Most Used Chase Credit Cards for Students to Build Credit

Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, Chase Freedom Flex℠ Card, Chase Freedom Rise℠ Credit Card, Chase Freedom Unlimited® Card, and many other Chase credit cards for students to help them build their credit even if they have low or no credit history. These credit cards do not charge any annual fee for students, provide a sign-in bonus, and offer low interest rates in the starting period.

Summary TLDR

Top 5 Chase Credit Cards for Students to Build Credit [2025]

Best Chase Credit Cards for Students to Build Credit for [March 2025]

1. Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Credit Card

The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card may help students with a bad or no credit history to build credit by maintaining their balances. Students may also enjoy other benefits such as travel rewards, bonus points, dining points, and many more.

Credit Building for Students

Issuer		Chase Bank
Payment Gateway		Visa
Credit Score		Good-Excellent
Intro APR		N/A
Regular APR		21.24%–28.24%
Sign In Bonus		60,000 points after $4,000 spent in 3 months
Balance Transfer		N/A
Best For		*Frequent Travellers *Food Enthusiasts

The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is a great option for travel enthusiasts which is issued by Chase. This card offers various travel rewards, dining reward points and flexible redemption options, which allow users to maximize their travel benefits while managing expenses efficiently.

The card has an annual fee of $95 and provides 2X points on travel and dining purchases. Credit limits vary, and applicants need a good credit score to qualify. In many cases, it may also allow beginners to have a credit card. This card also includes a referral program and travel insurance.

Key Features:

• Travel Rewards
• Dining Benefits
• Transferable points to airlines
• Offers 60,000 Bonus Points
• No Foreign Transaction Fee

Reward Rate:

• 5x points on travel via Chase Ultimate Rewards 
• 3x points on dining, streaming, and online grocery

Other Information:

• Charges $95 Annual Fee
• Charges 5% or $10 Cash Advance Fee

Pros & Cons of Chase Sapphire Preferred® Credit Card

Expert Advice:

The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is a great travel card along with this it also helps students build their credit. It may approve students with low or no credit history to build a positive credit by applying for the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, which offers a 0% international transaction fee. Chase Sapphire Preferred® Credit Card also allows students to earn various reward points on travel purchases, dining, online grocery, streaming services, and many more.

2. Chase Freedom Flex℠ Card

The Chase Freedom Flex℠ Card can assist students in building credit, even with a poor or no credit history, by managing their balances responsibly. Students may also enjoy other benefits, such as high cashback rewards on various purchases such as travel, dining, drug stores, gas stations, and many others.

Credit Building for Students

Issuer		Chase Bank
Payment Gateway		Mastercard
Credit Score		Good-Excellent
Intro APR		0% for 15 months
Regular APR		20.24%–28.99%
Sign In Bonus		$200 after $500 spent in 3 months
Balance Transfer		20.24%–28.99%
Best For		*General Consumers *Budget Shoppers

The Chase Freedom Flex℠ Card is designed for everyday spending and it is issued by Chase. It offers high cash back rewards on various categories and helps to manage expenses efficiently. It provides flexibility in earning rewards.

The card does not charge any annual fee and offers 5% cash back on rotating categories. The credit limit varies, and a good credit score is required. It also includes a referral program and purchase protection.

Key Features:

• No Annual Fee
• Rotating Categories
• 5% Cashback on Travel Purchased through Chase Travel
• 5% Cashback on upto $1,500 Purchase in Quarterly Bonus Categories

Reward Rate:

• 5% cash back on rotating categories 
• 3% cash back on dining & drugstores

Other Information:

• Charges 3% International Transaction Fee
• Charges 5% or $10 Cash Advance Fee

Pros & Cons of Chase Freedom Flex℠ Card

Expert Advice:

The Chase Freedom Flex℠ Card is a great option for people who are interested in cashback rewards, including students. It can be an ideal choice for students who want to build credit as it does not charge any annual fee and it charges 0% intro APR for 15 months. It offers approx  5% cashback rewards on upto $1,500 on combined purchases in quarterly bonus categories and several cashback on different purchases such as dining at restaurants along with takeout, drugstore purchases and many more.

3. Chase Freedom Rise℠ Credit Card

The Chase Freedom Rise℠ Card is a great option for students who want to earn cashback rewards and build credit. It offers 1.5% cashback on all purchases and approximately $25 in statement credit for signing up for automatic payments.

