March 14, 2025 · 13 mins read
Santosh Kumar
In this modern world, people are becoming tech-savvy, and the kids of this modern generation are prone to technology even from birth. They are exposed to a lot of benefits that come along with the technology. The development of banking sectors and financial institutions has been a great achievement in terms of money and investments. One such prominent thing that happened in those money areas would be the advent of credit cards and their non-negotiable benefits. Though its existence was an old date, its usage has become wider and more popular in the present day. People have been starting to get attracted to credit cards by analysing its benefits and they are slowly adapting to the world where credit cards would become an inevitable thing! In the present world, it has been made possible that even students could have their own credit card with the help of the scheme of student credit cards. In this blog, we are going to look into the documents needed for student credit cards and some other details that are related to student credit cards.
Basically, a credit card works in a way where you can borrow the money from the banks, then you make the purchases or you can pay the merchants for goods and services. Later, you are supposed to settle those payments either in a full time installment or in an over time installment which includes a monthly payment with interest. In order to get a credit card for oneself, there are certain criteria that need to be qualified or required. This eligibility criteria is dependent upon your age, monthly income or credit scores. If you are on good terms with these sections, you'll be fitted for a credit card.
However, the students might not be able to get fitted into the eligibility threshold and they won't be able to get a credit card. Please be rest assured because, here is where the banks have made a significant move and introduced student credit cards. It is due to the reason that the students might not be able to fulfill those required criteria to be eligible for a credit card and there would be some students who actually need the funds for their studies. Therefore, the banks have provided standalone student credit cards or a supplementary credit card for the students.
As a student, you might get an add on credit card or a credit card with fixed deposit. But before everything, as a student, you are in need to verify yourself with some supporting documents to get qualified for the credit card. So, there are certain documents required for the student credit card and those would be the major things which will decide if you get the student credit card or not.
The add-on credit card is a supplementary credit or a secondary credit card issued for the credit card holders. It is issued upon request by the primary credit card holder for their children or family. It is highly noted that it doesn't charge any annual fee or a separate joining fee like the other way of acquiring credit cards. Since it is an add-on credit card, it doesn't have any charge for it. Similarly, the credit card limit is also dependent upon the limit of the primary credit card. It could be changed to a lower limit if requested during the time of the credit card application process.
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Another way of getting credit cards is through a credit card against a Fixed Deposits (FD) account. In such a form of credit card, the limit will be a certain percentage of the FD funds. It could be typically 90% of the FD funds will be considered as the credit card limit. However, there are some criteria that have been set for the FD account to be eligible for the credit card.
The basic need in order to get a student credit card is the age of the applicant. The applicant should be of 18 years old or above and anywhere below 18 years are not eligible. You are also recommended to be a student at any university or college. Along with that, you need to have your student identity card. The other thing that is checked is the citizenship as Indian because it is applicable if you are an Indian when you are applying in India. The other eligibility requirements are scrutinised depending on the supporting documents required for student credit cards. So, to put it in a nutshell, the applicant's age is the primary focus when one is requesting a student credit card.
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While applying for a student credit card, there are some supporting documents that you have to submit to your bank. After cross verifying the documents, the bank will check the eligibility and later will approve the student credit card. Here are the lists of documents required for a student credit card:
Identity proof: To verify yourself and your profile, you need to submit either one of the following, which might be either your Aadhar card or PAN card, or your driving license or Voter ID or even the passport will do the needful.
Address proof: To apply for a credit card, you have to not only verify your identity but also your address. In order to verify that, you can submit either of these documents which will help in determining the address verification step. These documents include any one of the following: ration card, passport, driving license, telephone bill, utility bill or voter ID. The address you provide and the address in one of the above-mentioned proofs must match so that it will be successfully verified.
Age proof: Age is the first and foremost eligibility criterion for applying for a credit card. So, it could be verified with supporting documents like a Birth certificate, tenth-grade school certificate, passport, or even Voter ID.
Enrollment proof: As a student, you need to prove that you have been enrolled in any college or institution. For that, you might have to submit documents like a student identity card or the college admission slip, which would be perfect proof of your enrollment.
Photo proof: It is recommended that you have at least two to three passport-sized photos of yourself while you are applying for a student credit card. This is for your photo identification proof.
Parents/guardian's proof: In some cases, though not in all cases, you are in need to submit proof of the income of your parent/guardian. It is highly applicable if you're requesting an add-on student credit card.
These are all the varied documents needed for a student credit card. You will be approved for the credit card once the details match the information you have provided and are cross-verified.
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Many tend to ignore the process of researching the best credit cards for students as they do not know where to look for answers. Here’s one place they can start:
Interest Rates: Look for cards that charge low APR on purchases during the promotional period. Moreover, look for a card with a grace period – the time between purchases and the due date when you can avoid interest if you pay your balance in full.
