It’s never too early to start building a solid credit history, but teens might find it tricky to qualify for a credit card thanks to low or no credit scores and income. Ideal options for teens include student credit cards like the BMO CashBack Mastercard for students, cards with low income requirements like the Tangerine Money-Back Credit Card, and secured credit cards like the Secured Tims Mastercard.
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Can teenagers get credit cards?
Teenagers who are the age of majority in their province or territory of residence can apply for a credit card. Teens below the age of majority might be able to get a prepaid credit card or be added to an adult’s card as an authorized user.
| Province or territory | Age of majority |
|---|---|
| Alberta | 18 |
| British Columbia | 19 |
| Manitoba | 18 |
| New Brunswick | 19 |
| Newfoundland And Labrador | 19 |
| Nova Scotia | 19 |
| Northwest Territories | 19 |
| Nunavut | 19 |
| Ontario | 18 |
| Prince Edward Island | 18 |
| Quebec | 18 |
| Saskatchewan | 18 |
| Yukon | 19 |
Best credit cards for teens
Teens have more options than ever when choosing their first credit card. The cards on our list typically have no annual fee and offer some unique perks.
| Category | Credit card | Current offer | Annual fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best for cash back | BMO CashBack Mastercard for students |  $20 GeniusCash + 5% cash back for the first 3 months (terms) | $0 |
| Best for flexible rewards | RBC ION Visa | 7,000 Avion points (terms) | $0 |
| Best cash back (authorized user) | Tangerine Money-Back Credit Card | $140 GC Boost + 10% extra cash back for the first 2 months (terms) | $0 |
| Best for flexible rewards (authorized user) | Scotiabank Scene+ Visa Card | 5,000 bonus points (terms) | $0 |
| Best secured card | Secured Tims Mastercard | $20 Tims digital gift card (terms) | $0 |
| Best prepaid | EQ Bank Card | None | $0 |
Best for cash back: BMO CashBack Mastercard for students
For simple cash back rewards, the BMO CashBack Mastercard for students is a great pick for teens and offers a solid earn rate and fuel discount. The cardholder gets to decide how and when to redeem rewards – deposit it into a BMO chequing account, add it to a BMO InvestorLine account, or get a statement credit.
Pros:
- 5% cash back for the first 3 months, up to $2,500 in spend
- Up to 3% cash back on purchases
- Save up to 7 cents per litre at Shell
- No annual fee
Cons:
- Only earns 0.5% cash back outside of bonus categories
- Limited insurance included
Best for flexible rewards
The RBC ION Visa catches our eye for its unique reward structure. It offers a modified set of Avion Rewards – notably, extra points for transit, streaming, digital gaming, and subscription purchases. Plus, there’s still a respectable earn rate for all other purchases. Point redemption options include gift cards, merchandise, airline miles, charity, and RBC financial products.
Pros:
- Up to 7,000 bonus points
- Earn up to 1.5 points per $1 spent on purchases
- Save 3 cents per litre on fuel at Petro-Canada stations
- No annual fee
Cons:
- Earns Avion Premium points, which are not as flexible as Avion Elite points
- Limited insurance included
Want more rewards? For an annual fee of $48, consider the RBC ION+ Visa.
Best for cash back (as an authorized user)
×1 Award winner 
GC: $120 + $20
1x Award winner The Tangerine Money-Back Credit Card is a unique credit card that lets you choose which categories you earn 2% cash back in; you can choose 2 categories if your cash back is paid as a statement credit or 3 if it’s deposited to a Tangerine savings account. All other purchases earn 0.5% cash back.
It’s important to mention that this card has a personal income requirement of $12,000. Some teens may qualify if they have a part-time job; otherwise, they would need to be added as an authorized user to someone else’s account.
Pros:
- Earn an extra 10% cash back for the first 2 months, up to $1,000 spent
- 2% cash back on up to 3 categories of your choice
- 1.95% interest on balance transfers for 6 months
- No annual fee
Cons:
- Only earns 0.5% cash back on non-category purchases
- Limited insurance included
Best for flexible rewards (as an authorized user)
The Scotiabank Scene+ Visa Card is another card that would likely require a teen to be an authorized user. It offers up to 2 Scene+ points per $1 spent on purchases and flexible redemption options that include movie tickets, restaurants, travel, Apple and Best Buy merchandise, statement credits, and gift cards.
