<p>I received a blue American Express "Rewards" card in the mail from "FIA CARD SERVICES." I vaguely remember seeing a good AmEx card offer on Facebook and applying for it, yet I can't find anything about that now. The card is branded with a USC Credit Union logo. Anyone have one of these?</p>
<p>What are the card's benefits?</p>
<p>IMO AMEX is not a good choice of a credit card for a student. There are enough places that do not accept AMEX to require the student to carry a second card (Visa/MC), and the spending levels are unlikely to make it worth any reward program. There are pretty much only three selection criteria for student credit cards --- wide acceptance (Visa and MC are the only ones who fall into that bin), zero annual fees, and as high an interest rate as possible. Yes, I said HIGH interest rate, so it makes carrying a balance hurt as much as possible. Carrying balance is a sucker's game, and the sooner a student learns that the better off they are.</p>
<p>Having said that, for parents that are about to plunk down 52k/year in tuition+room+board, the AMEX Blue Cash Rewards cannot be beat, particularly when coupled with a Chase Freedom card. Max out on the three categories that AMEX pays the most, divert three other categories to Chase's "Dynamic Rewards" program, and you are pulling in 5% rebate on gas, 3% rebate on 50-60% of your routine household expenses, and 1.5% on the tuition payments --- you can't do much better than that.</p>
<p>I have Citi mtvU Visa for 5x ThankYou points on restaurants (fast food and sit-down, Starbucks counts!), movie theaters, bookstores (Amazon counts!), music stores, and video rental stores. I have Citi Drivers Edge for 3% on gas, groceries, and drugstores (submit mileage forms for up to double that) and I can use the Drivers Edge rebates for car maintenance or I can convert the rebates to ThankYou points and use them for anything. I like ThankYou network because I can use points to pay off student</a> loans. The conversion rate for the student loan rebate is second to none in the entire ThankYou network. The Citi mtvU is a great card for college students. There are many bonuses: 25 points per month if you pay on time, up to 2,000 points for getting good grades.</p>
<p>I use American Express Clear to get a straight, no-hassle 1% cash back on everything else. I wouldn't be able to use a Blue Cash enough to reach the 5%/1.5% tier, so Clear is good enough for me. I also have a Chase Freedom Visa which I'm planning to use on any of the 15 categories they have that aren't covered by the Citi cards, but I won't end up using that much. Maybe just for the occasional haircut, parking garage, and department store.</p>
<p>I agree with protokurios that the Citi mtvU Visa credit card is a great choice. I spent some time doing research about which card to get. Ultimately, it came down to looking for a card that had accepted me (of course) and had no annual fee (why pay to use a credit card?). You also get points for maintaining a certain GPA (you have to send in documentation), paying your bill on time, and so forth.</p>
<p>The Credit Union Rewards Card is based on the Worldpoints System that is associated with Bank of America. Its not that great. It's a Visa card and not an AMEX card. FYI: At SC the only place that takes Amex is the bookstore. To get other things at USC you can use your Amex for discretionary dollars to everything else. I agree with the others that the Citi mtvu card is the way to go.</p>
<p>Blue from American Express® is an ideal credit card for those with good credit who already have an established credit history and are looking for a card with access to a reward program.</p>
<p>Various American Express® services and benefits are provided with this card, such as purchase protection, auto rental insurance, a year-end financial statement, and various travel and emergency assistance services.</p>
<p>Cardholders also have access to Blue's Membership Rewards Express® program, which offers members the chance to earn points that can be redeemed for various services and products. The rewards program is by far one of the best reward programs offered in the credit card industry, due in part to the variety of rewards offered with no yearly limit and no expiration policy for earned points.</p>
<p>This card has no annual fee and a reasonably low interest rate for purchases (for those who qualify), which makes it ideal for those who plan to occasionally carry a balance. The card has a 0% introductory rate for up to 12 months of membership that can be applied towards purchases. A 2.99% introductory rate is available on balance transfers for 12 months. It is important to note that the balance transfer introductory rate only applies to those who initiate a transfer when applying for the card.</p>
<p>Therefore, those who qualify for the lowest rate offered and plan to take advantage of the additional benefits and discounts available by American Express®, especially frequent travelers who can take advantage of the Membership Rewards Express® program with earned points that can be combined with various frequent flyer accounts, will benefit most from what the Blue from American Express® card has to offer.</p>
<p>info on Blue from...Listing</a> Cards & More! | cardlister.com</p>
<p>MTVu VISA
The Citi® mtvU Platinum Select® Visa® Card for College Students, issued by Citibank, is a credit card designed specifically for students and offers a unique reward program that awards students for using credit wisely and for receiving good grades.</p>
<p>Through the reward program, cardholders earn one point for general purchases and five points for every dollar spent at restaurants, bookstores, record stores, movie theaters, and video rentals. The program also awards 25 points when payments are made on time and spending does not surpass the credit limit. Twice per year, anywhere between 250 and 2,000 points may be awarded dependent on the student's GPA (beginning at 2.5). These points can be redeemed for gift cards, CDs, a VIP mtvU Spring Break Pass, tickets to the MTV Video Music Awards, and airline tickets. There is a 75,000 yearly limit to the number of points that may be earned, and points expire in five years.</p>
<p>This card has no annual fee, but the interest rate for purchases and balance transfers is above average for a student card. However, there is a 0% introductory rate that applies to all transactions for the first six months (a rare benefit for a student credit card).</p>
<p>It is important to understand that there is a minimum cap of 19.99% for cash advances; so no matter how low the Prime Rate falls (the APR is tied to the Prime Rate), the interest rate will not go below the minimum cap.</p>
<p>The card provides platinum cardholder benefits that include up to $1,000,000 in travel accident insurance, auto rental insurance, and various travel and emergency assistance services. Cardholders also receive a 10% discount on purchases made at the MTV online store and at the MTV New York City Store.</p>
<p>Therefore, students who can afford to pay in full each month after the introductory rate expires (to avoid finance charges) and plan to take advantage of the reward program will benefit most from what the Citi® mtvU Platinum Select® Visa® Card for College Students has to offer.</p>
<p>info on MTVu Visa from...
Listing</a> Cards & More! | cardlister.com</p>
<p>This card has no annual fee and a reasonably low interest rate for purchases (for those who qualify), which makes it ideal for those who plan to occasionally carry a balance. The card has a 0% introductory rate for up to 12 months of membership that can be applied towards purchases. <a href=“http://www.businesscreditcards.blogspot.com/2011/12/credit-cards-for-fair-credit.html[/url]”>http://www.businesscreditcards.blogspot.com/2011/12/credit-cards-for-fair-credit.html</a>
A 2.99% introductory rate is available on balance transfers for 12 months. It is important to note that the balance transfer introductory rate only applies to those who initiate a transfer when applying for the card.</p>