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Fizz

Why regular student credit cards don't stack up against the Fizz card

Why regular student credit cards don't stack up against the Fizz card

Why regular student credit cards don't stack up against the Fizz card

When it comes to building your credit as a college student, student credit cards with high interest rates and confusing terms used to be the only way. Here's why the Fizz card is a way better option.

When it comes to building your credit as a college student, student credit cards with high interest rates and confusing terms used to be the only way. Here's why the Fizz card is a way better option.

When it comes to building your credit as a college student, student credit cards with high interest rates and confusing terms used to be the only way. Here's why the Fizz card is a way better option.

Apr 3, 2023

Sam Lipscomb

3

min

Traditional student credit cards are relatively common on college campuses. But if you’ve ever tried to get one, you’re likely familiar with the headache that is the approval process. On top of sky-high interest rates, student credit cards are confusing and don’t come with a manual. They encourage overspending, debt, and won’t help you get ahead with your personal finances. That’s where the Fizz card comes in.

How does a student credit card work?

A student credit card is much like a regular credit card. The main difference is that student credit cards are marketed towards college students and often leave people saddled with thousands of dollars in credit card debt. In theory, students have an easier time with the approval process, though that’s not always the case. Even if you’re a student, it can be difficult to be approved for a card without credit history - even if you have an on-campus job.

With a student credit card, you’ll be given an arbitrary credit line - often times more than you have in your bank account. You’ll get a bill once a month, and you’ll have to pay for all of your purchases by a certain date. If you miss that payment date, even by accident, your credit score will suffer. If you decide to only pay back a fraction of your bill, you'll be subject to sky-high interest rates and will end up owing far more than you ever spent. The worst part? These credit card companies actually encourage this kind of behavior. It’s how they make more money.

Why is Fizz different?

Despite the drawbacks of student credit cards, it is possible to use them to build your credit score. But why would you want to go through the hassle when a Fizz card is set up to help you get ahead every step of the way?

Fizz is different from a student credit card in a few ways. First, Fizz doesn’t check your credit score, so there’s no worrying about whether you’ll get approved. Once you’ve signed up, we connect to your existing bank account and give you a spend limit that reflects your account balance to keep you from spending more than you have. At Fizz, we want to help you build credit even if you don’t have credit. The signup process is extremely simple. All you need to do is enter some personal information and connect a bank account and you’ll be ready to go.

Second, Fizz is a debit card that builds credit - not a credit card. With features like daily Autopay and SafeFreeze, your purchases will be automatically paid off on a daily basis and we won’t let you keep building up a balance if you happen to miss a payment. Because Fizz is still an unsecured line of credit, you can make payments once per month if you want to - but daily Autopay and SafeFreeze are one-of-a-kind features that will help you stay on top of your finances. Other cards don’t even come close to that kind of help. And of course, Fizz doesn’t charge hidden fees or interest rates.

The cherry on top? Fizz helps you earn some pretty sweet cash rewards from your spending. For example, Chipotle is one place where Fizz cardholders can earn rewards. Yes, you can literally get money in your pocket for buying a burrito. It’s really as simple as that. You can find offers on the Fizz app and then it’s off to the races. A lot of student credit cards don’t offer any rewards at all.

Fizz to the rescue

Fizz helps you establish a credit profile and build your credit - without the hassle and headache. But if the whole concept is a little foreign to you, that’s ok. We’ve developed resources to help you understand, because you’re not alone. The Fizz app also features a credit dashboard where you can track your score in real time and see what kinds of factors are affecting it.

The old ways of building credit and achieving financial freedom are gone. Whole generations have been subject to crappy credit cards, poor financial education, and debt. We want to change this dynamic and help guide you down the path towards financial freedom. And it all starts by building your credit with Fizz!

*This communication is for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial advice.*

Sam Lipscomb

Author bio

Sam is a Kenyon College alum and is head of content at Fizz. He's been a go to personal finance resource among his peers since getting his first credit card during his sophomore year of college. He hails from Washington, DC, loves all things aviation, and currently lives in Los Angeles.

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ShoulderTap Technologies, Inc. d/b/a Fizz © 2024.


