Best Credit Cards for Students Looking to Travel
If you’re a student fresh out of the spring session and heading towards winter, chances are you’re definitely looking to travel. But, since you’re a student, money is bound to be short. Fear not, for here are the best credit cards for students looking to travel during summer vacations.
Citi Rewards+ Student Card
The Citi Rewards+ Student Card gives you 2 points for every $1 spent at supermarkets and gas stations for the first (annually spent) $6,000, (then 1 point per $1 after). All other spending gives you 1 point per $1. You’d definitely enjoy the gas rewards while traveling, but you may end up benefitting more from the point Round Up feature, which is unlimited.
Citi rounds up each purchase reward, to the next 10. So, instead of getting 5 points on a $5 buy, you get 10 points. A $21 purchase gets 30 points, instead of the usual 21-point award. Your points can be redeemed for cash, travel and gift cards. In addition, Citi provides a 10% redemption bonus for the first 100,000 points redeemed each year.
Redeeming the total 100,000 points means you receive 10,000 points back, to redeem once again. If each point is worth a cent, this bonus can go up to $100 in bonus rewards. There’s no annual fee, but the card does have a 3% international transaction fee. Currently, the signup bonus is 2,500 bonus points, after spending $500 within the first 3 months of opening the account. This makes it one of the best credit cards for students in 2020.
Chase Freedom Unlimited
The Chase Freedom Unlimited card gives 3% cash back (up to $20,000) on all purchases in the first year. After spending the 20k, you earn an unlimited 1.5% cash back on all spending. Cash back credit cards can also be redeemed for award travel. Every point is worth a cent, whether you redeem for travel or cash rewards.
There’s no annual fee on his card. However, the 3% international transaction fee means you are better off using Freedom Unlimited for domestic trips only. Students who already own a credit card have better chances of qualifying for this card. Otherwise, parents might have to co-sign.
Since Chase Ultimate Rewards don’t expire, the unredeemed points in college can be worth more when you qualify for a Chase Sapphire Preferred. The Sapphire Preferred benefits are great for travel since every point can be worth 25% more for travel on award.
Bank of America Travel Rewards Credit Card for Students
This card gives 1.5 points for every $1 spent. In addition, Bank of America customers can get 10% more points, if they have active BofA savings or checking account. New cardholders can get 25,000 bonus points which are worth $250, by spending $1,000 within the first 90 days of opening. Points are worth 1 cent each and are redeemable for a variety of award travel.
The options include flights, car rental and hotel nights, as a travel statement credit. There are no restrictions or blackout dates. There’s also no annual or foreign transaction fee.
Journey Student Rewards from Capital One
The Journey Student Rewards from Capital One has zero annual or international transaction fee. Each purchase gets 1% cash back. However, you can also get 1.25% cash back if you pay the bill on time. Capital One can also increase your credit limit if the first 5 monthly payments are made on time. This boosts your credit score and gives you more spending power, letting you purchase plane tickets, hotels, or other various other large travel expenses.
The Journey Student Rewards from Capital One can help you build up your credit score with responsible use. You can also eventually apply for the Capital One Venture Rewards card, which is one of the best travel credit cards for beginners.
Wells Fargo Cash Back College Card
This card lets you get 3% cash back on up to $2,500 spent on grocery, gas and various drugstore purchases, for the first 6 months, as well as, 1% cash back for every other purchase. Each purchase gets unlimited 1% back after the promotional period. The rewards are redeemable as a cash statement credit.
You can finally apply the bonus cash to offset the travel purchases. There is, however, a 3% foreign transaction fee albeit no annual fee. Like with most Wells Fargo credit cards, an existing relationship with the bank is necessary to apply for this card online. If not, you will need to visit a Wells Fargo location.
Bonus
While the other cards can get you a more well-rounded set of benefits, there aren’t many cards that take care of one very important aspect of student travel, which is clothing. A Gap credit card (one of the best store credit cards) will surely help with this, as it is applicable in any country with a qualified Gap outlet.
While it is not strictly an all-rounder, the Gap credit card will get you great discounts, and the best part is, you can continue using it long after you’re done traveling. All in all, the Gap card, and the aforementioned ones are definitely the best credit cards for students.
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