Choosing a student credit card can be fun, but it can also be a little scary too. It’s fun because a new credit card in hand gives you sense of financial freedom, but it’s a bit scary because that little piece of plastic can also lead to debt. With the shape our country is in financially, that alone should be a huge reminder of just how important it is to be smart with your credit. Credit cards are a great way to build a solid credit history, but you have to be smart. Check out our list of top student credit cards on the market today. This article will give you a few tips on some of the things you should consider when you are applying for a student credit card. There are many great offers out there that can help you get on a path to financial success, but remember – YOU HAVE TO PAY IT BACK!

Don’t Just Go With The First Offer

It might be tempting to just sign up for the first credit card offer that comes your way, especially if the offer has a nice bonus. Don’t fall for the free t-shirt or concert tickets! Student card offer are readily available so there is no need to settle. If it’s a bonus you are looking for then you can get a bonus without compromising all the other features you should have like a good rate.

Compare Fees

That’s right, credit cards have fees! Keep an eye out for things like application fees and annual fees. The truth is, there is no reason to pay an application fee. There are many great card offers out there that don’t charge an application fee, so this is one fee you should and can avoid. When it comes to annual fees they aren’t always a bad thing. In most cases, when you are paying an annual fee it’s a trade off for something else. For example, many times cards that offer rewards programs or nice bonus offers have an annual fee. You have to determine if paying the annual fee in exchange for a sweet bonus offer is worth it.

Find Out What The APR Is

Always check to see what the interest rate is of the card before you apply. There are some cards out there that charge 50 plus percent in interest. That is ridiculous! One of the main things to consider is the rate. Typically, a good rate is 12% – 20%, with 20% being on the high end. If you don’t have good credit or you haven’t established a credit history yet, chances are you are going to get a higher rate, close to 20%. There is no reason to go with a card that has a rate higher than 20%.

Don’t Apply For Too Many Offers

Every time you apply for credit your credit score takes a hit. Now, if you have good credit then this might not be such a big deal. However, if your credit is a little shaky, it might hurt. Generally, a credit inquiry knocks your score down about 2 to 3 points. If you apply for 10 different cards then you can see how this might really affect you. Having all those inquiries doesn’t look good and could be enough to keep you from getting approved for a student card. Be selective and don’t apply for every offer that comes your way!

If you have taken a trip on a plane recently, then you know just how expensive airfares are these days. According to FareCompare.com, the average price for the cheapest round-trip ticket is around $350. One way to cut down the cost of your airfare is to use a credit card offer that rewards you for you spending by earning points or miles towards airfare. It’s not easy to figure out which airline credit card to choose, but there are some steps you can take to simplify the process and make sure you are getting the best card. There are essentially two types of airline cards: cards offered by the airlines and the typical rewards cards that are not airline specific. Once you can identify the difference between the card types you can figure out the benefits of each. To get you started, we have a brief description of the difference between the card types.

Rewards Cards

Travel Rewards cards allow you to earn points through your spending and you can cash those points in for airfare if you choose. With these cards you aren’t restricted to only using your points for a certain airline, but as a trade off you can’t combine your earnings with the miles you fly. Typically, you can find APR’s as low as 12% and often times these cards don’t have annual fees. It’s common to be able to earn on certain purchases with these cards, like 5% on gas purchases. You might be familiar with the Capital One Venture Card or the Discover More, both of which fall into the travel rewards category.

Airline Sponsored Cards

With an airline sponsored card you earn through your spending and your airline spending along with their partners. The APR’s usually start out around 14%, which is a bit higher than the travel rewards cards. These cards often have annual fees, but these cards will also offer good bonus offers. You will also see offers that give double points on purchases, bonus points for your spending and free airline tickets. The Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card that gives 3,000 points each year on your anniversary. You will find special perks like free checked baggage like with the American Express Delta Reserve that offers free checked bags for up to 9 companion flyers.

