[thrive_text_block color=”light” headline=”Editor’s Note”]The Citi® Dividend® Platinum Select for College Students is no longer available. Currently, we recommend the Capital One Journey and Discover it® for Students cash back cards. Or you can check out our Guide to Student Credit Cards for more recommendations.
If you still have this card, check out the 2016 Cash Back Calendar here.[/thrive_text_block]
[#Citi_Dividend_Platinum_Select_Student_Review#]
Overview: The Citi® Dividend® Card for College Students provides a generous rewards structure of 5% cash back on common purchase categories, no annual fee* and – perhaps best of all for college students – no co-signer needed to be approved for this card. College students can get their credit history started on the right track with all the tools Citi provides for credit management, plus cash rewards.
How This Card Works: This is a regular rewards credit card issued by Citi specifically for college students. No cosigner is required, so students don’t need to rely on their parents’ credit history to get this card. Citi reports payments to all three major credit bureaus, so the Citi Dividend Card for College Students can help college students build a credit history while earning rewards points and enjoying all the benefits of carrying a major credit card.
Fees: There is no annual fee* on this card. There is a 0% intro APR on purchases for the first 7 months*.
Rewards: Like many Citi rewards cards, the Citi Dividend Card for College Students offers cash rewards (Dividend Dollars) of up to 5%.
You can also enroll to earn 5% cash back in popular categories that rotate, a concept gaining popularity with credit card companies. Categories include restaurants, apparel, and hotels. If Citi were to improve on this aspect of the rewards program, they could offer more categories specifically relevant to college students; for instance, groceries, concert tickets and bookstores.
Finally, all other purchases earn 1% cash back*. There is a limit of $300 in dividend rewards you can earn within one calendar year, but this limit does not apply to rewards earned by shopping through any of the 400+ retailers part of the Citi Bonus Cash Center. You can earn an average of 5% cash back through the Citi Bonus Cash Center, making it worthwhile to use your Citi Visa for online shopping.
Your Dividend Dollars balance is printed on each statement.
Benefits: The Citi Dividend Card for College Students really stands out in the area of benefits. This is not a stripped-down version of a Visa card for people with little-to-no credit history. This card offers many of the same benefits as other platinum Visa cards and other Citi offerings. Benefits include:
- 0 $ fraud liability
- Extended warranties of up to one year on purchases made with your card
- Retail purchase protect against damage or theft for up to 0 days
- Car rental insurance
- Travel and emergency assistance
- Travel accident insurance
- Virtual Account Numbers for safe online shopping
The card also offers a number of benefits designed to help college students manage credit responsibly, including online tools to create and manage a budget, financial calculators and more.
Pros:
- No cosigner needed
- Effective way for college students to build their credit history
- Generous cash back rewards program of up to 5% or more*
- Benefits that rival other cash back rewards cards
- No annual fee*
- 0% intro APR on purchases for the first 7 months*
Optional benefits at an added cost
Cons:
- Cash back rewards limited to $300 per calendar year (with exceptions)
