If I Could Start Over: The First 5 Credit Cards I’d Get Today
I’ve opened a lot of credit cards over the last few years.
And honestly? If I could go back and do it all over again, I would approach the credit card game very differently.
Now don’t get me wrong — I’m happy with my current setup. But looking back, I realize I opened way too many random cards just because I got mailers or saw flashy offers. I wasn’t intentional. I wasn’t building toward a long-term strategy.
If I had slowed down and focused on building the right foundation early, I’d have a much cleaner setup today that earns more points toward the travel experiences I actually care about.
So if I were starting from scratch today, here are the first five cards I would get — and why.
Card #1: Your First Credit Builder Card
If you’re just getting started — maybe you’re 18, in college, or have little to no credit history — your first goal is simple:
Build credit history
Avoid annual fees
Earn rewards from day one
That’s why my first card would be either:
The Discover it Card
The Capital One Quicksilver
These are beginner-friendly cards that still let you earn rewards while building your credit profile.
My Biggest Beginner Mistake
My very first card was the Capital One Platinum card.
Why did I get it?
Because I got a mailer in the mail and thought, “Sure, why not?”
That’s the wrong mindset.
You shouldn’t open cards just because you can. You should open cards with a strategy.
Why I Like the Capital One Quicksilver
The regular Quicksilver (not the QuicksilverOne with the annual fee) earns:
1.5% cash back on every purchase
No annual fee
That makes it a great “grow with you” card. It works as a beginner card, but it can also stay useful years later.
Why the Discover it Card Is So Interesting
The Discover it card is also excellent because:
It has no annual fee
Discover matches all cashback earned during your first year
Rotating 5% categories become effectively 10% during year one
For example, if restaurants are the quarterly category, you could effectively earn 10% back during your first cardholder year.
That’s incredible for a beginner card.
I’m especially interested in Discover right now because of the ongoing migration into the Capital One ecosystem. Nothing has been officially confirmed yet, but I personally believe Discover cards could become more integrated with Capital One miles over time.
In fact, I recently opened another Discover it card because I want to position myself well for the future.
Card #2: Start Building Into a Points Ecosystem
After 6–12 months of responsible use, you’re ready for your next step.
At this point, you should be:
Paying your statement balance in full
Never carrying interest
Building a positive payment history
Now we start thinking about travel rewards ecosystems.
For beginners, I think the best ecosystems to focus on are:
Chase Ultimate Rewards
Citi ThankYou Points
Why Not Capital One First?
I love Capital One cards, but I think Capital One Miles can be a little harder for beginners to use effectively.
Chase and Citi are more beginner-friendly if your goal is learning points and miles.
Understanding Chase’s 5/24 Rule
Chase is famous for its “5/24 Rule.”
If you’ve opened 5 or more personal credit cards in the last 24 months, you’ll likely be denied for most Chase cards.
That’s why planning matters early.
Citi Is Inquiry Sensitive
Citi doesn’t have a hard rule like Chase, but they’re sensitive to recent applications and inquiries.
So again — intentionality matters.
Which Ecosystem Should You Pick?
It really depends on how you travel.
Choose Chase If You Fly:
United
Southwest
Hyatt stays
Choose Citi If You Fly:
American Airlines
Choice Hotels
Preferred Citi transfer partners
My Pick for Card #2
Citi Double Cash
The Citi Double Cash earns:
1% when you buy
1% when you pay
That effectively makes it a 2x catch-all card with no annual fee.
It also earns Citi ThankYou points, which become much more valuable later once paired with a premium Citi card.
Chase Freedom Unlimited
If you’re going the Chase route, I’d choose the Chase Freedom Unlimited.
It earns:
1.5x on everyday purchases
Chase Ultimate Rewards points
No annual fee
The key with BOTH cards is this:
Don’t cash out your points yet.
Bank them.
You’re building toward something bigger later.
Card #3: Your First Premium Travel Card
Now we’re ready to unlock transfer partners.
This is where points and miles start getting really fun.
Citi Option: Citi Strata Premier
The Citi Strata Premier has:
60,000 point welcome bonus
$95 annual fee
3x on dining
3x on groceries
3x on gas
3x on airlines and hotels booked directly
Most importantly:
It unlocks 1:1 transfers to Citi transfer partners.
That means your Double Cash points suddenly become much more valuable.
You also get:
No foreign transaction fees
Basic travel protections
Access to American Airlines transfers
Chase Option: Chase Sapphire Preferred
The Chase Sapphire Preferred is one of the best beginner travel cards ever made.
It offers:
75,000 point welcome bonus
$95 annual fee
3x on dining
3x on online grocery purchases
Excellent transfer partners
Most importantly, it unlocks transfers to:
Hyatt
United
Southwest
Virgin Atlantic
Air France/KLM
This is where you can start booking serious travel value.
International business class.
Domestic economy flights.
Hotel stays.
Weekend trips.
This is the card that turns your setup into an actual travel system.
Card #4: A Retailer Card You’ll Actually Use
This step surprises a lot of people.
But retailer cards can be incredibly valuable if you spend consistently at one store.
Great Examples:
Amazon Prime Visa
5% back at Amazon with Prime
Financing options on large purchases
No annual fee (outside Prime membership)
This is personally one of my favorite cards.
My wife and I put every Amazon purchase on this card. I simply added my card to her Amazon account so all spending funnels through one setup.
Walmart OnePay Card
5% back at Walmart with Walmart+
Target Circle Card
5% off at Target
These cards may not sound exciting, but if you shop there regularly, they can save you hundreds every year.
Card #5: Your Travel Perks Card
By now, you’ve learned:
How you travel
Which airlines you use
Which hotels you prefer
Now it’s time to add a specialty travel card.
Airline Card Options
If you’re in the Citi ecosystem and fly American Airlines, I’d strongly consider the Citi AAdvantage Platinum Select card.
Benefits include:
Free checked bags
Preferred boarding
Better travel experience overall
If you’re in the Chase ecosystem, you could look at:
United cards
Southwest cards
These cards help eliminate annoying travel costs like baggage fees.
Hotel Card Options
Hotel cards can also be incredibly valuable.
World of Hyatt Card
Annual free night certificate
Elite qualifying nights
Hyatt perks
IHG Premier Card
Strong status benefits
Great earning rates
Annual free night
Hotel cards can make travel dramatically more comfortable with perks like:
Late checkout
Early check-in
Room upgrades
Elite status benefits
Final Thoughts
If I could restart my credit card journey today, this is exactly the path I would follow.
Instead of opening random cards from mailers, I would focus on:
Building credit
Staying under Chase 5/24
Choosing one ecosystem
Earning transferable points
Adding cards intentionally
The goal isn’t to open the most cards.
The goal is to build a setup that helps you travel better, save money, and create long-term value.
And honestly, if you start with intention early, you can build an incredible wallet much faster than I did.