Best Travel Credit Cards for Students to Earn Rewards

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Are you a college student (or a parent of one) wondering what’s the best travel credit cards for students? Can students earn travel points and miles? It’s possible for student credit cards to build credit and earn rewards. These travel credit cards for students help you save for weekend road trips, spring break, or studying abroad.

Best Travel Credit Cards for Students

Parents can add their child as an authorized user to their own travel credit card. However, the below suggestions can help students build credit while aspiring to be world travelers.

Chase Freedom Unlimited

The Chase Freedom Unlimited® earns at least 1.5% cash back on all purchases.

Cardholders earn unlimited:

• 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠
• 3% cash back on dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery services
• 3% cash back on drugstore purchases
• 1.5% cash back on all other purchases

This card doesn’t have an annual fee. However, the 3% foreign transaction fee means the Freedom Unlimited might only be used for domestic trips.

It’s recommended to have a 680 credit score for the best approval odds for this card. Students who already own a credit card might qualify for this card. Otherwise, parents may need to co-sign.

New Chase Freedom Unlimited® cardholders can enjoy an additional 1.5% cash back on everything they buy (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year) – worth up to $300 cash back! That means they can enjoy 6.5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel, Chase’s premier rewards program that lets you redeem rewards for cash back, travel, gift cards, and more; 4.5% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service, and 3% on all other purchases (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year).

Bonus Mention: The Chase Freedom Student Credit Card

The information for the Chase Freedom® Student credit card has been collected independently by Johnny Jet. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

The Chase Freedom® Student credit card is another option to consider if you are a student. This no-annual-fee card comes with several perks, including the ability to earn rewards. Plus, you can work on building your credit. You’ll also establish a relationship with Chase that may help you get another Chase offer, further down the road.

Cardholders can also earn $20 Good Standing Rewards after each account anniversary for up to 5 years. Additionally, cardholders can also earn a credit limit increase after making 5 monthly payments on time within 10 months from account opening and meeting credit criteria.

New Chase Freedom Student credit card cardholders can earn a $50 bonus after making their first purchase, so long as it is made within the first 3 months from account opening.

Bank of America Travel Rewards Credit Card for Students

The information for the Bank of America® Travel Rewards Credit Card for Students has been collected independently by Johnny Jet. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

Earn 1.5 points for every $1 spent using the Bank of America® Travel Rewards Credit Card for Students. Bank of America customers can earn 10% more points, as long as they have an active Bank of America checking or savings account. New cardholders can earn 25,000 bonus points (worth $250) by spending $1,000 in the first 90 days of account opening.

Points are worth 1 cent each and redeemable for a variety of award travel. Your options include flights, hotel nights, and rental cars as a travel statement credit. There are no blackout dates or restrictions.

There is also no annual fee or foreign transaction fee.

Tip: If you’re interested in other cards with no annual fee or cards that are good for travels abroad, check out our post on the best no annual fee travel credit cards and the best credit cards for international travel.

Citi Rewards+ Student Card

The information for the Citi Rewards+℠ Student Card has been collected independently by Johnny Jet. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

The Citi Rewards+℠ Student Card earns 2x points per $1 spent at gas stations and supermarkets for the first $6,000 spent annually (then 1x point per $1 thereafter). All other purchases earn 1x point per $1 spent.

While students might enjoy the gas rewards when traveling, they may benefit more from the unlimited point Round Up feature. Citi rounds each purchase reward up to the next 10. For example, instead of earning 5 points on a $5 purchase, you get 10 points instead. A $21 purchase earns 30 points instead of the standard 21 point award.

Your points are redeemable for travel, cash and gift cards. Plus, Citi gives you a 10% redemption bonus on the first 100,000 points redeemed each year. Redeeming the full 100,000 points means you get 10,000 points back to redeem a second time. If each point is worth one cent, this bonus can be worth up to $100 in bonus rewards.

There is no annual fee but the Citi Rewards+℠ Student Card does have a 3% foreign transaction fee. The current signup bonus is 2,500 bonus points after spending $500 on purchases in the first 3 months of account opening. This is redeemable for a $25 gift card at thankyou.com.

