Deserve EDU Mastercard for Students: Our Review & Things to Consider

The Deserve EDU Mastercard for Students is primarily meant for students with a limited credit history. Usually, people with bad credit scores would have to put down a security deposit or have a co-signer to get approved for a credit card. However, this isn't the case with this unsecured card.

Since you don’t need a Social Security number to apply for this card, it is an excellent option for international students in the U.S.

Card Details to Know Up Front

Bonus, Fee or Feature
Has or Not
Has Annual Fee
Has Balance Transfer Offer
Has APR Offer
Cash Back Rewards
Travel Rewards
Hotel Benefits
Airline Benefits
Has Rewarding Welcome Offer
Has Foreign Transaction Fee
Credit Needed
None–Poor

Click to see this card’s rates, fees and how they compare to other cards in our dataset.

Deserve EDU Mastercard for Students at a Glance

With the Deserve EDU Mastercard for Students, you earn a 1% cash back reward on every type of purchase. You can also get Amazon Prime Student free for one year after you’ve spent $500 in the first three billing cycles.

By referring this card to a friend, you can both earn a bonus of $30 once the friend signs up and uses the card.

Deserve EDU Mastercard for Students
Best student cash back card for limited credit history
- None–PoorCredit Needed
- $0Annual Fee
- 1% Cash BackRewards Rate
- 1xRewards Rate on Online Shopping
- 1xRewards Rate on Groceries
Pros
1% cash back on all purchases
Amazon Prime Student free for one year
Cell phone protection
No foreign transaction fees
No annual fee

Cons
No bonus spending categories
Balance transfers and cash advances aren’t available
Earn 1% unlimited cash back on all purchases
Receive one year of Amazon Prime Student on Deserve after spending $500 in the first three billing cycles from account opening
Receive up to $600 in cell phone protection when you use the card to pay your monthly cell phone bill
Disclaimer: Credit card offers are constantly changing. We work hard to stay updated with the latest information, but the offers listed on our site may no longer be available.
Terms, rates and fees apply
Compare this credit card with other student credit cards.

Pros & Cons Explained

The pros and cons of Deserve EDU Mastercard for Students will help you decide if this card is the right option for you.

Pros

Benefits
Description
No foreign transaction fee
This card has no foreign transaction fees, making it an outstanding option while traveling internationally.
No security deposit
Credit cards for people with limited credit history usually require a security deposit to get approved; however, that is not the case with this card.
No SSN requirement
International students in the U.S. don’t have a Social Security number. The lack of an SSN requirement makes this a solid choice for foreign students studying abroad in America.

Cons

Drawbacks
Description
High APR
The variable regular APR of this card is 18.74%, which is pretty high compared to some competing cards. With this APR, you’ll accrue a lot of interest on your balance if you don’t pay it off every month.
Low cash back reward rate
With this card, you get a 1% cash back reward on all purchases. Many other cards offer a much better cash back reward rate.

LOOKING FOR THE BEST CREDIT CARDS OF 2021?

MoneyGeek features the Deserve EDU Mastercard for Students in the Best Student Credit Cards of 2021. You can compare the features of other cards on the list to see if you can get a card with better rewards programs.

Bonuses & Rewards Explained

Understanding the bonus and rewards structures of this card will help make your decision-making process easier.

1

Free Amazon Prime Student

After spending $500 in three billing cycles, you’ll get an Amazon Prime Student membership (worth $59) free for a whole year.

2

Rental car insurance

With this card, you’ll be covered if your rental car is lost or stolen. However, it only covers property damage liability, not bodily injury liability.

3

Cell phone protection

By paying your cell phone bill with this card, you’ll have free coverage for cell phone fraud and theft

Other Features Explained

The Deserve EDU Mastercard for Students also offers some other features for their customers.

Card Feature
Description
Zero fraud liability
In case your card is lost or stolen, you won’t be liable for any unauthorized transactions that take place.
Mastercard ID Theft Protection
With this feature, your card will be monitored for any suspicious activity and you’ll be immediately notified if any fraudulent activity occurs.
Easy pre-qualification
You can pre-qualify for this card without affecting your credit score.

MONEYGEEK EXPERT TIP

This is a great credit card to help build your credit while you’re a student. You can automate payments (which can be set to the minimum payment) to be sure you’re always on time. You’ll increase your credit score in no time.

Understanding the Fine Print

You’ll have a clear picture in your mind about the various fees associated with the Deserve EDU Mastercard for students after reading the fine print of this card. With a relatively high APR and low cash back rate, this card doesn’t excel in these areas like some competing cards.

Card Feature
Amount or Rate
APR
18.74%
Annual Fee
$0
Cash Back Rewards
Rewards Rate
1% Cash Back
Airline Benefits
Rewards Rate on Groceries
1x
Rewards Rate on Gas
1x
Rewards Rate on Dining
1x
Rewards Rate on Entertainment
1x
Rewards Rate on Online Shopping
1x
Rewards Rate on TV, Phone, Internet Services
1x
Rewards Rate on Air Travel
1x
Rewards Rate at Hotels
1x
Balance Transfer Fee
Unspecified
Balance Transfer APR
Unspecified
Late Fees
$25.00
Cash Advance Fee
Unspecified
Cash Advance APR
Unspecified
Foreign Transaction Fee
None

Regular APR
This card charges a high variable regular APR of 18.74%, a much higher rate than you’ll find with some other cards. This means that to avoid a lot of interest on your balance, you should pay it off in full every month.
Cash back Rewards Rate
With this card, you’ll get a flat cash back reward of 1% on every type of purchase. It’s certainly better than nothing, but many other cards offer higher rates and/or bonus categories that help you accrue rewards faster.

WHERE TO FIND THIS INFORMATION?

You can find the above information on your card issuer’s website, mobile app, your latest billing statement or the credit card agreement database maintained by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

Who Should & Shouldn’t Consider Deserve EDU Mastercard for Students?

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Other Considerations for Deserve EDU Mastercard for Students

Depending on your history with credit cards, you should keep the following things in mind to use your card in a better way.

Things to Consider if This is Will Be Your First or Only Credit Card

The variable regular APR of this card is 18.74%, which is pretty high compared to the average variable APR. With this card, you should be making your monthly payments before the due date and pay the balance in full. Otherwise, you’ll incur a large amount of interest on your balance.

Things to Consider if This is Will Be an Additional Card in Your Wallet

If this will be one of several cards in your wallet, you’ll likely lean on it for international purchases thanks to its lack of transaction fees. The $0 annual fee is another aspect that makes this card a good option for someone who has other credit cards. However, you may prefer using your other cards for everyday purchases if those cards offer a better reward rate.

WHY TRUST OUR REVIEWS

MoneyGeek’s methodology for this review involves collecting credit card information, standardizing data points, analyzing potential cardholder profiles, considering annual and introductory bonuses, establishing the card values and reviewing data monthly to reprocess rankings.

How Deserve EDU Mastercard for Students Compares to Other Cards

The Deserve EDU Mastercard for Students compares well with other cards in the same category because very few cards meant for students have a $0 annual fee and no fee for international transactions.

Quick Comparison of Deserve EDU Mastercard for Students

Deserve EDU Mastercard for Students

Purchase APR: 18.74%
Annual fee: $0
International transactions fee: None
Cash back rate: 1%
Best for: international students without an SSN and frequent travelers

Chase Freedom Student

Purchase APR: 14.99%
Annual fee: $0
International transactions fee: 3%
Cash back rate: 1%
Best for: Students with no credit history looking for an easy cash back rewards program