How To Choose

1. Look At the Numbers: First and foremost, look at what the cards offer in terms of the Rates and Annual Fees. This is also a good time to figure out if you are going to be paying your balance off each month or not. If not, then there is a good chance you won’t reap any of the extra benefits the card offers because you are going to be wasting it away with the interest you are paying.
2. Review The Perks: Look at the perks each card offers, like free checked baggage. If you have a family of 5 and all of you get your baggage checked for free that perk alone might be what you need to come out on top.
3. Consider The Bonus Offers: Consider if it’s best for you to earn a cash back bonus or an offer that gives miles. Depending on your situation you might be better off to take the cash or save those miles for a trip you are planning. Or, if the bonus offer is a free flight that might be the offer you need.
4. Find Out How You Earn: One of the most important things when it comes to rewards cards is to understand how you earn your rewards. For example, if a the card offers rewards for restaurant purchases and you don’t eat out then that card is not for you. Similarly, if a card offers miles for a particular airline and it’s an airline you don’t use the that card would not be a good option either.

Cards Featured In This Article

Capital One® Venture(SM) Rewards Credit Card


• 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 15 months, then the variable standard purchase APR of 10.99% - 20.99%*
• 5% Cashback Bonus® in categories that change like gas, restaurants, department stores and more. Limitations apply*
• Up to 20% Cashback Bonus at popular retailers when you shop online through Discover.com
• Discover is ranked #1 in customer loyalty--15 years in a row! (2011 Brand Keys Customer Loyalty Engagement Index report)
• 24/7 access to a U.S.-based Account Manager within 60 seconds
• $0 Fraud Liability plus automatic mobile and email fraud alert options
• Great rewards with no annual fee, no rewards redemption fee, and no additional card fee
• *Click apply to view rates, fees, rewards, limitations and other important information

Discover® More® Card


• Money® magazine's "Best Rewards Card if you aim to rack up airline miles"
• 2 miles per dollar on every purchase, every day
• Redeem your miles for ANY travel expense
• 10,000 bonus miles after you spend $1,000 in the first 3 months
• No limit on the miles you can earn and miles won't expire
• Fly free on any airline, any time with no blackout dates
• No foreign transaction fees
• First year's annual fee is on us

American Express Delta Reserve


• Earn MQMs: Earn up to 30,000 MQMs - which you can keep or gift to friends or family members - each calendar year with Miles Boost(SM).
• Delta Sky ClubTM Access: Enjoy complimentary Sky Club access for you and two guests.
• First Bag Free: Get a free checked bag for up to nine people in your reservation - a roundtrip savings of $50 per person.
• First Class Companion Certificate: Earn a free* Economy or First Class Companion Certificate each year upon renewal.
• Concierge Services: Receive complimentary, 24-hour a day access to American Express® Concierge Services

Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card


• Now! Earn a Free Flight after your first purchase.
• Get 3,000 Points every year on your Card member Anniversary - that's equal to $50 toward a Wanna Get Away® Fare
• Now you can redeem for International Travel, Hotels, Gift Cards and more.
• Earn unlimited Free Flights - 2 Points per $1 Spent on Southwest Purchases and 1 Point per $1 Spent on Everything else
• Your Bags Fly Free! No Blackout Dates, Points Don't Expire, and Unlimited Reward Seats!
• No Change fees - if you need to change your flight, you won't be charged a fee.
• September 11th Security Fee Applies

When it comes to credit cards most people don’t think about saving money. As a matter of fact, most apply for credit cards with the intentions of spending money, not saving. Unfortunately, we have all either experienced first hand or heard the horror stories about irresponsible credit card use and how credit card debt can be extremely hard to recover from. Credit card debt can do a number on your financial security and even ruin your credit. The good news is this doesn’t have to be your experience with credit cards. If used responsibly, credit cards can actually save you money. That’s right, credit cards can be one tool within your financial portfolio that can save you money. This article will highlight three different ways that credit cards can save you money.

