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Navy Federal Credit Union Visa Signature® Flagship Rewards card review

 /  4 min
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3.4

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Rating: 3.4 stars out of 5
Navy Federal Credit Union Visa Signature® Flagship Rewards Credit Card

Navy Federal Credit Union Visa Signature® Flagship Rewards Credit Card

Recommended credit score:(740 - 850)

Intro offer

40,000 points

Rewards rate

2X - 3X

Annual fee

$49 Annual Fee

Regular APR

10.74% - 18.00% (Variable)

3.4
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Navy Federal Credit Union Visa Signature® Flagship Rewards card overview

The Navy Federal Credit Union Visa Signature® Flagship Rewards card offered by Navy Federal earns cardholders solid rewards on general purchases. And with a lower-than-average APR, this card will be a less costly choice for cardholders who carry a balance.

What are the advantages and disadvantages?

Pros

  • Checkmark Icon

    Low APR

  • Checkmark Icon

    2x points on everyday spending

  • Checkmark Icon

    Flexible redemption options

Cons

  • Redemption value on points are low

  • Less-than-stellar sign-up offer

  • No intro purchase or balance transfer APR

A deeper look into the current card offer

Quick highlights

  • Rewards rate: 3X points on travel spending, 2X points on all other purchases
  • Welcome offer: One year of Amazon Prime membership when you use your Flagship Rewards card to purchase an Amazon Prime membership.
  • Annual fee: $49 ($0 intro annual fee for the first year)
  • Purchase intro APR: N/A
  • Balance transfer intro APR: N/A
  • Regular APR: 9.99 percent to 18 percent variable

Current sign-up offer

The current sign-up offer for this Navy Federal credit card is useful—if not terribly exciting. While many other cards offer big points bonuses if cardholders spend a certain amount on purchases in the first 90 days, the Visa Signature Flagship Rewards card comes with a credit for a yearlong Amazon Prime subscription, applying to both new and current Prime members.

While there are significant benefits to Prime membership including free shipping, two-day shipping speed on most Prime items and access to Amazon’s Prime TV service, these perks are only useful if you’re a regular Amazon.com user.

Rewards

The Visa Signature Flagship Rewards card lets account holders earn and redeem points for cash, travel, gift cards and merchandise.

Earning rewards

Rewards points are earned on all eligible purchases. Points are earned at a rate of 3 points per dollar spent on hotel, cruise and airline purchases along with car rentals, time shares, ride-sharing services and parking. Cardholders also receive 2X points on all other eligible spending.

There’s no limit on the number of points that can be accumulated before choosing to redeem.

Redeeming rewards

Cardholders can redeem their rewards through the Navy Federal online banking portal or by calling 1-855-575-4642.

How much are points worth?

Navy Federal rewards are worth 1 cent per point when you redeem them for cash or travel.

Benefits

The biggest benefit of this Navy Federal credit card is its low APR. With rates between 9.99 percent and 18 percent variable, depending on creditworthiness, this card offers significantly lower APR than the competition. The card also offers other benefits, including:

Global Entry or TSA Precheck statement credit

Cardholders receive an up to $100 Global Entry or  up to $85 TSA Precheck statement credit after the applicable application fee is charged to their Visa Signature Flagship card.

Collision damage waiver

Account holders enjoy automatic collision damage waivers when renting a car for 15 days or less and paying with their Visa Signature card.

Travel and emergency assistance

Help is available 24/7 worldwide for cardholders with medical referrals, lost luggage or prescription assistance.

Extended warranty service

Large purchases made with the Visa Signature Flagship Rewards card are covered by Extended Warranty Service, which doubles existing warranties for up to one year.

Visa Signature perks

As a Visa Signature card, this Navy Federal offering also includes roadside dispatch, purchase security and the Visa Signature Concierge Service.

Rates and fees

The Visa Signature Flagship Rewards credit card comes with a $49 annual fee (waived the first year) along with an APR between 9.99 percent and 18 percent variable. The card doesn’t offer any intro purchase or balance transfer APRs, but it doesn’t charge any foreign transaction fees or fees for cash advances at Navy Federal branch ATMs. There is a up to $20 fee for late or returned payments.

How the Visa Signature Flagship Rewards card compares to other points cards

The Visa Signature Flagship Rewards card comes with a significantly lower APR than many rewards cards and earns you a solid 2 percent back for general purchases. While some credit cards, like the Citi Double Cash® Card or the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card also earn great rewards– up to 2 percent in cash back for the Citi Double Cash (1 percent as you buy, plus another 1 percent when you pay) or 2 miles per dollar for the Capital One Venture Rewards card – neither of these options also earn 3 percent back on any category.

Image of Navy Federal Credit Union Visa Signature® Flagship Rewards Credit Card

Navy Federal Credit Union Visa Signature® Flagship Rewards Credit Card

Annual fee

$49 Annual Fee

Intro offer

40,000 points
Info Icon

Rewards rate

2X - 3X
Info Icon

Recommended Credit Score

Excellent (740 – 850)
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Image of Citi Double Cash® Card
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See Rates & Fees , Terms Apply
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on Citi's secure site

Annual fee

$0

Intro offer

$200 cash back
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Rewards rate

1% - 5%
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Recommended Credit Score

Good to Excellent (670 – 850)
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Image of Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
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See Rates & Fees , Terms Apply
Apply now Lock Icon
on Capital One's secure site

Annual fee

$95

Intro offer

75,000 miles
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Rewards rate

2 Miles - 5 Miles
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Recommended Credit Score

Good to Excellent (670 – 850)
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Best cards to pair with the Visa Signature Flagship Rewards card

If you’re looking to pair your Visa Signature Flagship Rewards card with another card, consider cash back and travel-focused offerings. For example, the Navy Federal Credit Union cashRewards Card offers 1.5 percent cash back on all purchases, giving you the option to use your Visa Signature Flagship card for travel points and your cashRewards for everyday purchases. Or consider a more travel-focused card like the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card or Capital One Venture Rewards that lets you boost travel earnings while you use your Visa Signature Flagship card for other types of spending.

Bankrate’s Take—Is the Visa Signature Flagship Rewards card worth it?

While the Visa Signature Flagship Rewards card doesn’t make our list of the top Visa cards, it does offer the benefit of steady points earning on all purchases. When it comes to low APR cards, meanwhile, this card is a standout.

This card isn’t for everyone. If you’re looking for top-tier travel rewards and high-value points redemption, this card isn’t your best fit. And if getting cash back conversion for statement credit is your priority, you won’t find it here. If low APR is your primary focus, however, and steady points earning takes second place, the Visa Signature Flagship Reward card is a great choice.

The information about the Navy Federal Credit Union Visa Signature® Flagship Rewards card and Navy Federal Credit Union cashRewards Card has been collected independently by Bankrate.com. The card details have not been reviewed or approved by the card issuer.

* 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.