PNC Cash Rewards® Visa® Credit Card Review: Big Everyday Category Earnings With an $8,000 Cap

The PNC Cash Rewards® Visa® Credit Card is a strong no-annual-fee option if your biggest expenses are gas, groceries and dining, and you want simple cash back without points programs or transfer partners. You’ll earn: 4% cash back at gas stations, 3% on dining, 2% on groceries and 1% on all other purchases.

A few caveats before you apply: Bonus rewards are capped at $8,000 annually across the gas, dining and grocery categories combined. After that, you’ll only earn 1% back on all purchases. PNC also has a reputation as a conservative lender, which means the card may come with modest starting limits and tight approval standards.

But if your household can stay under the cap — or you’re willing to pair it with a backup like the Citi Double Cash^® Card — the PNC Cash Rewards® Visa® Credit Card can deliver hundreds of dollars in rewards each year.

Recommended credit: Credit scores ranges may vary. Your individual chance at approval may vary due to factors such as creditors using a particular variation at their discretion Excellent

Rewards Rate: 1% - 4% cash back

• Earn 2% on grocery store purchases, 3% on dining purchases at restaurants and 4% on gas station purchases for the first $8,000 in combined purchases in these categories annually
• Earn 1% cash back on purchases everywhere, every time.

Welcome offer: $200 cash back

• Earn a $200 bonus after you make $1,000 or more in purchases during the first three months

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Rates

• Intro purchase APR: N/A
• Regular purchase APR: 18.49% to 28.49% Variable
• Intro balance transfer APR: 0% introductory APR for the first 15 months
• Regular balance transfer APR: 18.49% to 28.49% Variable
• Regular cash advance APR: 28.49% Variable APR
• Penalty APR: 32.49% Variable

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Fees

• Annual fee: $0
• Balance transfer fee: $5 or 4% of the amount of each balance transfer, whichever is greater, for the first 90 days following account opening. After that, either $5 or 5% of the amount of each balance transfer, whichever is greater
• Cash advance fee: Either $10 or 5% of the amount of each cash advance, whichever is greater
• Foreign exchange fee: 3% of each foreign transaction in U.S. dollars
• Late fee: Up to $38

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Other benefits

• Up to $800 cellphone insurance coverage benefit
• Zero liability fraud protection
• PNC Easy Lock® to quickly lock/unlock the card in-app
• Online and mobile account management tools
• Contactless payments and online statements

• “Set it and forget it” everyday categories

  The PNC Cash Rewards® Visa® Credit Card keeps rewards refreshingly simple. You’ll earn:

  • 4% cash back at gas stations
  • 3% at restaurants
  • 2% at grocery stores
  • 1% back on everything else

  These earning rates apply to the first $8,000 you spend each year across all of the bonus categories. After you hit the cap, your earning rate drops to 1% back per dollar spent for the rest of the calendar year across all categories.

  Redemption is just as straightforward: rewards are worth 1 cent each, and you can redeem them for statement credits or deposits into an eligible PNC bank account. You can redeem rewards any time you have $25 or more. With groceries, gas and dining out as your bonus categories, that can happen quickly. A grocery rewards credit card like this can generate hundreds of dollars each year in cash back returns.

  Tip: Stack your PNC Cash Rewards with gas station discounts or store loyalty rebates to further boost your earnings.

• Solid sign-up bonus

  The starts strong with a $200 bonus after you make $1,000 or more in purchases during the first three months. This offer is better than the average sign-up bonus for a cash back card and offers a meaningful bump in value during your first year with the card.

• No-annual-fee card you can keep forever

  With no annual fee, the PNC Cash Rewards® Visa® Credit Card is an easy card to keep long-term. You won’t have to evaluate its value to the cost every year. Even if you move on to other rewards cards, you can keep it in the back of your wallet.

  Keeping older lines of credit open can boost your credit score by helping your average age of credit and your utilization ratio. Just remember to give it a swipe now and then to avoid closure for inactivity.

• Intro balance transfer offer can help you pay off debt

  If you’re carrying a balance on a higher-interest credit card, the PNC Cash Rewards® Visa® Credit Card offers a longer-than-average 0% introductory APR for the first 15 months (then an APR of 18.49% to 28.49% Variable). This can give you some breathing room to put a payoff plan into motion.

