Best Credit Cards for Indian Students studying abroad with No Credit History

Credit Cards
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  1. Discover it® Student Cash Back

Best for: Earning cash back with no annual fee
Key Benefits:
RECEIVE 5% CASH BACK FROM THE ROTATING CATEGORIES INCORPORATING GAS STATIONS AND RESTAURANTS OR AMAZON BUT ONLY THROUGHOUT QUARTERLY PERIODS UNTIL $1,500 PURCHASING LIMIT (ACTIVATE THE CATEGORIES FIRST)

  • 1% cash back on all other purchases
    This credit card matches all cash back collection during the first year of usage.
  • No annual fee
    Students seeking an opportunity to develop financial management skills alongside reward earning should find this card beneficial. The first-year cash-back match feature makes this card very appealing to new users.
  1. The Capital One QuicksilverOne® Cash Rewards Credit Card presents itself as an outstanding option.

Best for: Earning flat-rate cash back
Key Benefits:

  • 1.5% unlimited cash back on every purchase, every day
    Capital One gives students via their credit tracker tools specific means to build their credit scores
    The card does not require its users to follow rotating categories when claiming rewards.
  • Annual fee: $39
    This card gives students continuous cash-back rewards from all their purchases to help them construct credit without monitoring specific spending categories.
  1. Deserve® EDU Mastercard for Students

Best for: International students and those with limited credit history
Key Benefits:

  • 1% cash back on all purchases
  • No annual fee
    Students need not show any credit history to receive approval for this card.
  • Offers a free year of Amazon Prime Student membership
    The Deserve EDU Mastercard offers international students an exceptional choice since it omits the need for U.S. credit history for approval purposes. Students who want rewards benefits without paying annual charges will find this card very useful.
  1. Journey® Student Rewards from Capital One

Best for: Building credit with rewards
Key Benefits:
1% cash back on every purchase
gratuita de 1.25% se otorgará a todas las compras que se abonen en tiempo y forma
No annual fee
Students who use Capital One products can access their credit-building tools.
The learning advantage of this card serves to assist students in generating positive credit while they practice timely payments through bonus cashback incentives. Students interested in keeping their bills current should consider this option because payment motivation remains strong.

  1. Bank of America® Cash Rewards Credit Card for Students

Best for: Earning cash back on preferred categories
Key Benefits:
Students receive 3% cash back in a designated spending category from amongst gas, online shopping, dining and others.
2% cash back at grocery stores and wholesale clubs
1% on all other purchases
No annual fee
The card enables users to choose the spending category that receives maximum rewards through its flexible rewards system. Students seeking optimized reward benefits through lifestyle matching will find this credit card particularly useful.

  1. Petal® 2 “Cash Back, No Fees” Visa® Credit Card

Best for: Earning cash back with no fees
Key Benefits:
1% cash back on eligible purchases
Customers will receive 1.5% cash back after achieving twelve straight on-time payments.
No annual fee, no late fees, and no foreign transaction fees
Without any need for credit history approval becomes possible (approval depends on your current credit status).
Students can get approval for Petal’s program because its specific underwriting system works without needing traditional credit scores thus benefiting students who lack credit record. The feeless structure of this particular card makes budgeting much more affordable for users.

  1. Apple Card (for students with Apple Pay)

The card works best for those students who use Apple devices and products.
Key Benefits:
Apple Card grants students 1% money back every time they make a purchase using their designated credit card.
Students receive 2% cash back on transactions completed through Apple Pay payment method.
3% cash back on Apple purchases
No annual fee or foreign transaction fees
The Apple Card proves beneficial for students who routinely make Apple Pay transactions since it rewards them through simple cash back promotional programs.

  1. U.S. Bank Visa® Platinum Card for Students

Best for: Low-interest introductory APR for large purchases
Key Benefits:
This credit card provides 0% interest on purchases and balance transfers through 18 payment periods.
No annual fee
The U.S. Bank provides its financial management tools for use to customers
The 0% intro APR of this card serves students wanting to make big purchases without starting interest accrual.

