College Student Credit Cards - How to Choose the Best One

Jordan Dunham

There are so many credit cards being offered to college students these days that it may be difficult to choose the right college student credit card. It is important to choose carefully to make sure that you have the best deal and rates available.

The interest rate that a college credit card charges is extremely important to take into account. The fact is that when you make a purchase on a college credit card you are, in effect, borrowing money from the credit card issuer. You must pay a monthly interest rate on this loan unless you pay your balance off in full every month. So, you want to have a college credit card with the lowest annual percentage rate and the longest 0% interest introductory period. The majority of college credit cards will be very similar in these two regards so the next point to consider is the rewards that you receive for using the credit card.

For most students, their college credit cards are the first 'proper' credit cards that they will have had and they will not be familiar with the types of rewards that are the best. The three main reward types that are most useful for students are:

* Frequent flyer miles * Cash back * Free gas

Frequent flyer miles are the best rewards to have with a college credit card for students who are attending a college a long distance from home. As you use your college credit card you accumulate frequent flyer miles that you can exchange for flights back home - or wherever you want to go. Unlike airline reward schemes, frequent flyer miles can be used on any participating airline, worldwide.

Cash back on a college credit card is actually a points system. As you spend money these points accumulate against your college credit card and they can be exchanged for cash, gift certificates or special discounts at popular outlets and stores. The amount of cash back that a college credit card awards may seem small but every little helps and you will soon be racking it up.

Free gas when you use your college credit card is the best option for students who have their own car. Gas prices are getting higher and some college credit cards offer rewards to help with the rising cost of motoring with rebates against gas station purchases. These free gas college credit cards also offer discounts and points towards other motoring related items so it is worth comparing the different schemes available.
About the Author

Jordan Dunham is an expert on student loans, visit http://www.students-loan-consolidation.org/ today for details.