Let’s start with the basics. The Fizz card is a debit card, designed for college students, that can help you build your credit profile and your credit score. To make matters even better, you’ll be able to earn cash rewards when you use your Fizz card at establishments you already know and love around campus and online. You can also use the Fizz app to budget your spending, monitor your credit, and learn about finance alongside your Fizz card. But before we get too far, let’s take a step back and really explain how the Fizz card works.
Getting signed up
One of the things that makes Fizz great is the fact that you can sign up for a card no matter who you are. We don’t do credit checks, we don’t have any interest rates to keep track of, and there are no hidden fees to worry about (just a simple membership fee). Signing up and getting your Fizz card is easy. You just input some personal information, link your bank account, pay your membership fee, and you’ll be ready to go. You can even use your card by adding it to your Apple Wallet before your Fizz card comes in the mail.
I’ll say it again just for good measure: Fizz has no hidden fees, no interest rates, and no credit check. We make money from the interchange fees collected by our card network, Mastercard, and membership fees collected from our users. That way more money stays in your pocket - which is where it should be - especially when you're on a college budget.
Helping you stay on top of things
Fizz isn’t like normal credit cards that encourage overspending and debt. While we still give you a monthly, unsecured line of credit, we know that can be scary for lots of people. Because of that, we’ve designed a number of tools to help you get ahead and stay ahead - all while building credit and earning rewards. While both features are optional, we recommend using them to stay on top of things
Daily Autopay
Normal credit cards suggest that you pay your bill off every month. This makes it easy to overspend, as you can make purchases all month long and end up spending more than you can afford to pay.
Fizz operates differently. We encourage everyone to pay off their card on a regular basis so that you don’t build up big balances. With Daily Autopay, Fizz will pay off your purchases on a daily basis from your connected bank account so that you’re starting each day from scratch. This means smaller balances on your Fizz card, an updated bank account balance, and more control over your spending habits.
SafeFreeze
With a normal credit card, there’s nothing to keep you from overspending. Fizz’s solution is SafeFreeze. With SafeFreeze on, your Fizz card will lock if you forget to make a daily payment, or if Daily Autopay fails. We’ll also lock your card if your connected bank account balance gets too low. That way, you won’t be able to keep building up a big balance that you might have trouble paying off later
Financial resources
Most credit cards and banks look to bring you on a customer and then leave it to you to figure everything out for yourself. But that’s not our approach. Fizz has tons of free financial resources designed just for you, and they’re accessible on the Fizz app and on our website.
We also have a number of other great features to help you stay on top of your finances. From budgeting tools to credit monitoring and financial literacy courses, you'll be well on your way to becoming a financial whiz.
While you don’t have to take advantage of all the features Fizz has to offer, we’re excited to offer them. We’re here for you if you need help, because credit shouldn’t have to be scary.
Using your Fizz card
Things are pretty simple when it comes to using your Fizz card. Since we connect to your checking account, we know how much money you have in it on a daily basis - and we won’t let you to spend more than you have.
You can use your Fizz card just like you’d use your current debit card. We spot you for the purchases you make, and these purchases are paid off from your linked checking account. If you enable Daily Autopay (which is encouraged), we’ll take care of these payments for you on a daily basis. Of course, if you don’t have any completed purchases on a given day, you won’t owe anything. As is the case with a normal debit card or even cash, you only end up paying for what you spend. It’s as simple as that.
With Fizz, building credit has never been easier. Since it’s easy to pay your card off on a daily basis, your credit utilization can stay low and you won’t have to worry about only using it a few times a month like you would with a normal credit card. Plus, we report your data to the credit bureaus at the end of the month and send you an email when it’s done so that you don’t have to worry about it.
The cherry on top? With Fizz, you can earn some pretty awesome rewards when you use your card. You can check out offers in the Fizz app and then get rewarded when you spend at any of those partners.
Behind the scenes
Normal credit cards and banks don’t make things easy for you. Which is why at Fizz, we’re determined to help you out. It’s why we made it so that Fizz is accessible to anyone - whether you’re a college student, a recent graduate, an international student, or someone with no credit history at all.
Fizz is still a monthly, revolving, unsecured line of credit - just like what you’d get from a normal bank. But what makes Fizz so great is that we’ve made it easy for you to become financially responsible in college without having to worry about interest rates, fees, debt, and other confusing terms. By taking advantage of Daily Autopay and SafeFreeze, you can use your Fizz card just like you would your normal debit card - only now you’ll be earning rewards and building credit.
The Fizz card is a safe and secure way to spend money and build your credit along the way. We run on the Mastercard network and work with other banking and lending partners to enable our product and make sure that things move efficiently and securely. We don’t want to bore you with too many details, but we’ve done our homework. We’re excited to help an entire generation take back control of their finances. Don’t be afraid to click the link below to get your very own Fizz card!
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.