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Designed for college students, the Discover it Student chrome provides a way to start building a credit history while earning cash back, and will even reward you with a statement credit for having good grades.
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We give the Discover it® Student chrome 5 out of 5 Stars because it’s a strong offer for young people who are just getting into credit cards.
The Discover it Student chrome gives college and university students a way to establish a credit history. On top of that, it provides cash back rewards at gas stations and restaurants.
With no annual fee, this card is a convenient way to pay for those common purchases, where you’ll get 2% cash back (up to $1,00 spent per quarter). And Discover will even double all the cash back you earn in your first year.
There are some handy perks for students, like a good grades statement credit and the ability to monitor one of your FICO credit scores. The interest rates and fees are quite favorable too, good for first-time cardholders.
This card is just like the Discover it® chrome (Review), but it’s designed with students in mind. Use it wisely, and eventually you’ll be able to qualify for even better credit cards.
If you’re an international student take a look at the Deserve Edu Mastercard (Review), which doesn’t require an SSN to apply.
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So you’ll get 2% cash back rewards when you fuel up or go out to eat. That isn’t a whole lot compared to some other cards. But since Discover will double your rewards in the first year, that makes 4% back on those categories. Plus you’ll get 2% back on every other purchase in that first year, which is better than most cards. That’s pretty good for a card with no annual fee.
Redeeming your cash back is very easy with Discover. You’ll always get at least $1 for every $1 that you’ve earned. And there’s a way to get even more than that.
You’ll have five different options for redeeming your cash back:
We recommend always using one of the first four options above, and avoiding number five. The gift card option will offer a bonus of at least $5 on your redemptions, so use it first whenever possible.
Statement credits will lower your card’s account balance. Direct deposits are sent to your linked bank account. These are probably the easiest ways to redeem your cash back, but not the most rewarding.
If you pay with rewards you won’t earn any cash back on those purchases, so it’s better to pay with your card as normal.
Purchase APR | Balance Transfer APR | Cash Advance APR |
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See Terms | See Terms | See Terms |
Annual Fee | Foreign Transaction Fee |
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$0 | None |
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See Terms | See Terms |
Penalty APR | Late Fee | Returned Payment Fee |
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None | See Terms | See Terms |
There’s no annual fee on this reward card, so if you avoid accruing interest it can be completely free to use. Just pay your balance in full every billing period, and you’ll never have to worry about interest.
This is a good card for students because Discover has pretty forgiving terms. Some issuers will apply a penalty apr if you go over your credit limit or make a late payment, but Discover will not. Your first late payment also gets a pass. But you should commit to always using your card responsibly.
The Discover it® Student chrome is a good option to help college and university students improve their credit. And if you want to earn some cash back too (who doesn’t?), this card fits the bill.
Most of the card features are good for first-time credit card users, like the interest rates, terms, and benefits. You’ll get 2% cash back on gas and at restaurants, which tend to be frequent expenses for students, and those rewards will be doubled for the first year.
The $20 credit for good grades is a nice bonus that most credit card companies don’t offer. And being able to check one of your credit scores will help you improve your credit as fast as possible, with helpful tips along the way.
As a student who’s new to credit, you should always be responsible with your credit cards. This will help ensure that you build up a positive credit history, and eventually you’ll be able to qualify for more rewarding cards.
There are some other cards designed for students with limited or no credit. Take a look at some other student credit card options below.
You can apply now for the Discover it Student chrome by following the link below.
Discover will check your credit reports from the major credit reporting bureaus, along with other financial information. You’ll also need to provide proof that you’re a student, like a student ID or class schedule.
The Discover it® Student chrome is designed for people just starting to build a credit history. So it has people with sparse credit reports in mind.
Credit card decisions are based on more than just your credit scores. Credit card issuers will look at factors like annual income and monthly rent or mortgage payments, and check your credit reports. If they like what they see, you’ll likely be approved. Otherwise, you could be denied.
The only difference is that the Discover it® chrome (Review) was designed with students in mind. Students might have limited credit history, so it’s a little easier to get.
The largest difference between this card and the Discover it® Student Cash Back (Review) is in their rewards.
Instead of earning 2% cash back for gas and dining, you’ll earn 5% cash back on bonus categories that change every three months, or quarterly (up to $1,500 spent per quarter, then 1%; activation required). Other than that, you’ll get the same perks and redemption methods as you would with the Student chrome.
The benefits are pretty minimal, but could prove useful for students. You can check your FICO Score 8, based on your TransUnion credit report, get a $20 statement credit for good grades, and your rewards are doubled for the first year.
You can see all the benefits attached to your card right here.
You can redeem your rewards for a few different things, but the easiest method is to use them for statement credits to lower your card’s balance, or have them deposited into a bank account of your choosing.
