Credit cards for students: your first, your second, and later

Capital One · Mastercard

No rewards.

• Deposit of $49, $99, or $200, depending on your credit, for a $200 starting limit
• Reviewed for a higher limit in as little as 6 months
• You can earn your deposit back as you build credit
• No foreign transaction fees

Good for: No credit history, and you want the smallest deposit.

Capital One · Mastercard

1.5% cash back on everything; 5% on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel.

• $200 minimum deposit, which becomes your limit
• Reviewed for a higher limit in as little as 6 months
• No foreign transaction fees

Good for: You need a secured card but still want cash back.

Bank of America · Visa

3% in a category you choose, 2% at grocery stores and wholesale clubs (on the first $2,500 a quarter in those, combined), 1% on everything else.

• $200 minimum deposit, which becomes your limit
• Free FICO score in the app

Good for: You already bank with Bank of America.

Watch for: No automatic limit increases.

Chime · Visa

Cash back in a category you pick, up to 5%, depending on how much is direct-deposited to Chime.

• No credit check to apply
• No interest and no late fees
• Your limit is money you move in from Chime checking

Good for: You can’t get approved elsewhere yet, or never want to pay interest.

Watch for: Needs a Chime checking account; the best cash back needs regular direct deposits.

OpenSky · Visa

Cash back offers at some stores.

• No credit check to apply
• $200 minimum deposit, which becomes your limit

Good for: Other secured cards turned you down.

Watch for: Charges $35 a year. Try the no-fee secured cards above first.

Capital One · Mastercard

No rewards.

• No deposit
• Reviewed for a higher limit in as little as 6 months
• No foreign transaction fees

Good for: A short or bumpy credit history, and you’d rather not put down a deposit.

Capital One · Mastercard

3% on dining, entertainment, popular streaming, and at grocery stores (not Walmart or Target); 8% on Capital One Entertainment tickets; 5% on hotels and rental cars through Capital One Travel; 1% on everything else.

• No credit history needed
• No foreign transaction fees
• Free CreditWise credit monitoring

Good for: You spend on food, groceries, and streaming: the most cash back for a typical student.

Capital One · Mastercard

1.5% cash back on everything; 5% on hotels and rental cars through Capital One Travel.

• No credit history needed
• Reviewed for a higher limit in as little as 6 months
• No foreign transaction fees

Good for: You want one simple rate on everything.

Discover (Capital One) · Discover

5% in categories that change each quarter (turn them on each time; up to $1,500 a quarter), 1% on everything else.

• Cashback Match: all the cash back from your first year is doubled
• 0% interest on purchases for the first 6 months
• Now run by Capital One; the card keeps its name and rewards

Good for: You’ll check the categories every quarter for the highest rate.

Watch for: The 5% only counts after you turn it on each quarter. Discover is taken less often outside the U.S.

Discover (Capital One) · Discover

2% at gas stations and restaurants (up to $1,000 a quarter combined), 1% on everything else.

• Cashback Match in your first year
• 0% interest on purchases for the first 6 months

Good for: You want extra on gas and food without tracking categories.

Watch for: Discover is taken less often outside the U.S.

Chase · Visa

1.5% cash back on everything.

• Made for people with no credit history
• Can be reviewed for a higher limit in as little as 6 months
• A Chase checking account improves your odds of approval

Good for: You bank with Chase, or want a start with Chase for its other cards later.

Bank of America · Visa

3% in a category you choose (6% the first year, as of October 2026), 2% at grocery stores and wholesale clubs (on the first $2,500 a quarter in those, combined), 1% on everything else.

• Change your 3% category once a month: gas, online shopping, dining, travel, and more
• 0% interest on purchases for 15 billing cycles

Good for: Your biggest spending is in one category, like gas or online shopping.

Bank of America · Visa

1.5% cash back on everything.

• Nothing to track
• Cash back can go straight into a Bank of America account

Good for: You bank with Bank of America and want it simple.