Credit Building for Students

Issuer		Chase
Payment Gateway		Visa
Credit Score		Fair-Good
Intro APR		0% for 6 months
Regular APR		27.24%
Sign-up Bonus		$25 after first purchase in 3 months
Balance Transfer		27.24%
Best For		*Students *Credit Builders

Chase Freedom Rise℠ is a solid starter credit card for those building credit. It offers 1.5% cash back on every purchase and has no categories to track, making it a simple and effective way to earn rewards while improving credit.

This card has a $0 annual fee and requires a fair credit score. Chase provides tools such as credit monitoring, automatic credit limit reviews, and fraud protection. It does not have a referral program but includes benefits such as purchase protection and extended warranties.

Key Features:

• No Annual Fee
• Offers Cashback 
• Helps to Build Credit 
• Earn $25 for Enrolling in Automatic Payments
• Free Access to FICO Score

Reward Rate:

• 1.5% cash back on all purchases

Other Information:

• Charges 5% or $10 Cash Advance Fee
• Charges 3% International Transaction fee

Pros & Cons of Chase Freedom Rise℠ Credit Card

Expert Advice:

The Chase Freedom Rise℠ Card is an excellent choice for students looking to earn cashback rewards and build credit. It has no annual fee and offers a 0% introductory APR for 6 months on purchases and balance transfers. You can earn 1.5% cashback on all purchases, with no expiration on rewards as long as your account is active. Students can also receive a $25 statement credit for signing up for automatic payments within the first 3 months.

4. Chase Freedom Unlimited®

The Chase Freedom Unlimited® Card can assist students in building credit, even with a poor or no credit history, by managing their balances responsibly. Students may also enjoy other benefits, such as high cashback rewards on various purchases such as travel, dining, drug stores, gas stations, and many others.

Credit Building for Students

Issuer		Chase
Payment Gateway		Visa
Credit Score		Good-Excellent
Intro APR		0% for 15 months
Regular APR		20.24%–28.99%
Sign-up Bonus		$200 after $500 spent in 3 months
Balance Transfers		20.24%–28.99%
Best For		General Consumers

The Chase Freedom Unlimited® Card is designed for everyday spending. Issued by Chase, it offers unlimited cash back on all purchases and helps manage expenses efficiently. It provides flexibility in earning rewards.

The card has no annual fee and offers 1.5% cash back on all purchases. The credit limit varies, and a good credit score is required. It also includes a referral program and purchase protection.

Key Features:

• Offers Cashback Rewards
• 5% Cash on Travel Purchases
• No Annual Fee

Reward Rate:

• 1.5% unlimited cashback on all purchases
• 3% cash back on dining & drugstores

Other Information:

• Charges 5% or $10 Cash Advance Fee
• Charges 3% International Transaction fee

Pros & Cons of Chase Freedom Unlimited®

Expert Advice:

The Chase Freedom Unlimited® Card is a great option for students who want to earn cashback rewards while building their credit. This card has no annual fee and provides a 0% introductory APR for the first 6 months on purchases and balance transfers. You can earn 1.5% cashback on all purchases. Students can earn 3% cashback on dining at restaurants, including takeout, as well as on drugstore purchases and more. For travel expenses made through Chase Travel, you can earn an impressive 5% cashback.

5. Chase Slate Edge® Credit Card

The Chase Slate Edge® Credit Card can assist students in building credit, even with a poor or no credit history, by managing their balances responsibly. Students may also enjoy other benefits, such as getting their interest rate reduced by 2% every year and an increase in credit limit.

Credit Building for Students

Issuer		Chase Bank
Payment Gateway		Visa
Credit Score		Good-Excellent
Intro APR		0% for 18 months
Regular APR		20.49% – 29.24% Variable
Sign In Bonus		N/A
Balance Transfer		20.49% – 29.24% Variable
Best For		Individuals

The Chase Slate Edge® Credit Card is a low-interest card designed for individuals looking to reduce existing credit card debt. Issued by Chase, its standout feature is the 0% intro APR for 18 months on purchases and balance transfers, along with potential APR reductions over time for responsible usage. It also offers automatic credit line reviews to help improve financial flexibility.

