Page Contents<\/p>
- How College Students Can Start Building Credit<\/a>
- 1. Become an authorized user on a parent's account<\/a><\/li>
- 2. Start out with a secured credit card<\/a><\/li>
- 3. Open a student credit card designed for a limited credit history<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li>
- The Best First Credit Cards for College Students<\/a>
- Capital One Savor Student Cash Rewards Credit Card<\/a><\/li>
- Chase Freedom Rise\u00ae<\/sup><\/a><\/li>
- Capital One Quicksilver Student Cash Rewards Credit Card<\/a><\/li>
- Discover it\u00ae<\/sup> Student Cash Back<\/a><\/li>
- Student cards are not designed for the long-haul<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li>
- Once You've Established a Credit History, What's Next?<\/a><\/li>
- The Best Cash-Back Credit Cards for College Students<\/a>
- Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card<\/a><\/li>
- Chase Freedom Flex\u2120<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li>
- The Best Airline and Hotel Credit Cards for Students<\/a><\/li>
- Airline Rewards Credit Cards for Students<\/a>
- American Airlines AAdvantage\u00ae<\/sup> MileUp\u00ae<\/sup> Card<\/a><\/li>
- Delta SkyMiles\u00ae<\/sup> Blue American Express Card<\/a><\/li>
- United Gateway\u2120 Card<\/a><\/li>
- Earn Miles with a Debit Card: The United MileagePlus Debit Rewards Card<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li>
- Hotel Rewards Cards for College Students<\/a>
- Hilton Honors American Express Card<\/a><\/li>
- IHG One Rewards Traveler Credit Card<\/a><\/li>
- Wyndham Rewards Earner\u00ae<\/sup> Card<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li>
- The Best Flexible Rewards Credit Cards for Students<\/a>
- Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card<\/a><\/li>
- Chase Sapphire Preferred\u00ae<\/sup> Card<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li>
- Final Thoughts<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/div>\n\n
How College Students Can Start Building Credit<\/span><\/h2>\n
Most students (myself included) run into the same Catch-22.\u00a0You need credit to get approved for a credit card, but you need a credit card to build credit.<\/strong><\/p>\n
Fortunately, there are a few ways to get around this. Thanks to the dozens of student credit cards available, you can start building credit the moment you're eligible to apply for a credit card of your own. For some, there may even be an option to kickstart your credit building journey before turning 18.<\/p>\n
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Credit: Keira Burton\/Pexels<\/em><\/enter><\/figure>\n Related: A Beginner's Guide to Building Healthy Credit<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n
1. Become an authorized user on a parent's account<\/span><\/h3>\n
The first way that teens can start building credit is to essentially piggyback off of a parent or guardian's credit history. This is done by having them add you as an authorized user on one of their accounts.<\/p>\n
If your parent or guardian has a well-established credit history with a clean payment record and the account to which they add you is in good standing, becoming an authorized user can give your credit report an almost immediate lift.<\/p>\n
However, before you have your parent or guardian add you to their account with the hopes of boosting your score, there are to steps you will want to take:<\/p>\n
- \n
- Confirm that the bank reports authorized users to the major credit bureaus.<\/li>\n
- Make sure that the primary cardholder's account is in good standing and that they understand the ramifications on your own credit should the account fall out of good standing.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
Benefits for authorized users<\/h4>\n
Authorized users benefit from the primary cardholder's established credit line. In an ideal world, the account you're joining has been open for a long time, has a close-to-flawless payment history, and a low credit utilization rate. These are the factors that make up the profile of someone with a high credit score.<\/p>\n
Assuming the account remains in good standing, your score will gradually increase over time, making you a much stronger applicant for your own credit card down the line. This works because you'll essentially get all of that positive account history added to your credit report once you become an authorized user.<\/p>\n
Of course, you also receive many of the same cardholder benefits offered to the primary account holder.<\/p>\n
For example, the American Express Platinum Card\u00ae<\/sup><\/a><\/strong> offers authorized users nearly identical benefits enjoyed by the primary account holder. So, if your parent or guardian is willing to take on the increased additional cardholder annual fee, you'd also enjoy benefits ranging from lounge access to elite status with Marriott and Hilton.<\/p>\n
Some card issuers allow you to become an authorized user at 16 years old allowing you to kickstart your credit building journey. Image Credit: Andrea Piacquadio \/ Pexels<\/em><\/enter><\/figure>\n Related: Benefits For Authorized Users on Rewards Credit Cards<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n
2. Start out with a secured credit card<\/span><\/h3>\n
Secured credit cards differ from standard lines of credit in that they require the account holder to provide a refundable security deposit which then serves as your line of credit. Because the issuing bank has direct collateral, secured cards are among the most accessible credit cards.<\/p>\n
While they offer few benefits (if any), secured credit cards provide an excellent opportunity to establish a relationship with the issuing bank. Plus, over time, you'll begin to build a credit history.<\/p>\n
Once the issuer sees patterns of good behavior and a positively trending credit score, you often have the opportunity to upgrade your card to a traditional credit card. When this happens, you'll also get your original deposit back.<\/p>\n
