Which student card is best

If leveraged properly, cardholders can earn some serious cash back. Welcome Offer: unlimited cashback match - Discover will automatically match all the cash back earned at the end of the first year.

There's no minimum spending or maximum rewards. Other Benefits and Drawbacks: Discover is not as widely accepted as Mastercard, Visa or even American Express if you plan to use it overseas. This is a drawback for students who travel or study abroad. The quarterly bonus categories may or may not fit how you spend, meaning you might not maximize your earning potential every single quarter.

Rewards: 1. Other Benefits and Drawbacks: Bank of America Travel Rewards reward points are easy to use: Points are worth 1 cent each towards statement credit to pay for flights, hotels, vacation packages, cruises, rental cars or baggage fees.

The card also has no foreign transaction fee, which is handy if you plan to study abroad or go on an international spring break.

Even better, it offers a welcome bonus in the form of matching your cash back earnings at the end of your first year as a cardholder. Welcome Offer: Unlimited Cashback Match - Discover will automatically match all the cash back earned at the end of the first year.

For those planning to road trip home every several months or those consistently commuting and eating out, this card may make more sense. With fantastic cash back in high-spend categories, the rewards are big on dining, entertainment and at grocery stores but the risks of rapidly-accruing debt if not paid off on time—every time—are also quite high. This can be dangerous for students especially as they learn the ins and outs of an often-unforgiving lending system.

Before applying for this card, ensure you fully understand what APR is and how it works. Students should carefully evaluate whether the risks are worth the high reward with this delicious, but could-be-poisonous card.

What makes this card worth looking into are its benefits, which include purchase protection, travel insurance and extended warranty protection. The card also offers a lower APR than many other student cards. Its weakest link is its lack of major benefits that are often seen with rewards cards.

With solid flat-rate cash back rewards for a student card and a fantastic set of benefits like price protection, cell phone protection for covered events and extended warranties for eligible purchases, this card like other Capital One student cards offers an onerous It also includes a high A credit line increase is offered with this card for those who make on-time payments for six months.

You can change categories monthly, but it takes effort to do so. So instead they design and offer student credit cards. With smaller credit limits and incentives tailored to those in college, student credit cards can provide a bridge to more valuable credit offers in the future.

By paying your bill in full and on time every time, you can build a credit profile that will make getting a car loan or mortgage much easier and less expensive when you need it. Beware, however, the danger of taking on too much too soon: These student credit cards are not toys and can ruin or damage credit as easily—if not easier—than they can help construct it. Something important to know: The Credit CARD Act of stipulates that credit cards cannot be issued to anyone under 21 unless a parent or guardian cosigns or the student has independent income.

This restriction applies to student credit cards. Before applying, carefully consider your options. Here are some questions to ask:. Some first-time credit card applicants may want a secured card instead of a student card. But many advantages exist in using a credit card. Among them are security, convenience and the potential that exists to build strong credit—an important trust factor when applying for other types of loans and even for some housing. Read more about cash versus credit and more about credit card advantages and disadvantages.

No, not usually. Some programs, like Experian Boost , exist to help people build credit in non-traditional ways. The main thing you need to know about credit cards is that they are a tool like any other.

A hammer can pound a nail if used properly but can also break your toe if you mishandle it. Credit cards can help consumers when used responsibly. But credit cards applications that require a credit check read: most of them will require a social security number. There are more steps and the process may be more complicated, but being approved for a credit card as an international student is still possible.

Forbes Advisor has a stockpile of valuable information to help you learn about credit cards and personal finance. Chauncey grew up on a farm in rural northern California. At 18 he ran away and saw the world with a backpack and a credit card, discovering that the true value of any point or mile is the experience it facilitates. He remains most at home on a tractor, but has learned that opportunity is where he finds it and discomfort is more interesting than complacency.

She has visited over 45 countries and lived in Thailand, China, and Ireland where her son was born. Her kids have over 20 stamps in their own passports. Her passion lies in showing families how to travel more while keeping their savings and sanity. Her guidebook, Disney World Hacks, is a bestseller on Amazon.

