Want To #Adult While You Are Studying? Here Are The Best Credit Cards For Students!
Y’know, I wish I knew about student credit cards when I was still in school.
Growing up and hearing things about credit card debts and whatnot, I belonged to the group of people who were fearful of credit cards.
If only I knew how silly that is…
Plus, you won’t be able to meet the minimum income criteria for some of the most popular cards, even if you’re working part-time or freelancing. Boohoo
But fret not! We’re here to help you find the best student credit card!
TL;DR – Best Student Credit Cards
BOC F1RST Card
| BOC F1RST Card | |
|---|---|
| Eligibility Requirements | |
| Nationality | Singaporean, Singapore PR or Foreigners (Students) |
| Singaporean or Singapore PR (Working Adults) | |
| Bank status | Must not be an existing BOC Principal Credit Cardmember |
| Age | 18 years old & above |
| Minimum income requirement | NIL (for students) |
| $18,000 (working adults) | |
| Applicants under 21 years old require the consent of their Parent/Legal Guardian |
|
| Fees & Waiver | |
| Annual fees | $203.30 (incl. GST) |
| Annual fee waiver | 2 years |
The BOC F1RST Card is applicable to all Singaporeans, Singapore PR and foreign students aged 18 and above and there’s no minimum income requirement for students!
It’s also good for you if you do not hit the regular income requirement for the other awesome credit cards as you just need to earn $18,000 per year to qualify for this card as a working adult.
The only thing that’s really troubling me is the annual fee… Perhaps the call-in-to-waive trick will for BOC too?
| BOC F1RST Card | |
|---|---|
| Minimum Spend | NIL |
| Credit Limit | $500 |
| Cash Rebates | |
| All spending | 0.5% |
I know it doesn’t look very impressive…
With a 0.5% cash rebate and a $500 credit limit, the maximum cashback you can get per month is $2.50.
But since it’s applicable on all spending, at least you don’t have to monitor which category you’re spending on.
You’ll also soon notice that the BOC F1RST Card is the only student credit card available for foreign students, sorry guys, y’all don’t have that many options to choose from.
CIMB AWSM Card
| CIMB AWSM Card | |
|---|---|
| Eligibility Requirements (for Students & NSFs) | |
| Nationality | Singaporean or Singapore PR |
| Bank status | Must not be an existing CIMB Credit Cardmember |
| Age | 18 to 29 years old |
| Minimum income requirement | NIL (for students) |
| $18,000 (for salaried employees) | |
| A photocopy of NRIC (both sides) of applicant’s parent/guardian required for applicants below 21 years old | |
| Fees & Waiver | |
| Annual Fees | NIL |
Did you know… AWSM stands for AWESOME?
Oh wait, you’re a student, why am I quizzing you about internet slangs…
But hey, the CIMB AWSM Card is really a pretty awesome card given that there’s no minimum income requirement for students!
NSFs can apply for this card too, we didn’t forget about you!
Similarly, if you are a working adult below the age of 29 and you’re unable to apply for the more popular credit cards due to your annual income, this will be helpful!
| CIMB AWSM Card | |
|---|---|
| Minimum Spend | NIL |
| Credit Limit | $500 |
| Cashback | |
| Dining & Entertainment | 1% |
| Online Shopping | |
| All Things Telco | |
Whew, 1% cashback on the major categories that you’ll spend on very often!
If you’re on a SIM Only plan, just take note that the current participating telcos are Singtel, M1, Starhub, Circles.Life and MyRepublic.
It might not look like much if you compare to the best cashback cards, but hey, you’ll never have to pay an annual fee for this card, whoop!
Singapore needs to go full cashless…
Citi Clear Card
| Citi Clear Card | |
|---|---|
| Eligibility Requirements | |
| Nationality | Singaporean or Singapore PR |
| Bank status | Must not be an existing primary Citibank cardmember |
| Age | 18 years old and above |
| Minimum income requirement | NIL |
| Eligible education institutions | NTU, NUS, SMU, SIM, SUTD, SIT, SUSS, University of Chicago Booth School of Business, DigiPen, ESSEC, GIST-TUM Asia, INSEAD, S P Jain, Tisch, UNLV, Nanyang Polytechnic, Ngee Ann Polytechnic, Republic Polytechnic, Singapore Polytechnic, Temasek Polytechnic, LASALLE-SIA, NAFA, EDHEC-Risk Institute and Sorbonne-Assas International Law School |
| For applicants below the age of 21, applicant's parent / guardian must consent to the application | |
| Fees & Waiver | |
| Annual fees | $29.96 (incl. GST) |
| Annual fee waiver | First year |
The Citi Clear Card is probably the best card if you are concerned about the income requirement because there’s none, even for working adults!
Plus, if you’re not studying in the mainstream educational institutions, don’t worry, Citi Clear Card is here for you.
| Citi Clear Card | |
|---|---|
| Minimum Spend | NIL |
| Credit Limit | $500 |
| Rewards | |
| Every $1 Spend | 1 Point |
As you can see, you kinda only have this option if you are looking for a Rewards card.
Your accumulated points can be used to pay for your purchases or you can redeem them for Citi ThankYou Rewards.
Have fun spending and accumulating points for a good life!
Maybank eVibes Card
| Maybank eVibes Card | |
|---|---|
| Eligibility Requirements | |
| Nationality | Singaporean or Singapore PR |
| Bank status | Must not be existing principal Maybank Credit Cardmember or CreditAble customer |
| Age | 18 to 30 years old |
| Minimum income requirement | NIL |
| Eligible education institutions | NUS, NTU, SUSS, SMU, NP, SP, NYP, TP, RP, NAFA, LASALLE, NIE, SUTD & SIT (or NSF) |
| For applicants below 21 years of age, your parent/legal guardian must consent to the application and is a Singapore Citizen or Permanent Resident | |
| Fees & Waiver | |
| Quarterly Fees | $5 |
| Quaterly fee waiver | First 2 years |
| By charging to Maybank eVibes card once every 3 months | |
The Maybank eVibes Card is the credit card I wished I had when I was a student…
The number of educational institutions it covers is slightly fewer than the Citi Clear Card, but it’s still good for those not enrolled in local schools.
Hi, NSFs, this one is for you too!
The best part for me? The quarterly fee of $5 is soooooooo easy to waive, as long as you charge to the card every 3 months.
C’mon, that’s pretty easy, right?
| Maybank eVibes Card | |
|---|---|
| Minimum Spend | NIL |
| Credit Limit | $500 |
| Cashback | |
| All retail spending | 1% |
Another card that gives you 1% cashback and drumroll please, it’s on all retail spending!
Hooray!!!
It looks like Maybank is really looking to attract a lot of students as they have quite a lot of exclusive promotions, along with a welcome gift.
Now that you’ve caught a glimpse of the #adulting life, spend wisely and paying your credit card bills on time!
Trust me, you’ll thank yourself for cultivating good financial habits from a young age.
Also, remember to check the terms and conditions for the cards as every bank will have exclusions for their cashback or rewards programme.
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