Interesting Money

I rarely apply for a credit card without some kind of sign-up bonus, but I recently made an exception for the mtvU card from Citi. Yes, this is a “student” credit card, and though the end is in sight for my doctorate, I am still technically a student!

What I Like

Here’s what I like about the card:

5 “Thank You” points for every dollar spent at:

• Restaurants (including fast food)
• Bookstores
• Music/Video stores
• Movie Theatres

This has become my new “restaurant” card on my credit card usage plan. The other major benefit is that Amazon.com is supposed to appear on your statement as a “bookstore,” meaning that all Amazon purchases should earn five points! I tend to spend more money than I should there, so I will soon learn whether this is true.

Citi also offers additional bonus points for getting good grades each semester, plus a monthly credit of 25 points simply for paying your statement on time. Nice!

What I Don’t Like

The card is ugly. Really ugly, as in bright-blue with a gaudy logo. I left the “activate now” sticker on my card because at least it hid the logo.

What I Don’t Care About

The card also offers other perks, such as 10% off some of the junk at the MTV store. Ooh! Ooh! It can also help me get VIP passes to mtvU’s Spring Break! Lame.

Other Thoughts

Like all the other cards I use, there is no annual fee. While I did not have to send Citi any scans of my transcripts or student ID, I did have to select my university from a list on the application. Also, Citi did not ask for household income or for a co-signer on the application. It may be possible for non-students to get this card, but I’ve heard a few horror stories about Citi cracking down and asking for faxes of transcripts and other identifying material.

Still, if you can get this card, I highly recommend it, at least for the cashback at restaurants. Even though I won’t be a student much longer, I can still continue to use the card.