With no annual fee, this card is an affordable option for managing finances. It requires a good credit score (670+), and credit limits are determined by creditworthiness. The Slate Edge® also includes Chase’s Zero Liability Protection against fraud, free credit score tracking, and contactless payment for convenience. There is no referral program for this card.

Key Features:

• No Annual Fee
• Automatic Credit Limit Review After Meeting Certain Criteria
• Automatic APR Reduction Consideration After Meeting Certain Criteria

Reward Rate:

• N/A

Other Information:

• Charges 3% International Transaction Fee
• Charges 5% or $10 Cash Advance Fee

Pros & Cons of Chase Slate Edge® Credit Card

Expert Advice:

The Chase Slate Edge® credit card is a great option for students looking to build credit. It comes with no annual fee and offers a 0% introductory APR for the first 18 months. If students pay their bills on time and spend at least $1,000 on their cards, their APR rate is reduced by 2% each year. Chase Slate Edge® credit card also provides free access to your latest credit score which helps them to monitor their credit effectively.

Table of Comparison

Methodology

The selection of the best Chase credit card for student credit building requires focus on dollar-value and additional features that fulfill specific student needs, such as approval simplicity for new or limited credit users along with spending tracking functions for budget management and dependable customer assistance for student queries. The decision criteria is based on finding credit cards which helps in building good credit records while providing useful characteristics that match students’ money management patterns.

Several Chase credit cards are chosen on the basis of different criteria such as cashback rewards, travel points, intro APR, and the absence of annual fees. For instance, the Chase Freedom Unlimited® offers a straightforward 1.5% cashback on all purchases, which makes it an ideal for everyday spending, while the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card provides enhanced rewards for travel and dining that appeal to students who prioritize these categories. The inclusion of cards such as the Chase Slate Edge® Credit Card, which offers a potential 2% annual interest rate reduction, further demonstrates our commitment to selecting cards that offer tangible financial benefits and promote responsible credit management for students.

Does Chase offer Credit Cards for Students?

Chase offers various credit card options that can be beneficial for students aiming to build credit. Several Chase cards offer features and rewards that are customized according to the financial needs and spending habits of college students. These cards may help students to establish a positive credit history, manage expenses, and earn rewards on everyday purchases.

Examples of Chase Credit Card Options for Students:

• Chase Freedom Flex Credit Card: The Chase Freedom Flex offers benefits that can appeal to college students. It offers approximately 5% cash back on up to $1,500 in combined purchases for rotating bonus categories each quarter and 1% cash back on all other purchases. It does not charge any annual fee and it also offers a 0% introductory APR for 15 months on purchases.
• Chase Freedom Rise℠ Credit Card: This card is designed for individuals new to credit cards, including students, and offers 1.5% cash back on all purchases. New card members who have activated their automatic online bill payment within three months of receiving their card will receive a one-time $25 statement credit. Chase suggests having at least $250 in any Chase account to increase your chances of getting approved for Chase Freedom Rise®.
• Chase Sapphire Preferred Card: This card offers travel benefits such as earning points on travel and dining and no foreign transaction fees, which can be beneficial and attract many students who are studying abroad. The Ultimate Rewards Program allows cardholders to redeem points for travel, cashback, dining, or gift cards.

Choosing the Best Chase Credit Cards for Students to Build Credit?

1. No Annual Fee: Many Chase credit cards for students, such as the Chase Freedom Student and Chase Freedom Flex do not charge an annual fee which makes these cards more affordable for students on a budget.
2. Building Credit History: A primary reason for students to get a credit card is to build a credit history, which is important for future financial activities such as loans or apartments. The Chase Freedom Student Credit Card is specifically designed for students to build their credit responsibly.
3. Rewards: Some Chase cards offer rewards programs, such as cash back on purchases. The Chase Freedom Flex offers approx 5% cash back on up to $1,500 in combined purchases in rotating bonus categories each quarter, plus 1% cash back on all other purchases. The Chase Freedom Rise offers 1.5% cash back on all purchases.
4. Introductory APR Offers: Students may want to look for cards with 0% introductory APR on purchases, which allows them to make necessary purchases without incurring interest charges for a limited time.
5. Joining Fee: Some credit cards may charge a one-time joining fee when opening the account. Many Chase student credit cards, such as the Chase Freedom Flex, have no annual fee, which makes them more accessible and attracts students on a budget. Choosing a card without a joining fee helps keep expenses low while building credit. 
6. Credit Limit: Student credit cards typically start with lower credit limits, which allows students to avoid unnecessary or overspending and manage credit responsibly. The Chase Freedom Student Card has a credit limit of at least $500, with the potential for higher limits based on creditworthiness.
7. Student-Friendly Features: Look for useful features such as budgeting resources or spending trackers while applying for a credit card.