Select Region. United States. United Kingdom. For students who are looking to build their credit history and develop strong financial skills, it's more important to practice good credit card habits — spending within your means, paying your balance on time and in full — than try to optimize your points balance.

Skip Navigation. Follow Select. Our top picks of timely offers from our partners More details. SoFi Personal Loans. LightStream Personal Loans. We may receive a commission from affiliate partner links. Click here to read more about Select. Click here to read our full advertiser disclosure. We may receive a commission when you click on links for products from our affiliate partners. Learn More. On Discover's secure site. Discover will match all the cash back you've earned at the end of your first year.

Pros Cash-back program Generous welcome bonus. View More. Rewards Unlimited 1. See our methodology , terms apply. You must be at least 18 and currently enrolled in college to qualify for this card.

On Deserve's secure site. Cons No special financing offers No welcome bonus. Most of the cards on our list are open to new-credit, fair-credit or limited-credit applicants. Some of our top student credit cards have rewards programs that earn cash back for gas, groceries and other everyday purchases.

Rewards offer a surefire way to get more value from your card. Need to do more studying before you make a decision? No worries. Choosing the right credit card as a college student is a big deal. Check out these resources from Bankrate.

Learn more : Easiest credit cards to get in Have more questions for our credit cards editors? Feel free to send us an email , find us on Facebook , or Tweet us Bankrate. In a nutshell, student credit cards are designed with students in mind and feature many perks and rewards that would benefit student life. Secured credit cards are geared towards people without credit or who want to rebuild their credit after a bad credit history. Student credit cards usually have cash back reward offers in popular student spending categories like restaurants, grocery stores and entertainment purchases.

Student cards may also feature certain perks that could help with study abroad like no foreign transaction fees or the opportunity to earn travel miles and points. More notable differences between these two kinds of cards are in the structure of their credit limits and their interest rates. Student credit cards are usually given a credit limit by the card issuer and these limits tend to be fairly low.

The credit limits on secured credit cards are determined by the security deposit you place on a card. Interest rates on student cards tend to stay among the average range while interest rates on secured cards tend to be very high.

Every reasonable effort has been made to maintain accurate information. However all credit card information is presented without warranty. After you click on the offer you desire you will be directed to the credit card issuer's web site where you can review the terms and conditions for your selected offer.

The information, including card rates and fees, is accurate as of the publish date. All products or services are presented without warranty. The offers that appear on this site are from companies from which Bankrate. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site, including, for example, the order in which they may appear within listing categories.

Other factors, such as our own proprietary website rules and the likelihood of applicants' credit approval also impact how and where products appear on this site. Pros and cons of student credit cards Why get a student credit card?

How to apply for a student credit card Frequently asked questions. Apply now On Discover's secure site. Rewards rate. Intro bonus.

Annual fee. Regular APR. Recommended credit. No Credit History Credit score. Earn rewards while building your credit history that can help you after graduation. No annual fee. No late fee on first late payment. No APR change for paying late.

Over half a million students got Discover Cards from their friends' recommendations. Get an alert if we find your Social Security number on any of thousands of Dark Web sites. Apply now On Capital One's secure site. Terms Apply. Fair to Good - Credit score. Bankrate's View Students in the market for a card that offers flat-rate cash back rewards and few fees will find a pretty good match in this Capital One credit card.

Card details Whether you're at a 4-year university, community college or other higher education institution, this card might be an option for you Earn unlimited 1. Apply now On Chase's secure site. Good to Excellent - Credit score. Cash Back rewards do not expire as long as your account is open. Free credit score with Chase Credit Journey. Apply now On WebBank's secure site.

Card details No fees whatsoever. No late fee, foreign transaction fee, annual fee, or any-other-kind-of-fee, fee. Up to 1. Apply now On Deserve's secure site.

Once approved, you'll automatically start earning cash back on all purchases. No deposit required. No annual fees.