What are the best credit cards for graduate students?

The best credit cards for young professionals are the Capital One Venture, Citi Double Cash Card, and Chase Sapphire Reserve. They all offer above-average rewards per $1 spent, plus a sign-up deal of some kind, and some come with extra perks for travelers.

Young professionals are likely to have some credit history behind them and to want a credit card that rewards an on-the-go lifestyle while not costing them too much or being too rigid with rewards redemption. You can get to know the top options a bit better below.… read full answer

Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

Capital One Venture gives 5 miles per $1 spent on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, and 2 miles per $1 on all other purchases. You don’t have to use these miles for travel - they redeem for cash back and other items like gift cards, too - but they’re worth the most when used for travel. You can use miles to book your travel through Capital One, or you can reimburse travel purchases on your statement. The credit card’s wide definition of “travel” - including airfare, hotels, cruises, train tickets, taxi/bus/limo fare, time shares, and more - make redeeming for travel purchases worth it.

You’ll also get 75,000 miles for spending $4,000 in the first 3 months, worth about $750 in travel redemptions. You’ll need at least good credit to get this card. The annual fee is $95.

Citi® Double Cash Card – 18 month BT offer

Young professionals who don’t do much traveling (and even those who do) might prefer the Citi Double Cash Credit Card. This card gives 2% cash back on all purchases - 1% when you make a purchase and 1% when you pay for it. That’s twice the average rate across rewards credit cards. With cash back credit cards like this one, you don’t have to worry about categories or redemption methods. The annual fee is $0 and at least good credit is required.

Chase Sapphire Reserve®

The Chase Sapphire Reserve Credit Card is ideal for the young professional who travels more often than not. That’s because this card has a $550 annual fee, and it may not be worth the fee if you don’t travel a fair amount. But if you do, the fee will pay for itself.

Chase Sapphire Reserve gives 60,000 points ($900 when redeemed for travel through Chase) after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months, and a $300 travel expense credit each year you renew. You’ll also get an application fee credit of up to $100 for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck, and a free Priority Pass Select membership. You’ll need excellent credit to get approved for this card, though, which means it’s best for more established young professionals.

Whether you travel frequently or stay put most of the time, credit cards can be rewarding no matter which bracket you fall into as a young professional. Take your time to weigh out what you want in a credit card versus how you spend your money. And whichever rewards you end up choosing, make sure you redeem them often.

One of the best travel credit cards for beginners who are new to credit is the Capital One QuicksilverOne Cash Rewards Credit Card. This card offers 5% cash back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, as well as 1.5% cash back on all other purchases.

Plus, Capital One QuicksilverOne has a $0 foreign transaction fee, which makes it a good option for international travel. The card also has a $39 annual fee, but its rewards can more than cover the cost.… read full answer

Best Travel Credit Cards for Beginners to Credit

The best travel card for you depends on your overall credit standing and what you’re looking for in terms of rewards and fees. For more advice, check out WalletHub’s tips on how to choose a credit card for the first time.

A student credit card is a credit card branded specifically for use by college and graduate students with limited credit history or better. Student credit cards are easier to get than the average credit card, and they usually have $0 annual fees, rewards equal to at least 1% cash back on purchases, and minimum credit limits of $300 or so. Some student credit cards offer low introductory APRs, but the regular APRs on student credit cards tend to be above average.… read full answer

Students generally have less credit history and less income than professionals and older adults. But students also come with assumed future earning potential, so credit card companies are more willing to approve a student with no credit history than a non-student newcomer. Student credit cards work just like regular credit cards, however, because they are regular credit cards. They’re just aimed at students.

Student credit cards can help students with fair, limited, or no credit build their credit history. The right student card can also teach responsible credit card habits to people who are new to the game. For example, some give bonus rewards for on-time bill payments and/or good grades.

You’ll need to be at least 18 years old to apply for a student credit card—or any credit card— on your own. If you’re under 21, you’ll need an independent income that the credit card company can verify. Income from even a part-time job will help your approval odds. And of course, you should be a student; you’ll most likely be asked about your school information on the application. Limited or no credit history usually is not an issue with student cards, but if you already have bad credit, you may not get approved. In that case, you may want to aim for a secured credit card, like the Capital One Quicksilver Secured Cash Rewards Credit Card.

It’s important to remember that student credit cards are definitely real credit cards. Like all unsecured cards, you can get in over your head if you aren’t using it responsibly. And the higher APRs of student cards can be a big extra weight if you carry a balance.