Pros:
- Up to 5,000 bonus points
- Up to 2 points per $1 spent on purchases
- 4 ways to redeem points for high value
- No annual fee
Cons:
- Limited insurance coverage
Best secured card
Secured credit cards are always good options for teenagers who lack credit history and income. Secured cards have guaranteed approval since you provide a deposit, which then becomes the card’s credit limit. They also help build credit, which is essential for teens who may one day want to move on to a standard card and open other credit products. One of our top picks is the Secured Tims Mastercard, which earns Tims Rewards on all purchases – something that’s rare for a secured card.
Pros:
- Earn 2 points per $1 spent at Tim Hortons
- Earn 2 points per $1 spent on groceries, gas, EV charging, and transit
- Redeem rewards for any menu item at Tim Hortons
- No annual fee
Cons:
- Points only worth 0.5 cents each
- Low base earn rate of 1 point per $2 spent
Best prepaid card
The EQ Bank Card is a well-rounded prepaid card. While it’s not a credit product and therefore won’t help build credit, it does offer rewards: 0.5% cash back on all purchases. It also has no foreign exchange fees and earns 2.75% on the prepaid balance.
A prepaid card can be a good option for someone who is still learning about managing their finances. There’s no risk of exceeding the credit limit and there are no interest charges to contend with while learning how to handle expenses.
Pros:
- Earn 4% interest on your balance
- No foreign exchange fees
- No annual fee
- No credit checks required
Cons:
- Only earns 0.5% cash back on purchases
- Doesn’t help build credit
- No insurance included
Why should teens get a credit card?
It’s never too early to establish a good credit history. Getting a credit card is one of the simplest ways to start building credit and showing responsible credit use.
There are a few reasons a good credit history is important: it’s a major factor in your credit score, which is a major factor in accessing credit and securing good interest rates. The better your score, the better deals you’ll get.
While a teenager might start off with a simple credit card with easy qualifications, building a good credit history will help them qualify for better credit cards (and other credit products) down the road. Premium credit cards have more rigorous eligibility requirements, but the rewards and perks are better, too!
How to teach teens about credit cards
Used correctly, credit cards can help teens build credit, but they’re a liability if your teen doesn’t know how to handle a card responsibly. Here are a few strategies for helping your teen figure out smart credit card use:
- Explain the difference between credit cards and debit cards: Make it clear how money is withdrawn or repaid to the credit card issuer.
- Set spending limits with your teen: Talk about credit limits, but have them consider their personal budget to come up with a personal spending limit. This is especially important if your teen is an authorized user on one of your cards.
- Go over the credit card’s terms and conditions: Make sure your teen understands how interest works, payment due dates, and what happens if they miss a payment.
- Talk about their credit score: Discuss how using a credit card responsibly helps their credit score and how a good credit score can benefit them in the future.
- Emphasize the importance of paying off their balance: It doesn’t hurt to reiterate how much interest can cost them if they carry a balance. Don’t forget to mention that even if they overextend themselves and can’t pay off their balance in full, they must make a minimum payment by the card’s due date.
- Show them how to read a credit card statement: Go over a copy of the statement or show them how to log in to the account. You can also highlight budgeting tools that might be offered through the credit card provider.
FAQ
Can a 16 year old get a credit card in Canada?
A 16 year old is under the age of majority so they can’t get a credit card in their own name. You could add them as an authorized user on your card, or they might qualify for a prepaid credit card. Be sure to check the terms and conditions.
Can I open a credit card for my child?
You can’t open a credit card for your child if they’re under the age of majority, but you can add them to your account as an authorized user.
Will adding my teenager to my credit card help their credit?
Whether adding your teenager to your credit card account helps their credit depends on whether your credit card company reports an authorized user’s activity to the credit bureaus. If it does, your teen can build credit; if not, it might make more sense to wait until they’re the age of majority so they can apply for their own card.
Do student credit cards build credit?
Yes, student credit cards can help build credit when used responsibly. Prepaid credit cards, on the other hand, are not real credit products and won’t contribute to your credit score.
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