Balance Transfer

At one time finding a good balance transfer offer could be a challenge, but today the offers are readily available. There are numerous 0% balance transfer offers on the market today. A balance transfer offer is ideal for those that already have a balance on a credit card and especially those that have a card with a high interest rate. For example, you might have a credit card with a balance of $1,000 and an APR of 19%. You can save yourself some money by avoiding that 19% by transferring your $1,000 balance to a card that has a 0% balance transfer offer. Each 0% offer has different terms and conditions and as long as you abide by the “rules” you will get the 0% rate. The way a balance transfer offer works is that you will have a predetermined amount of time in which you must pay the balance off in order to receive the 0%. For instance, the offer might state you receive 0% on balance transfers for 15 months. This means you have 15 months to pay the balance off at the 0% rate. If you don’t pay the balance off then you will be charged interest on the remaining balance. If you decide to take advantage of a 0% balance transfer offer here are some things you should not do in order to reap all the benefits of the offer:

• Do not only make minimum payments
• Do not miss a payment
• Do not go over your credit limit
• Do not allow the offer to expire without paying the balance off

It is very important to understand all the terms and conditions of the card offer. If you don’t understand the agreement then you might forfeit the offer and not even realize it. It is common for offers such as a balance transfer to be taken away if you miss a monthly payment. This type of information is contained in the terms and conditions of the card agreement.

Reward Programs

Another great way credit cards can help you save money is through their rewards programs. Many credit card issuers are offering their cardholders a reward program with the goal of encouraging the credit card holder to use just one credit card to make their purchases. There are a variety of cards that offer different types of rewards programs such as Points Rewards Credit Cards and Miles Credit Cards. Points rewards credit cards allow cardholders to earn points based on their purchases. It works similar to a cash back card, but instead you earn points. These points can then be redeemed for travel, purchases, or even statement credits and cash. Many of the points credit cards also offer bonus points for new card applicants as a way to make the card more appealing. Airline Miles Credit Cards also reward their cardmembers for making purchases, but do so with airline miles. The best airline miles credit cards enable you to earn frequent flyer miles with every purchase. The card holder can then cash in the miles they have earned for flights. Many of the miles credit card offers come with bonus points that allow you to earn a free plane ticket very quickly.

Promotions and Bonus Offers

Finding a credit card that offers a sign up bonus can save you money right from the jump. Many cards have bonus offers to make their card most appealing to consumers. Credit card companies are offering more and more of these bonus offers to new cardmembers and right now there are numerous great offers you can take advantage off. We often see a competition among the card issuers to see who can offer the best bonus. There are cards on the market today that offer new cardmembers $500 cash back just for signing up and spending a certain dollar amount on the card within a specified time frame. This is a quick and easy way to earn some extra money in your pocket. Currently, the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card will earn 50,000 bonus points when spending at least $3,000 within the first three months. Those points can be turned in for a $500 statement credit OR a plane ticket worth up to $625.

One cool feature of many credit card rewards programs is that they give their members the opportunity to redeem their rewards in the form of a charitable donation. Instead of cashing in your rewards for cash back, gift cards, or merchandise, you can donate them to a charity. Today we are going to look at the options the Citi ThankYou Network offer their card members when it comes to making a charitable donation. You will also find a list of credit cards that a part of the Citi ThankYou Rewards Program.

Citi ThankYou Network

There are 8 different Citi® credit card that are part of the Citi ThankYou Network. With these credit cards you earn points for doing the things you do every day, like banking, shopping. You can also earn points for banking with Citibank with an enrolled checking account, booking eligible travel with Expedia® or shopping at over 300 retailers through the ThankYou Bonus Center run by Citi. Here’s a quick summary of the various ways you can earn ThankYou Points:

• Participating Citi® credit card, which include the Citi Forward card
• Morgan Stanley Smith Barney FMA® Card enrolled in ThankYou Network
• Having an enrolled Citibank checking account and other linked banking products and services
• Shopping through the ThankYou Bonus Center with over 300 major retailers, or in-store using a participating Citi® credit card
• Plus, get bonus points through special ThankYou® Network promotions
• You can also purchase ThankYou® Points in increments of 1,000 points for $25, up to 10,000 points per calendar year. You may not purchase points to offset any PremierPass Flight Points.
• Points with Citi®: You can earn points for every $1 spent on purchases with your Citi Credit Card. You can get points for using your Citibank checking account and other qualifying Citibank products and services.
• Points with Expedia.com®: Expedia.com® is the exclusive travel sponsor of ThankYou Network. You can earn points when booking eligible travel on Expedia.com® no matter how you pay. If you’ve got a Citi Credit Card or Citibank Debit Card, use it to book your travel and earn even more points.
• Points for Shopping: You can get rewarded for shopping at your favorite retailers. Points are earned when you shop online by linking through thankyou.com, or in-store by using your Citi Credit Card. Shop at over 400 online retailers, such as Macy’s, Best Buy, and Target—and earn additional points for every dollar you spend. Use your Citi Credit Card at a growing number of stores, such as Timberland, Eddie Bauer or FAO Schwarz—and earn additional points for every dollar you spend. Also, when you make purchases from participating catalogs or purchase gift certificates, you’ll earn additional points for every dollar you spend.

