USAA Credit Cards & Rewards Program: USAA is a company made for military members and their families. It began in 1922 and is based in San Antonio. It offers banking, investing, and insurance services. One part of it is the rewards card section. That is what this article is about.
USAA Rewards is the name of the company’s points program. If you are part of a military family, you may be able to join USAA for free and get a USAA Rewards card.
Here are the people who may qualify:
- Active duty military members
- National Guard and Reserve officers
- National Guard and Reserve enlisted personnel
- Veterans with an honorable discharge
- Spouses, former spouses, widows, widowers, and adult children of USAA members
- Officer candidates in commissioning programs
- Contracted cadets and midshipmen
The points you earn are called USAA points. These points do not expire as long as your account stays open and in good standing. If the account gets closed, you have 90 days to use the points before they are lost. USAA also allows points to be moved to another person who has a USAA Rewards credit card.
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USAA gives cards in both Visa and American Express versions. Rewards are earned on qualifying purchases. Some things do not count. These include balance transfers, cash advances, ATM cash withdrawals, money transfers, truck stop purchases, gaming transactions, tax payments, finance charges, fees, and cash-like items.
USAA Points Cards
USAA has 3 personal rewards cards that earn points. It does not have a business card that earns USAA rewards.
USAA Eagle Navigator® Visa Signature® Credit Card
This is the main travel rewards card from USAA. It gives a strong welcome bonus and better rewards on travel spending.
- 30,000-point welcome offer
- $95 annual fee
- 18.90% to 27.15% variable APR
- Good to excellent credit recommended
What it gives:
- 3x points on travel purchases
- This includes tolls, rideshares, hotels, vacation rentals, flights, and more
- 2x points on everyday spending like groceries, gas, dining, and bills
- 10,000 bonus points every year after an eligible hotel or car booking through the USAA Rewards Center
- Up to $120 application fee credit for TSA PreCheck or Global Entry every 4 years
- No foreign transaction fees
To get the bonus, you must spend $3,000 on qualifying purchases within 90 days of opening the account. The card also comes with travel insurance, baggage protection, rental car coverage, and Automobile Insurance Deductible Reimbursement.
USAA Rewards™ American Express® Card
This one is a no-annual-fee points card with simple rewards.
- $0 annual fee
- 2,500 bonus points after first purchase
Its rewards are:
- 3x points on dining out
- 2x points on gas and groceries
- 1x points on all other purchases
The card has no cap on earnings, so you can keep earning points without a bonus limit. It also includes primary rental car coverage when renting outside your country of residence and secondary coverage when renting inside it. Other benefits include trip cancellation and interruption insurance, baggage delay reimbursement, travel accident insurance, travel help, extended warranty coverage, identity theft help, zero fraud liability, and 24/7 concierge service. There are no annual fees and no foreign transaction fees.
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USAA Rewards™ Visa Signature® Card
This card is similar to the Amex version, but the rewards are a little lower.
- $0 annual fee
- 2,500 bonus points after first purchase
Its reward structure is:
- 2x points on dining out and gas
- 1x points on all other purchases
It gives many of the same protections as the Amex card. That includes rental car coverage, trip cancellation and interruption insurance, baggage delay reimbursement, travel accident insurance, a 24/7 concierge, and extended warranty coverage. It also has no annual fee and no foreign transaction fees.
The Amex card gives one more point per dollar on dining and groceries. The Visa card is usually easier to use around the world because it is accepted more often.
Cash-Back and Low-APR Cards
USAA also has cards for people who want cash back or a low interest rate.
USAA Preferred Cash Rewards Visa Signature® Credit Card
This card gives simple cash back and a nice sign-up bonus.
- $250 reward bonus after spending $1,000 in qualifying purchases within 90 days
- $0 annual fee
- 15.40% to 27.40% variable APR
Rewards:
- 1.5% cash back on all qualifying purchases
- No category limits
- No spending caps
It also includes travel protection, baggage delay coverage, trip cancellation and interruption insurance, travel accident insurance, auto rental coverage, and more. There is also Automobile Insurance Deductible Reimbursement if certain purchase rules are met before a covered auto loss. The car must be registered and insured by you or a family member on the auto policy.
USAA® Cashback Rewards Plus American Express® Card
This is the strongest cash-back card USAA offers.
- No cash bonus welcome offer
- 0% intro APR for the first 15 months on balance transfers and convenience checks that post within 90 days
- Balance transfers have a 5% fee
- $0 annual fee
- No foreign transaction fees
Rewards:
- 5% cash back on the first $3,000 in combined gas station and military base purchases each year
- 2% cash back on the first $3,000 in grocery purchases each year
- 1% cash back on all other purchases
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This card does have category limits, so the bonus spending caps matter. It also comes with the same main protection benefits as the USAA rewards cards, including rental car coverage, trip cancellation and interruption insurance, travel accident insurance, baggage delay help, identity theft services, zero fraud liability, and 24/7 concierge support.
USAA Rate Advantage Visa® Platinum Credit Card
This card is for people who want a low intro APR and no annual fee.
- 0% intro APR for 15 months on balance transfers and convenience checks that post within 90 days
- Then a regular APR of 10.40% to 24.40%
- $0 annual fee
- No foreign transaction fees
It also includes travel protection like auto rental collision damage waiver, travel accident insurance, trip cancellation and interruption coverage, and baggage delay reimbursement.
Ways to Use Rewards?
USAA points can be used in several ways. These are the main choices:
- Airline travel
- Merchandise
- Gift cards
- Cash
- Charitable contributions
- Cruise travel
The best value usually comes from booking cruises or airfare, where the points can be worth 1 cent per point. Cash back is worth about 0.7 cents per point. Charity redemptions are around 0.8 cents per point. Gift cards are also around 0.7 cents per point.
You can redeem points by logging into the USAA Rewards Center in the USAA app or by calling the USAA Rewards Service Center at 210-531-USAA (8722).
Cash-back rewards from USAA cards can be used as a statement credit or put into a USAA checking or savings account. These rewards don’t expire as long as the card stays open and in good standing. To check or use the cash-back balance, you can log into your online account or call 800-531-USAA (8722).
