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Deserve® EDU Mastercard for Students review: An easy starter card for students from the U.S. and abroad

 /  14 min
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Snapshot

2.5

Bankrate rating
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Rating: 2.5 stars out of 5

Bottom line

This accessible, flat-rate student card is one of the best starter cards for international students studying in the U.S. and other students that want a streamlined first credit card — but more rewarding student cards are available.

Deserve® EDU Mastercard for Students

Deserve® EDU Mastercard for Students

No Credit History

Intro offer

N/A

Rewards Rate

1%

Annual fee

$0

Regular APR

22.99% Variable

4.0

Cardholder rating

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Extra perks

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4.2 / 5

Online tools

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4.1 / 5

Customer service

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4.1 / 5

Information safe

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4.3 / 5
compare
Compare

Deserve® EDU Mastercard for Students Overview

  • Credit Card Cash Back Icon

    Rewards

  • Credit Card Search Icon

    Rates and fees

  • Congrats Icon

    Other cardholder perks

Deserve EDU Mastercard for Students pros and cons

Pros

  • Checkmark Icon

    You can earn 1 percent cash back on all purchases, plus annual and foreign transaction fees won't eat into your rewards.

  • Checkmark Icon

    No credit score or Social Security number is required, making it a great choice for international students.

  • Checkmark Icon

    This card features a terrific welcome offer as well as Mastercard Platinum benefits, including cellphone protection up to $600 per claim (up to $1,000 across two claims per year).

Cons

  • You won’t be able to make balance transfers or withdraw cash advances on this card.

  • The APR is relatively high compared to some student cards.

  • If you can't make your payments on time, you'll face a late payment fee.

Why you might want the Deserve EDU Mastercard for Students

Why you might want a different student card

How the Deserve EDU Mastercard for Students compares to other student cards

Image of Deserve® EDU Mastercard for Students

Deserve® EDU Mastercard for Students

Annual fee

$0

Intro offer

N/A

Rewards rate

1%
Info Icon

Recommended Credit Score

No Credit History
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Image of Capital One Quicksilver Student Cash Rewards Credit Card

Annual fee

$0

Intro offer

Earn $50
Info Icon

Rewards rate

1.5%
Info Icon

Recommended Credit Score

Fair to Good (580 – 740)
Info Icon
Image of Discover it® Student Cash Back

Annual fee

$0

Intro offer

Cashback Match
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Rewards rate

1% - 5%
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Recommended Credit Score

No Credit History
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Best cards to pair with the Deserve EDU Mastercard for Students

Who is the Deserve EDU Mastercard for Students right for?

Bankrate’s Take — Is the Deserve EDU Mastercard for Students worth it?

How we rated this card

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50+
cards rated
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500+
data points analyzed
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250+
fees tracked
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40+
perks evaluated

Frequently asked questions

What cardholders think

Image of Deserve® EDU Mastercard for Students

Deserve® EDU Mastercard for Students

4.0 Star Icon
30 ratings
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Score breakdown
5 stars
50%
4 stars
23%
3 stars
17%
2 stars
0%
1 star
10%
Score by category
Overall 4.0 / 5
Extra perks 4.2 / 5
Privacy and security 4.3 / 5
Customer service 4.0 / 5
Online portal or mobile app 4.1 / 5

In May 2024, Bankrate collaborated with third-party SliceMR to survey 6160 cardholders nationwide. Bankrate and Slice MR collected, averaged and presented website analytics and cardholder responses to six questions on a 5-point scale. Responses are based on individual cardholder’s product details, and therefore cannot be verified for accuracy. Users received an incentive for their feedback. User ratings are unedited and have not been reviewed or approved by credit card issuers, nor do these ratings reflect Bankrate’s own reviews of these cards.