Bank of America · Visa

1.5 points per $1 on everything; 3 points per $1 on travel booked through Bank of America Travel.

• No foreign transaction fees, so it’s good for studying abroad
• Points don’t expire
• 0% interest on purchases for 15 billing cycles

Good for: You’re studying abroad or travel home often.

Apple · Mastercard

3% at Apple and some stores when you pay with Apple Pay, 2% on anything paid with Apple Pay, 1% with the physical card.

• No fees of any kind: no yearly, late, or foreign transaction fee
• Cash back paid daily
• Shows your spending and interest clearly in the Wallet app

Good for: You have an iPhone and pay with Apple Pay.

Watch for: Needs an iPhone. The bank behind it is moving from Goldman Sachs to JPMorgan Chase through 2027.

Bilt · Mastercard

Points on rent and mortgage payments with no card fee (up to 1.25 per $1, depending on how much else you spend on the card); 1 point per $1 on everything else.

• Pay rent by card without the usual card fee
• Points transfer to airlines and hotels

Good for: You pay rent off campus.

Watch for: How many rent points you get depends on your other spending on the card; check the details first.

Chase · Visa

1.5% on everything, 3% at restaurants and drugstores, 5% on travel through Chase Travel.

• 0% interest for the first 15 months
• Later, pairs with a Sapphire card to turn cash back into travel points

Good for: A strong everyday card to add after your first.

Watch for: Charges a fee on purchases made outside the U.S.

Chase · Mastercard

5% in categories that change each quarter (turn them on; up to $1,500 a quarter), 5% on Chase Travel, 3% at restaurants and drugstores, 1% on everything else.

• Cell phone protection when you pay your phone bill with it
• 0% interest for the first 15 months

Good for: You’ll turn on the 5% categories each quarter.

Citi · Mastercard

2% on everything: 1% when you buy and 1% when you pay it off; 5% on hotels, rental cars, and attractions through Citi Travel.

• 0% on balance transfers for 18 months
• Nothing to track

Good for: You want a flat 2% next to a card with bonus categories.

Watch for: Charges a fee on purchases made outside the U.S.

Wells Fargo · Visa

2% cash back on everything.

• Cell phone protection up to $600 when you pay your phone bill with it ($25 deductible)
• 0% interest for the first 12 months

Good for: A flat 2% with phone protection included.

Watch for: Charges a fee on purchases made outside the U.S.

Wells Fargo · Visa

3 points per $1 at restaurants and gas stations, on travel, transit, popular streaming, and phone plans; 1 point on everything else.

• Cell phone protection up to $600 ($25 deductible)
• No foreign transaction fees

Good for: Lots of spending on food, gas, and getting around.

Capital One · Mastercard

3% on dining, entertainment, popular streaming, and at grocery stores (not Walmart or Target); 5% on hotels and rental cars through Capital One Travel; 1% on everything else.

• The grown-up version of Savor Student
• No foreign transaction fees

Good for: Food and fun are your biggest costs after school.

Watch for: Usually needs good credit, about 670 and up.

Discover (Capital One) · Discover

5% in categories that change each quarter (turn them on; up to $1,500 a quarter), 1% on everything else.

• Cashback Match in your first year
• 0% interest for the first 15 months

Good for: You like rotating 5% categories and don’t have a Discover card yet.

Watch for: Discover is taken less often outside the U.S.

American Express · American Express

3% at U.S. supermarkets, U.S. gas stations, and U.S. online stores (each up to $6,000 a year), 1% on everything else.

• Monthly credit toward a Disney streaming bundle
• 0% interest for the first 15 months
• American Express purchase protection

Good for: Groceries, gas, and online shopping are your big costs.

Watch for: Some small shops and many places abroad don’t take American Express, and it charges a fee on purchases abroad.

U.S. Bank · Visa

5% in two categories you choose each quarter (on the first $2,000 combined), 2% in one everyday category, 1% on everything else.

