Money Blue Book

Updated List Of The Best Credit Card Cash Back Rewards For Google Adwords, Yahoo Search Marketing, and MSN AdCenter

As a personal finance blogger and a dot com mogul-super affiliate tycoon wannabe (I’m joking), I regularly spend sums of money on domain name registrations, web hosting services, and home office computer supplies. However, the bulk of my tax deductible business expenses consist of expenditures for online advertising through top search engines like Google, Yahoo, and MSN. While compared to the big boys (and girls) my advertising budget is comparatively puny, I still seek to maximize my money however I can, whether that means utilizing free promotional coupons for extra savings and free online advertising, or taking advantage of credit card offers to earn cashback rebates on Google Adword purchases.

Online Advertising Through Pay Per Click Works, But It Can Get Expensive Depending On Subject Niche

Those who are familiar with online advertising know that there are a variety of ways and methods to get your website brand or blog name into the search engines and thus into the public eye for maximum traffic. However, this doesn’t necessarily mean that all of the methods are created equal. Currently the most popular search engine with the most capability to leverage the most search traffic by far is run by Google. But while the Google Adword program’s certainly the most dominant player in the online marketing world, there are also other lesser options worth mentioning - most notably Yahoo Search Marketing and Microsoft’s MSN AdCenter. Neither Yahoo Search nor MSN AdCenter are likely to topple the 800 pound gorilla of Google Adwords anytime soon, but the smaller search sites still own a small, albeit dwindling piece of the search engine pie.

For those who spend money on internet advertising through Google, Yahoo, or MSN, probably the bulk is spent on paid text link advertising or pay per click (PPC) promotional campaigns. Both paid text links and PPC advertising are used by many bloggers and website promoters to generate traffic needed to convert organic search traffic into profitable affiliate sales. Personally, I highly advise against engaging in buying or selling paid text links, and refuse to engage in paid text link buying or selling myself. The frowned upon practice is a form of marketing suicide in my opinion, and is the number one way to incur the wrath of Google, which sees the buying and selling of paid backlinks as a form of guerrilla attack on the integrity of the Google search engine algorithm.

In contrast, pay per click advertising and the purchasing of approved advertisement links through Google, Yahoo, or MSN’s network of publisher banners and ads are proven and permitted ways to drive website traffic. However, as anyone who engages in pay per click advertising or other affiliate marketing means through Google Adsense or Yahoo Ads knows, the cost to promote a successful PPC ad campaign isn’t cheap. While newbies to internet advertising are unlikely to spend much money initially (a few hundred dollars a month at most), larger scale promoters frequently spend upwards of hundreds to thousands, or even hundred thousands, of dollars on monthly pay per click advertising alone.

Use Credit Card Rewards To Save Money On Online Business and Advertising Expenses (Google Adwords, Yahoo Search Marketing, MSN AdCenter)

Smart business types should always try to find ways to minimize business expenses and utilize as many discounts and promotional offers as possible to net the greatest overall profit. One of the best ways for bloggers and affiliate marketers to save money in this area is to maximize and strategize their use of credit cards rewards. Presuming you are savvy and responsible with your usage of credit, and maintain a respectable FICO credit score to boot, reward credit cards are essential ways for online entrepreneurs and advertisers to maximize their small business spending. Surprised that there are credit card reward programs dedicated and suited for web based businesses and online marketers? Don’t be! While Yahoo and Google credit card advertising rewards are not as well known as say, credit card discount programs for groceries and gas, the area is a steadily growing (albeit not fully tapped) segment of the credit card rewards market. Currently, most of the best cash back credit card rewards for bloggers, webmasters, and internet marketers are not widely advertised, and to get the details requires some digging, which I’ve done below.

For the tax minded business folks who wonder if there is an income tax on credit card rewards or aren’t sure whether one is obligated to report all cash back rewards and point rebates earned through the use of credit cards, rest assured - there is no such tax. Credit card rewards earned by consumers and businesses are viewed as purchase incentives by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) in the nature of discounts and coupons, not subject to personal income tax liability. So don’t miss out on the cash back savings and discount potential of specialized credit card incentive programs designed to help you finance and pay for your online advertising and promotional efforts.

