The best travel credit cards for students

In this guide, we’ll give you the scoop on the best travel credit cards for students — and how to pick the right one.

We evaluated cards on factors such as fees, rewards, signup bonuses, international acceptance and intro APRs. Standout credit cards in these areas made our list.

• What's changed in 2020?

  When it comes to student travel cards, there were no major changes this year. Our top picks last year remain strong credit card options in 2020.

The best travel credit cards for students

While you’ll find many stellar travel credit cards for consumers with established credit, there aren’t many travel products aimed at students. Nevertheless, there are impressive picks among the few that are for students.

We highly recommend each of the following cards for students with a passion for traveling.

Our best overall pick
Bank of America® Travel Rewards for Students

Finder Rating: 4.1 / 5

★★★★★

Credit recommended (580-850) Read review

580
Min. credit score

$0
Annual fee

1.5x
Points

25,000
Points welcome offer

• Info
• Pros & cons
• Details

This card checks all the right boxes for a strong student travel card: no annual or foreign transaction fees, solid rewards, an excellent signup bonus, worldwide acceptance and a market-leading intro APR.

• Annual fee: None.
• Rewards: Unlimited 1.5x points on all purchases.
• Signup bonus: 25,000 bonus points after you make $1,000 in purchases within the first 90 days of opening your account, redeemable for $250 in statement credit.
• Intro APR: 0% on purchases for 12 billing cycles from account opening. After that, 14.99% to 22.99% variable.

Annual Fee	$0
Purchase APR	0% intro for the first 12 billing cycles (then 14.99% to 22.99% variable)
Balance transfer APR	14.99% to 22.99% variable
Welcome offer	25,000 points after spending $1,000 in the first 90 days
Rewards	1.5x points on all purchases

Great for road trips
Citi Rewards+℠ Student Card

Credit recommended (670-850) Read review

670
Min. credit score

$0
Annual fee

Up to 2x
Points

2,500
Points welcome offer

• Info
• Pros & cons
• Details

With this card, you'll earn accelerated rewards on gas, which you'll need a lot of for a rollicking road trip. You'll also like the bonus rewards at supermarkets — common stops for college students — and the solid intro APR on purchases. The card edges out the Citi Rewards+℠ Student Card, a close competitor, with wider international acceptance and a slightly stronger intro APR.

• Annual fee: None.
• Rewards: 2x points at supermarkets and gas stations on up to 6,000 per year, then the rate reverts to 1x points. 1x points on all other purchases.
• Points boost: Round up to the nearest 10 points on each purchase. 10% points back on the first 100,000 points redeemed.
• Intro APR: 0% on purchases for 7 months from account opening. After that, 14.49% to 24.49% variable applies.

Annual Fee	$0
Purchase APR	0% intro for the first 7 months (then 14.49% to 24.49% variable)
Balance transfer APR	14.49% to 24.49% variable
Welcome offer	2,500 points after spending $500 in the first 3 months
Rewards	2x points at supermarkets and gas stations for the first $6,000 annually, then 1x after that and on all other purchases

Disclaimer

The information about Citi Rewards+℠ Student Card has been collected independently by Finder and and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer.

Top rewards rate on travel
Bank of America® Cash Rewards for Students

Finder Rating: 4.4 / 5

★★★★★

Credit recommended (580-850) Read review

580
Min. credit score

$0
Annual fee

Up to 3%
Cash back

$200
Welcome offer

• Info
• Pros & cons
• Details

You can choose to earn 3% cash back in travel on up to 2,500 in purchases each quarter, then 1, which is an excellent rewards rate. The signup bonus and intro APR are impressive benefits as well. Watch out for the 3% foreign transaction fee, which makes the card better suited for domestic travel.

• Annual fee: None.
• Rewards: 3% cash back in one category of your choice, and 2% cash back at grocery stores and wholesale clubs on up to 2,500 in combined purchases each quarter, then a 1% rate applies. 1% cash back on all other purchases.
• Signup bonus: $200 cash bonus after you make $1,000 in purchases within the first 90 days of account opening.
• Intro APR: 0% on purchases and balance transfers for 12 statement closing dates after account opening.