Bank of America Cash Rewards Credit Card for Students

The information for the Bank of America® Cash Rewards Credit Card for Students has been collected independently by Johnny Jet. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

Students may earn more with the 3-2-1 tiered purchase rewards the Bank of America® Cash Rewards Credit Card for Students offers.

The 3% cash back bonus category can be gas, online shopping, dining, travel, drug stores, or home improvement/furnishings. Grocery stores and wholesale club purchases both earn 2% cash back. You get 3% and 2% cash back on the first $2,500 in combined quarterly spending, then 1%. All other purchases earn 1% cash back.

Note that you do have to choose which 3% category you wish to earn rewards in. You are allowed to change the category once a month for future purchases. Or, you can leave it and keep earning in that category. Cash rewards don’t expire and are redeemable in any amount for statement credits or direct bank deposit.

New cardholders can earn a $200 cash rewards bonus after making at least $1,000 in purchases in the first 90 days of account opening. There is no annual fee. However, unlike B of A’s Student Travel Rewards Card, the cash version has a 3% foreign transaction fee.

Journey Student Rewards from Capital One (Product No Longer Available)

The information for the Journey Student Rewards from Capital One has been collected independently by Johnny Jet. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

The Journey Student Rewards from Capital One has no annual fee or foreign transaction fee. This can be used to build credit without having to worry about extra fees. Cardholders can use the free CreditWise app to track their credit. Every purchase earns 1% cash back. However, you can get 1.25% cash back when you pay the balance in full each month.

Additionally, earn unlimited 5% cash back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel (terms apply).

Cardholders can also earn $5 per month for 12 months on select streaming subscriptions when they pay on time (exclusions apply). You can pick the monthly due date and be automatically considered for a higher credit line in as little as six months. Another helpful perk is the $0 fraud liability if your card is ever lost or stolen.

Capital One may also increase your credit limit after the first 6 monthly payments are made on time. This increase can boost your credit score and give you more spending power so you can purchase plane tickets, hotels, or other large travel expenses. Some of the best Capital One credit cards can help you reach your travel goals.

The Journey Student Rewards from Capital One can get you on the way to building your credit with responsible use.

Deserve EDU Mastercard for Students

The Deserve® EDU Mastercard for Students earns 1% cash back on all purchases. Deserve also gives you a free year of Amazon Prime for Students (a $59 value) after spending $500 in the first three billing cycles with your EDU card. Both the annual fee and foreign transaction fee are $0. Getting approved for this card can also be easy as you only need to be 18 years old. You don’t need to have a credit history.

ProTip: These cards are also excellent for international students. Students will simply need proof of a U.S. bank account balance (which you can often get through your university), a passport, their student visa, and their I-20 form.

This card also features Mastercard Platinum benefits including $600 in cell phone insurance and travel assistance service when traveling at least 50 miles from home. Although Mastercard can help you find help for free, you will most likely need to pay the service provider for their assistance.

Credit limits up to $5,000 are available, plenty for a trip of any length.

Learn more: Student Credit Cards

Wells Fargo Cash Back College Card

The information for the Wells Fargo Cash Back College℠ Card has been collected independently by Johnny Jet. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

The Wells Fargo Cash Back College℠ Card lets you earn 3% cash back on up to $2,500 spent on gas, grocery, and drugstore purchases for the first 6 months and 1% cash back for all other purchases. Every purchase earns unlimited 1% back after the promotional period.

Rewards are redeemable as a cash statement credit. You can then apply the bonus cash to offset your travel purchases.

There is a 3% foreign transaction fee but no annual fee. Like most Wells Fargo credit cards, an existing Wells Fargo relationship is necessary to apply online for this card. Otherwise, you will need to visit a Wells Fargo location.

Summary of the Best Travel Credit Cards for Students

Most college students have little or no credit history and minimal income. As a result, their credit cards are not the best for maximizing award travel. But it’s still possible to earn at least 1% back on every purchase and build credit history. Those little awards can turn into bigger ones in a few short years.