1) Google Adword and Adsense Pay Per Click Advertising - Get Up To 5% Cash Back With Reward Credit Cards

Until the day Google announces the release of its long awaited Google credit card and starts up its own Google credit card rewards program, the following card offers are your best bet when it comes to earning cashback for money spent on Google advertising. Personally, I can’t wait for Google to come out with its own Google credit card and would be the first to camp out in line for something like that - I’m quite the Google fan. Just the thought of earning Google rebate rewards on a percentage of all Adwords expenditures and the ability to redeem points for either cash or Google branded products like T shirts, mouse pads, and even portable Google fridges would be quite lovely. I used to carry around a Yahoo credit card back when Yahoo offered its own card program. When they eventually discontinued the Yahoo credit card rewards program, I was sad to see it go. It was pretty neat being able to redeem points for cool Yahoo T-shirts and other merchandise - techie stuff you couldn’t get anywhere else.

In the meantime, for those of you who spend a lot of money or even just a little bit on Google Adwords and Google Adsense advertising, here are the best credit cards cards to help you save money and get cash back rewards on your PPC advertising efforts. The rewards you earn can be used for whatever you wish, including plowing them back into more PPC marketing. While Google does not currently have any special deals with any particular credit card issuer to offer Google discounts, there are a few specially suited cards for such purposes.

1. Advanta Platinum BusinessCard For Online Marketers - Also known as the Advanta Platinum Business Card With Customized Cash Back Options, this card offers cardholders the ability to earn as high as 5% cash back on all online marketing expenditures. It’s probably the best overall reward credit card for new bloggers and affiliate marketers who are just getting into the PPC advertising scene. The expenditures that are covered include Google Adwords, Yahoo, MSN Search, and eBay fees. The Advanta rewards program also covers office expenses as well. The high 5% rebate rate is only provided for the first $1,500 of qualified expenditures, and after that it’s a tiered 1% cashback on everything spent.
2. Advanta Kiva Business Card - With the Kiva business credit card offer, online marketers get to earn up to 5% cashback on money spent on online advertising services like Google Adwords or Yahoo Search. There are no restrictions as to which affiliate or ad network must be used. The card also earns up to 5% cashback for business office related expenses like gas, computers, utilities, and even charitable contributions. There is also a nice 0% balance transfer offer for 15 months.
3. American Express Plum Card - With the highly advertised Plum Card from American Express Open (the Plum card yogurt commercial is everywhere on TV these days), you get an astounding 2% cashback rewards on everything purchased with the card if you pay within 10 days of your billing cycle. The catch is you’ll need to spend above $5,000 a month with your Plum credit card. Anything less and you’ll only earn 1% cashback. Of course, the card was designed for big time spenders and small businesses with high expenses. If you spend a lot of money on Google Adwords or other forms of advertising, you may want to think about the Amex Plum card. There is a hefty $185 annual fee that’s waived for the first year, but it’s easily worth it if your business spends a lot of money on online advertising or other business expenses.
4. Chase Business Cash Rewards Card - With the Chase Business Cash Rewards offer, online entrepreneurs and small business owners can earn up to a tiered 5% cashback on all purchases with no merchant or category restrictions. Your rewards earning potential is unlimited and there is no restriction as to how much you can earn. Your cash back percentage rate rises and falls depending on how much you spend per month. For online marketers who expect to spend more than $2,000 a month on Google Adwords (that’s when the high 5% kicks in), this is a nice card to have.
5. Fidelity Rewards Signature Card - While the card requires a Fidelity Investment broker account to maximize rewards earning potential, if you’ve got one or are willing to sign up for one, you can earn 1.5% cash back on all your online advertising efforts. Actually, coupled with a Fidelity account, the card allows you to earn an effective 1.5% cashback on all products and services you purchase with the card, with no category or store limitation. Most comparable card programs only offer 1% back for general purchases so if you are a major spender, this is an ideal and recommended card to get. The Fidelity Signature is one of the reward cards I use on a regular basis.

2) Yahoo Search Marketing - Get 5% or More CashBack Savings Using American Express Business Credit Cards

Currently, savvy online entrepreneurs have the ability to take advantage of American Express’ Open Network Business credit cards to net themselves more than 5% cash back rewards when they spend money on Yahoo Search Marketing services. Through a special partnership between Amex and Yahoo announced not too long ago, American Express business credit card users will now get to enjoy a 5% discount on all their Yahoo based advertising and web promotional expenditures simply by using their Amex business cards. This not only includes pay per click advertising using Yahoo’s Search Marketing, but also includes Yahoo publisher services ranging from web site hosting, e-commerce, to domain name registration.

