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The USAA® Preferred Cash Rewards Visa Signature® Card offers 1.5% cash back on all qualifying purchases, making it a solid choice if you’re looking for a credit card that earns a flat-rate cashback program on all purchases that doesn’t require having to deal with elevated rewards rates just in certain categories.
Plus, it charges a $0 annual fee and $0 in foreign transaction fees.
However, the card does requires USAA membership to apply. USAA is open to United States military members and veterans, precommissioned officers, and spouses and children. If you’re eligible, this could be a great card for your wallet — though it’s possible to find cards that earn a higher flat rate, which we’ll cover below.
Intro Purchase APR
N/A
Regular Purchase APR
16.15% to 30.15% Variable
Intro BT APR
0% Introductory APR through your 08/01/2024 billing cycle.
Regular BT APR
16.15% to 30.15% Variable
Annual Fee
$0
Cash Advance Fee
3% of the amount of each Cash Advance
Foreign Transaction Fee
$0
Balance Transfer Fee
3% of the amount of each Balance Transfer
Solid cashback program
Cardholders earn 1.5% cash back on all qualifying purchases. That’s a solid flat cashback rate, and makes this card a great choice if you don’t like to deal with rotating cashback categories or elevated rewards on some purchases and lower rates on others.
Plus, the USAA® Preferred Cash Rewards Visa Signature® Card allows cardholders to redeem cash back for any amount in $1 increments, which is nice because some cashback credit cards require minimum redemption amounts of $25.
No annual fee
With a $0 annual fee, you can count all the cash back you earn with the USAA® Preferred Cash Rewards Visa Signature® Card as a net gain to your rewards balance, at least as long as you don’t incur other fees or interest charges.
No foreign transaction fee
Take this card when traveling outside of the United States and enjoy peace of mind thanks to its $0 foreign transaction fee.
Chance for a low APR
The USAA® Preferred Cash Rewards Visa Signature® Card comes with a 16.15% to 30.15% Variable APR. Generally, the better your credit score, the better your chance of qualifying for a lower APR, but there is no guarantee.
It’s also worth noting that while the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA) caps credit card interest rates at 6% for military members on active duty — for debt incurred prior to the qualifying military service — USAA does even better with a maximum 4% interest rate.
You can find a card with a higher cashback rate
While earning 1.5% cash back on every purchase is good, it’s not hard to find credit cards offering 2% back. In fact, you’ll find two of them featured in the card comparison table below.
Doesn't offer a sign-up bonus
Many cashback credit cards offer a sign-up bonus, often ranging from $100 to $200, that new cardholders can earn by spending a certain amount in their first few months with the card. If you know you’ve got a big purchase in the near future, opening a card with a sign-up bonus can help offset that expense. Unfortunately, this card doesn’t offer one.
USAA membership not open to everyone
You must join USAA to apply for this card, and USAA membership is restricted to U.S. military members and veterans, precommissioned officers, and spouses and children.
If you’re looking to earn more than 1.5% cash back, the Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card lets cardholders earn unlimited 2% cash rewards on purchases. Plus, there’s a sign-up bonus that offers excellent value: Earn a $200 cash rewards bonus after spending $1,000 in purchases in the first 3 months.
There’s also a 0% intro APR for 15 months from account opening on purchases, after which a 19.24%, 24.24%, or 29.24% variable apr APR applies. And you’ll get a 0% intro APR for 15 months from account opening on qualifying balance transfers, too. A 19.24%, 24.24%, or 29.24% variable apr APR applies after the intro period ends.
You’ll pay a balance transfer fee of 3% intro for 120 days from account opening, then up to 5%; min: $5.
The card’s annual fee is $0, but be aware that there is a 3% foreign transaction fee.
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| USAA® Preferred Cash Rewards Visa Signature® Card | Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card | Citi® Double Cash Card – 18 month BT offer | Citi Custom Cash℠ Card |
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Read Review |
Apply Now on Wells Fargo's secure site
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Apply Now on Citibank's secure site
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Apply Now on Citibank's secure site
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| Rewards Rate | |||
| 1.5% cash back on all qualifying purchases | Earn unlimited 2% cash rewards on purchases | Earn 2% on every purchase with unlimited 1% cash back when you buy, plus an additional 1% as you pay for those purchases. | 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. |
| Welcome Offer | |||
| None | Earn a $200 cash rewards bonus after spending $1,000 in purchases in the first 3 months | None | Earn $200 cash back after you spend $1,500 on purchases in the first 6 months of account opening. This bonus offer will be fulfilled as 20,000 ThankYou® Points, which can be redeemed for $200 cash back. |
| Intro Purchase APR | |||
| N/A | 0% intro APR for 15 months from account opening | N/A | 0% intro APR for 15 months on purchases |
| Regular APR | |||
| 16.15% to 30.15% Variable | 19.24%, 24.24%, or 29.24% variable APR | 18.24% - 28.24% (Variable) | 18.24% - 28.24% (Variable) |
| Intro Balance Transfer APR | |||
| 0% Introductory APR through your 08/01/2024 billing cycle. | 0% intro APR for 15 months from account opening on qualifying balance transfers | 0% for 18 months on Balance Transfers | 0% intro APR for 15 months on balance transfers |
| Regular Balance Transfer APR | |||
| 16.15% to 30.15% Variable | 19.24%, 24.24%, or 29.24% variable APR | 18.24% - 28.24% (Variable) | 18.24% - 28.24% (Variable) |
| Balance Transfer Fee | |||
| 3% of the amount of each Balance Transfer | 3% intro for 120 days from account opening, then up to 5%; min: $5 | There is an intro balance transfer fee of 3% of each transfer (minimum $5) completed within the first 4 months of account opening. A balance transfer fee of 5% of each transfer ($5 minimum) applies if completed after 4 months of account opening. | 5% of each balance transfer; $5 minimum. |
| Annual Fee | |||
| $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Card Details | |||
| USAA® Preferred Cash Rewards Visa Signature® Card | Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card | Citi® Double Cash Card | Citi Custom Cash℠ Card |
The USAA® Preferred Cash Rewards Visa Signature® Card is a fine choice if you’re looking for a card with a solid flat cashback rate, useful benefits, and a $0 annual fee and $0 foreign transaction fee. That’s assuming you meet USAA membership requirements, of course. However, if you want to earn more on every purchase and have the chance to earn a sign-up bonus too, consider the Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card instead.
The information related to the USAA® Preferred Cash Rewards Visa Signature® Card has been independently collected by LendingTree and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer of this card prior to publication.
