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Gold Visa® Card review

Could be great for low-interest credit card seekers who don’t desire any fluff.

 /  11 min
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Snapshot

4.0

Bankrate rating
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Rating: 4 stars out of 5

Bottom line

The PenFed Gold Visa is a solid choice if you need to pay off an outstanding balance or want a low-interest card. However, the lack of rewards or perks may be an enormous downside if you want a card with long-term value.

Best for low variable APR

Gold Visa® Card

Gold Visa® Card

Recommended credit score:(670 - 850)

Purchase intro APR

0% Introductory APR on purchases made the first 15 months after account opening

Regular APR

17.99% Variable APR

Intro offer

N/A

Rewards rate

N/A

4.0
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Bankrate Score

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Gold Visa® Card Overview

Its rock-bottom fees and 15-month 0 percent intro balance transfer APR (3 percent balance transfer fee, non-variable 17.99 percent APR ongoing) on balance transfers made within the first 90 days after account opening make it a great balance transfer card and one of the best credit cards for military members with big purchases on the horizon.

And since anyone can join the Pentagon Federal Credit Union, these amazing rates and fees make it one of the best low-interest credit cards available to the general public as well. Although we recommend keeping your credit card balance as low as possible at all times, if you know you’ll need to carry a balance here and there, the Gold Visa® Card should be at the top of your list.

  • Credit Card With Dollar Sign Icon

    Rewards

    • This card does not offer rewards.

    Expert Appraisal: Weak
    See our expert analysis

  • Credit Card With Percent Icon

    0% intro APR offer

    • 0 percent intro APR on purchases for 15 months
    • 0 percent intro APR on balance transfers for 15 months
    • 17.99 percent variable ongoing APR

    Expert Appraisal: Good
    See our expert analysis

  • Credit Card Search Icon

    Rates and fees

    • No annual fee
    • No foreign transaction fee
    • Up to $28 late payment fee and up to $25 returned payment fee

    Expert Appraisal: Good
    See our expert analysis

  • Congrats Icon

    Other cardholder perks

    • Traditional Visa Signature card perks
    • Pentagon Federal Credit Union perks

    Expert Appraisal: Unimpressive
    See our expert analysis

PenFed Gold Visa pros and cons

Pros

  • Checkmark Icon

    Light on fees, including no annual or foreign transaction fees.

  • Checkmark Icon

    Offers a 15-month 0 percent introductory balance transfer APR (non-variable 17.99 percent ongoing, intro 3 percent balance transfer fee, see terms) on purchases and balance transfers made in the first 90 days after account opening, making it an affordable option if you need to transfer a balance.

  • Checkmark Icon

    Nongovernment employee civilians are also eligible for this card and PenFed membership by opening a share/savings account and keeping it open with at least a $5 balance

Cons

  • There are no ongoing rewards, which limits the ongoing value of the card beyond the intro APR offer.

  • There are minimal card benefits and features compared to other cards.

Why you might want the PenFed Gold Visa Card

The PenFed Gold Visa is an excellent choice if you want to wipe off debt through a balance transfer or you want a low-maintenance, low-fee card.

Intro APR: Decent offer for balance transfers

If you want to chip away at an existing card balance, the Gold Visa’s 15-month 0 percent intro balance transfer APR (3 percent balance transfer fee) on any balance transfer in the first 90 days of account opening will keep interest at bay for at least your entire first year (non-variable 17.99 percent APR thereafter). 

A 15-month period is roughly average in length for intro APR offers, but cards that feature both purchase and balance transfer offers are more uncommon. This gives the PenFed Gold Visa a leg up on other no-annual-fee cards when it comes to cutting down on interest. 

Rates and fees: Low APR

The Gold Visa card’s bread and butter feature is its incredibly low rates and fees. You won’t have to worry about an annual fee or even foreign transaction fees, which grants the card flexibility if you need to travel. Even the up to $28 late payment fee and up to $25 returned payment fee are lower than average (usually up to $40).

The 17.99 percent (variable) APR is also one of the best interest rates you’ll find, as it is below the current average APR. While we always recommend you pay your statement balance in full each month to avoid the risk of interest, the card’s low APR is forgiving in the event you need to carry a balance in an emergency. 

Why you might want a different low-interest card

Although the card's intro APR and low ongoing APR are its strongest features, it does have some downsides, such as a lack of rewards and perks.

Rewards: No cash back, points or miles

Unfortunately, the Gold Visa doesn’t earn rewards on purchases. Without a rewards program, the card may be less appealing if you want to offset your expenses or earn incentives for your purchases. 

