Student Credit Cards is a type of credit card as mentioned. As the name implies, it is a credit meant for students. If you are in college, or just starting life and you want to build your credit score, the type of credit cards needed are nothing but Student Credit Cards.
Top College Student Credit Cards
The benefits driven from using credit cards are immeasurable as they can be used as means of payment even when you have nothing. Credit cards are also easy to use and can help you to build credit scores which are needed when you apply for a loan. It is used for different types of payments as such there are various types of credit cards tailored to fit different consumer needs, and each card has its unique appeal. Some of these include Travel Rewards Credit Cards, Cash Rewards Credit Cards, Balance Transfer Credit Cards, Business Credit Cards, Student Credit Cards, Secured Credit Cards, etc.
There are lots of organizations that issue Student Credit Cards, but one needs to be careful as they mostly offer different rates which might make it difficult for you to clear the credit and perhaps create a problem that you might not be able to for your entire life. So, understanding how student credit cards work goes a long in deciding the right Student Credit Cards issuer.
In an attempt to make things easier and help in knowing the right credit card issuer to choose why we have here in this article the List of Top College Student Credit Cards. So, if you are looking for the List of Top College Student Credit Cards, you are just at the right place. Let’s get down to it.
What Are College Student Credit Cards
The College Student Credit Cards are credit cards offered at the college level. They are like other cards but come with lower fees and interest rates. Their validity is usually 5 years. The college student cards are though issued majorly to college or university students, but it doesn’t necessarily mean you have to be a college student to be issued the cards.
However, it is a general rule that only those who are already 21 years or above and have a source of income are eligible for the college student credit cards credit card. The income requirement is to prove to the card issuer that you can pay back what you have spent.
The age-income rule doesn’t blackout individuals below 21 years old total. It is possible for under 21 individuals to technically get college student credit cards. It is either they prove that they have the source of income or have their parents or another trusted adult to co-sign for them while applying for the college student credit cards.
Reasons To Have College Students Credit Cards
We mentioned earlier that credit cards generally serves immeasurable functions, but if not properly used, they can be trapped in debt. Here are some of the reasons to use College Student Credit Cards:
1. Practice Using Credit
One of the major reasons to use the College Student Credit Cards is that it helps you to understand how to spend money and manage the monthly budget considering you are just living at home for the first time. It also brings you more sense of responsibility, and let you understand the scale of preference.
2. Build Credit And Credit History
After graduation, there will be a need for you to funds for many such as buying a car, renting/buying apartments etc. The credit card can help you get the needed funds provided that you have it judiciously. That is, while in college, you have paid your credit monthly due regularly and have used the card responsibly. This will serve as evidence that you can be trusted with any loan you might be requesting for.
3. Help With Emergency
There are some moments when you will be cash-strapped and you are in need of funds or money for urgent usage, having a college student credit card will save you as you can easily make use of it when you have nothing.
4. Earn Rewards
Another reason to use college student credit cards is that you will be opportune to receive extra rewards like cash and other perks. This can help in help reduce your expenses on certain things and can be what you will fall on in case of emergency.
How to Choose the Best College Student Credit Cards
It is your choice to decide whether you need College Student Credit Cards as a college or university. But if you decide that you need a College Student Credit Card, there are lots of card issuers that you can approach to forget the card. Each card issuer has different rates and perks that make it stand out from the other. To choose the best that fits your demand, there are some things you must generally consider, these are enumerated below:
- Annual Percentage Rate (APR)
The interest rate for credit cards is known as APRs. It tells you how much you are paying in terms of interest on balances that you carry on your credit card. If you make it a habit of paying down your balance each month, your interest rate will be lower compared to when carrying a balance. However, you should generally consider the issuer with a low-interest rate for any of the situations.
- Intro APR
The Intro APR is sometimes called introductory or intro APR. It is an introductory rate often set at 0%. This simply means that whether you carry a balance or not, you will not pay interest during the introductory rate term. It is just like a perk, and it is not being offered by all issuers, so you need to be on the lookout for this feature in selecting the right College Student Credit Card issuer.
- Annual Fee
Another feature to consider is the annual fee. Ideally, a college student credit card shouldn’t charge a fee to carry it. Also, you need to check for late fee payments. The student card issuer usually doesn’t charge any fee for late payment while you still hold the card.
