College students are prime targets for credit card companies. Selecting an initial credit card should be based upon minimizing fees and finding the best product that matches one’s needs, not on unsolicited glossy offerings. Begin credit card usage with a simple, straight-forward product. TheMoneySkinny recommends a first credit card with no annual fee and low late payment penalty and APR fees. Cash back on purchases is a plus. There are many websites that evaluate and compare credit card products. After two to three years of experience with this type of entry level credit card, if you’d like to transition into a more complicated rewards system credit card – knock yourself out. If late payments and penalty fees are prevalent, adding an annual fee on top of those fees is doubling down on not-good.