40 Wooster Street, Level 2, New York, NY 10013. All rights reserved. FIZZ® is registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

ShoulderTap Technologies, Inc. d/b/a Fizz © 2024. 40 Wooster Street, Level 2, New York, NY 10013. All rights reserved. FIZZ® is registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.


ShoulderTap Technologies, Inc. d/b/a Fizz (“Fizz”) is not a bank. The Fizz Debit Mastercard® (“Fizz Card”) is issued by Patriot Bank, N.A., Member FDIC, pursuant to a license from Mastercard® and may be used everywhere Mastercard® debit cards are accepted. Any loans you may be offered in connection with your use of the Fizz Card are originated by Lead Bank, a Missouri state-chartered bank. Any promotions or rewards you may be offered in connection with your use of the Fizz Card are offered and managed by Fizz, not our bank partners.


Fizz Members may choose to apply for a Fizz Card, but are not required to. Fizz Membership does not guarantee access to a Fizz Card. Application and eligibility restrictions apply. Over $300 in annual value of Fizz Card based on cash value available to Fizz Card users assuming half of all available rewards and promotions are used. Actual results may vary.


Fizz cardholders: Fizz reports your payment history on the revolving, open-end line of credit accessed by your Fizz Card. Increases or specific changes to your credit score are not guaranteed. Impact on your credit score may vary depending on your use. Fizz is required to report late payments, which may negatively impact your credit score. Credit scores are independently determined by credit bureaus based on a number of factors, including your activity with other creditors. The Fizz Card and related services will not remove negative credit history from your credit report. Fizz, on behalf of Lead Bank, will report your activities to Experian®  and Transunion® .
For additional information, terms and conditions applicable to your use of Fizz’s services, please consult Fizz’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy, the Cardholder Agreement, any Line of Credit Agreement in effect between you and Lead Bank and any and all other applicable terms, policies and guidelines made available to you through the Fizz services.


Selected customers reviews above describe individual experiences or results. Individuals in TikTok videos featured above are paid spokespeople. Selected customer reviews above describe individual experiences or results. Actual results may vary. App Store rating as of September 2024.


Credit score sliding scale feature is for informational purposes only. Credit score ranges based on information available on RentSpree. Car loan figures assume a loan value of $30,000 over 72 months and based on information available on CNN. Student loan figures assumes a $35,000 private student loan with a 10-year term and based on information available on CNBC, NerdWallet and Credible. Apartment approval based on information available on BI and RentSpree.


For people with disabilities, including those who are visually impaired, deaf, or hard of hearing, we accept messages via our in-app chat, emails at [email protected], and calls on our answering machine at (940) 260-2704. If you leave us a voicemail, please leave your name and number and a member of our customer support team will return your call.

ShoulderTap Technologies, Inc. d/b/a Fizz © 2024.


40 Wooster Street, Level 2, New York, NY 10013. All rights reserved. FIZZ® is registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

ShoulderTap Technologies, Inc. d/b/a Fizz © 2024. 40 Wooster Street, Level 2, New York, NY 10013. All rights reserved. FIZZ® is registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.


ShoulderTap Technologies, Inc. d/b/a Fizz (“Fizz”) is not a bank. The Fizz Debit Mastercard® (“Fizz Card”) is issued by Patriot Bank, N.A., Member FDIC, pursuant to a license from Mastercard® and may be used everywhere Mastercard® debit cards are accepted. Any loans you may be offered in connection with your use of the Fizz Card are originated by Lead Bank, a Missouri state-chartered bank. Any promotions or rewards you may be offered in connection with your use of the Fizz Card are offered and managed by Fizz, not our bank partners.


Fizz Members may choose to apply for a Fizz Card, but are not required to. Fizz Membership does not guarantee access to a Fizz Card. Application and eligibility restrictions apply. Over $300 in annual value of Fizz Card based on cash value available to Fizz Card users assuming half of all available rewards and promotions are used. Actual results may vary.


