 TITLE: How Is a Student Credit Card Different From a Regular Credit Card? CONTENT: How a Student Credit Card Is Different From Other Cards\n-------------------------------------------------------\nYou'll typically have access to a traditional credit card once you've built enough credit history to show you can manage a higher credit limit. A student card can help you get there. Here are the main differences between a student credit card and a regular credit card.\n### Student Credit Cards\n*   **Usually have a lower credit limit**: Since students are new to credit, card issuers aren't yet sure you can be depended on to pay back big balances. As a result, a student card may have a lower credit limit than a regular card. You often can get access to a higher credit limit once you've made several on-time payments, though, depending on the card.\n*   **Are generally unsecured**: There are two types of regular credit cards: secured and unsecured. A secured credit card, generally an option for those with little or no credit, requires a minimal deposit, which becomes your credit limit. Student credit cards are unsecured, meaning they don't require a deposit.\n*   **May offer limited rewards**: Student credit cards sometimes give cardholders a range of rewards, like cash back on purchases in certain categories. Some regular credit cards, however, offer more extravagant reward options, like sign-up bonuses, airline miles and access to luxury airport lounges when traveling.\n*   **May provide special benefits for students**: On the other hand, a student credit card is more likely to have enticing perks for those in college. Certain Discover student cards, for instance, offer an annual $20 statement credit to cardholders who show they have a GPA of 3.0 or higher.\n### Regular Credit Cards\n*   **Have comparatively higher credit limits**: Once you qualify for a regular credit card, you'll generally have access to a higher credit line, which means more available credit. But make sure to use no more than 30% of your total credit limit at any time, as experts recommend; otherwise, you'll have a high credit utilization rate, negatively affecting your credit scores.\n*   **Can be secured or unsecured**: Regular credit cards offer more alternatives to those with little or no credit than student cards do. While it's typically harder to get an unsecured card, a secured card can help someone who doesn't have income or a cosigner build or restore credit.\n*   **Generally require better credit for better offers**: Regular credit cards with the most valuable rewards also require higher scores and more established credit history. To get a rewards credit card, you'll usually need a score of at least 670. Student credit cards, however, are designed to provide a way for those new to credit to build a profile.\n*   **Come in multiple types**: There are regular credit cards for all kinds of purposes. Rewards cards can offer cash back or points for travel; balance transfer cards are available to those who already have a credit card balance and want to pay it off over time, interest-free. END