You can hate them or love them, but there is no denying that credit cards are now considered as a fact of financial life. These plastic cards make it easier to track your spending. On the other hand, they can also blur the thin line between your expenses and the money you’ve got, which can lead to debt. Trying to avoid credit card as a whole comes with a risk as well. You might need to have a good credit history to lease an apartment, buy a home, purchase insurance, or get hired in your dream job.

So, the million dollar question now is, when should you get your first ever creditcard?

The truth is that the best time for getting your first creditcard is before you actually need one. Shortly after graduation or during college is the most ideal time to begin with a student credit card provided that you have the necessary income for repaying your purchases.

It is not a problem if you have finished school already. There are a lot of excellent credit cards meant for young professionals. Just don’t forget to pay attention to requirements and begin with a card which provides a high chance of approval.

To keep it simple, you can apply for your first card when you are either a college student of 18 years old or higher with a part-time income, or you are starting to make a decent income.

How to Apply for Your First Card

If you were an authorized user of the account of your parents for several years, you will be approved faster for your chosen credit card if you are ready to get your own. For those with full-time income, you can choose from several great credit cards. Stick with credit cards meant for people who have fair credit or good credit if you are confident that your credit is really good. If this is your first ever card, it is not likely that you will be approved for a credit card which requires excellent credit.

How to Get a Credit Card Without Credit History

In case you don’t have credit history, applying for your first card could be a catch-22. You will need a card to build credit yet you cannot get one if you don’t have credit history.

You can visit the bank where you have your own checking account. Talk to someone in person and let them know that you lack a credit history yet you like to begin building one through a credit card. They might be able to guide you with starting with a card with a low limit, or offer you secured card instead. This is an account which requires you to have money in a bank account for covering the purchase you will be making with the creditcard. Different from a debit card, a secured credit card builds your credit. Most of the time, you can also request your bank to give your account an upgrade after one year or so of using it responsibly.