DCU Visa® Platinum Credit Card Review

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Because the DCU Visa® Platinum Credit Card has an extremely low ongoing APR on purchases and balance transfers, it may be an ideal option if you typically carry a balance on your credit card from month to month — if you can qualify for the lowest interest rate. This card also comes with minimal fees including no annual fee, balance transfer fee, foreign transaction fee or cash advance fee.

But outside of the DCU Visa® Platinum Credit Card being a very affordable card — you won’t get much value beyond that since there’s no rewards program. Plus, the card requires Digital Federal Credit Union membership to apply.

• Annual fee: $0
• Sign-up bonus: None
• Rewards: None
• Regular purchase APR: 13.75% to 18.00% (variable)
• Balance transfer APR: 13.75% to 18.00% (variable)
• Balance transfer fee: $0
• Foreign transaction fee: $0
• Other benefits: Free credit score access, Mobile wallet compatible, Extended warranty with warranty manager service, Same-day delivery from local grocery stores with Shipt, Live music experiences with Sofar Sounds and Travel accident insurance.
• Credit needed: Good / Excellent

• Low ongoing APR

  According to a recent LendingTree survey, the average APR is currently around 24.71%. The DCU Visa® Platinum Credit Card falls well below that amount with an APR ranging from 13.75% to 18.00% (variable). This can be ideal if you find yourself needing to carry a balance on your card from one month to the next.

  With any low interest credit card, you’ll have to qualify to get the lower end of the APR range.

  It’s best to pay your balance in full each month. But if you tend to carry a balance from month to month, owning a credit card with a low APR can help you save a significant amount on interest charges. That said — you stand to save even more with a credit card that offers a 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers.

• Limited fees

  Credit cards can sometimes come with a list of fees that can quickly add up. But with the DCU Visa® Platinum Credit Card, you’ll get the following:

  • $0 annual fee: While some credit cards charge annual fees ranging anywhere from $35 to $695, the DCU Visa® Platinum Credit Card doesn’t cost anything to own.
  • $0 foreign transaction fee: Some credit cards charge 3% foreign transaction fees each time you use them to make purchases outside the U.S. But because this card does not, it could be a good option to use when traveling abroad.
  • $0 balance transfer fee: Most credit cards charge a balance transfer fee of 3% or 5% of the amount of each transfer (with a minimum of $5 or $10) when you transfer a balance to it. But you won’t be subject to this fee when you use the DCU Visa® Platinum Credit Card to do a balance transfer.
  • $0 cash advance fee: A cash advance allows you to borrow cash against your line of credit. Most cards charge a cash advance fee of around 5% of the amount of each transaction, but the DCU Visa® Platinum Credit Card has a $0 cash advance fee. It also offers a potentially low APR on cash advances compared to other cards.

  This card does have a late payment fee of up to $35. Also know that if you miss a payment, you can lose your low APR.

• Protections and other perks

  The DCU Visa® Platinum Credit Card is a Visa card, meaning you’ll get a few Visa benefits:

  • Extended warranty: Double the term of your eligible manufacturer’s U.S. warranty by up to one additional year on eligible warranties of three years or less.
  • Travel accident insurance: You and your family will be protected in case of emergency when you purchase airline tickets with your card.
  • Shipt: Get a complimentary Shipt membership, which includes free delivery on orders of $35+ (enrollment required).
  • Sofar: Get presale access to events all over the globe when you use your card. You’ll also be eligible for a free ticket with your purchase.

  Outside of Visa benefits, you’ll also get free access to your FICO score based on Equifax data each month. Plus, you’ll receive two reasons why your score is what it is.

  While these benefits aren’t robust, they are reasonable for a no-annual-fee card that doesn’t offer a rewards program.

• DCU membership required

  To apply for the DCU Visa® Platinum Credit Card, you’ll need to be a member of Digital Federal Credit Union.

  To be eligible, you must be related to a current DCU member, employed by or retired from a participating company, belong to an eligible organization or live, work, worship or attend school in an eligible community. You can also join a participating nonprofit for a nominal fee.

  If you’re not a DCU member and don’t plan on becoming one, there are plenty of other credit card options that don’t require a membership.

• No rewards program or sign-up bonus

  With the DCU Visa® Platinum Credit Card, you won’t earn rewards on the purchases you make or a sign-up bonus. So while the DCU Visa® Platinum Credit Card is inexpensive to own, you won’t get much ongoing value from it.

  If earning points, cash back or miles from your purchases is important to you, you may want to consider a rewards credit card instead.

• No intro APR

  While the DCU Visa® Platinum Credit Card comes with a very reasonable ongoing APR, it doesn’t offer a 0% intro APR on purchases or balance transfers. That means you’ll pay interest on any balances you carry over from one month to another.

  See our picks for the best 0% intro APR cards and balance transfer cards with a 0% APR.

• Limited benefits

  The DCU Visa® Platinum Credit Card doesn’t offer some common card benefits, like purchase protection. However, that’s pretty typical for a $0 annual fee card with no rewards program. Most of the top credit cards with low interest rates also have limited benefits.

  While it’s not common to find no annual fee cards without a long list of benefits, there are some that do. For example, the Chase Freedom Unlimited^® has benefits like extended warranty, purchase protection, rental car insurance and trip cancellation/interruption insurance.

DCU Visa® Platinum Credit Card vs. Chase Freedom Unlimited^®

If you’re looking for a card with a rewards program, the Chase Freedom Unlimited^® card is a great choice because of its generous cash back rewards rate. Enjoy 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, our premier rewards program that lets you redeem rewards for cash back, travel, gift cards and more; 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service, and 1.5% on all other purchases. Points are flexible and easy to redeem and you’ll get a sign-up bonus.

The Chase Freedom Unlimited^® card also offers an interest-free period on purchases and balances for more than a year. After that, a 20.49% - 29.24% Variable APR kicks in. Plus, you’ll get a long list of purchase protection and travel perks that are rare to find with a no-annual-fee card.

DCU Visa® Platinum Credit Card vs. BankAmericard^® credit card

Like the Chase Freedom Unlimited^® card, the BankAmericard^® credit card offers an intro APR on balance and transfers — but for a longer period of time. You can get a 0% Intro APR for 18 billing cycles for purchases and a 0% Intro APR for 18 billing cycles for any balance transfers made in the first 60 days. After, a 16.24% - 26.24% Variable APR applies. There’s no rewards program, but you’ll get a $0 annual fee and no penalty APR.

DCU Visa® Platinum Credit Card vs. Citi Custom Cash^® Card

The Citi Custom Cash^® Card is another alternative to the DCU Visa Platinum Credit Card that offers a cash back rewards program. Earn 5% cash back on purchases in your top eligible spend category each billing cycle, up to the first $500 spent, 1% cash back thereafter. Also, earn unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases. Special Travel Offer: Earn an additional 4% cash back on hotels, car rentals, and attractions booked on Citi Travel℠ portal through 6/30/2025.

There’s a long intro APR for purchases and balance transfers, but there’s a balance transfer fee of 5% of each balance transfer; $5 minimum. If you use this card abroad a foreign transaction fee of 3% applies.

If you’re looking for a card that offers the possibility of a very low APR on purchases and balance transfers, along with limited fees, the DCU Visa® Platinum Credit Card could be a good fit. But if you want to earn rewards on everyday purchases, finance a large purchase or transfer an existing balance, there are better choices out there.