Student independence is of key importance today. With the growing will to live on their terms comes the power play of money control and management. India has considered this change and subsequently developed several credit card arrangements for students of growing ages. These credit card schemes revolve around ensuring responsible yet authoritative expenditure, which will help them gain crucial skills regarding personal finance as they leap into adulthood. Some basic conditions of such schemes involve ease of approval, lower credit limits, and student-centric purchase rewards. This article will explore the multifaceted benefits of such credit cards, review the best available ones, outline the eligibility requirements, and speak more about their responsible use.
Benefits for students:
- Building a Credit Score:
With every new initiative comes newer benefits for students of growing ages. A primary objective of such initiatives is to build credit scores.
Building a credit history is of key importance in today’s community. It is seen as a record of how responsible one is with borrowing and repayment of money. Through this detailed record, retailers can trust and rely on the user throughout such transactions. This history is often used as proof of reliability and makes one’s profile much stronger for the forthcoming transactional process. For those who may want to start building this score early on in their youth, it is a significant boost to start with owning a credit card.
A few benefits of creating a good credit score include:
- Renting Convenience: a good credit score looks more convincing to property managers/holders and other proprietors. It is the quickest method to interpret your repayment capabilities.
- Loan Acquiring Advantages: The higher your credit score is, the more benefits are presented to you during loan procurement. These benefits may include lower interest rates, extended periods of repayment, and other possible assistance based on the individual’s needs.
- Financial autonomy and literacy:
Owning a credit card provides a sense of self-reliance. Gaining this conscience early on in one’s life can help one feel more in control of what comes next. This may also help students in times of emergency without having to depend on any third party for their needs. Furthermore, this would also help in gaining more knowledge on the ups and downs of the monetary lifestyle. The regular checks and balances of routine expenditures aid the money management process for the times that come after.
- Student-centric purchase rewards:
Most credit card initiatives include discounts, offers, and other forms of rewards tailored to each student’s basic requirements. These rewards act as a benefit and incentive to open a credit card account.
Some examples of such rewards include:
- Reward Points: secured with every new purchase and cashed in for future purchases and payments.
- Cashback Offers: selective offers on certain retail stores such as eatery spots, department stores, and online commerce.
- Partnered Deals: Several brands and corporations may provide discounts on every purchase due to their affiliation with the bank authority. These may include food delivery apps, fashion brands, and online educational resources, all aimed at student welfare.
- Little to no annual fee:
Most student cards launch with almost no annual fee. This is done to make the system’s settlement more straightforward and seamless for the younger generation. Sometimes, the cost may be exempted based on the expenses undertaken.
- Insured transactions:
Keeping the status of students in mind, most such credit cards ensure that as long as a required deposit is provided to the account, the user may not have to provide any proof of consistent income. Such arrangements are made so that the bank can upgrade the credit limit of every user to higher levels and make this journey quicker-paced.
