Generally the two categories of people who do not get credit cards easily are: people who earn nothing or very little and people with bad credit histories. In the past, these 2 groups would have been refused credit cards. But today it is quite different, with many credit card companies providing credit cards to these groups easily.
Stiff competition in the UK credit card industry is responsible for this change. With increasing number of players entering the market, today practically anyone can easily avail of a credit card. Many US credit card players are penetrating the UK credit card industry, along with the internet and other non conventional providers, who are all aiming to corner a share of UK credit card industry. This means they are loaning increasingly higher amounts to people, who would not have got the credit card in the past due to their risky profile.
This means students who would not be given a credit card in the past, can now easily get one. As a result, the student enjoys various benefits, since they can pay for goods and services online, where debit cards for students are not accepted. Besides they allow the student to shop and pay for the expenses, when they are on an overseas trip.
But there are drawbacks of a student credit card too. The biggest problem is that the student can easily fall into credit card debt. Generally the spending limits on student credit cards are nearly thousands of pounds and if the student uses this entire amount will find it difficult to repay it. Also the interest rates on these cards are one of the highest in the debt industry. So if a student gets into a high credit card debt, will find their debt rising sharply that in no time, it will become uncontrollable without resorting to extreme measures.
All other drawbacks of student credit cards are minor compared to the risk of being trapped into debt problems and hence if you think that there is a risk that you cannot handle the credit card responsibly and control the expenses, then do not go for a student credit card in your present circumstances.
However if you are responsible and do not want to use a student credit card for frivolous purchases, you can always apply for a student credit card. This is also advisable if you have no credit record. This way you can develop a good credit record, so when you are actually going to apply for a higher credit card with better offers, you will most likely succeed.