- Foreign Transaction Fees
There are be a need for you to travel abroad which will require you to make use of foreign currency, some credit cards charge foreign transaction fees — usually 1% to 3% of the transaction — on purchases made in a foreign currency. So, consider this as a feature in selecting the right College Student Credit Card.
- Rewards
Card issuers typically offer rewards and pecks. For instance, some offer cashback based on what you have used your card for. There is also credit that is redeemable after a while. If you don’t need a reward, there’s no need to consider this feature.
List of Top College Student Credit Cards
We have looked at how to select the right college student credit card that suits your demand, and you are aware that there are many card issuers out there that poses selection difficulty. So, if that’s the case, here is the List of Top College Student Credit Cards.
1. Discover it® Student Cash Back
Annual fee: $0
APR: 12.99% – 21.99% Variable
Intro APR: 0% for 6 months on purchases
Foreign Transaction Fee: None
Discover it® offers is one of the top College Student Credit Cards issuers. It majorly offers two credit cards – Discover it® Student Cash Back, and Discover it® Student Chrome.
The Discover it® Student Cash Back is basically best for cashback. You will earn 5% cashback on everyday purchases made at different places each quarter like Amazon.com, grocery stores, restaurants, gas stations and when you pay using PayPal. Also, there is automatically 1% cashback on all other purchases.
The interest rate of this credit card issuer is 12.99% – 21.99%, and there is 0% for 6 months on purchases as Intro Rate. It doesn’t charge any fee for you holding the card as well as when you make carry out foreign transactions meaning that no Annual fee, and no foreign transaction fee.
2. The Bank of America Travel Rewards for Students
Annual fee: $0
APR: 13.99% – 23.99% (Variables)
Intro APR: 0% for 15 months
Foreign Transaction Fee: None
Bank of America (BofA) Corporation is the issuer of this college student credit card. It is among the top College Student Credit Cards because of its high earning rate on its rewards program that can be redeemed for flights, hotels, vacation packages, cruises, rental cars, or baggage fees.
Its APR is relatively low – 13.99% – 23.99%, and has 0% introductory APR on purchases. It is total ideal for students who travel abroad as it charges no transaction fee as well as an annual fee.
3. Capital One Journey Student Rewards
Annual fee: $0
APR: 26.99% (Variables)
Intro APR: –
Foreign Transaction Fee: None
The Capital One Journey Student Rewards has one of the best cashback rewards for college student credit cards. You will earn 1% cashback on all purchases, 0.25% cash back bonus on the cash back you earn each month you pay on time and $5 per month for 12 months on Select Streaming Subscriptions when you pay on time.
When you used the Capital One Journey Student Rewards card, the APR will be 26.99%, but there is no intro APR. The card’s credit limit can be maybe raised after just six months, and there are no foreign transactions if you travel abroad.
4. Deserve® EDU Mastercard for Students
Annual fee: $0
APR: 18.74% (Variable)
Intro APR: – 0% for 12 months of Amazon Prime Student
Foreign Transaction Fee: None
This card is categorically recommended for international students as it doesn’t require Social Security Number for the application process. Its APR which is 18.74 Variable is a bit high, but going by the cash backs and other benefits with the card, the interest rate can be overlooked. The card offers an unlimited 1% cashback and has up to a $5,000 credit limit. It also offers 1 year of free Amazon Prime membership as well as phone insurance for students who might have their phone stolen.
5. Petal® 2 “Cash Back, No Fees” Visa® Credit Card
Annual fee: $0
APR: 12.99% – 26.99% (Variable)
Intro APR: –
Foreign Transaction Fee: None
Petal® 2 “Cash Back, No Fees” Visa® Credit Card is also among the top college student credit cards. It is ideal for students to build up their credit scores. You can earn up to 1.5 per cent cashback on eligible purchases after making 12 on-time monthly payments. The credit limit is between $300 to $10,000.
This credit card’s regular APR is 12.99% – 26.99% (Variable), and it has no fees whatsoever. No late fee, foreign transaction fee, annual fee, or any kind of fee.
Conclusion
College Student Credit Card offers you the opportunity to build your creditworthiness and increases your purchasing power even when you don’t have anything. There are many card issuers available, but selecting the best that fits your choice can be daunting. We have already provided a List of Top College Student Credit Cards, which you can choose from. This information is provided to give an overview of the college student credit cards, it is far from being a recommendation for a particular brand.