You can also redeem them for gift cards, or donate them to a charity of your choice. Redeeming for gift cards is likely your best option however, because it offers a bonus of $5 or more.
The Discover it® Student Cash Back (Review) is very similar to the Discover it chrome for Students. The only difference is the reward structure, which is quite different.
The Discover it for Students provides 5% cash back in categories that rotate every three months, up to $1,500 spent per quarter, then 1% (activation required). And you’ll get 1% cash back on every other purchase.
The other terms, benefits, and rewards are the exact same. That includes the excellent Cashback Match offer. So you’ll actually be getting 10% cash back in those categories in your first year, and that’s a great deal.
If you’re an experienced credit card user and you know how to use them responsibly, you could even use both of these cards. Just use the Discover it whenever you can earn 5% cash back, and use the Discover it Chrome for every other purchase.
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The 5% cash back calendar for 2021 is:
Quarter | 5% Cash Back Categories |
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January – March | Grocery Stores, Walgreens, CVS |
April – June | Gas Stations, Wholesale Clubs, Select Streaming Services |
July – September | Restaurants, PayPal |
October – December | Amazon.com, Target.com, Walmart.com |
The Bank of America Cash Rewards™ Credit Card for Students (Review) is another good option for college students who are new to credit. It has no annual fee, and a different reward structure.
It’s a bit more rewarding than the chrome for Students, with more bonus categories. The cash back you earn in the 3% and 2% categories is limited to the first $2,500 in combined spending every quarter. After that limit is reached you’ll earn 1% cash back on those purchases. With that limit you can earn up to $75 cash back every three months, if you only spend in the 3% categories (not counting any 1% cash back purchases).
There’s also a decent signup bonus with this card, a nice quick incentive compared to the chrome for Students. You’ll probably get a longer 0% intro APR period as well.
So if you’re trying to decide between these two cards, the main question is: Do you want to earn rewards at just restaurants and gas stations, or in a wider variety of categories? BofA account holders will have an extra incentive to go with the Cash Rewards card thanks to a reward bonus. But the right card for you will depend on your personal shopping habits.
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The Journey Student Rewards from Capital One (Review) provides more flexibility at the cost of rewards when compared to the chrome for Students.
Rather than earning more on certain purchases, you’ll get 1% cash back on everything you buy. That 1% gets a little extra kick if you pay your bill on time, earning you .25% more. But other cards will offer at the very least 1% back for every purchase you make, so this isn’t a huge advantage.
These cards also differ in the credit score they provide. Whereas the chrome for Students offers your FICO Score 8 through TransUnion, this card provides a VantageScore 3.0, also from TransUnion. But Capital One’s CreditWise will show more information from that report (anyone can sign up for both Discover and Capital One’s credit monitoring services, cardholder or not).
Although the Journey Student Rewards is less rewarding than the others on our list, it’s still a solid way for students with limited credit to establish a positive credit history. In time, with responsible use, you’ll build up your credit and prove your worthiness for a more rewarding card.
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Unlike the other cards on this list, the Discover it® Secured (Review) isn’t a student card. This is a secured credit card, which means it requires a security deposit to use.
The rewards for gas and dining are exactly the same, and most of the other card features are too.
The security deposit must be at least $200, and it will fund your credit limit. Your credit limit will be equal to your deposit; if you pay more, up to $2,500, you’ll get a higher credit line. Every eight months, Discover will review your account and credit history for responsible use and may refund your deposit.
You won’t get the good grades statement credit with the Discover it Secured, but you will get double cash back in the first year — a surprisingly good offer for a secured card.
Although it’s not a student card, students can use the Discover it Secured as an option for building their credit. It also might prove useful for anyone who’s planning to become a student but isn’t one yet, or has just recently graduated from college.
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The Deserve Edu Mastercard (Review) is designed to be an option for students with limited or no credit. It’s also a good choice for international students because you won’t need an SSN to apply.
Unlike most cards, which just look at your credit history and financial situation, this card will take a few other factors into account when you apply.
The Deserve Edu will also consider:
So if you lack a traditional credit history this card provides a chance to get that first credit card. This can sometimes be the most difficult step, so it’s nice to see a card that will consider more than just the normal criteria.
You’ll also earn some cash back on your purchases.
This isn’t the most rewarding card, but if you’re a student with no credit history it might be one of the only cards you can get. International students without an SSN will have few other options as well. You can use this card to start building a positive credit history, and eventually you’ll be able to qualify for more rewarding cards.
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Brendan has been writing about personal finance for over eight years, and is now taking on the challenge of bringing high quality credit education to the masses. He makes sure that Credit Card Insider is covering the most important credit topics transparently and precisely, and that we have up-to-date reviews of credit cards so you can find cards that are right for you.
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