While Yahoo is not the most popular or even a serious contender in second place, its PPC advertising fees are substantially lower than that charged by more popular services like Google Adwords where greater bidding competition among advertisers drives up promotion costs - making Yahoo a cheaper, but still viable alternative. Besides, it’s good to diversify one’s advertisement methods. One can even take credit card rewards one step further. Currently, there are certain select Amex business cards that offer even more lucrative rebate rewards on top of the existing 5% discount for Yahoo services. All of the following American Express Open business credit card offers below offer additional cumulative rewards on top of the 5% discount on Yahoo Search Marketing:

1. Blue Cash For Business Amex Card - With this high earning business credit card offer, you have the potential to earn up to a tiered 5% cash back rebate on eligible special category purchases. For everything else, including PPC advertising expenses, you get a tiered 2.5% cash back rewards rate. The special purchase categories include gas stations, drug stores, and supermarkets. In addition, Amex business cardholders also get to enjoy the usual Amex Open network savings on free hotel stays, car rentals, and airline travel.
2. American Express Business Gold Rewards - This popular premium small business card with no preset spending limit can help you save up to 25% off your business expenses. There is an unlimited rewards earning potential on purchases and your Membership Rewards never expire.
3. American Express Platinum Business Card - This business card from Amex is a popular choice to earn purchase rebates redeemable for retail, entertainment, and dining rewards. There is no annual fee and there is no limit to the number of points you can earn.
4. American Express Simply Cash For Business - You can use the card to earn 5% cashback on wireless services and home office supplies (like laptops and office gadgets). You also get 3% cashback on gas and 1% for everything else. There is no annual fee and no rewards limit.

3) MSN AdCenter - Get 3% Cash Back Rewards By Using Mastercard Business Credit Cards

Currently, Microsoft’s MSN AdCenter has a partnership with Mastercard’s network of business credit cards to offer MSN AdCenter advertisers 3% cash back rewards on money spent. While American Express is the card of choice for most business owners, the MasterCard partnership with MSN AdCenter makes Mastercard sort of a must have for heavy or even mild users of MSN’s advertising network.

To be eligible for the 3% cash back savings, Mastercard business credit card holders need to register and enroll their cards into the Master Card Easy Savings Network. While fairly straightforward, you can review the MasterCard Easy Savings FAQ if you need more info about the program. Keep in mind, along with the 3% rewards you can earn on all MSN AdCenter expenditures, you still get to earn the usual credit card rewards (if offered) on top of that. This has the potential to effectively boost your total reward earning percentage way past 3%. Here’s a list of the best Mastercard business credit cards for MSN Ad Center affiliate marketers and pay per click advertisers:

1. Advanta Platinum Business Customized Rewards Mastercard - This business credit card option by Mastercard is your best bet when it comes to maximizing your MSN AdCenter savings and online advertising spending in general. Along with the ability to earn 3% reward savings on all MSN AdCenter expenditures, you also get to earn an extra 5% cash back rate (with purchase limits) on top of the 3% for money spent on fees with online advertisers and merchant sites like Google Adwords, Yahoo, and even eBay. You also get cashback rewards for money spent on utilities and telecommunications, not to mention additional business savings for computer electronics and related office supplies as well.
2. Chase Business Rebate Mastercard - Earn up to 3% cash back on office supplies, restaurant dining, gas, hardware, and home improvement expenditures. Currently there is also a long 15 month 0% APR balance transfer promotional period as well.

Countrywide Bank is currently offering the Countrywide Rewards Platinum Visa Card for a remarkable 2% cash back on all purchases. Very few other credit card offers come close - except maybe the similarly advertised 1.5% cash back Fidelity Visa Signature Card. Most other top value cash back credit cards restrict higher rebates to special purchase categories such as grocery stores, gas stations, and restaurants. This card’s one of the best non-restrictive purchase cards out there.

The only caveat is that to get the high 2% cash back rebate, you’ll need to redeem your rebate points as a deposit to your Countrywide savings account, money market account, or as a payment towards a Countrywide mortgage loan. With the offer, you’ll receive 1 purchase reward point for every $1 you spend using the credit card. Everytime your rebate balance reaches 2,500 points, you can redeem your points for an instant $50 Countrywide bank deposit or mortgage payment - essentially a 2% cash back offer.