Annual Fee	$0
Purchase APR	0% intro for the first 12 statement closing dates (then 13.99% to 23.99% variable)
Balance transfer APR	0% intro for the first 12 billing cycles (then 13.99% to 23.99% variable)
Welcome offer	$200 after spending $1,000 in the first 90 days
Rewards	3% and 2% cash back on the first $2,500 in combined choice category, grocery and wholesale club purchases each quarter, then 1%

How to choose the best travel credit card for students

If you’re unsure which student travel card to choose, here are a few things to consider depending on your needs:

• Ditch the annual fees.
  Plenty of great student cards don’t have annual fees.

• Check the rewards you’ll earn.
  Many of the best student cards offer some type of rewards on your purchases. For example, you might earn 1% cash back per dollar you spend on your card. You might earn points instead, redeemable for travel purchases.

• Avoid foreign transaction fees.
  These are fees you incur when you use your card abroad or on international websites. Typically, this comes out to 3% of each transaction, which can quickly add up with many purchases.

• Consider the card network.
  Visa and Mastercard are valid virtually anywhere credit cards are accepted. While you’ll find merchants abroad that take Discover and American Express, these networks lag behind in worldwide acceptance.

• An intro APR might help.
  If you’re very careful about paying off your card bill, an intro APR travel card can help you finance your trip interest-free.

For example, your card might offer a 0% intro APR on purchases for 12 months. You can use your card to buy your $450 plane ticket, then slowly pay it off throughout the year before your intro APR expires. If you do, you won’t accrue any interest.

Pros and cons of travel credit cards for students

Is a travel student credit card right for me?

A travel credit card might be especially useful if:

• You want to save your rewards for travel. Offsetting your trip cost with rewards can lessen the strain on your budget.

• You’re taking a trip abroad or studying abroad. Look for a card with no foreign transaction fees.

• You want to pay less interest on your trip. Traveling can be expensive, which means you might not have the funds to pay for it up front. With great caution, you can leverage an intro APR to finance your trip.

Compare travel credit cards for students

If you’re looking for a side-by-side look at your card options, select your credit score below and click “Show cards” to start comparing.

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Name	Product	Welcome offer	Rewards	Annual fee	Filter values
Petal® 2 "Cash Back, No Fees" Visa® Credit Card		N/A	Up to 10% cash back from select merchants, on other purchases earn 1% back, 1.25% after six on-time payments and 1.5% after 12 on-time payments	$0		Build your credit with rewards and no fees: Apply if you're new to credit or have a fair to good score of 600 or higher. See if you prequalify with no impact to your score.	Apply now View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
CardMatch™ from creditcards.com		See terms	See terms	See terms		Use the CardMatch tool to find cards you're likely to qualify for with your credit score, without a hard pull on your credit.	See offer View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Deserve® Edu Card		Amazon Prime Student subscription credit up to $59	1% cash back on all purchases	$0		Designed for college students to build credit history and earn rewards.	Apply now View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...

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Bottom line

With the right credit card, you can earn rewards while seeing the world. Stay out of debt while watching your credit score, and you can eventually upgrade to more-powerful travel cards.

If the cards mentioned don’t seem right for you, compare more student cards until you find one that meets your financial and travel needs.

Frequently asked questions

• Why is it so important to pay off my card balance in full before my intro APR expires?

  Once your intro APR expires, your card balance will start accruing interest at the normal APR. This is typically a very high rate for a student credit card, and it can be a big burden while you’re not yet making a full-time income.

• What if I see a Discover or American Express card I really like? Should I still get it?

  Both networks offer excellent cards. but keep in mind that many merchants abroad won’t accept your card. Consider carrying a Visa or Mastercard as a backup.

• I saw a great travel credit card, but it doesn't seem to be for students. Should I still apply?

  Providers issue student credit cards with the understanding that many of their applicants won’t have established credit. The provider of a general travel card probably requires at least a good credit score of 670 and above. If you’ve built your credit history — perhaps because you were an authorized user on someone else’s account — it’s possible you’ll qualify for this type of card. Otherwise, you may be limited to student and secured cards.