<p>With changes to credit card laws, it seems that it may be more difficult now to get a card if under 21. </p>
<p>1) what do you find the best offers, not as difficult to get one (ie. student s have limited income). Students have more limited income; do the companies tend to have a minimum income (say the student has limited work study of a few thousand a year). </p>
<p>2) what ones are best for overseas study (MC, VISA, Discover, AMEX). Some may have different fees for overseas fees. For overseas study, you would probably want a high enough limit for plane fares, etc. in case of emergencies.</p>
<p>3) Best rewards....not has important, but which ones do you like for rewards (say use it to buy books). </p>
<p>Curious to see what ones existing students/parents are finding.</p>
<p>As noted, there is NO credit card for students under 21. What most are doing is having a card issued to their kid’s from their own credit card. The credit card industry has changed substantially and they are no longer issuing credit cards to students with limited and unpredictable incomes…in their own names only.</p>
<p>I believe the owner of a credit card can ask for a low limit on the card - such as $300. I know of one card that wouldn’t go less than $600. With a low limit, the student is less likely to get in trouble. </p>
<p>The owner of an account (parent) can get a second card in the name of the student so they have no trouble using it and can sign. However, the parent is still responsible and sees the bills, in that case.</p>
<p>In August (2010) my son was (just barely) 18 and in between high school and college. He received several credit card offers in the mail. He took one from Capital One. It was no interest for 12 months I think. It started with a limit of $500 and then after 3 months of on time payments and not going over the limit they raised it to $1000. It was a student specific card (as were all his offers) and it said right on the application you can count financial aid as income, which is all the income he had at the time.</p>
<p>D did her study abroad using Visa with no problems. Every where she went she was able to use Visa. She did not have to worry about exchange rates because they rate of exchange on the day that she used the card. </p>
<p>Since the account info is part of my bill payer, many of the charges, I paid immediately so that she would always have room on her card. </p>
<p>The major stuff (airfare) I paid for. In addition, she is on a linked account with me where I was able to transfer money in the event of an emergency.</p>
<p>our freshman son has had a debit card with limited funds on it. my husband monitors balance and puts more money in as needed. this way, if he loses it there’s no big consequence.<br>
haven’t checked into study abroad, but will need to as he’ll probably go to spain in a year.</p>
<p>As for type of card, Discover is not accepted as much outside of the US if at all. We were told to send 18-yr old D to both Europe and South America with MC or Visa. Both were issued from our account. Don’t have AmEx so don’t know. D currently using own MC debit card in Ecuador with no problems but, even though they use the US$ as their currency, she still has to pay the exchange rate.</p>
<p>Great info. My student does have a small limit card on her own from Cap One when she turned 18. She had a summer job and qualified. Also has a paid internship, so that counts as income. Someone told me Europe is starting to go to Visa/MC with chips in them. Saw one site that compared cards, but wondered what actual users were experiencing.</p>
<p>thanks, annoyingdad, will check that out too.</p>