  You could easily save hundreds in interest with this offer if you’re disciplined about paying the debt off before the promo ends. For example, moving a $3,000 balance from a card with a 24% APR could save you more than $500 in interest over 15 months.

  Note that this card charges a higher-than-average balance transfer fee, which LendingTree research shows you shouldn’t ignore, since it can cut into your savings on a balance transfer. You’d pay $120 to transfer a $3,000 balance with this card with the intro fee ($150 after the intro period), versus $90 for a card with a 3% balance transfer fee.

  A note of caution: Some users report low starting limits from PNC, which means you may get a much lower limit than the amount you need to transfer.

• Up to $800 in cellphone insurance coverage benefits

  Put your monthly wireless bill on the card and you may unlock up to $800 in cell phone protection per claim for covered theft or damage (terms, exclusions and deductibles apply). If you don’t want to pay for standalone phone insurance, this perk can be a valuable safety net.

  The benefit is easy to activate: When you pay your monthly wireless phone bill with an eligible PNC Visa credit card, you automatically get cell phone protection for the following month. That coverage kicks in if your phone is stolen or damaged, and you can file up to two claims in a 12-month period.

  Tip: Read your card’s Visa Guide to Benefits to understand all the terms and exclusions before you file a claim.

• Long-term potential for higher limits

  PNC is known for playing it safe on new approvals, and many cardholders say starting credit limits can be surprisingly low, especially if you don’t already bank with PNC. However, many cardholders also report steady credit growth over time by requesting periodic credit limit increase requests.

  Your best odds usually come after you’ve built a track record of six months or more of responsible credit card use paired with on-time payments.

  Some users have even received credit limit increases via a soft credit pull, meaning you may be able to expand your credit without a hard inquiry on your credit report.

  Over time, some cardholders on the myFICO forums have reported reaching five-figure credit limits after building up account history with PNC.

  Tips to increase your credit limit:

  1. Use your card regularly, especially on purchases across bonus categories.
  2. Pay your statement balance in full each month.
  3. Keep credit utilization low — a good rule of thumb is less than 30% of the card limit.
  4. Set calendar reminders for yourself to request increases periodically.

• The cap is the catch if you’re a heavy spender

  The PNC Cash Rewards® Visa® Credit Card’s biggest limitation is its $8,000 annual cap on combined spending across all bonus categories. That’s about $666 a month spent on gas, dining and groceries — an easy threshold to reach, especially with groceries in the mix. Once you reach the cap, you’ll only earn 1% cash back on all purchases for the remainder of the year.

  It’s a good idea to have a second card — for instance, a flat-rate 2% option like the Wells Fargo Active Cash^® Card — to switch to once you’ve hit the cap.

• Redemption friction: $25 minimum and limited redemption paths

  You’ll need to have at least $25 in cash back rewards before you can redeem them. In other words, if this is an occasional-use card, you may wait a while to cash out your rewards.

  Redemption is simple — you can redeem rewards as statement credit and PNC deposits. But there’s no redemption ecosystem to help you increase the value of your rewards. For example, you can’t redeem these rewards for Amazon gift cards or transfer them to airlines and hotels for better value.

  LendingTree research has found that rewards often go unclaimed — nearly half (49%) of cardholders claim they are sitting on unused cash back worth $100 or more.

  → Learn more: Minimum redemption amounts by card issuer

• Limited travel perks and foreign use

  The PNC Cash Rewards® Visa® Credit Card is built for everyday spending at home — not for travelling. Use it abroad and you’ll get hit with a fee of 3% of each foreign transaction in U.S. dollars, and there’s no travel bonus category to soften the blow.

  Plus, it doesn’t come with any travel benefits, protections, or perks such as airport lounge access or airline and hotel partners. If you travel often, a dedicated travel rewards card may be a better fit for your lifestyle.

  → See the best no-annual-fee travel cards

• PNC can be a very conservative lender

  PNC has a reputation for being a relationship-driven and cautious bank. PNC’s online application is limited to existing customers (non-customers generally need to apply through a bank branch). If you’re new to PNC and your credit profile isn’t strong, approval odds may be low.