This offer is basically your base 1% cash back offer for non Countrywide bank account holders with an additional special bonus rebate on top for those who are. With the standard purchase offer, you only get 1% back, redeemable for gift cards to a participating merchant of your choice, or a $25 check to use towards home improvement and related supplies. But if you are a Countrywide bank or mortgage customer as well, you’ll get double the rewards, effectively. There is no annual fee, and best of all for high credit card spenders, there is no cap or limit to the amount of rewards you can earn.

While the card has been around for some time in one form or another, it wasn’t until relatively recently that the Countrywide Platinum Visa started to allow customers to redeem points as a savings account deposit as well - becoming a true cash back credit card. Before the switch, the card was just one of those real estate mortgage payment credit card offers.

Take Advantage Of The Max 2% Cash Back Offer With A Countrywide Savings Or Money Market Account

As a credit card buff, I’m always on the prowl for new credit card bonus rewards and purchase rebate offers. I didn’t pay much attention to this credit card offer (since it was just another 1% rebate credit card to me) until I recently opened a Countrywide SavingsLink account so I could write a review about the company’s interest rate offerings. I was personally able to open a Countrywide savings account instantly with no hard credit check performed. If you’re an interest rate chaser, it’s hard to beat a consistent performer like Countrywide. Countrywide Bank has historically offered very high APY interest rates for its interesting bearing savings and money market services. In my regularly updated list of the best high yield savings accounts, I have consistently listed Countrywide Bank as a top performer for its high rate of return for account holders and reliability in offering fast ACH transfer services for those with multiple linked bank accounts. For the high yield SavingsLink, there is a $1,000 minimum balance to open and you’ll need at least $10,000 to get the highest APY rate. For those of you who maintain less than $10,000 in your savings account, there are better choices elsewhere.

Converting An Existing Chase (First USA) Credit Card Into The Countrywide Visa Platinum Card

Since I try my best to keep my FICO credit score rating high, I would rather not recklessly submit an application for a new credit card offer unless I had no other option available to me (new credit card applications ding your credit score ever so slightly everytime). Therefore, I turned to my existing portfolio of cards instead. Since the Countrywide credit card is currently being run by Chase (First USA) card services, I was able to call in and convert an old Chase branded Platinum Visa card into the new Countrywide Visa Platinum Card. Keep in mind, this type of conversion without a new card application is only possible if you have a current Chase or First USA credit card with either the Signature or Platinum designation.

What Will Happen To Countrywide Banking Services With Bank Of America’s Upcoming Acquisition?

It wasn’t too long ago that Countrywide dodged the bankruptcy bullet due to heavy involvement in the subprime mortgage loan mess. With its pending acquisition by Bank of America still being processed and Bank of America already having indicated that it intends to operate Countrywide separately under its existing Countrywide name for at least until 2009, there remains speculation as to what will become of the current line of Countrywide products. One possibility is that the 2% cash back Countrywide credit card will get serviced by Bank of America. But it’s also possible that the program might get shifted onto another card provider like American Express. I’m just speculating at this point, by the way. When Bank of America acquired MBNA, it took the pre-existing 2% rebate MBNA Fidelity 529 Mastercard and hammered it into a new American Express card with a lower 1.5% rebate offer. However and very importantly, existing cardholders were allowed to keep and maintain their old 2% rebate offer as is.

Changes are definitely going to come, but if you are willing to take a little bit of chance, you might be able to secure yourself a great 2% reward card good towards all purchases. How Bank of America plans on integrating or modifying the Countrywide bank account redemption portion of the current offer is a good question. If you’re not willing to take the leap and roll the dice, you might want to consider going with a more predictable and less drama-filled cash back credit card program.

An Updated List Of the Best Student Credit Card Offers Provided Below

It’s remarkable how much the Internet has changed how we manage our finances today, and the sheer amount of information and knowledge it affords us. With a few keystrokes, we are now able to instantly access a wealth of reviews and consumer opinion pieces to better educate ourselves on the workings of all financial products and services. One of the best things to grow out of it is that it’s also helped college and university students to become better informed and educated consumers when it comes to dealing with credit cards and the credit application process.

