One of those financial milestones that feels like it's both worth the effort and too complicated seems to be getting some new credit. One of those significant financial milestones that seems like both it's important and too complicated seems to be getting some new credit. Most of the credit cards that are truly useful require a credit score that you don't have yet, and most of the credit cards made for newbies offer meager rewards and irksome restrictions. Capital One has consistently been one of the companies that has had a student-friendly card lineup and currently both of their student cards are offering the best welcome bonus they've had in a long time.

The Capital One Quicksilver Student Cash Rewards Credit Card and Capital One Savor Student Cash Rewards Credit Card are both currently providing a $100 cash bonus for the first three months of account opening if you make $300 in purchases. That represents a significant increase from the $50 the cards have previously offered and it's a value card that includes real rewards for everyday use.

If you've been considering getting a student card, this is the perfect time to make the move.

There are two different ways to earn money with two cards

They're all the same size, have no annual fee, no foreign transaction fee and are available to students with limited or no credit history, but they're intended for different spending habits and it's important to understand the difference to choose the right one.

Things are simple on Capital One's Quicksilver Student card: 1.5% cash back on all purchases, no categories to remember, no rotating quarterly bonuses and no limits on earning. If a student is looking for an easy-to-use spending card and doesn't want to have to think about anything other than making a purchase, this card is for them. One rate, all the time, all the places.

The Capital One Savor Student card offers something more different: It rewards the types of spending that most students make. It gets 1% back on all purchases except for dining, entertainment, popular streaming services, and grocery store; which each get 3% back. For those who spend routinely in food delivery, going out and Netflix or Spotify and on weekly grocery runs, the 3% categories can make a 1.5% card look mediocre in the long-run.

No foreign transaction fee either on either card is very useful for students abroad or anyone who's traveling internationally, as many starter cards have a 3% surcharge on any purchase outside the U.S. that you don't realize until you've done it.

Why student cards are more than just a card for students?

In a general sense, most people realize that it is a good idea to build up credit as early as possible. What isn't so well-known is how early it is important what type of card you use. Secured cards that require a cash deposit that acts as your credit limit are the old-school method for people who don't have any credit history they're also dogged with some problems: They require up-front cash to be deposited, an annual fee in some cases, and they may not offer much in the way of rewards.

The Capital One student cards are unsecured, which means no security deposit required. They're real credit cards, real rewards and they're open to students starting out. Let's look at the qualities of these cards in the student category:

• No annual fees year after year the cards are available for free, and even if you upgrade to a more premium card later, they can still be useful in maintaining the average age of cards.
• No foreign transaction fees unusually generous for entry level cards, meaning that purchases made overseas aren't charged an extra fee.
• Unsecured access no security deposit is required, unlike the secured starter cards.
• New high welcome bonus double the historic bonus of $100 when you make $300 of your first three-months wagering.

The $300 spending requirement is designed to be realistic. If a student is spending money on food, schoolbooks, meals out, or subscriptions, $300 over three months equals $100 per month a reasonable amount that won't leave him or her hanging for the bonus.

Becoming a good credit citizen

Both of these cards are fine instruments for credit building, and the welcome bonus and rewards system are appealing. Making timely payments and using financial products responsibly will build credit history that will allow better financial products to be available in the future. Having a good credit score is not only beneficial for future credit cards, but for apartment applications, auto loan rates, and eventually mortgage terms.

One of the easiest ways to build a solid credit foundation is to get an unsecured credit card from a credit card company that reports to all three credit bureaus, like Capital One, and practice good credit card habits. Years later, many students who might begin with a Quicksilver or Savor student card and continue to hold it in their wallet until they upgrade to premium cards appreciate the length of credit history that the student card affords them.

There are various kinds of cards in the market, but which one is best for you?

The true answer is it depends on where you spend your money. If you're not the type to think about optimizing most of your purchases and have them in various categories, the Quicksilver Student card's flat 1.5% rate will be the more straightforward selection. For most students, who spend a lot of money on dining, streaming, entertainment and groceries, the Savor Student card's 3% on those categories alone will likely pay off over the course of a month, even with the additional 1% on all other purchases.

These cards offer the same $100 welcome bonus this limited time, so it's not about who has the better bonus; it's about the rewards on an on-going basis that suits your lifestyle better.

The Bottom Line

Capital One has upped the welcome bonus for both its student credit cards to $100 after spending $300 in the first three months the highest it's offered either card. The Quicksilver Student card is a relatively easy card to earn cash back, with a 1.5% return on all purchases, and the Savor Student is a card that rewards 3% on dining, entertainment, streaming, and grocery purchases. 

The two don't have any annual fees, foreign transaction fees, or require any credit history to use. If you're just beginning your credit journey, these cards are a great choice for the number of rewards they offer including signup bonuses that are higher than average, real rewards that you use every day and the ability to use them with no cost to your credit score.