Community Reviews

Explore Deserve® EDU Mastercard for Students reviews from certified cardholders.
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Anonymous Cardholder
May 31, 2024
If this card had an annual fee, do you feel it was worth it? What card features and benefits helped you offset the cost?
No it is not worth it. The benefit is it does not require a ssn
Score by category
Extra perks 4 / 5
Online portal or mobile app 5 / 5
Customer service 5 / 5
Privacy and security 4 / 5
Anonymous Cardholder
May 31, 2024
Is this card a part of your everyday life, why or why not?
No not really just bought it.
Score by category
Extra perks 5 / 5
Online portal or mobile app 1 / 5
Customer service 5 / 5
Privacy and security 5 / 5
Anonymous Cardholder
May 31, 2024
Tell us about an experience you had because of the benefits earned from the card
I had them during my college years but I don't have them anymore they were actually go for me especially for buying books on credit.
Score by category
Extra perks 5 / 5
Online portal or mobile app 5 / 5
Customer service 5 / 5
Privacy and security 5 / 5
Anonymous Cardholder
May 31, 2024
Is this card a part of your everyday life, why or why not?
Yes it is, it gives back great rewards and able you to save money
Score by category
Extra perks 5 / 5
Online portal or mobile app 5 / 5
Customer service 5 / 5
Privacy and security 5 / 5
Anonymous Cardholder
May 31, 2024
Tell us about an experience you had because of the benefits earned from the card
I’ve been able to save money gain points towards traveling
Score by category
Extra perks 4 / 5
Online portal or mobile app 5 / 5
Customer service 3 / 5
Privacy and security 5 / 5
Anonymous Cardholder
May 31, 2024
Is this card a part of your everyday life, why or why not?
It is almost eveyday I use it
Score by category
Extra perks 4 / 5
Online portal or mobile app 4 / 5
Customer service 3 / 5
Privacy and security 4 / 5
Anonymous Cardholder
May 31, 2024
What made you choose this card?
A few people from my school had it and recommended it
Score by category
Extra perks 3 / 5
Online portal or mobile app 4 / 5
Customer service 4 / 5
Privacy and security 5 / 5
Anonymous Cardholder
May 31, 2024
Tell us about an experience you had because of the benefits earned from the card
Receiving good benefits
Score by category
Extra perks 4 / 5
Online portal or mobile app 4 / 5
Customer service 3 / 5
Privacy and security 5 / 5
Anonymous Cardholder
May 31, 2024
Is this card a part of your everyday life, why or why not?
Yes. Since i am a student i find this card to be the most beneficial for me in this stage of my life
Score by category
Extra perks 5 / 5
Online portal or mobile app 4 / 5
Customer service 5 / 5
Privacy and security 5 / 5
Anonymous Cardholder
May 31, 2024
Tell us about an experience you had because of the benefits earned from the card
I like the benefits
Score by category
Extra perks 5 / 5
Online portal or mobile app 5 / 5
Customer service 5 / 5
Privacy and security 4 / 5
Anonymous Cardholder
May 31, 2024
What made you choose this card?
Rates
Score by category
Extra perks 5 / 5
Online portal or mobile app 4 / 5
Customer service 5 / 5
Privacy and security 5 / 5
Anonymous Cardholder
May 31, 2024
Why would you or would you not recommend this card to a friend?
I would recommend the card to my friend because it a good card
Score by category
Extra perks 3 / 5
Online portal or mobile app 5 / 5
Customer service 4 / 5
Privacy and security 4 / 5
Anonymous Cardholder
May 31, 2024
Why would you or would you not recommend this card to a friend?
Because it gives students a chance to build credit and get rewards.
Score by category
Extra perks 5 / 5
Online portal or mobile app 5 / 5
Customer service 5 / 5
Privacy and security 5 / 5
Anonymous Cardholder
May 31, 2024
What made you choose this card?
I chose deserve EDU MasterCard for students because it was the perfect card. It allowed me to spend them when I wanted it. Used everything that I needed.
Score by category
Extra perks 5 / 5
Online portal or mobile app 5 / 5
Customer service 5 / 5
Privacy and security 5 / 5
Anonymous Cardholder
May 31, 2024
Is this card a part of your everyday life, why or why not?
The Deserve EDU Mastercard is a student credit card designed to help students build credit responsibly
Score by category
Extra perks 5 / 5
Online portal or mobile app 5 / 5
Customer service 5 / 5
Privacy and security 5 / 5
Anonymous Cardholder
May 31, 2024
What made you choose this card?
The fact the interest rate was much cheaper
Score by category
Extra perks 4 / 5
Online portal or mobile app 3 / 5
Customer service 4 / 5
Privacy and security 3 / 5
Anonymous Cardholder
May 31, 2024
Is this card a part of your everyday life, why or why not?
No, I just have it still. But it was when I was a student.
