Finding Your First Credit Card

Finding Your First Credit Card

by Gabriel Adams

One of the biggest challenges when it comes to applying for a credit card may not be your previous credit history; it's going to be the challenge of finding your first credit card. Just like anything, the first time you do it, you're going to be new to the game. Credit cards are no different.

An advantage you may have when it comes to applying for a credit card is being a college student. The reason this is going to give you the advantage is because all major credit companies such as VISA and MasterCard offer credit cards solely for students. If you're not a student, it's going to be more of a challenge to find a card you're looking for.

When applying for a college student credit card, you're going to want to make sure you've applied for the university you want to attend. This is important because the credit companies will ask you specific college information. It will be next to impossible to fake your information because all of the companies will follow up on it if they suspect fraud.

Just about all of the credit cards you're going to look at will offer some sort of reward. Before applying, you're going to want to ask yourself a few questions. You will want to find out what rewards will benefit you the most. If you never fly on an airplane, then an airline based reward card won't benefit you at all. If you drive a lot, then a card focused on saving gas will benefit you.

Credit card rewards designed for college students are actually really good. A lot of them range anywhere from getting cash back on your purchases to bonus points every time you spend a dollar. You'll also find that some cards in particular won't offer any rewards at all. Even if you don't think the rewards will help you, I would strongly recommend that you apply for one because most of the times, these points will never expire.

What you'll find when applying for your first credit card is that the APR rate is extremely high. These rates can sometimes get as high as twenty to thirty percent. This is because the credit card companies have no history on you. Just put it this way. If you were to lend money to a stranger, you would feel a lot more uncomfortable then say, you're long time friend. The credit card companies feel the same way. Just remember that if you pay your bill off on time in full, you won't be charged the finance charges.

Another note you must jot down is that a credit card company is not going to give you a high credit limit, especially as a student. Your limit is going to range anywhere from five hundred to a thousand dollars. This is once again because you're new to the game and you have to establish trust with the companies. Once you prove your trust, your credit card score will go up and so will your credit limit.

When on your search for your first time credit card, you have to remember that only you can prevent debt. You will have to be extremely responsible when using your credit card because most companies will lend you more money than you can handle hoping you can't pay it off. This is of course, how they make money. If you're a disciplined person and currently attending college, then a college student credit card is the area you should focus on!