The Best Points and Miles Credit Card for Teens

Credit Cards for Kids and Teens

I wanted to get credit cards for my kids well before they were teens. There were several reasons for this:

• They had school field trips and sports trips which would stop places like In-n-Out Burger on the way home. Either I could get them a card once, or I would have to remember to give them cash every time.
• We’ve always given the kids independence when we travel. I remember them exploring Naxos Town on their own at under 10 years old, buying cat food and finding strays to feed. We felt like it was safe, and it was easier for them to use cards than cash. And in airports, they’ve always been free to head off and buy food for flights without adult supervision.
• Having cards (as authorized users on my account) helps them build credit history.
• If they’re spending money, I want to earn frequent flier miles from it! 

Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

Several years ago, Capital One reached out wanting to work with me. I ended up partnering with them for four campaigns around the world, and then a year later Conde Nast Traveler and Bon Appetit contacted me, wanting me to photograph New Orleans for their Capital One partnership. So that’s why I had a Capital One Venture card. Otherwise most of my points and miles cards have always been with Chase.

When I looked at my various cards to see which one was best to get for my kids (again, as authorized users), Capital One Venture made the most sense. Why?

• It’s a card with a low annual fee and no fee for authorized users (at least one of my Chase cards has a hefty charge for additional cardholders). And there’s always a good welcome offer that easily justifies the annual fee.
• It gives each cardholder their own card number. This is huge. If one of my kids loses a card, or if there’s fraud, I can cancel just that one card. Chase has the same account number on every card, so if one card is lost or compromised, I have to replace them all.
• It lets me set individual spending limits for each card. My younger kids have lower limits than my teen who’s in college.
• I can export spending reports that break out each card/kid. I can’t do that with my Chase cards (I’ve tried!).
• Capital One texts me every time there’s a charge. If one kid is flying by themselves, when I get a notification that a purchase was just made at the Denver airport Starbucks, I know exactly where they are! And a couple years ago one of the kids got lost in Florence without their phone, and looking at the couple places they used their card gave us an idea of what streets to walk down looking for them.
• There’s no foreign transaction fee.
• The mileage earning is good – two miles for every dollar spent on most things. I transfer those to partner airlines for free travel.

Perfect for Kids and Teens but Not My Primary Card

I have friends who use Capital One Venture as their primary card, and with two miles for every dollar spent it can make sense for a lot of people, but I don’t use it for most of my spending. Why:

• Their list of transfer partner airlines doesn’t include any US airlines. I usually transfer my Capital One miles to British Air and then immediately transfer the BA Avios (their mileage currency) to Qatar Airways, which also uses Avios. But I only fly Qatar Air once a year maybe. I fly US airlines all the time.
• I like when I can earn miles/points that count towards elite status through spending. I have one card that counts towards United status and another for American status. Capital One Venture doesn’t do that.

Your To Do List

1. You found this post because you’re looking for a good card for your kids. So click here and sign up for Capital One Venture now. It’s a no-brainer.
2. Sign up for the Daily Drop daily newsletter. It’s the best points/miles newsletter I’ve found, and will tell you about new welcome offers for this and other cards that may be perfect for you, as well as transfer bonuses (e.g. being able to get 30% more Avios when transferring Capital One miles to British Air at specific times). I always wait for transfer bonuses before converting my Capital One miles.

Best Cards for Kids and Teens – Your Turn

Every time I’ve gotten a spending notification for one of my kids, I’ve thought, I should do a blog post on the best credit card for teens! Capital One Venture seriously makes so much sense for kids and teens because of its low fees and how they issue cards to additional cardholders. Is there another card that makes everything this easy? I’m always open to suggestions.