Sallie Mae Credit Cards

Sallie Mae is a leading credit card issuer that offers personal credit cards marketed towards students, and financial tools for easy everyday banking. Sallie Mae’s products are rich on rewards and target students, recent grads, and people who would like to build their credit. Browse credit cards below.

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Sallie Mae Ignite Card

Sallie Mae Ignite Card
Poor-No Credit Required
BestCards refers to a variation of FICO Score 9, which is one of many different types of credit scores. A financial institution may use a different score when deciding whether to approve you for a credit card. Please note that the range shown here is our own estimation and not a guarantee of credit needed to be approved for any given card. Recommended Credit: Poor / No Credit Required
Mastercard Processing Network
None Annual Fee

Sallie Mae Ignite Card

  • 17.99% to 29.99% variable based on creditworthiness and the Prime Rate Regular Purchase APR
  • 17.99% to 29.99% variable based on creditworthiness and the Prime Rate Balance Transfer APR
  • 29.99% variable based on the Prime Rate Cash Advance APR
  • 0% for 6 months from account opening date Intro Purchase APR

At a Glance

Students often have a difficult time finding a cash back cards that are a good fit for them, since it takes time to build credit history and many high-tiered rewards programs require excellent credit. However, Sallie Mae’s Ignite? Credit Card is a great cash-back option that will help students establish their credit while earning bonus rewards for responsible financial behaviors.

  • Best Benefits
  • Rates & Fees
  • Why Should You Apply?
  • No annual fee
  • Earn unlimited 1% cash back on every purchase, every day
  • Get a 25% bonus on your cash back rewards when you make 6 consecutive on-time payments
  • 0% introductory APR on purchases for 6 months from account opening
  • Intro Purchase APR: 0% for 6 months from account opening date
  • Regular Purchase APR: 17.99% to 29.99% variable based on creditworthiness and the Prime Rate
  • Intro Balance Transfer APR: 0% for 6 months from account opening date
  • Balance Transfer APR: 17.99% to 29.99% variable based on creditworthiness and the Prime Rate
  • Balance Transfer Transaction Fee: Either $5 or 3% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater
  • Cash Advance APR: 29.99% variable based on the Prime Rate
  • Cash Advance Transaction Fee: Either $10 or 5% of the amount of each cash advance, whichever is greater
  • Foreign Transaction Fee: 3% of the transaction amount in U.S. dollars
  • Late Payment Penalty Fee: Up to $39
  • Return Payment Penalty Fee: Up to $39
  • You want to earn unlimited 1% cash back on all purchases and a cash back bonus for responsible financial behavior
  • You don’t want to pay an annual fee
  • You will take advantage of an introductory APR of 0% for six months after account opening
  • You’re a student, or someone looking to build their credit history

Sallie Mae Accelerate Card

Sallie Mae Accelerate Card
Poor-No Credit Required
BestCards refers to a variation of FICO Score 9, which is one of many different types of credit scores. A financial institution may use a different score when deciding whether to approve you for a credit card. Please note that the range shown here is our own estimation and not a guarantee of credit needed to be approved for any given card. Recommended Credit: Poor / No Credit Required
Mastercard Processing Network
None Annual Fee

Sallie Mae Accelerate Card

  • 17.99% to 29.99% variable based on creditworthiness and the Prime Rate Regular Purchase APR
  • 17.99% to 29.99% variable based on creditworthiness and the Prime Rate Balance Transfer APR
  • 29.99% variable based on the Prime Rate Cash Advance APR
  • 0% for 15 months from account opening date Intro Purchase APR

At a Glance

The Sallie Mae Accelerate? Credit Card, designed for recent college graduates, stands out from other cash back cards because it’s the only credit card currently on the market that will reward you with a bonus when you use it to pay down a student loan. Earn 1.25% cash back on all purchases while you build your credit, along with no annual fee and a generous introductory APR offer.

  • Best Benefits
  • Rates & Fees
  • Why Should You Apply?
  • No annual fee
  • Earn unlimited 1.25% cash back on every purchase, every day
  • Earn a 25% bonus on any cash back rewards used to pay down student loans
  • 0% introductory APR on purchases for 15 months from account opening
  • Intro Purchase APR: 0% for 15 months from account opening date
  • Regular Purchase APR: 17.99% to 29.99% variable based on creditworthiness and the Prime Rate
  • Intro Balance Transfer APR: 0% for 15 months from account opening date
  • Balance Transfer APR: 17.99% to 29.99% variable based on creditworthiness and the Prime Rate
  • Balance Transfer Transaction Fee: Either $5 or 3% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater
  • Cash Advance APR: 29.99% variable based on the Prime Rate
  • Cash Advance Transaction Fee: Either $10 or 5% of the amount of each cash advance, whichever is greater
  • Foreign Transaction Fee: 3% of the transaction amount in U.S. dollars
  • Late Payment Penalty Fee: Up to $39
  • Return Payment Penalty Fee: Up to $39
  • You want to earn unlimited 1% cash back on all purchases and a cash back bonus for responsible financial behavior
  • You don’t want to pay an annual fee
  • You will take advantage of an introductory APR of 0% for 15 months after account opening
  • You are a student, or someone looking to build their credit history