Fees: Some cards have annual fees or joining fees. The cards with no fees are often the best credit cards for students. Be mindful of any late payment fees associated with the card. Students are more susceptible to delayed payments because of a lack of stable sources of income, so it's wise to consider a card like One Card, which has minimal late credit card fees.
Perks: Always consider cards that offer rewards like cash back or points. You can redeem them to subsidise your purchases or travel. Furthermore, there are cards with rewards tailored to students, such as discounts on textbooks, online purchases, or travel.
Credit Limit: Pick cards that allow you to increase your credit card limit slowly. Set a low limit at first to avoid overspending. You can eventually request a credit limit increase based on your spending pattern.
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Numerous benefits come along with the student credit card. However, the most prominent benefit would be the financial support the students might get from the student credit card. This is because, as a student, you might have to spend some money on books and buying study essentials and for that you need money. This is where the student credit card comes into the picture as a rescue factor by providing funds to you as a student. It also acts as a financial support to the ones who are in need of money.
It also helps in the credit score building for you as a person, because, when you apply for a credit card in the future, your credit score will have the highest weightage in the eligibility criteria and you can possibly build a nice credit score from here itself by having a student credit card. You can build a positive credit score by paying the funds on time and using credit cards properly. It will make it easier for you to get a credit card or even loans in the future.
Some student credit cards offer cash back on your purchases or other perks and benefits beyond rewards. For example, the Capital One Savor Student Cash Rewards Credit Card offers perks like extended warranty protection on eligible items purchased with the card and travel accident insurance when you use the card to purchase your fare. Other benefits may include free credit score access, no foreign transaction fees (which is great if you plan to study abroad), and 0 per cent intro APR offers on purchases or balance transfers for a limited time.
In a similar way to a regular credit card, the student credit card also has the facility of rewards upon money transfer. So, you can earn more rewards if you use your student credit card wisely. Also, you don't have to apply for a regular credit card once you complete your studies. You can upgrade the existing student credit card to a regular one. These are some of the valuable benefits that every student can acquire with a student credit card.
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Undoubtedly, a credit card can feel like "free money." But if you cannot comfortably pay off what you charge each month, you risk hefty interest fees that can spiral into long-term debt. In fact, 42% of Gen Zers carry a credit card balance from month to month, according to Bankrate's Credit Card Debt survey. Even worse, 60% of people who carry a credit card balance report being in debt for at least a year.
Credit card interest rates currently sit above 20% on average, which is incredibly high. If you aren't careful with your spending, you could end up racking up a considerable amount of high-interest credit card debt that can take years to pay down — and, importantly, eroding the credit-building opportunity that student cards offer.
Commit to paying more than your minimum each month, ideally shooting to pay off your bill in full.
While it's easier to qualify for a student card over traditional credit cards, the trade-off is that they tend to come with lower credit limits. Lower limits protect card issuers since those without much of a credit history are viewed as having a higher risk of defaulting on or not paying back what they borrow. After you've established a good credit score, you can set your sights on a stronger credit card with a higher credit limit.
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In conclusion, as a student, you can apply for a student credit card and take over the advantages that come along with that. You can collect all the necessary documents for a student credit card and apply for it to enjoy its maximum benefits. It has been marked with remarkable usage and advantages for the students with its features. The financial support is required when you are a student and that could be supported and taken care of without any worries when you have a student credit card. So, with no further delay, go ahead and quickly apply for a student credit card to enjoy the best out of it!
The answer to this question is no. This is because credit scores are important and are one of the eligibility criteria while applying for a credit card, but it is not applicable to students. Since the students are in their early stages and wouldn't have been to work, the credit scores don't matter as an eligibility factor.
There is no requirement that the student go to work or earn a minimum income. The student credit card application doesn't require the students to have a job or earnings. If the student has a job, it is not a problem while applying for a student credit card. Hence, banks do not expect a minimum income here.
The student credit card's interest rate varies and depends upon the bank that issues the credit card. However, there will be an interest charge ranging between 4% to 36% per year. But, this is entirely charged based on your bank and their schemes with the student credit card.
Yes, sharing or uploading the required or necessary documents while applying for a student credit card is mandatory. Because they are the resources that will help claim your details authentically and justify you as a student. So it is always better to be prepared with those documents for a quicker process with the application. These documents needed for student credit cards will further confirm that you are double verified to get the student credit card and it is also applicable with all the banks.
You could check the status of your student credit card by logging into the net banking application of the primary card holder if your student credit card is an add-on credit card. If not, then you can possibly contact the credit card customer services of your respective bank to know more details about the status of your student credit card. Or else you can also make a visit to your bank branch in your local area and check with the bank people regarding the status of your student credit card.
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