How to Go About Choosing the Right Student Credit Card

Before you even take your first class, it is a certainty that you will be receiving credit card offers from all directions. If you are going to school away from home, these student cards can be a valuable tool for your day to day expenses and traveling home for visits alike.

A student credit card can also help with the costs of redecorating your dorm room to something a little more you. Finding the right card which is perfect for you all start with completing an application.

Companies who offer these cards are in fierce competition for your business - they may even approach you as you stroll around your campus. Some companies offer perks like clothing and food if you'll just fill out one of their applications. Needless to say, you shouldn't decide on it because of free pizza or a ball cap. Everyone loves getting something for nothing; but this is an important decision. You should decide based on the features of the card and nothing else.

Above all, don't just go for the first offer you get. Compare at least three offers first - or better yet, take your comparison shopping online.

There may be many different companies who want to extend you credit. They might even each offer the same credit limit. How do you choose the right card for you? The first step is to determine how much this card is going to cost you to use.

Some student credit cards come with an annual fee. The other cost to think about is the APR (the interest rate). A card with no annual fee is what you should look for. If you don't have to pay an annual fee, avoid it. You can find one if you look around.

The interest rates you are likely to find will be somewhere between 11 and 17 percent. Besides the interest rate, you might find some other things which might influence your decision.

There affinity cards; such as ones featuring your school's logo. There are also cards for environmental and political groups.

Some of them offer you reward points which you can trade in for rewards such as travel. You earn points by keeping up your payments and not spending over your credit limit.

Some stories also points in conjunction with these cards; meaning you'll get more for your money when you shop here with a rewards card. Some even offer cash back; of course, not every purchase will qualify for these rewards.

Of course, you can also sit back and enjoy the free snacks while listening to the campus credit reps pitch - just keep in mind that these representatives will probably not give you the information you need to make a wise decision about student credit cards.

Nick Makaryk is an Internet Publisher, Copywriter, and Founder of Best Credit Cards A Free consumer Credit Card Comparison site helps consumer minded individuals find the perfect credit card while avoiding high interest rates, charges, and no fees. Compare all Low Interest Credit Cards from accredited card issuers Visa, Master Cards, Discover, American Express.

Student Credit Card Info.?

For the past seven months I have been working as a nanny/personal assistant for two lawyers. I make anywhere from $1800 to $2000 or a little more a month depending on the hours I work. They do not file taxes so I have no proof of income.

I applied for a regular (non-student) credit card a few months ago and was denied by Bank of America because I didn't have enough credit. They told me to try somewhere else and I applied at Best Buy, American Express, Citi & Chase. I had no idea that continuing to apply could affect me negatively. When I applied for the last credit card at Chase it said "to many recent requests for credit"

Now that I am a college student I can apply for a student card. Will it let me or I have applied to much over the past six months? What will I be eligible for?

Answer
This really demonstrates why it's so important to research first before you start looking for credit. Student credit cards are much more likely for you at this point because of how the credit market has tightened up.

You should probably hold off for a little while so those inquiries can drop off your credit report. Ideally you'd wait another 6 months or so. If you want to improve you chances, you might want to look into getting a secured line of credit (where you put up the money first). While you can't borrow against anything except what you put up, at least you'll be building a credit history now.

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