Top Student Credit Cards in India:
The choice of which credit card to choose comes from each one’s requirements, expectations, and future objectives. Below are some of the most profound credit card initiatives found in India, along with their key attributes:
Credit Card | Annual Fee | Key Features |
IDFC FIRST WOW Credit Card | No Annual Fee | Apply with zero documentation; 4X reward points on each purchase; 6.25% interest rate p.a. on Fixed Deposit (FD); full cash withdrawal limit |
Kotak 811 #DreamDifferent Credit Card | No Annual Fee | Credit limit up to 90% of FD amount; no income proof required; reward points on every Rs. 100 spent on online purchases |
ICICI Coral Contactless Credit Card | ₹500 | 2 reward points per ₹100 spent; contactless payments; discount worth 15% on dining bills; Unlimited cash rewards via PAYBACK points |
Paisabazaar Step UP Credit Card | No Annual Fee | 90% credit limit of fixed deposit amount; 1 reward point on every Rs. 100 spent |
SBI Student Plus Advantage Credit Card | ₹500 | 1 reward point per ₹100 spent; points can pay bill; fuel surcharge waiver; annual fee waiver |
ICICI Bank Student Forex Prepaid Credit Card | ₹199 | Card Protection Plus insurance; discount of 40% on your excess baggage; International Student Identity Card (ISIC) membership of Rs.590. |
HDFC Multicurrency Platinum ForexPlus Credit Card | No Annual Fee | Amazon Voucher on load/reload; Dubai Shopping Voucher of AED300 on load; 10X Reward points on load |
Axis Bank Neo Credit Card | ₹250 | 4 reward points per ₹200 spent; discounts on Zomato, Myntra, Blinkit, BookMyShow |
Student Credit Card Eligibility Requirements:
As such, these cards are developed to be easily accessible and highly convenient; however, a few guidelines need to be met to hold such cards. These are as follows:
- Age:
- Applicants must be at least 18 years old. Some banks may ask for the applicant to be at least 21, depending on the kind of card. Any proof, such as a birth certificate, would provide valid proof to enroll.
- Proof of Student Status:
- The applicant must be admitted into any accredited college or university. Proof of this may be a school ID card, acceptance letter, etc.
- Indian Citizenship:
- Generally, such initiatives are only open to Indian citizens. Any proof of this may be applicable to enroll.
- Specified Fixed Deposit:
- For most student credit cards, there is a minimum FD amount that may be used as security during enrolment. This amount may differ between banks.
- Documentation:
- The application process includes several documents in advance. These may include:
- Identity Authentication
- Any official government-issued ID
- Birth Certificate
- Proof of Permanent Local Address
- Rental agreements
- Proof of Student Status
- School-issued ID, Acceptance letter
- Passport-sized photographs
- Identity Authentication
- The application process includes several documents in advance. These may include:
Tips for Responsible Use:
Owning a credit card is your first step towards adulthood and should be dealt with utmost care and responsibility. Reckless behavior with the same could lead to extreme situations in terms of credit scores and bank traps. On the positive end, optimal use could build your economic health very early in life. Some practices following the latter path involve:
- Making timely payments:
- The whole theory behind a credit card stems from its positive influence on one’s life. However, inconsistent payments could do more harm than one can imagine. Your payment history is one of the key factors in making up your credit score. Hence, timely payments are essential and should be made a habit.
- Spend only what you can pay off:
- The concept of ‘instant money’ on a credit card is undoubtedly a messy trap we all fall into. A higher credit limit makes this worse in some cases. Avoiding hasty purchases will help build a stronger profile. This is the quickest way to keep your account and balance in check, ensuring no extra interest rates are added to your payment.
- Avoid multiple credit cards:
- Too much of anything can be detrimental to us. Similarly, having multiple credit cards might seem appealing to us, considering our credit score growth; however, this also comes with more risks of late payments and spur-of-the-moment purchases.
- Systematic Increase Of Credit Score:
- As fascinating as the process may seem to hold a credit card initially, always try to be extra cautious with your purchases. Smaller purchases at the very beginning could be a good start in managing your expenses better in the long run. Take it like a test-run before you jump into the driver’s seat.
- Familiarize Yourself With The Card Terms:
- Each cardholder needs to know about the features and demands of the bank and the card they hold. This may range from interest rates and payment deadlines to the more fun stuff like attainable reward criteria. This is a step towards optimal use of the held credit card.
- Protect Your Account:
- Never give out your card or account details to anybody. These may include your PIN code, card number, CVC, etc. In the case of a lost or stolen credit card, contact your bank immediately and ensure that the card has been blocked to prevent any further unknown expenditure. When shopping online, always make transactions through recognized, official websites and opt for multi-factor authentication.
The bottom line is:
Owning a credit card is truly a fascinating experience as it helps you transform from a spender to a smart spender. It builds a profile that will last a lifetime, aiding you at every step of your forthcoming years.