Citi Forward® Card for College Students
Citi Forward® Card for College Students Summary
No cosigner required
5 ThankYou® Points for every $1 you spend at restaurants and on entertainment; 1 point per $1 on all other purchases.
APR reduction on purchases when using credit wisely
Creditnet's Full Review
The Citi Forward® Card for College Students rewards young adults for responsible credit card use. Along with 5x points for some of your most common purchases, you'll also receive bonus points and interest rate reductions for paying your bills on time and staying within your credit limit. Build good financial habits with this card and earn some pretty sweet rewards along the way. Here are some more details:
- No Cosigner required
- 5 ThankYou® Points for every $1 you spend at restaurants and on entertainment; 1 point per $1 on all other purchases.
- APR reduction on purchases when using credit wisely
- 100 ThankYou Points each billing period that you pay on time and stay under your credit line.
5 ThankYou® Points for every $1 you spend at restaurants and entertainment; 1 point per $1 on all other purchases. For every dollar you spend at restaurants (including fast food), movie theaters, or stores that primarily sell music and/or books (including textbooks), you'll earn 5 ThankYou® Points! Online purchases also qualify as long as the merchant categories your purchase correctly. Any purchase that falls outside these categories will still earn you 1 point per $1. You are limited to a maximum of 75,000 ThankYou® Points per year.
Points won't expire for five years. As long as your account is open, your earned points won't expire for five years from the time your points were earned.
100 ThankYou Points each billing period that you pay on time and stay under your credit line. Earn 100 ThankYou Points each billing period that you pay on time and stay under your credit line.
0% interest on purchases for 7 months. We think students should practice responsible credit card use at all times by paying off your balance in full every single month. However, if you find you need to carry a balance, you won't be charged interest on purchase balances for the first 7 months of having your card. Keep in mind that you still must pay the minimum payment amount due on time every month or you may no longer be eligible for the 0% promotion.
APR reduction on purchases when using credit wisely . When you 1) make a purchase, 2) stay under your credit limit, and 3) pay the minimum payment amount by the due date for 3 months in a row, you'll receive a 0.25% reduction in your purchase interest rate (APR). You're eligible to receive this deduction 8 times, which means you could see a full 2% reduction in your rate. The reduction only applies to your purchase APR; balance transfer and cash advance APRs will remain the same.
No annual fee.
No co-signer required. As long as you're at least 18 years of age, you don't need a co-signer to apply for this card.
Endless options for rewards redemption. Call the number on the back of your card or go online to redeem your points. Your points can go towards plane tickets, hotel stays, cruise vacations, clothing, merchandise, movies, music, gift cards, statement credits, and even cold hard cash! If you don't see anything you like (highly unlikely!), simply call Citi to talk to a "Wish Specialist", whose job it is to track down even the hardest-to-find rewards!
Creditnet's Expert Rating & Review

I love that this card promotes responsible use of credit by rewarding you with bonus points. The 5x points is also a nice feature, especially since the bonus categories are ones that students use frequently.
Least Favorite Features:I don't like that this card places a cap on the amount of points you can earn each year. However, 75,000 ThankYou® Points is well above the amount that the average student would earn on a credit card (roughly $75,000 in purchases!), especially if they remember the tips Creditnet teaches about being financially responsible: What's Your Credit GPA?
Our Final Take:The Citi Forward® Card for College Students is a great way for students to practice responsible credit card use. You're rewarded with bonus ThankYou® Points with this responsible use, but the bigger reward is the positive credit history you'll build. We recommend this card for students who are ready to take control of their credit.
Offer details may have changed since the last update of the information on this page. Please see Fees, Terms & Conditions for updated and complete information.
| Intro APR: | 0.00% | Credit Required: | fair |
| Intro Period: | 7 months* | Set Up Fee | $0.00 |
| Ongoing APR: | 13.99% - 23.99%* (Variable) | Annual Fee | $0* |
| Penalty APR: | 29.99% |
| Intro APR✝: | N/A |
| Intro Period: | N/A |
| Ongoing APR: | 13.99% - 23.99%* (Variable) |
| Penalty APR: | 29.99% |
| Transfer Fee: | Balance transfer fee applies with this offer 4% of each balance transfer; $5 minimum. |
| ✝ Must initiate transfer: | N/A |
| Ongoing APR: | 25.24% |
| Penalty APR: | 29.99% |
| Advance Fee: | 5% of each cash advance; $10 minimum |
| Other Rates | |
|---|---|
| Foreign Transaction Fee: |
3% |
| Min. Interest Charge: | $0.50 |
| Credit Line | |
| Min: | N/A |
| Max: | N/A |
| Penalty Fees | |
| Late Payment: Up to $35 |
|
| Over the Credit Limit: | N/A |
| Returned Payment: | Up to $35 |



