Posted by: John S Kiernan

EDITOR’S RATING 3.5 / 5 PROS

• 1.5% Cash Back
• No Annual Fee
• Special 4% Military APR

CONS

• High Regular APR
• No Initial Bonus

The Verdict: If you're looking for a simple yet rewarding cash back credit card with no annual fee, and you're eligible for USAA membership, the USAA® Preferred Cash Rewards Visa Signature® Card is a good choice. Offering 1.5% cash back on all purchases, the USAA Preferred Visa is nearly 50% more generous than the average cash rewards credit card. And its lack of an annual fee makes it $18.15 per year cheaper than the average credit card overall.

But not just anyone can get USAA® Preferred Cash Rewards Visa Signature® Card. For starters, you must be a current or former member of the U.S. military or the adult child of a USAA member to join USAA. You also need good or excellent credit to qualify for the card itself.

In addition to those restrictions, it's important to note that USAA Preferred Cash Rewards is not an offer without flaws. There's no initial bonus, which puts USAA Preferred Cash at a nearly $154 disadvantage relative to the average cash rewards card. And even though you need good credit or better for approval, you could receive a regular APR that's higher than even the average card's penalty rate.

Fortunately, you can avoid wasting money on interest by paying your bill in full every month. You'll also get a break on finance charges during active duty, deployment and PCS.

All things considered, the USAA Preferred Cash Rewards Visa offers a lot to like but probably won't blow your socks off. Still, you should definitely read on to find out.

The Highlights

• 1.5% Cash Back on All Purchases: You don't have to worry about keeping track of or signing up for bonus rewards categories with this card. You simply earn almost 50% more than average on every purchase you make. Cash rewards cards offer 1.06% back, on average, according to WalletHub's latest Credit Card Landscape Report.
• No Annual Fee: This means no pressure to make purchases just to break even. Any cash back you earn will go right into your pocket, so to speak. That makes USAA Preferred Cash an especially good option for infrequent credit card users, who may want a card more for emergencies than everyday purchases.
• No Foreign Transaction Fee: Military families move around a lot, often spending plenty of time abroad. So it's certainly a good thing that you won't have to pay extra on purchases processed internationally with this card. After all, the average credit card foreign transaction fee - 1.50% of each purchase – would more than cancel out USAA Preferred's cash rewards.
• Special 4% Military APR: This applies to a balance you owe when you begin active duty, until its paid off or you celebrate your first anniversary of ending active duty. It also applies to all balances for up to 12 months in the event of deployment or permanent change of station. All USAA credit cards have this feature.

The Lowlights

• Very High Regular APR Possible: You need at least good credit to get this card. The average APR among credit cards for people with good credit is 20.79%. Yet it's possible to receive an APR that's nearly twice as high from USAA Preferred Cash. Its APR could be anywhere from 14.15% to 28.15% (V), depending on your creditworthiness.

  For additional context, credit cards for people with excellent credit average an APR of 14.49%. And among all cards, the average penalty APR is just 26.26%.

• No Initial Bonus: This means you lose out on roughly $154 relative to the average cash back credit card, the best of which pair an even bigger bonus with an ongoing earning rate comparable to the Preferred Cash Visa's.

Other Things to Consider

• Good or Excellent Credit Required: This probably rules out about 45% of potential applicants, according to WalletHub data. Of course, USAA will consider other factors, too. This includes your income and existing debt. They have to confirm you can afford a new line of credit, after all. But it's still a good idea to check your latest credit score for free before you apply.
• Undisclosed Spending Limit: You won't learn what your credit limit will be until you're approved. Some cards at least provide a minimum amount in their terms and conditions.
• USAA Eligibility Test: If you've never served in the military and didn't inherit USAA eligibility from your parents, you probably won't be able to qualify. You can find the specific requirements on USAA's website.

Compared to the Competition

Lots of people with good or excellent credit want to earn cash back on every purchase they make. So plenty of banks and credit unions offer credit cards that cater to this desire. And that competition leads to some really good deals. Below, you can see if USAA® Preferred Cash Rewards Visa Signature® Card is one of the best by comparing it to some of the most popular alternatives.

	SponsoredUSAA® Preferred Cash Rewards Visa Signature® Card	SponsoredCiti® Double Cash Card – 18 month BT offer	SponsoredWells Fargo Cash Wise Visa® Card	SponsoredChase Freedom Unlimited®
Annual Fee	$0	$0	$0	$0
Rewards Bonus	N/A	N/A	$200	Double Cash Back
Rewards Rate	1.5% Cash Back	2% Cash Back	1.5 - 1.8% Cash Back	1.5% Cash Back
Purchase Intro APR	Not Offered	Not Offered	0% for 12 months	0% for 15 months
Transfer Intro APR	Not Offered	0% for 18 months*Transfer Fee: 3% (min $5)	0% for 12 months on qualifying balance transfersTransfer Fee: 3% for 120 days, then 5%	0% for 15 monthsTransfer Fee: Either $5 or 3% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater.
Regular APR	14.15% - 28.15% (V)	15.74% - 25.74%* (V)	16.24% - 28.24% Variable	17.24% - 25.99% (V)
Editors’ Rating	3.5 / 5	5.0 / 5	4.8 / 5	4.7 / 5
Details, Rates & Fees	Learn MoreRates & Fees	Learn More	Learn More	Learn More
Winners	Citi® Double Cash Card – 18 month BT offer		Chase Freedom Unlimited®

If you want to expand your search a bit, check out WalletHub's picks for the year's best USAA credit cards as well as the best overall rewards cards.

from Wallet HubWallet Hub


via Finance Xpress