Capital One Journey Student Rewards Credit Card Review

Application Link

Key Features

  • Sign-up bonus: None
  • Cash back on spending: Up to 1.25% cash back
  • Cash back redemption: Redeem directly for cash
  • No foreign transaction fee (FTF)
  • No annual fee

Highlights

  • Up to 1.25% cash back: If you pay your bill on time for the month, the base 1% cash back increases to 1.25%
  • Easy approval and periodic credit limit increases: As a student card, people with about 3 months of credit history may be able to get approved. If you make on-time payments for five months, you may get a credit limit increase, potentially from $500 to $3,000.

Drawbacks

  • Not very versatile; really only suitable for students with very short credit history

My Take

If you just got your SSN or have only recently started building credit, this card can be a good option to help establish your credit history and on-time payment record. It’s also very easy to get approved for, and having no foreign transaction fee is a nice perk. That said, I would still recommend getting a Discover credit card first for its stronger benefits and long-term value. If you specifically need a Visa network card, then consider this one.

Application

  • Approval difficulty: Low. In general, you can try applying once you have more than 3 months of credit history.
  • Application status: You can only check your application status after receiving the confirmation email, which will explain how to check it.
  • Things to note: Capital One applications typically default to pulling reports from all three credit bureaus. Each person can only have 2 Capital One-issued credit cards (excluding co-branded cards). Adding an authorized user may also result in a HP, so do not add one unless necessary. See also: Capital One Bank Features

Application Link