Sallie Mae Evolve Card

Sallie Mae Evolve Card
Poor-No Credit Required
BestCards refers to a variation of FICO Score 9, which is one of many different types of credit scores. A financial institution may use a different score when deciding whether to approve you for a credit card. Please note that the range shown here is our own estimation and not a guarantee of credit needed to be approved for any given card. Recommended Credit: Poor / No Credit Required
Mastercard Processing Network
None Annual Fee

Sallie Mae Evolve Card

  • 17.99% to 29.99% variable based on creditworthiness and the Prime Rate Regular Purchase APR
  • 17.99% to 29.99% variable based on creditworthiness and the Prime Rate Balance Transfer APR
  • 29.99% variable based on the Prime Rate Cash Advance APR
  • 0% for 15 months from account opening date Intro Purchase APR

At a Glance

The Sallie Mae Evolve? Credit Card is a student credit card designed for recent college graduates, is a great way to earn cash back rewards while you build your credit score up from the ground. Earn 1.25% cash back on all purchases and you’ll automatically receive an extra 25% bonus on those rewards earned from your top two purchase categories each month, along with a generous introductory bonus offer.

  • Best Benefits
  • Rates & Fees
  • Why Should You Apply?
  • Earn unlimited 1.25% cash back on every purchase, every day
  • Earn a 25% bonus on cash back rewards earned from your top two purchase categories each month
  • No annual fee
  • 0% introductory APR on purchases for 15 months from account opening
  • Intro Purchase APR: 0% for 15 months from account opening date
  • Regular Purchase APR: 17.99% to 29.99% variable based on creditworthiness and the Prime Rate
  • Intro Balance Transfer APR: 0% for 15 months from account opening date
  • Balance Transfer APR: 17.99% to 29.99% variable based on creditworthiness and the Prime Rate
  • Balance Transfer Transaction Fee: Either $5 or 3% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater
  • Cash Advance APR: 29.99% variable based on the Prime Rate
  • Cash Advance Transaction Fee: Either $10 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater
  • Foreign Transaction Fee: 3% of the transaction amount in U.S. dollars
  • Late Payment Penalty Fee: Up to $39
  • Return Payment Penalty Fee: Up to $39
  • You don’t want to pay an annual fee
  • You like the idea of earning unlimited 1.25% cash back
  • You would like to earn a 25% cash back bonus each month on your top two purchase categories
  • You will take advantage of a generous introductory purchase APR of 0% for 15 months

About Sallie Mae

Sallie Mae is a name often associated with only student loans. While this is true for the most part, this is drastically different from the original positioning of the banking corporation at its outset in 1973.

Initially, Sallie Mae (officially the Student Loan Marketing Association or SLM Corporation) began as an entity to service federal student loans. Over time, however, Sallie Mae started issuing their own student loan products – something for which the company is known for today. This process eventually led to SLM spinning its loan servicing obligations to a new company, Navient.

Today, Sallie Mae offers much more than private student loans. The corporation also provides a variety of other financial services, including credit cards and banking. Banking products include:

  • Money market accounts
  • Certificates of Deposit (CDs)
  • High-yield savings accounts
  • SmartyPig – an online piggy bank

Sallie Mae Credit Cards

Sallie Mae currently issues three credit cards: the Ignite, the Accelerate, and Evolve. These credit cards are designed to reward borrowers with financial responsibility – and help them pay down their student loans at the same time.

The Sallie Mae Ignite is the entry-level version of the range, offering 2% cash back for the first 12 months.

The Accelerate and Evolve cards are more premium options, providing 2.5% cash back for the first 12 months and World Mastercard protections and benefits. World Mastercard is the middle-tier of Mastercard products, with benefits including:

  • ShopRunner: Free membership providing 2-day shipping with over 120 leading online retailers.
  • World VIP Concierge: 24/7 concierge service for airports, travel, and any other concerns.
  • Mastercard Luxury Hotel Collection: Complimentary upgrades, late checkout, and more at over 2,000 properties worldwide.
  • Cell Phone Protection: $1,000 in coverage per year ($600 per claim) if your phone is lost, stolen, or broken. Cardholders must pay their phone bill with an eligible card. Terms and conditions apply.
  • ID Theft Protection
  • Zero Fraud Liability
  • Global Emergency Services 

Find the Best Card for You

The team at BestCards.com knows how hard it is to find your perfect credit card. This is especially true if you don’t have the right tools and knowledge. That’s why we offer insightful credit card reviews, as well as informative articles to guide you every step of the way. Browse our 1,000 reviews and find your best card today.

Editorial Disclosure – The opinions expressed on BestCards.com's reviews, articles, and all other content on or relating to the website are solely those of the content’s author(s). These opinions do not reflect those of any card issuer or financial institution, and editorial content on our site has not been reviewed or approved by these entities unless noted otherwise. Further, BestCards.com lists credit card offers that are frequently updated with information believed to be accurate to the best of our team's knowledge. However, please review the information provided directly by the credit card issuer or related financial institution for full details.

Advertiser Disclosure

BestCards is an independent, Florida-based credit card comparison platform. Many of the card offers that appear on this site are from companies from which BestCards receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site (including, for example, the order in which they appear). BestCards does not include all card companies or all card offers available in the marketplace.