credit the same way adults do. By visiting AnnualCreditReport.com – the only website federally authorized to provide credit reports from Experian, Equifax and TransUnion for free – your child can enter his or her personal information to receive a copy of each report.

At what age can you get a credit card? You'll need to be at least 18 years old to sign a credit card contract; however, since the Credit Card Accountability Responsibility and Disclosure Act of 2009, getting an unsecured credit card before you turn 21 isn't easy.

You must be 18 or older to get a credit card in your name. Borrowers between 18 and 20 must prove they have independent income to get approved for a credit card. Primary cardmembers may be able to add individuals younger than 18 as authorized users to their credit card account.

Typically, only people over the age of 18 have a credit score — but it is possible for minors to have a credit report. A person under 18 can have a credit report if : Their identity was stolen and used to open one or more credit accounts. A credit agency erroneously created a credit profile in the minor's name.

Teenagers must be 18 or older to apply for a credit card in their name. Student and secured credit cards are great options for teens 18 or older with little to no credit history. Teens under 18 may qualify to become an authorized user on someone else's credit card.

What percent of 13-17 year olds have a credit card? ›

Nearly 1 in 5 American teenagers ages 13 to 17 now has a credit card, and the majority of them use their card at least once a week, according to research from TransUnion.

If you're under 18 years old: We welcome you to apply for a Start Personal Loan, as long as you have a parent or other co-signer on your loan. Parents will have access to monitor and help manage their child's loan and make a payment through online and mobile banking.

A child generally only needs to be 13 to 15 years old to qualify as an authorized user and start building credit, while some card issuers have no minimum age requirement at all (read about the minimum ages for each card issuer).

Because people under age 18 can't open their own credit cards, you can't technically open a whole new credit card in your child's name — but you can still add them to yours. Adding someone to your account turns them into an authorized user, which gives them many of the same perks you have as the primary cardholder.

Anything less than two years is considered a short credit history. Once you have established between two and four years of credit, lenders will better understand how well you manage your credit accounts. A credit age of five years will raise your score as long as you've been managing your accounts well.

Kids can't open their own credit card account until they turn 18, and will need to prove independent income until they're 21. But even before then, minors can benefit from becoming authorized users on a family member's credit account.

Young people under the age of 18 usually don't have a credit report or credit score as minors legally can't sign a contract for a loan or credit card.

How old are you? 11-15 years old - you'll need help from a parent/ guardian that banks with us. 16-17 years old - we'll ask for a photo ID and proof of address. If you don't have them, you'll need help from a parent/ guardian that banks with us.

Children under the age of 18 are not allowed to enter into credit card agreements, but many card issuers will allow minors to become authorized card users.