Why Do Students Need to Build Credit?

Students should start prioritizing the building of a good credit score as it can provide various financial opportunities and advantages in the future. A solid credit history plays a major role in securing favorable interest rates on loans such as student and car loans which can help students save a significant amount of money. It can also help students to get employed in various sectors such as law enforcement and accounting, where financial responsibility is a key consideration.

Here’s why building credit is essential for students:

• Financial Flexibility: A good credit score as a student will enhance the ability to rent apartments and secure financing for cars. It may also help them to get credit easily from lenders as a good credit history displays responsible credit usage.
• Employment Opportunities: Demonstrates responsibility and work ethic to potential employers. It may be helpful for students who are employed in fields such as law enforcement, accounting and the military, which may review credit histories as indicators of financial responsibility.
• Future Financial Goals: Securing better loan terms facilitates achieving long-term goals such as buying a new home, a car, or starting a business. A good credit history may help students get low interest rates and better terms on loans, which automatically leads to money savings.
• Financial Literacy: Early credit management experience helps in understanding financial products and avoiding debt traps set by many credit card companies.
• Rental Approvals: Improves chances of rental application approvals, potentially waiving the need for extra security deposits.

How Do Chase Credit Cards Help Students Build Credit?

Chase offers credit cards that can help students build credit in several ways.

Here’s how:

1. Chase provides resources and features to help students understand and manage credit responsibly, which promotes healthy spending habits.
2. Many Chase credit cards do not charge annual fees which helps students manage their finances without any additional costs.
3. Chase offers student credit cards which are designed for college students who have little to no credit history.
4. If the cardholders make timely payments for the first five months, then they can be eligible for a higher credit limit.
5. The Chase Freedom Student credit card was a good option for students building credit. It reports to the three major credit agencies, Equifax, Experian and TransUnion which is important for building a credit history, but now Chase has discontinued this card.
6. Chase student credit cards reward users with cash back rewards for their buying activities. For instance, the Chase Freedom Unlimited® card offers 1.5% cash back on all purchases.
7. Chase credit cards allow students to build a positive credit score by using credit cards responsibly, improving their spending habits and making payments on time are effective methods for building credit.

Chase provides an unsecured credit card (not backed by collateral) where the cardmember agrees to pay back the amount charged to the card. Each month, a statement reflecting the total balance and minimum due is issued and paying bills on time indicates responsible credit use, which can help build a credit score.

Advantages of Chase Credit Cards for Students

Chase student credit cards offer a practical way for students to begin building their credit history responsibly. These cards provide several advantages, from building credit to learning essential financial management skills.

Frequently Asked Questions 

What is a Chase Student Card?

A Chase student credit card is designed for college students who want to begin building their credit history. It often has easier qualification requirements compared to regular credit cards, making it accessible for students with limited credit history.

Does Chase offer Student Accounts?

Yes, Chase provides options for students to begin building credit. While Chase doesn’t offer specific student credit cards, the Chase Freedom Rise™ is available for individuals new to credit cards, including students.

How Does Chase Credit Card Help Students Build a Credit Score?

Students can build a positive credit history by making consistent, on-time payments with a Chase student credit card. This responsible credit use can lead to a solid credit score which is beneficial for future financial ventures such as renting an apartment or applying for loans.

What Are Chase Credit Cards Best Known For?

Chase credit cards are known for their rewards programs, such as the Chase Ultimate Rewards program, which offers flexibility in redeeming points for cash back, travel, or gift cards. They are also recognized for providing various benefits and perks.

Does Chase Credit Cards Provide Rewards Along With Building Credit?

Yes, Chase student credit cards often provide rewards such as cash back on purchases. These cards allow students to earn rewards while simultaneously building their credit.

Is There an Annual Fee for Chase Student Credit Cards?

Many Chase student credit cards have no annual fee which makes them a cost-effective option for students on a tight budget. The Chase Freedom Flex card, for example, has no annual fee.