Don’t Succumb To Bad Credit Card Offers Just Because Someone Is Giving Away Free Stuff To College Students

Back during my early student years as a college freshman, the Internet was only just getting popular, and many things were still being done the old fashioned way. At the time, my first encounter with credit card temptation was at one of those free credit card promotion booths on campus. I remember walking past the campus student union one day and noticing an attractive girl standing behind a fold out table adorned with a large promotional banner and colorful balloons. On the table was all sorts of prizes - everything from free T-shirts, free Frisbees, cheap alarm clocks, to free squishy ball stress reliever “thingys”. Naturally, as a bright eyed and bushy tailed (not to mentioned gullible) young college student, I was ready at a moment’s notice to sell my credit card soul and credit score worth for a white 100% cotton, size “L” T-shirt with some credit card promo logo emblazoned on it. For the opportunity to get an instant freebie, I innocently filled out a paper credit card application form on the spur of the moment with my real Social Security Number (yes I know, I was stupid) and real name and address. In exchange, I got my free T-shirt which ultimately was only worn a few times before I got tired of walking around looking like a Visa credit card advertisement billboard. You might want to slap me on the forehead for being so naive back then, but at least I didn’t fork over my credit card livelihood for something as silly as a 6 inch long veggie sub sandwich. Compared to the girl who filled out a credit card application in response to a free food offer from Subway (U.S. News article) that she simply couldn’t refuse, I look like a genius.

Today, while armies of credit card promotional booths and credit card branded freebies still invade college and university campuses across the United States, the popularity of the Internet is helping to better educate young college and even graduate students about the ins and outs of credit card usage and the wisdom of proper debt management. Back before the Internet, if you didn’t seize the opportunity to apply for a particular credit card when the application form was presented to you on campus, you risked missing out on the chance to apply for it later. Pamphlets and flyers you took away from the promotional booths frequently got lost or ended up discarded in the trash can. Credit card companies simply do a terrible job of properly associating credit card applications with sufficient credit card education material. That’s why for your own sake as a savvy college or graduate student, if you encounter one of those promo booths on campus, you should resist the free money or free product temptation, and do your online credit card home work first before applying for any offer.

College Students Should Do Their Research At Home And Get Educated Before Applying For A Student Credit Card

At home or at work, there’s less pressure to make a rash or uninformed decision, particularly when you’re sitting in front of the computer with all that wealth of information before you. Based on my past experience as a credit card carrying college student and also based on my current experience today as a working adult who has mastered the art of carrying around more than one reward credit card, I highly advise all college and graduate students considering student credit cards to thoroughly read through all terms and conditions at home and make their application decisions there. One should never give away confidential financial information or sign up for something as important as a credit card offer by filling out a paper application from some random person on the street or school campus. It’s best to research from home, and be patient and thorough as you comparison shop through all credit card offers - there’s really no rush. The only one who’s in a rush is the credit card company - they want your business. It’s okay to make them wait.

Unlike some, I was very fortunate to not end up saddled with out of control unpaid credit card debt. I attribute that favorable outcome to my experience and exposure to credit card usage while I was still a young student. Through trial, error, and self motivated education as a student, I familiarized myself with all the conditions and terminology of credit card use such as annual percentage rate (APR), 0% balance transfers, and payment grace periods. At an early age I learned how to manage my credit card personal finance, practiced how to handle monthly payments on time and learned to avoid finance charges and late payment fees. I firmly believe that exposure to credit cards at an early age under the guidance of parents is the key to future credit use maturity. Avoidance and lack of exposure may help avoid potential credit card debt problems early on, but this lack of opportunity to become educated about the use and risk of credit cards at a younger age when mistakes are less critical can potentially result in bigger credit card debt problems down the road.

Furthermore, taking advantage of student credit card offers while the student is still in college is the ideal way to build credit history at an early age, and help the student become more pro-active rather than reactive when it comes to finances. Waiting until graduation when student credit card options are no longer available may make it more difficult for the credit history-less grad to secure loans, mortgages, or even apply for ordinary consumer credit cards where higher income limits are required. Also, an important and key component of the FICO credit score is the overall age of credit accounts. Thus, the earlier the account is opened and the older it is the better.

Students Need To Understand That While Student Credit Cards Offer Convenient Reward Perks, The Dangers Of Irresponsible Credit Card Use and The Risks Of Debt Mismanagement Are Very Real

One of the most important reasons why college students ought to apply for a student credit card earlier than later is to have a viable means of independently handling unexpected expenses without having to call parents for help every time. College students frequently live far away from home and sometimes there isn’t always time for parents to transfer money to their college teen in time. Having a credit card at one’s disposal, even if one still uses cash to make the vast majority of purchases is a useful emergency net tool to have. At the very least the student is building a credit history and learning to be independent and self accountable.

