First, one must consider the interest rate that is being offered to them. Interest rates on credit cards are often extremely high. It is not uncommon to see a credit card with an interest rate of 20% or more. The higher the interest rate, the more money you’re going to be charged when you carry a balance. It should be noted that the best practice when using a credit card is to only purchase things you already have the money for, or know you will be getting the money for before the credit card is due. This way, you can pay off the balance each month, and avoid any interest charges. If you do this, then the interest rate the company wants to charge you doesn’t really matter.

Another important detail to consider is the grace period being offered. The grace period is how many days from the time you make a purchase with the credit card that they will begin to charge you interest on that purchase. This period is typically 28 days, however it is possible for it to be more or less than 28, and in some cases it can even be zero. Those are the sorts of credit cards one wants to avoid. One of the most basic features of a credit card is the credit limit. The credit limit is how much money the company will allow you to spend on the card before paying some of it back. For a student card, this is typically $500 or $1000. Credit limits can be up to $10,000, or sometimes even more, for people with good credit ratings.

It should be noted that the company will often let you spend a little bit more than your credit limit (about 10% or so), before they begin to decline transactions. You must be careful not to do this, because if you do, the company will charge an “Over-limit fee” of $20 or more. Finally, it is important to look at the features offered by the particular card you are considering. Many options exist, ranging from cards that will earn you free tickets to movies as you spend money, to cards that earn you free airplane tickets, to cards that will even give you a percentage of the money you spend on things back. You must choose the best option for your needs, and carefully weigh the options.