The Credit CARD Act of 2009 [1] made it considerably more difficult for an 18 year old to get a credit card, but I should add that circumstances change when an 18 year old has a co-signer. At any rate, pop-up stands and such have been curtailed by this provision:<p>&quot;(5) Eliminates excessive marketing to young people. Consumers under the age of 21 must prove that they have an independent income or get a co-signer before applying for a credit card. The Act also prevents credit card companies from mailing offers to consumers under 21 unless they &quot;opt in,&quot; and prohibits companies from wooing students with T-shirts, free pizza and other free gifts at university-sponsored events.&quot;<p>As an anecdote, my experience (within the past decade) reflects the parent post&#x27;s perception. My first credit card had a very low limit of &lt; $1000, and was surely because I was then young, a student with no stable income, and had a lack of credit history.<p>[1] <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;en.wikipedia.org&#x2F;wiki&#x2F;Credit_CARD_Act_of_2009" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;en.wikipedia.org&#x2F;wiki&#x2F;Credit_CARD_Act_of_2009</a>