Charitable Donations With Your Citi Card

Citi’s rewards credit cards allow you to redeem points for charity donations. Once you earn points They have ten charity partners which you can donate to. You have the option to cash in your points for a charitablie gift. You can redeem ThankYou Points for charitable contributions, issued in the form of a check made payable to the charity, in denominations of $5, $25, $50, $75 and $100 only.

• March of Dimes
• American Red Cross
• JA Worldwide
• Pro-literacy Worldwide
• Plan USA
• American Lung Association
• American Institute for Cancer Research
• Arthritis Foundation
• American Heart Association
• American Forest Plant A Program

Buying Extra Points

If you find that you don’t have enough points it’s not a problem because you can purchase more points. You can purchase ThankYou points in increments of 1,000 points to get the rewards you really want. You can purchase up to 100,000 point cap per calendar year, you can purchase points at any time, and there no redemption required. For point purchases exceeding 30,000 points, you have to contact Citi directly at the ThankYou Service Center at 1-800-THANKYOU (1-800-842-6596).

Eligible Citi ThankYou Cards

Currently there are 8 Citi Cards that participate in the ThankYou Network. Each card offers a variety of benefits for their cardmembers. Check out the cards listed below for more details:

Citi ThankYou(SM) Preferred Card

(See Review)

$150 in gift cards - When you redeem the 15,000 bonus ThankYou® Points received after $1,000 in purchases within 3 months of account opening 5 ThankYou Points for every $1 spent on purchases at gas stations, supermarkets and drugstores for 12 months and 1 point for every $1 spent thereafter and for all other purchases* Enjoy no limit on the number of points you can earn Redeem ThankYou Points for merchandise, travel rewards, gift cards, cash and more No annual fee*

Citi Forward® Card

(See Review)

$100 in gift cards - When you redeem the 10,000 bonus ThankYou® Points received after you make $650 in purchases and sign up for paperless statements within the first 3 months 0% intro APR for 12 months on balance transfers and for 7 months on purchases. After that, 12.99% - 22.99% variable 5 points for every $1 spent at restaurants and on books, movies and music. 1 point for every $1 you spend on all other purchases APR reduction on purchases when using credit wisely No Annual Fee*

Citi ThankYou(SM) Premier Card

(See Review)

Earn 50,000 bonus ThankYou® Points after $2,000 in purchases within 3 months of account opening - enough for $500 in gift cards 1 ThankYou point for every $1 you spend on purchases Earn points for the miles you fly when you purchase a ticket with your Citi ThankYou Premier Card No foreign transaction fees on purchases* Annual complimentary domestic companion ticket, within the continental USA, when booked through our travel benefits provider, Spirit Incentives No points cap and no expiration of points

Citi Forward® Card for College Students

(See Review)

Earn a $75 statement credit after you spend $150 on back-to-school purchases at apparel, book or electronics stores within the first 3 months of opening your account* No Cosigner required APR reduction on purchases when using credit wisely 100 ThankYou Points each billing period that you pay on time and stay under your credit limit Earn 1,000 points after you sign up for paperless statements within the first 3 months of account opening

Citi® mtvU™ Platinum Select® Visa® Card for College Student

(See Review)

No Cosigner Required Earn 5 ThankYou Points® for every dollar you spend at restaurants, bookstores, record stores, movie theaters and video rental stores Earn 1 ThankYou Point for every dollar you spend on all other purchases Earn up to 2000 ThankYou Points twice a year for having a good GPA

Citi ThankYou(SM) Prestige Card

(See Review)

1 ThankYou® Point for every $1 you spend on purchases No foreign transaction fee on purchases Receive a complimentary international or domestic companion ticket Earn an anniversary bonus on points earned from purchases every year Earn bonus points when you sign up for Paperless Statements and Account Online With no points cap and no expiration of points