This isn’t unexpected on a card that focuses on low fees and an intro APR, but not being able to earn rewards with the PenFed Gold Visa can be viewed as a major drawback for some cardholders, especially considering there are several rewards cards on the market that offer rewards in addition to solid intro APR offers. 

Card benefits: No standout perks compared to similar cards

This card’s selection of benefits is limited outside standard Visa security features like 24/7 fraud monitoring, $0 liability for unauthorized purchases, digital wallet compatibility and secure remote commerce (SRC) — also known as click-to-pay.

Eligibility: Must be a Pentagon Federal Credit Union member

While it’s not a huge drawback given the accessibility of PenFed membership, this requirement adds an extra step and potential barrier to entry for people who may already have accounts with other financial institutions or may not meet the eligibility criteria for PenFed membership. 

How the Gold Visa compares to other low-interest cards

As far as low ongoing interest rates go, the Gold Visa card is hard to beat. PenFed’s other credit cards — like the Power Cash Rewards Visa Signature® Card — offer rewards and extra benefits, but the interest rates aren’t as competitive as the Gold Visa.

However, it might take a few extra steps to apply for this card since you need to become a member of the PenFed Credit Union. If you haven’t served the military or the federal government as an employee, you can now simply apply for membership and become eligible by keeping a savings/share account open with at least a $5 balance since military affiliation is no longer required. But if you’re not eligible or looking to join, take a look at these alternatives:

Image of Gold Visa® Card

Gold Visa® Card

Annual fee

$0

Intro offer

N/A

Rewards rate

N/A

Recommended Credit Score

Good to Excellent (670 – 850)
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Image of Discover it® Cash Back
Bankrate Score
See Rates & Fees , Terms Apply
Apply now Lock Icon
on Discover's secure site

Annual fee

$0

Intro offer

Cashback Match
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Rewards rate

1% - 5%
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Recommended Credit Score

Good to Excellent (670 – 850)
Info Icon
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Bankrate Score
See Rates & Fees , Terms Apply
Apply now Lock Icon
on Citi's secure site

Annual fee

$0

Intro offer

N/A

Rewards rate

N/A

Recommended Credit Score

Good to Excellent (670 – 850)
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Best cards to pair with the PenFed Gold Visa Card

PenFed’s rewards cards gel nicely with the Gold Visa, but any rewards credit card pairs just as well. Just keep in mind that if you carry a balance, you could lose the bulk of any rewards you earn to interest payments.

Who is the PenFed Gold Visa Card right for?

Bankrate’s take — Is the PenFed Gold Visa worth it?

Whether you’ve served with the military or not, the Gold Visa Credit Card is certainly worth considering if you’re a PenFed Credit Union member and you know you may carry a balance from time to time. Its low rates and fees make it a fantastic opportunity to save money on interest, even if you have less than stellar credit.

However, the Gold Visa has no rewards and carries few additional benefits. These missing card features might make other cards with slightly higher APRs worth it.

How we rated this card

Document Icon
100+
cards rated
Credit Card With Percent Icon
400+
APRs tracked
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3000
data points analyzed
Credit Card With Star Icon
40+
perks evaluated

Our proprietary card rating system takes into account a mix of factors when scoring balance transfer and low-interest cards, including each card’s introductory APR, intro APR period length, ongoing APR, balance transfer fee, perks and more.

While balance transfer and low-interest cards share a similar ratings rubric, we weigh features differently based on how a card is categorized. We categorize cards that carry an especially long intro APR offer on balance transfers as dedicated balance transfer cards, while cards that offer an especially low ongoing APR are considered general low-interest cards. 

Based on its features, we assigned this card a primary category of [balance transfer / low interest] and tailored our ratings accordingly. 

We analyzed over 100 of the most popular balance transfer and low-interest cards and scored each based on how its key features stacked up against those of other cards in its category. 

Here’s a breakdown of what gave this card its score:

Written by
Re'Dreyona Walker
Associate Editor, Credit Cards
Re'Dreyona Walker is an editor for Bankrate and CreditCards.com, focusing on product guides and reviews. As a personal finance expert, she is dedicated to providing honest product reviews as well as in-depth, comprehensive guides to assist readers in building credit and finding the best credit cards for their needs.
Edited by Editor, Credit cards

* See the online application for details about terms and conditions for these offers. Every reasonable effort has been made to maintain accurate information. However all credit card information is presented without warranty. After you click on the offer you desire you will be directed to the credit card issuer's web site where you can review the terms and conditions for your selected offer.

Editorial Disclosure: Opinions expressed here are the author's alone, and have not been reviewed or approved by any advertiser. The information, including card rates and fees, is accurate as of the publish date. All products or services are presented without warranty. Check the bank’s website for the most current information.