The best secured credit cards<\/h4>\n
Here are two of the best secured credit cards currently available to new applicants:<\/p>\n
As previously mentioned, its quite difficult to find a secured credit card offering rewards or benefits. However, one card that does offer rewards is the Bank of America\u00ae<\/sup> Customized Cash Rewards Secured Credit Card<\/strong>.<\/p>\n
The Bank of America\u00ae<\/sup> Customized Cash Rewards Secured Credit Card\u00a0<\/strong>offers cardholders 3% cash back in a category of their choice, 2% back at grocery stores and wholesale clubs, and 1% back on all other purchases. It's important to keep in mind that the 3% and 2% categories share a combined limit of $2,500 in transactions each quarter.<\/p>\n
Another secured credit card that offers cardholders the ability to earn rewards is the Discover it\u00ae<\/sup> Secured Credit Card<\/b><\/strong>. The Discover it\u00ae<\/sup> Secured Credit Card<\/b> earns 2% cash back at gas stations and restaurants on up to $1,000 in combined purchases each quarter. The card also earns 1% cash back on all other purchases. It also comes with an added welcome bonus.<\/p>\n
The Discover it\u00ae<\/sup> Secured Credit Card<\/b><\/strong> offers new cardholders a 2x Cashback Match at the end of their first year. Simply put, Discover will match all cash back you earn during the first year you have your card dollar-for-dollar.<\/p>\n
Compared to a card like the Citi\u00ae<\/sup> Secured Mastercard\u00ae<\/sup><\/strong>, which doesn't offer any rewards, the Bank of America Customized Cash Rewards Secured<\/strong> and Discover it\u00ae<\/sup> Secured Credit Card<\/b><\/strong> might be more intriguing if you're looking to build your credit by opening a secured credit card but also want to earn cash back.<\/p>\n
Credit: Andrea Piacquadio\/Pexels<\/em><\/enter><\/figure>\n 3. Open a student credit card designed for a limited credit history<\/span><\/h3>\n
Student credit cards are built specifically for those who are early on in their credit building journey. As such, they typically:<\/p>\n
- \n
- Have lower credit and income requirements<\/li>\n
- Offer simple and straightforward rewards<\/li>\n
- Allow you to make the transition to the standard version of the card once you graduate<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Of course, you'll want to be mindful of the details and terms attached to the card. Many student cards come with high interest rates and low credit limits. If you're going to build your credit, you'll need to manage your card carefully\u2014one of the golden rules of card ownership.<\/p>\n
Related: What Teenagers Need to Know About Getting Their First Credit Card<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n
For those of you looking for your first student credit card, there are plenty of options.<\/p>\n
The Best First Credit Cards for College Students<\/span><\/h2>\n
There are dozens of credit cards built especially for those in the 18-25 age group who are still establishing their credit history while in college. Over the past few years, some card issuers have even started offering student credit cardholders more lucrative rewards and benefits.<\/p>\n
Capital One Savor Student Cash Rewards Credit Card<\/span><\/h3>\n
Capital One recently refreshed its student credit card portfolio and the Capital One Savor Student Cash Rewards Credit Card<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0now offers some of the strongest bonus categories for earning rewards:<\/p>\n
- \n
- 3% cash back on dining, groceries, entertainment, and popular streaming services<\/li>\n
- 5% back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel<\/a><\/li>\n
- 1% back on all other purchases<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
The card also offers a modest but solid welcome bonus. New cardholders who spend $100 on purchases within three months of opening their account will receive a one-time $50 cash back bonus. It also comes with no foreign transaction fees and no annual fee.<\/p>\n
\n\n\nCapital One Savor Student Cash Rewards Credit Card<\/div>\n<\/div>\n How to Apply<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\nWelcome Bonus<\/strong> Earn $50 Cash Back when you spend $100 in the first three months<\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n Capital One Savor Student Cash Rewards Credit Card<\/strong>\nWelcome Bonus<\/strong> Earn $50 Cash Back when you spend $100 in the first three months<\/div>\nAnnual Fee:<\/strong>$0<\/b><\/div>\nShow more<\/a>Why We Like It<\/a>Earning Rates<\/a>Catering to the spending habits and lifestyle of students, the Capital One SavorOne Student Cash Rewards Credit Card offers unlimited 3% cash back on dining, entertainment, popular streaming services, and grocery store purchases, plus 1% cash back on all other purchases, and rewards don't expire for the life of the account. <\/div>- \r\n
- 3% Cash Back at grocery stores (excluding superstores like Walmart\u00ae<\/sup> and Target\u00ae<\/sup>), on dining, entertainment and popular streaming services. 5% Cash Back on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel. 8% Cash Back on Capital One Entertainment purchases. 1% Cash Back on all other purchases.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul><\/div><\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n
- 1% back on all other purchases<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- Chase Sapphire Preferred\u00ae<\/sup> Card<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li>
- IHG One Rewards Traveler Credit Card<\/a><\/li>
- Delta SkyMiles\u00ae<\/sup> Blue American Express Card<\/a><\/li>
- Chase Freedom Flex\u2120<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li>
- Chase Freedom Rise\u00ae<\/sup><\/a><\/li>
- 2. Start out with a secured credit card<\/a><\/li>
- 1. Become an authorized user on a parent's account<\/a><\/li>
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