AT&T Universal Savings & Rewards Card

(See Review)

0% Intro APR on balance transfers for 15 months Earn great rewards and automatic savings, exclusively for AT&T customers No annual fee Earn 1 ThankYou® Point for every $1 you spend on non-AT&T purchases Redeem points for millions of great rewards including music downloads, gift cards, and travel Save up to 10% on AT&T purchases and service for first 12 months, and 5% thereafter – up to $350 a year Earn savings on AT&T products and services, including the latest Apple, Android, Blackberry, and Windows smart phone

AT&T Universal Business Rewards Card

(See Review)

Earn 5 ThankYou® Points for every $1 spent on eligible AT&T products/services Earn 3 points for every $1 spent on purchases at certain office – supply merchants, gas stations and on professional services 1 point for every dollar you spend on other purchases You also earn 1 point for every $1 your employees spend on other purchases Control spending with individual credit limits

Cashing in your hard earned points for gift cards or gift certificates is one option you have when it comes to redeeming your rewards. If you are the type that likes to trade in your points for gift cards or gift certificates, then there are a few things you should consider when choosing a rewards card. The purpose of a rewards card is to save you money and the way you can do that by maximizing your rewards card so you are using it to the full potential. If gift cards are your thing, then remember to think about these questions when you are on the hunt for a good rewards card. Also, check out the Discover More card featured below which is a great card to use for those that want gift cards!

How Many Merchant Partners Does the Program Have?

The first thing to consider when searching for a rewards card is how many participating merchants does the card company partner with. You want to set yourself up with a credit card that gives many options. The more merchants the card partners with the more options you are going to have when it’s time to cash in your rewards.

How Many Points Do You Need For A Gift Card?

Knowing how many points you need before you can cash in your rewards is extremely important. Some programs require you to have a great deal of points before they will allow you to redeem them for a gift card or gift certificate. How disappointed would you be if you found out your rewards card requires 3,000 points to get a $25 gift card? Obviously, this would not be a good trade off. The better programs like the American Express Membership Rewards Program allows you to exchange for example 2,500 points for $25 gift card, 5,000 points for a $50 gift card and 10,000 points for $100 gift card. Typically, you have to spend one dollar to earn one point, this is essentially a 1% rebate.

Discover More Card

One great card to consider is the Discover More Card. This card allows you to earn cash rebates and you can potentially double the value of your cash rebates by exchanging them for gift certificates. This program allows you to redeem for gift cards or instant eCertificates from over 100 brand-name Partners starting at $20. You also have the option to cash in your points for a Discover gift card which can be used anywhere Discover is accepted. You can even personalize with an embossed name and design starting at $20. This makes this card ideal for those that want to cash in your rewards for gift card or gift certificates. Here are some of the features of the card:

• 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 15 months, then the variable standard purchase APR of 10.99% - 20.99%*
• 5% Cashback Bonus® in categories that change like gas, restaurants, department stores and more. Limitations apply*
• Up to 20% Cashback Bonus at popular retailers when you shop online through Discover.com
• Discover is ranked #1 in customer loyalty--15 years in a row! (2011 Brand Keys Customer Loyalty Engagement Index report)
• 24/7 access to a U.S.-based Account Manager within 60 seconds
• $0 Fraud Liability plus automatic mobile and email fraud alert options
• Great rewards with no annual fee, no rewards redemption fee, and no additional card fee
• *Click apply to view rates, fees, rewards, limitations and other important information

Our smartphones can do just about everything these days, including, help us manage our credit cards. With the American Express Mobile App you can easily manage your American Express card accounts while you are on the go. This feature allows you to always know where you are with your account and with this app it’s easy to make a last minute payment you might have forgotten about. You can check your balance, set up alerts, and more. Check out all the details provided below.