Fizz cardholders: Fizz reports your payment history on the revolving, open-end line of credit accessed by your Fizz Card. Increases or specific changes to your credit score are not guaranteed. Impact on your credit score may vary depending on your use. Fizz is required to report late payments, which may negatively impact your credit score. Credit scores are independently determined by credit bureaus based on a number of factors, including your activity with other creditors. The Fizz Card and related services will not remove negative credit history from your credit report. Fizz, on behalf of Lead Bank, will report your activities to Experian®  and Transunion® .
For additional information, terms and conditions applicable to your use of Fizz’s services, please consult Fizz’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy, the Cardholder Agreement, any Line of Credit Agreement in effect between you and Lead Bank and any and all other applicable terms, policies and guidelines made available to you through the Fizz services.


Selected customers reviews above describe individual experiences or results. Individuals in TikTok videos featured above are paid spokespeople. Selected customer reviews above describe individual experiences or results. Actual results may vary. App Store rating as of September 2024.


Credit score sliding scale feature is for informational purposes only. Credit score ranges based on information available on RentSpree. Car loan figures assume a loan value of $30,000 over 72 months and based on information available on CNN. Student loan figures assumes a $35,000 private student loan with a 10-year term and based on information available on CNBC, NerdWallet and Credible. Apartment approval based on information available on BI and RentSpree.


For people with disabilities, including those who are visually impaired, deaf, or hard of hearing, we accept messages via our in-app chat, emails at [email protected], and calls on our answering machine at (940) 260-2704. If you leave us a voicemail, please leave your name and number and a member of our customer support team will return your call.

ShoulderTap Technologies, Inc. d/b/a Fizz © 2024.


40 Wooster Street, Level 2, New York, NY 10013. All rights reserved. FIZZ® is registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

ShoulderTap Technologies, Inc. d/b/a Fizz © 2024. 40 Wooster Street, Level 2, New York, NY 10013. All rights reserved. FIZZ® is registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.


ShoulderTap Technologies, Inc. d/b/a Fizz (“Fizz”) is not a bank. The Fizz Debit Mastercard® (“Fizz Card”) is issued by Patriot Bank, N.A., Member FDIC, pursuant to a license from Mastercard® and may be used everywhere Mastercard® debit cards are accepted. Any loans you may be offered in connection with your use of the Fizz Card are originated by Lead Bank, a Missouri state-chartered bank. Any promotions or rewards you may be offered in connection with your use of the Fizz Card are offered and managed by Fizz, not our bank partners.


Fizz Members may choose to apply for a Fizz Card, but are not required to. Fizz Membership does not guarantee access to a Fizz Card. Application and eligibility restrictions apply. Over $300 in annual value of Fizz Card based on cash value available to Fizz Card users assuming half of all available rewards and promotions are used. Actual results may vary.


Fizz cardholders: Fizz reports your payment history on the revolving, open-end line of credit accessed by your Fizz Card. Increases or specific changes to your credit score are not guaranteed. Impact on your credit score may vary depending on your use. Fizz is required to report late payments, which may negatively impact your credit score. Credit scores are independently determined by credit bureaus based on a number of factors, including your activity with other creditors. The Fizz Card and related services will not remove negative credit history from your credit report. Fizz, on behalf of Lead Bank, will report your activities to Experian®  and Transunion® .
For additional information, terms and conditions applicable to your use of Fizz’s services, please consult Fizz’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy, the Cardholder Agreement, any Line of Credit Agreement in effect between you and Lead Bank and any and all other applicable terms, policies and guidelines made available to you through the Fizz services.


Selected customers reviews above describe individual experiences or results. Individuals in TikTok videos featured above are paid spokespeople. Selected customer reviews above describe individual experiences or results. Actual results may vary. App Store rating as of September 2024.


Credit score sliding scale feature is for informational purposes only. Credit score ranges based on information available on RentSpree. Car loan figures assume a loan value of $30,000 over 72 months and based on information available on CNN. Student loan figures assumes a $35,000 private student loan with a 10-year term and based on information available on CNBC, NerdWallet and Credible. Apartment approval based on information available on BI and RentSpree.


For people with disabilities, including those who are visually impaired, deaf, or hard of hearing, we accept messages via our in-app chat, emails at [email protected], and calls on our answering machine at (940) 260-2704. If you leave us a voicemail, please leave your name and number and a member of our customer support team will return your call.