Student Travel Credit Cards To Save During Spring Break

After two years of the pandemic stalling spring break travel, 2022 is looking to be bigger than ever — both in terms of crowds and costs.

For students who have sat out the last two spring break trips, this means their excitement will likely be met with expensive travel.

Below, Select spoke with an expert on how you can save on your upcoming vacation with the perfect travel credit cards catered to students making a trip.

If you’re a student or credit card newbie, getting approved for the right travel card can be tricky if you don’t already have a decent credit score to back you up.

“Travel credit cards sometimes require very good credit, so for students with limited credit, this might not be an option,” says Beverly Harzog, credit card expert at U.S. News & World Report. “But for those who do qualify, if they use the card responsibly, they can continue to build their credit while also saving money on travel.”

Luckily, there are credit cards out there made for students specifically that can help them save on their spring break spending. The Journey Student Rewards from Capital One offers unlimited 1% cash back on all your purchases and, when you pay your bill on time, you boost your cash back to a total of 1.25% for that month. This means that some of your vacation costs can be put back into your wallet, and cardholders are rewarded for paying their credit card bill. The card also comes with no annual fee, no foreign transaction fees, and is on the VISA card network that’s accepted internationally.

Another option is the Bank of America® Travel Rewards Credit Card for Students. On your trip, you can earn an unlimited 1.5 points for every $1 you spend on all purchases and redeem rewards as a statement credit to cover the cost of travel purchases. There are also no foreign transaction fees.

Even better, the card comes with 25,000 bonus points after you spend at least $1,000 in purchases in the first 90 days of account opening, which can be redeemed for a $250 statement credit toward qualifying travel purchases.

“It’s essential to choose a travel rewards card that will benefit you the most,” Harzog adds. “Select a credit card that’s in sync with the way you spend money on travel.” For the two flat-rate cash back cards above, this is easy to do since you can earn money on any purchase you make.

If the two cards above don’t appeal to you, there are a number of other student credit cards available that offer perks like cash back for spending at restaurants and gas stations. Plus, you’ll want be sure to read up on the requirements for getting approved for a student credit card.

When it comes to spring break spending, taking out a travel credit card geared for students can help you pay for your expenses, while also helping build your credit profile.

“Any credit card that you use responsibly helps you build credit and improve your credit score,” Harzog says.

As you’re planning out spring break activities and dining out, make sure you are charging expenses on your card that you know you can pay off once spring break ends. If you can’t pay your full statement balance you’ll have to pay interest charges which can wipe away the value of any rewards and cash back that you may receive from your credit card.