Of course, even the relative simplicity of student credit cards may not be suited for every individual. Before applying for a credit card, students need to understand how financially responsible they are. Students who have previously and responsibly borrowed from their parents and paid the loan back, or have shown that they are able to follow a budget and keep track of their spending may be ready to handle the adult responsibility of using a credit card. On the flip side, students who only want a credit card so they have easy access to free money that they can use for frivolous and impulsive buying should avoid credit cards altogether until their college senior year or perhaps or until they’ve graduated, to avoid the dangers of credit card debt.

For college and graduate students looking to apply for a student credit card or even an ordinary consumer credit card offer, there are certain card features and usage risks they must be very mindful of. While being able to take advantage of cash back credit card rewards, purchase rebates, and being able to handle large emergency expenses on one’s own are some of the great benefits to owning a credit card, the reality is that there are serious risks and dangers as well. Be careful of the addictive nature of credit cards and marketing campaigns. Don’t apply for a card simply because the program is willing to throw you a one time savings of a few dollars. Think of why you intend to use this particular card offer for the long term.

Inexperience and failure to properly manage one’s spending budget and make timely payments in full are a few of the risks. The temptation to use plastic free money is great, particular for college students who often have a spend first, regret later mentality. Students must learn to pay off the entire monthly balance in full every month. Interest fees can be high and it’s imperative that students learn how to avoid them at all cost. I highly recommend that new student credit card users learn to manage their credit card finances using online account management and automatic debit payment techniques. They’ve worked reliably for me over the years.

While some advise against using credit cards to pay off student tuition, I only advise against it if the student is paying for the tuition from his or her own pocket without the financial assistance of parents. Tuition payments tend to be high and without adequate parental promise of help, it’s all too easy for the student to spiral into uncontrolled credit card debt. But if the parents are actively helping with tuition payments, using a student credit card to make tuition payments may help the student learn more about the risks and benefits of credit card rebate rewards.

Why College Students Should Apply For A Student Credit Card Instead Of An Ordinary Consumer Card Offer

Student credit cards are specially suited for college and graduate students because they often have lower credit limits to help cardholders better curb and manage their spending habits, and they usually don’t demand co-signer requirements for applicants with no credit histories. They also don’t impose specific income requirements, which is important for students since they usually don’t have much income to speak of. As long as they can prove they are a full time or part time college or graduate school student, they will get the card. Student credit cards are most beneficial during those key college and graduate school years when high credit limits are not as needed, but easy means to generate credit history are sought after.

Some may have questions as to what happens to the student credit card offer once the cardholder graduates from college or graduate school. While most student credit card issuers don’t instantly require all cardholders to give up their student credit cards immediately after graduation or once they’ve lost their student status, cardholders will usually continue to be constrained by student credit card limitations (such as much lower credit limits). Most card issuers offer customers the ability to convert the student card into an ordinary “grown up” card program upon request, but sometimes, the student rewards are uniquely worth keeping. I personally have the Citibank mtVU card that I applied for as a graduate student. While I’m no longer a student anymore, I still keep the card around as-is to take advantage of the lucrative 5% purchase rebate for restaurant related expenses. It’s the best of its kind for earning dining out rewards.

After reviewing and evaluating all of the top credit cards for students available, here are the student credit cards I believe are the most appropriate for the novice applicant. They all offer the best deals in terms of airline travel miles, cash back rewards, gas credit card rebate savings, and interest rate terms suitable for student purposes. Check out the following rankings.

List Of The Best Student Credit Card Rewards and Offers:

