A credit-building card’s cost has a large influence on its overall score and our decision to include it in our best cards list. This is because cards in this category tend to be much pricier than traditional credit cards designed for people with a good or better credit score. 

We compare a card’s total cost, including any annual fees, account activation fees, monthly fees and more against the total cost of other cards in the credit-building category and assign each card a score based on its affordability. We also factor rewards-earning potential into our assessment of a credit-building card’s total cost, subtracting expected earnings from the sum of its fees. 

To get a sense of a credit-building card’s rewards-earning potential, we estimate its average annual rewards rate and average annual earnings based on the most popular spending categories (as covered in the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics consumer spending report). 

However, we use a slightly lower spending assumption ($300 per month or $3,600 per year) to estimate average earnings, assuming credit-builders will start out with a lower credit limit, will want to keep credit utilization low and will focus primarily on small purchases they can easily pay off.

While low-cost credit-building cards will always be at a major advantage in our scoring system and will likely earn a higher spot on our best cards list, no-annual-fee credit-building cards can be hard to come by, especially if you’re looking for an unsecured card. With this in mind, we may include unsecured cards with high fees in our list if they offer other benefits for credit-builders, like a high starting credit limit or useful perks.

A card’s APR is also a major factor in its credit-building score. Each card’s average APR is compared against the average APR of other cards in the category, and the cards with lower-than-average APRs receive a higher rating. 

Given the many costs students face — from textbooks to laptops — the presence of an introductory APR on purchases or balance transfers also plays a role in a student card’s score and its inclusion on our list. 

Though high APRs are hard to avoid when you’re just starting out or working on your score, credit-builders and students should strive for as low an APR as possible since they’re likely to either be new to managing cards or trying to establish better financial habits and avoid falling into debt.

Along with a credit-building card’s cost, we consider how easy the card makes it to build credit. To assess this, we evaluate its credit limit potential and minimum deposit requirement.

Unsecured cards with a high starting credit limit and secured cards that let you put down a large deposit and get a matching high credit limit will score the highest according to our “Ease of building credit” rubric and are more likely to appear on our list. 

This is because a high credit limit can make it much easier to keep your credit utilization low, a primary credit-building factor that makes up 30 percent of your FICO credit score. 

Secured cards have a slight advantage in this category since the maximum credit limit on a secured card tends to be much higher than the typical starting credit limit on an unsecured card that’s available with a bad or fair credit score. However, unsecured credit-building cards have the upper hand in another key aspect of building credit: accessibility. 

Cards that carry no or a low deposit requirement can also receive a high score according to our “Ease of building credit” rubric since these cards offer a lower barrier to entry than secured cards that require you to put up hundreds of dollars in an upfront deposit. 

Indeed, some users may prefer to pay a non-refundable $50 annual fee while they work on their credit score than tie up hundreds in a refundable security deposit.

We evaluate a student or credit-building card’s benefits based on how useful they are for someone looking to build a positive credit history or save money on everyday spending. 

We consider the inclusion of a rewards program, student-centric perks, access to your credit score or a credit monitoring service of prime importance, along with the ability to prequalify for the card with only a soft credit pull and a clear path to increase your credit limit or graduate to an unsecured or full-fledged rewards card.

Cards that include these benefits are likely to score higher according to our credit-building card and student card scoring rubrics and are more likely to earn a place in our list.

Since the length of your credit history is the biggest factor in determining your credit score, building up to a prime credit score can take some time — especially if you’ve made some credit missteps in the past. Fortunately, having no credit history can expedite the process since you’re starting with a clean slate. 

The fastest way to build up good credit is by paying your balance on time can establish a positive credit history on your FICO report after your first six months and after just a month or two on your VantageScore report.

• Find a co-signer: Having a co-signer on your credit card application could bolster your chances of approval depending on the strength of your co-signer’s credit history, their income and other factors.
• Get a secured credit card: Rather than income, a secured credit card prioritizes whether or not you can pay a security deposit. If you can afford the upfront cost of a security deposit, then this type of card might be accessible even without a job. 
• Apply for a joint credit card account: You can apply for a joint credit card with someone, like a spouse or partner. Both applicants get a credit check, but the income is considered jointly. 

You can’t get approval for your own credit card as a minor. For applicants younger than 21 years old, the Credit CARD Act of 2009 requires proof of independent income or a parent or guardian cosigner.

Credit card applications also ask for your annual income, so you must have an income source or access to one. If you don’t have an independent source of income, you may list your parent’s, guardian's or partner’s income as long as you have “reasonable expectation of access,” like having a shared bank account.

If you don’t want a credit card or are having a hard time qualifying for one, here’s how you can build your credit without using a credit card:

• Pay your student loans
• Use Experian Boost
• Get a credit-builder loan
• Consider a car loan
• Become an authorized user