• Categories include things like phone bills, streaming, and fast food
• 0% interest for the first 15 months

Good for: Your phone, streaming, or utility bills are a big share of spending.

Watch for: Choose categories every quarter or you earn 1%.

Chase · Visa

5% at Amazon, Whole Foods, and Chase Travel; 2% at gas stations and restaurants and on local transit; 1% on everything else.

• No foreign transaction fees

Good for: You already pay for Prime and shop on Amazon a lot.

Watch for: Needs an active Prime membership to apply and to earn 5%.

Capital One · Visa

1.25 miles per $1 on everything; 5 on hotels and rental cars through Capital One Travel.

• No foreign transaction fees
• Miles transfer to airline and hotel programs
• 0% interest for the first 15 months

Good for: A first travel card with no yearly fee.

Coinbase · American Express

2% back in bitcoin on everything; up to 4% if you keep a lot of money on Coinbase (4% takes $200,000 or more).

• American Express purchase and travel protections
• No foreign transaction fees

Good for: You already use Coinbase and want rewards in bitcoin.

Watch for: Bitcoin rises and falls, so rewards can lose value. The membership costs $49.99 a year.

Robinhood · Visa

3% on everything; 5% on travel booked through Robinhood’s travel site.

• The full 3% when rewards go into a Robinhood investing account

Good for: You invest with Robinhood and spend enough to cover the membership.

Watch for: Needs a paid Robinhood Gold membership.

Gemini · Mastercard

In crypto: 4% on gas, EV charging, transit, and rideshare (first $300 a month), 3% at restaurants, 2% on groceries, 1% on everything else.

• Pick bitcoin, ether, or 50+ other coins
• No foreign transaction fees

Good for: You want crypto rewards without a membership fee.

Watch for: Crypto rewards can lose value.

Fidelity · Visa

2% on everything, deposited into a Fidelity account.

• Rewards go straight into investing or saving

Good for: You invest with Fidelity and want cash back to grow there.

Watch for: Usually needs very good credit, about 740 and up.

Chase · Visa

5x points on Chase Travel; 3x on dining, streaming, and online groceries; 2x on other travel; 1x on everything else.

• Points transfer to airlines and hotels
• Trip cancellation and rental car insurance
• No foreign transaction fees

Good for: Your first card with a fee, once you travel a few times a year.

Capital One · Visa

2 miles per $1 on everything; 5 on hotels, vacation rentals, and rental cars through Capital One Travel.

• Up to $120 back for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck
• Miles transfer to airlines and hotels
• No foreign transaction fees

Good for: Simple travel rewards on everything you buy.

Capital One · Visa

2 miles per $1 on everything; 10 on hotels and rental cars and 5 on flights and vacation rentals through Capital One Travel.

• $300 a year back on Capital One Travel bookings
• 10,000 bonus miles every anniversary
• Airport lounge access

Good for: You fly often and will use the $300 travel credit.

Watch for: The $395 fee pays off only if you use the travel credit.

American Express · American Express

4x points at restaurants and U.S. supermarkets (up to yearly limits), 3x on flights booked directly, 1x on everything else.

• Monthly dining and Uber credits
• Points transfer to airlines and hotels
• No foreign transaction fees

Good for: Big spending on restaurants and groceries.

Watch for: The credits come monthly; they’re only worth it if you use them.

Chase · Visa

8x points on Chase Travel, 4x on flights and hotels booked directly, 3x on dining, 1x on everything else.

• $300 a year back on travel
• Airport lounge access
• Trip, baggage, and rental car insurance

Good for: You travel often and spend a lot on it.

Watch for: $795 a year. Not for everyday spending alone.

American Express · American Express

5x points on flights booked directly with airlines or through Amex Travel; 1x on most other purchases.

• Airport lounge access, including Centurion Lounges
• Yearly credits for hotels, Uber, streaming, and more
• No foreign transaction fees

Good for: Frequent flyers who’d use the lounges and most of the credits.

Watch for: $895 a year, and it earns little on everyday spending.