1. Discover Student Card - Earn 5% unlimited cash back in popular purchase categories that rotate quarterly such as gas stations, restaurants, clothing stores, and airline travel. Get 1% for everything else. There is also a 6 month 0% introductory APR offer on all purchases.
2. Discover Open Road Card For Students - Earn a whopping 5% cash back on gas and auto maintenance purchases. Both of these are expensive so the high rebate percentage is quite exceptional. The cash rewards will never expire and there is no limit to the amount you can earn. There is also a 0% APR purchase offer for 6 months.
3. Citi mtvU Platinum Visa for Students - Earn 5% back for purchases made at restaurants, coffee shops, bookstores, music stores, movie theaters, and video rentals. Get 1% back for everything else. There is a 6 month 0% APR introductory period for all purchases, balance transfers, and cash advances. This is my favorite student credit card.
4. Citi Dividend Platinum Select Visa for Students - Earn 5% cash back for purchases made at grocery stores, gas stations, convenience stores, and utilities for 6 months and then 2% back thereafter. Get 1% cash back for everything else. There is also a 6 month 0% APR introductory period for all purchases, balance transfers, and cash advances.
5. Citi Driver’s Edge Visa for Students - Earn 3% back for purchases made at grocery stores, gas stations, and drug stores, and get 1% rebate for everything else. Get extra bonus rebate rewards for the miles you drive (excellent way to earn lots of rebate points if you drive a lot). There is also a 6 month 0% APR introductory period for all purchases, balance transfers, and cash advances.
6. Citi Platinum Select for Students - With this non reward card, you get an introductory 0% APR interest offer for all purchases, balance transfers, and cash advances for 6 months (with no balance transfer fee). Students also get free discounts via the Citibank student website and additional Citi photo card perks.
7. Capital One No Hassle Cash Rewards For Students - Earn 1% cash back on all purchases with no purchase category limitation, plus an annual bonus of 25% on the cash back rewards you earn for the year. There is no limit to the amount of cash back money you can earn and your earnings never expire. Currently there is a 0% APR promotional offer to allow all purchases to be interest free until February 2009.

Periodically throughout the year, Citibank cancels out old expired promotional offers and issues new ones to entice first time customers to open new Citibank checking and savings accounts. While I’m already a long time Citibank customer and won’t be able to qualify for the latest Citibank promo deals, I still like to keep tabs and updates on all free money offers out there (whether banking or credit card related).

I’ve edited and updated my compiled list of Citibank promotion codes with the latest active bonus offers for new Citi banking customers:

• Currently, Citibank is providing a new $200 bonus deposit offer with the opening of a new Citi checking account (Promo offer code: CEMX). This offer expires on June 30, 2008.

• Citibank is also offering a new bonus offer for 16,000 Citi Thank You Network reward points with the opening of a brand new qualifying Citi checking account (Promo offer code: CSVL). The promotional Thank You points are instantly redeemable for the equivalent of a free $150 gift card. The new Citi account holder will also get to earn triple Thank You Network points for 1 year. This offer expires on July 31, 2008.

Citibank Is A Decent Banking Option For New Checking Account Customers - Not So Much For Savings Accounts However

For those of you out there who have yet to settle on or select a primary bank to handle your banking funds and transactions, you may want to take a look at what Citibank has to offer. While they offer pretty unimpressive interest rates for a major national or international bank, they do make up for lower yields in other ways. While I have a hard time recommending Citibank for savings or money market accounts due to their comparatively lower interest yield offerings, I do recommend their checking accounts.

Usually when it comes to choosing banks, I look at three major components - (1) Office branch locations and ATM convenience, (2) Online website versatility and functionality, and (3) Account interest rate competitiveness. However, when it comes to checking accounts, the interest rate component is far less important of a consideration than the first two factors. Most savvy banking consumers adopt or should adopt the practice of routinely transferring excess deposit money to high interest savings where the funds can properly earn and accrue interest. The amount that sits in the checking account should thus be the bare minimum necessary to cover daily expense turnover and fulfill emergency fund needs. As such, the minimal amount that resides in the actively used checking account will likely benefit more from the wealth of branch office and ATM locations, and a well developed online account management interface than any high interest offering. After reviewing the features offered by other prominent banks, I chose Citibank as my primary bank years ago due to its thorough national banking presence and well maintained online website for handling account transactions.

I can almost always find a Citibank location wherever I go and Citi ATM’s are everywhere. Their ATM presence has multiplied tremendously ever since they partnered up with 7-11 convenience stores to offer Citibank branded ATM’s, giving Citibank customers access to a much larger network of surcharge free locations to perform their banking.

In addition, as I perform the vast majority of my checking transactions electronically, having a clean, robust, and secure banking website interface to handle my active checking account transactions is very important to me - and Citibank fits the bill quite well.

Along with Citibank, Bank of America is another popular and widely accessible checking option as well, with bank branches and ATM’s everywhere. They too offer free money promotions as well for new customer accounts - take a look at my updated list of Bank of America promotion codes.