Score by category
Extra perks 4 / 5
Online portal or mobile app 5 / 5
Customer service 5 / 5
Privacy and security 4 / 5
Anonymous Cardholder
May 31, 2024
Tell us about an experience you had because of the benefits earned from the card
Well I had to buy some books for classes I didn't have enough so I ended up using the card and it just worked wonders for me
Score by category
Extra perks 4 / 5
Online portal or mobile app 3 / 5
Customer service 3 / 5
Privacy and security 4 / 5
Anonymous Cardholder
May 31, 2024
Why would you or would you not recommend this card to a friend?
I just love how easy it is to use.
Score by category
Extra perks 4 / 5
Online portal or mobile app 4 / 5
Customer service 3 / 5
Privacy and security 4 / 5
Anonymous Cardholder
May 31, 2024
Is this card a part of your everyday life, why or why not?
yes i get cash back
Score by category
Extra perks 4 / 5
Online portal or mobile app 4 / 5
Customer service 4 / 5
Privacy and security 4 / 5
Anonymous Cardholder
May 31, 2024
Tell us about an experience you had because of the benefits earned from the card
I had enough perks to get discount getting gas
Score by category
Extra perks 4 / 5
Online portal or mobile app 4 / 5
Customer service 4 / 5
Privacy and security 4 / 5
Anonymous Cardholder
May 31, 2024
Why would you or would you not recommend this card to a friend?
I would recommend this card to my friends cause it has been working well for me
Score by category
Extra perks 4 / 5
Online portal or mobile app 4 / 5
Customer service 4 / 5
Privacy and security 5 / 5
Anonymous Cardholder
May 31, 2024
Tell us about an experience you had because of the benefits earned from the card
The service of it is good
Score by category
Extra perks 3 / 5
Online portal or mobile app 5 / 5
Customer service 3 / 5
Privacy and security 5 / 5
Anonymous Cardholder
May 31, 2024
Tell us about an experience you had because of the benefits earned from the card
I was able to save more money and have a better life financially
Score by category
Extra perks 4 / 5
Online portal or mobile app 5 / 5
Customer service 4 / 5
Privacy and security 4 / 5
Anonymous Cardholder
May 31, 2024
Why would you or would you not recommend this card to a friend?
it’s easy to use
Score by category
Extra perks 5 / 5
Online portal or mobile app 4 / 5
Customer service 4 / 5
Privacy and security 3 / 5
Anonymous Cardholder
May 31, 2024
Tell us about an experience you had because of the benefits earned from the card
I was able to redeem cash back rewards for school supplies.
Score by category
Extra perks 4 / 5
Online portal or mobile app 5 / 5
Customer service 5 / 5
Privacy and security 4 / 5
Anonymous Cardholder
May 31, 2024
Is this card a part of your everyday life, why or why not?
No I used to use this back in college not anymore
Score by category
Extra perks 4 / 5
Online portal or mobile app 3 / 5
Customer service 3 / 5
Privacy and security 3 / 5
Anonymous Cardholder
May 31, 2024
What made you choose this card?
The thing that made me choose this card is the low interest
Score by category
Extra perks 5 / 5
Online portal or mobile app 2 / 5
Customer service 3 / 5
Privacy and security 4 / 5
Anonymous Cardholder
May 31, 2024
What made you choose this card?
Used to be a student
Score by category
Extra perks 1 / 5
Online portal or mobile app 1 / 5
Customer service 3 / 5
Privacy and security 1 / 5
Anonymous Cardholder
May 31, 2024
Tell us about an experience you had because of the benefits earned from the card
I had excellent experience because I was able to save a lot of money with these benefits
Score by category
Extra perks 5 / 5
Online portal or mobile app 5 / 5
Privacy and security 5 / 5
Written by
Re'Dreyona Walker
Associate Editor, Credit Cards
Re'Dreyona Walker is an editor for Bankrate and CreditCards.com, focusing on product guides and reviews. As a personal finance expert, she is dedicated to providing honest product reviews as well as in-depth, comprehensive guides to assist readers in building credit and finding the best credit cards for their needs.
Edited by Editor II, Credit cards

* See the online application for details about terms and conditions for these offers. Every reasonable effort has been made to maintain accurate information. However all credit card information is presented without warranty. After you click on the offer you desire you will be directed to the credit card issuer's web site where you can review the terms and conditions for your selected offer.

Editorial Disclosure: Opinions expressed here are the author's alone, and have not been reviewed or approved by any advertiser. The information, including card rates and fees, is accurate as of the publish date. All products or services are presented without warranty. Check the bank’s website for the most current information.