  1. Citi Rewards+® Student Card

Students who want rewards will find the best value in this card which provides rounding benefits.
Key Benefits:
Students earn 2 ThankYou® Points when they conduct purchases at supermarkets and gas stations up to $6,000 within one year.
1 point on all other purchases
A unique feature of this card lets customers gain one more point each time they make a purchase while the total bill is rounded to the next 10-point threshold.
No annual fee
Students seeking reward revenue on basic shopping activities like groceries and gas benefits from this card since it rounds their points to the nearest 10.

  1. Students can acquire credit through the Credit One Bank® Unsecured Visa® for Students.

Students who want to construct their credit profile through simple qualification criteria should use these cards.
Key Benefits:
1% cash back on eligible purchases
Student cardholders can access their free online credit score at no cost
Annual fee: Varies ($0 - $75)
Students can use this card to establish credit while receiving cashback rewards since it serves them even without credit history or limited history.

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Do these credit cards also have eligibility based on the location or how much transactions you have in your account?

I am moving to US for my studies at Rochester Institute of Technology in New York and I was wondering if I can apply for any of these cards from India before moving there? Do I need to be in the country before I apply?

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In the U.S. the process of obtaining a credit card is dependent on factors including residency status along with credit history and financial income. The application process for specific credit cards demands either a United States address or Social Security Number (SSN) alongside other location-based requirements.

Acquiring a credit card becomes challenging since you plan to study in the U.S. initially. All major banks within the United States need their applicants to physically appear in the country before approval. Several international banks and fintech companies extend student-oriented credit cards available to Indian residents who maintain account relationships with them.

Some credit issuers enable you to provide only your passport as well as your visa during the application process before obtaining a Social Security Number. The process of obtaining a student credit card becomes simpler after you open a U.S. bank checking account since most banks approve these types of cards more easily.

A secured credit card serves as an excellent solution to build your credit record as these cards demand a deposit you can retrieve. Jacob can create a path to establish credit by allowing loved ones who are U.S. residents to add him as a cardholder on their credit account.

Students must check with credit institutions such as Chase, Bank of America or Discover because these banks provide student credit cards specifically for international students.

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I was offered an Apple Pay credit card as soon as I changed my app store location to United States after getting there. They offer sort of a co branded credit card and the banking as well as the process is handled by goldman sachs.

TBH, the process was so seamless for me and I got my card delivered within 3 days of applying. The credit limit was decent as well provided I am a student and had no income at that time

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That’s awesome! Apple Card does have a pretty smooth application process, and it’s great that you got a decent credit limit as a student with no prior income. The integration with Apple Pay and the cashback rewards are nice perks too. Are you planning to use it as your primary card, or do you have other options in mind?

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The criteria can be satisfied by a number of options.

  1. The Zolve Credit Card was created especially for professionals and students from abroad who are relocating to the United States. You can establish your credit history and apply for a pre-arrival application without paying any annual or foreign transaction fees.

  2. Student cashback: This card, which has no annual fee and offers cashback rewards of up to 5% on rotating categories and 1% on all other purchases, is perfect for students with little or no credit history.

  3. Students with little credit history can apply for the Capital One Quicksilver Student Cash Rewards Credit Card, which has no annual fee and provides an unlimited 1.5% cash back on all transactions. Additionally, there are no foreign transaction fees.

  4. ICICI Bank Student Forex Prepaid Card: This card provides secure transactions and multi-currency support for students traveling to nations like the USA. You can apply for this card without having any credit history.

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i’ve been studying in Europe since 2 years and using Apple Card was the best decision for me as everytime i make payment using apple pay, i got cashback which i use to compensate my other small student needs.

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Same here! The Apple Card for students in Europe has been a lifesaver. Getting cashback every time you use Apple Pay is such an easy way to save. Plus, no annual fees or foreign transaction fees make it even better. Have you had any issues using it outside Apple Pay, or does it work fine everywhere?