  Some cardholders report having to go through manual reviews to get approved, and low starting credit limits are a frequent theme, even for applicants with stronger credit profiles.

  Limits can grow over time, but if you need a high credit line immediately, this may not be the card for you. Checking for pre-qualified or “pre-selected” credit card offers may improve your odds of approval or getting a higher credit limit, but there’s no guarantee.

  → See which banks offer the highest starting credit limits.

Credit card approval is never a sure thing, but here are ways to improve your chances of success:

• Use PNC’s credit card preapproval tool to gauge your odds of approval.
• Have your income and ID documentation ready in case your file requires additional review.
• Limit recent new credit accounts if possible — don’t apply for a credit card at the same time you apply for a mortgage or a loan, for example.
• Consider opening a PNC bank account to establish a relationship.

And don’t be discouraged by a modest initial credit limit; these can increase with time and responsible use.

→ Learn more: Pre-Qualified vs. Pre-Approved Credit Cards: What’s the Difference?

The PNC Cash Rewards® Visa® Credit Card is best for elevated gas, dining and grocery earnings. The other cards cater to different spending styles. The PNC Cash Unlimited^® is best for simple flat-rate 2% cash back, while the PNC Spend Wise℠ is useful for earning a lower APR and budgeting.

Citi Double Cash^® Card

The Citi Double Cash^® Card is a strong fit for anyone who wants uncomplicated, unlimited cash back. You’ll earn up to 2% cash back (1% when you buy and 1% when paying for purchases) with no cap or categories to track. It’s also an ideal secondary option once you max out the ’s $8,000 annual bonus limit.

Citi doesn’t have as strict of an approval reputation as PNC. You’ll still want to have good / excellent credit and strong financials, but you don’t have to be a Citi customer to apply online. Plus, you might have higher odds of getting a larger credit limit depending on your profile.

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Chase Freedom Unlimited^®

The Chase Freedom Unlimited^® is a more versatile card for people who want to earn cash back now and explore travel points later. You’ll earn points in the Chase Ultimate Rewards® ecosystem that you can redeem for a wide variety of options, including cash back and travel.

If you pair it with a card like the Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card, you can pool points and transfer them to airline and hotel partners for potentially higher value. And you’ll get a few other good perks, including extended warranty, purchase protection and rental car protection.

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Costco Anywhere Visa^® Card by Citi

The Costco Anywhere Visa^® Card by Citi is a strong alternative for Costco fans who purchase most of their gas and groceries at Costco. Its gas rewards can go toe-to-toe with PNC’s: You’ll earn 5% cash back rewards on gas at Costco and earn 4% cash back on other eligible gas and electric vehicle (EV) charging purchases for the first $7,000 combined spend per year, and then 1% thereafter.

The catch is that the rewards are harder to use. You’ll only get them once a year in the form of a reward certificate that can only be redeemed at Costco.

The PNC Cash Rewards® Visa® Credit Card is best for PNC members with strong credit who want a simple cash back card that earns a lot on gas, dining and groceries.

If you think you’ll blow the card’s $8,000 cap too quickly, you may consider a flat-rate card like the Citi Double Cash^® Card. And, if your credit is weak and you don’t have an account with PNC, you may be better off exploring other cash back options.

→ Want unlimited cash back? See the best cash back credit cards

We take a comprehensive, data-driven approach to identify the best cash back credit cards. We use an objective rating and ranking system that evaluates over 200 credit cards from more than 50 issuers. All recommendations are made by LendingTree’s editorial team, completely independent of affiliate partnerships or compensation. Every card is selected based on its merit and ability to help people achieve their financial goals. We use the following criteria to make our picks:

• Average value over two years (50% of rating): We calculate the cash back earned for the average cardholder using Bureau of Labor Statistics data and an annual spend of $20,000, minus the annual fee. This value includes sign-up and annual bonuses. We look at the average rewards earned over two years to balance out a card’s ongoing value with its first-year value.
• Flexibility of rewards (30% of rating): We consider how easy the rewards are to use, looking at factors like expiration dates and minimum thresholds to redeem.
• Other features (20% of rating): We also compare a card’s benefits, such as purchase and travel protections, against benefits from other cards.