AMERICAN EXPRESS APP FOR ANDROID

The Amex App for Android will help you manage your Card account on your Android phone. You can get the official App for Android now right from the Android Market and it’s free. You can always be on top of your Amex Card accounts by paying your bill, viewing your account activity, and more right from your phone. You can download the app from the Android Market. On your device, open the “Market” app. Search for “American Express,” then select the App to download and install. Here’s what you can do with the app:

• Pay your bill
• Check your balance
• See your recent transactions
• Manage multiple Card accounts
• View Membership Rewards® points (if enrolled)
• Log in securely with the same User ID and Password you use on americanexpress.com

AMERICAN EXPRESS APP FOR iPHONE

You can download the official App and manage your Card account on your iPhone® or iPod touch®. Take your Card membership to a whole other level by mobilizing your account with the Amex App for the iPhone® and iPod touch® (all versions). You will have the ability to pay your bill, see account activity, and more. You can download the Amex App for your iPhone or iPad from the iTunes store. Here are the features of the app:

• Pay your bill
• Check your balance
• See your recent transactions
• Manage multiple Card accounts
• View Membership Rewards® points (if enrolled)
• Log in securely with the same User ID and Password you use on americanexpress.com

AMEX MOBILE SITE

To access the Amex Mobile site just visit americanexpress.com with your mobile phone to check your balance, see recent transactions, pay your bill, and more. You will see a special mobile version of the Amex website, streamlined with the most popular account management services. All you have to do is just simply log in with the same User ID and Password you currently use to manage your Card account online.

SEND AND RECEIVE ALERTS WITH AMEX

Another cool feature American Express provides cardmembers is the ability to Text them and they will reply with the account information you want, such as your outstanding balance or payment due date. You can also sign up to receive automatic text message alerts like payment reminders, balance updates, irregular account activity warnings, and more.

TAKE A SHORTCUT TO YOUR ACCOUNT

To make accessing your Amex account even easier, Amex has developed a mobile shortcut. This adds an American Express icon to your phone that you can click whenever you want to go to americanexpress.com and manage your account. Here are the different options that are available:

• Shortcut for Blackberry® and Windows Mobile®: Visit americanexpress.com on your phone, click the download link, and follow the easy instructions to install the shortcut to your home screen. Or take a shortcut to the shortcut: send the download link to your mobile phone as a text message.
• Shortcut for iPhone® or iPod Touch®: Simply bookmark americanexpress.com in your browser. Remember to choose “Add to Home Screen.”

There are some great travel rewards cards out there like the popular Starwood Preferred Guest® Credit Card from American Express. If you are a frequent traveler then a travel rewards card might be just what you need to keep some cash in your pocket. Travel rewards cards can save you some money on your travels and there are a variety of great cards out there with good rates. Before you blindly jump at the first offer that comes your way, there are some things you should consider. Many travel cards have restrictions in place when it comes to when and how you can use your rewards. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but if you’re not expecting such restrictions it can certainly put a damper on your travels. These are some of the things you have to be aware of when you look for a rewards program if you intend to use the travel rewards and below are 4 of those things to watch out for.

1. Book In Advance: It’s common that in order to take advantage of the rewards you have earned you have to make your reservations a certain number of days in advance. Typically, it is about 21 days, although there are some programs out there that let you book 14 days in advance. This pretty much eliminates the option for you to use your rewards for a spur of the moment trip. However, it is true that the further in advance you book a trip the better deal you are going to get on your fares. If you like to schedule your trips at the last minute then you definitely want to find a program that is flexible when it comes to booking in advance.
2. Blackout Dates: Many rewards programs have what they call blackout dates. This means there are certain times that you can’t use your rewards. This can be a huge deal because blackout dates can severely limit your travel options. Certain reward programs and even frequent flier programs have blackout dates. If you want the flexibility of traveling when you want then you should find a program that has no blackout dates. These programs are available so make sure you choose a credit card that allows you to book a flight on any date you choose.
3. Required Saturday Night Stay: Another common restriction is that your stay must include a Saturday night in order to get the special deal. If this is a restriction you don’t want in place then be sure to choose a program that does not have this restriction. Having such a restriction limits the flexibility of the program.
4. Can you book any flight that you want?: Most reward programs are allocated a certain number of seats on certain airlines. Hence, when those seats are taken up, you may not be able to use your reward points even if there are seats available. Some programs allow you to get around this by requiring you to use more points or by allowing you to book whatever flight you want and then using your points to save you the expenses.