In an effort to market towards a younger generation of customers, Citi has teamed up with the MTV brand to create the Citi® mtvU™ Platinum Select® Visa® Card for College Students. That would not be enough of a reason for students to become customers of this card, though there may be a certain percentage of customers who find the MTV brand a draw on its own. I can’t imagine, even as a high school student, signing up for a product just because my favorite television station was slapped on the face of the card (and MTV was not my favorite television station, anyway). This card does offer some benefits for students beyond the brand association, though.

The rewards offered on the Citi® mtvU™ Platinum Select® Visa® Card for College Students are designed to be true to the theme. Citi offers entertainment-related benefits while rewarding students for good academic performance. Citi’s rewards come in the for of ThankYou points, and on this card, spenders receive points on all purchases.

• Five reward points for every dollar spent on books, movies, music and at restaurants
• One reward point for every dollar spent on all other purchases
• 25 reward points each month when you pay on time and stay under your credit limit

ThankYou points never expire as long as the account stays in good standing, and there is no limit to the amount of points. Plus, the Citi® mtvU™ Platinum Select® Visa® Card for College Students will give each student up to 2,000 additional bonus points every year if he receives a grade of A in each of his classes. While the full bonus requires a 4.0 grade point average, a B or a C will still qualify the student for a bonus, albeit a smaller amount. Students will need to send proof of grades to Citi each semester in order to receive the bonus. This card is the only credit card I know of that awards good academic performance.

The Citi® mtvU™ Platinum Select® Visa® Card for College Students starts off students with a 0% introductory APR on purchases for seven months, then moves to a purchase APR of 13.99% to 22.99% variable, depending on the cardholder’s credit history. There is no annual fee to keep this card, an important aspect of any financial product for students.

The MTV benefits portion of the card include two perks:

1. 10% discount on music and entertainment products at shop.mtv.com
2. Access to exclusive mtvU experiences like free concert tickets, tickets to the mtvU Woodie Awards or VIP status at mtvU’s Spring Break

Not every student is ready for the responsibility of owning a credit card. Only young adults who are ready to manage their finances while trying to save a little on the side should consider owning a student credit card. If that’s you or a student close to your heart, the Citi® mtvU™ Platinum Select® Visa® Card for College Students is one of the better choices available. For more information or to complete an application online, visit the Citi® mtvU™ Platinum Select® Visa® Card for College Students official website.

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As I live not too far from Newark, New Jersey, many of my flights around the country are serviced by Continental Airlines, an airline with a significant hub at Newark Liberty International Airport. Like all airlines, Continental has been cutting services and adding fees to keep fares low, but I’ve never had a bad experience with the airline. I came very close to cashing in 30,000 miles in exchange for first-class upgrades in a recent trip, but the seats never became available. It took a few days for the unused miles to be credited back to my account, but even customer service was helpful.

Since I travel every year, I’ve decided to begin using the Chase Continental Airlines OnePass® Plus Card to improves my benefits. While cash back credit cards have done well for me for many years, I never earn more than $500 a year. With a credit card providing a mile for every dollar spent, a number of bonus opportunities, and a free checked bag on every flight, I could probably receive more in benefits that with my two cash back rewards cards. This is despite a $95 annual fee that kicks in after the first year.

The Continental Airlines OnePass® Plus Card offers benefits similar to my (no-fee) Visa Signature card, such as concierge services, extended warranties, and price protection. There are some promotions right now, too:

• Earn up to 40,000 bonus miles & first year free ($95 value)*
• Now with priority boarding privileges on Continental and United flights
• Check your first bag for free on Continental and United flights, up to a $50 value
• Visit the United Club with two complimentary passes every year, a $100 value
• Earn 2 miles for $1 spent on tickets purchased from Continental and United and 1 mile per $1 everywhere else
• Your miles don’t expire and there is no limit to the number of miles you can earn

After completing my application, I was accepted in under 60 seconds. Oddly, the acceptance page was blank in my web browser and I couldn’t determine the next steps. Reloading resulted in an error and completing the application a second time would probably raise a red flag. Thankfully, everything worked out well and I received the card about a week later. As miles aren’t a real currency, they are always in danger of being devalued. This type of systemic risk isn’t for everyone, particularly if the rewards drawn don’t compensate for the annual fee.

With the potential to earn 40,000 bonus miles the first year and 10,000 bonus miles every year thereafter, the Continental Airlines OnePass® Plus Card is a great credit card for frequent fliers of United and Continental. The annual fee is a reason not to own this card but the savings and benefits for fliers is far to great too ignore, even if it costs $95 a year beginning in the second year. If you’re interested in filling out an application, visit the Continental Airlines OnePass® Plus Card application.

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