Valley Visa Signature® College Real Rewards Card

At a Glance

The Visa Signature College Real Rewards Card from Valley National Bank makes building good credit while in school look easy. Coming from a full line of uncomplicated cards, this option allows students to get started on their credit while earning a steady 1.5x points on purchases, with modest bonuses and introductory APRs in between.

Ideal for Those Who:

• Are getting ready to start college and can utilize the introductory APR on dorm room supplies and textbooks
• Have little to no credit history established
• Want to build credit without missing out on rewards

Valley Visa® College Real Rewards Card Review

The Valley National Bank Visa College Rewards Card doesn’t make any claims about big rewards or endless benefits. Instead, it serves as a basic starter credit card that students can use to begin the journey toward good credit.

Establish Credit While Earning Rewards

Like all cash back rewards cards, this Valley National Bank credit card has a set rewards rate that allows you to collect cash back on your purchases. While 1.5 points on every dollar spent may not sound like a lot, eventually they start to add up. Since there’s no limit to the points you can earn and no rotating categories to worry about, collecting these points feels as easy as earning extra credit for in-class participation.

To get you started, Valley awards a 2,500-point bonus when you make your first purchase with the card, which has a value of $25. The only drawback is that these points expire in 5 years, so you’ll want to cash-in before then. Once you have your points in the bag, you can start to redeem them for a variety of rewards, including:

• Gift cards from your favorite retailers
• Discounted travel
• Cash back in the form of statement credits or cash deposits

0% Introductory APR and No Annual Fee

Since the Visa Signature College Real Rewards Card from Valley is a pretty basic card, it makes sense that it comes with an average regular APR. Like many student credit cards, however, this Visa also grants cardholders an introductory APR of 0% for the first 6 months. This doesn’t quite compare to the introductory periods of most traditional cards, but it can still come in handy.

If you need to invest in a bunch of home goods to deck out your dorm room or apartment, at least you you’ll have a handful of months to pay off any balance you carry without worrying about interest. These modest perks also mean that Valley Bank doesn’t charge an annual fee, so you can spend your points how you like, whether you’re saving up for a spring break trip or treating yourself to a specialty coffee.

Should You Apply for the Valley Visa® College Real Rewards Card?

It can be difficult to decide which student credit card is right for you, especially if you don’t have a credit history yet. As with other credit card categories, student cards can vary widely, both in features and requirements. Some, like the Visa College Rewards Card from Valley, make it easy to apply since they rely on simple rewards rates and terms.

However, it can also feel like you’re missing out on bigger reward opportunities and benefits when you go with a card from a regional bank. If you’re open to working with a larger financial institution, the Bank of America® Cash Rewards Credit Card for Students is worth a look. It offers a longer intro APR and up to 3% cash back on select categories, though you’ll want to watch out for the intense penalty APR.

It’s also worth noting that the traditional equivalent of this card, the Valley Visa Signature Real Rewards Card, offers exactly the same terms and benefits. The only difference between these two cards is that the student version tends to have less strict credit requirements, for obvious reasons. So if you’re wondering which to apply to, this one may be easier to obtain.