Top student credit cards out there
As a student, growing up to be financially independent is something everyone wants to do. To this end, building a good credit is one of the imperative factors because this is what qualifies one to get loans, car insurance, mobile phone plans and much more. This also determines if you get a job and the kind of job you get. Financial experts recommend that students who are authorized users of their parents accounts, open up an own credit card account, get the best student credit card. They can use credit cards for small-time purchases, pay bills and credit card balance on time, not co-sign with friends and not apply for more than one bet student credit card at a time. These help a student build good credit over time.
When it comes to the best student credit card, especially the lending institution should charge low fees, moderate APRs, and benefits that appeal to college students. Some of the best student credit cards include the following:
Journey Student Rewards from Capital One: This is the best student credit card, polls say, for college goers. This is perfect for those students who have a good enough credit score and prefer cash back credit cards. Its best advantage is the cash back benefit where you get 1 percent cash back on every purchase you make. There are no categories or limits for spending as far as cash back rewards are concerned with this card.
If the minimum payment is made on time, the student gets an additional 0.25 percent cash back on every purchase made during that billing cycle. The cash can be redeemed in the form of a check drawn for $25 in increments or in the form of a statement credit. If the student pays on time for five months in succession, he gets an automatic increase in credit line. This card also offers minimal fees and the option to track your credit, which is a good educational instrument for students.
This is done by the Capital One Credit Tracker, a feature that gives you your FICO score without any limits imposed on how many times you can access it. This tracker also has what-if simulator situations that can help you predict how to work your credit score. There is no annual fee or foreign transaction fee. You will be charged $35 for late payments and $10 or 3 percent – whichever is greater – for cash advances. However, this credit card does not have a sign-up bonus, it does not have balance transfer options, and also does not have introductory APR regardless of how good your credit score.
Discover it for Students: This is another card that has a cash back benefit where you get 1 percent cash back on any purchase you make without any limits. There are a number categories like gas or groceries where purchases up to $1,500 every quarter gets you a cash back of 5 percent. The first of January, April, July and August is when any quarter begins.
The cash can be redeemed in several forms including a statement credit, a check, a purchase credit on Amazon or a bank account deposit. At the end of the first year after you open an account with the card and use it, you get double of all the cash back you were rewarded in the first twelve months. For every year your GPA is above 3.0, you get $20 as a cash back for up to five years.
You need excellent credit scores to avail of this card. There is no sign-up bonus though the double cash back at the end of the first year makes up for it. There is no annual fee. There is a balance transfer fee of 3 percent of the amount that is transferred and a cash advance fee of either $10 or 5 percent of the amount advanced, whichever is greater. There is no foreign transaction fee for this card. The first delayed payment will not have a fee.
But after that, late payments have a fee of $35. There is a 0 percent introductory APR for the first 6 months. There is a balance transfer APR of 10.99 percent for 6 months. This card, too, gives you free FICO scores on a monthly basis. It also gives you an option to switch off features offered by this account such as the choice to go for new purchases or make cash advances, all at the click of a button.
Other best student credit cards include Discover it Chrome for Students with a $20 cash back for students with good grades, Upromise World MasterCard with a sign-up bonus of $50 and cash back of 5 percent on purchases with 10,000 or more online spending platforms. Also a 1 percent cash back on all purchases and 2 percent on department stores is offered and finally, Citi ThankYou Preferred Card for College Students.