
USAA® Cashback Rewards Plus American Express® Card
Rewards rate
1%–5%Annual fee
$0Intro offer
N/ARegular APR
12.65% to 26.65% VariableRecommended Credit Score
Good to Excellent (670 - 850)At Bankrate, we have a mission to demystify the credit cards industry — regardless or where you are in your journey — and make it one you can navigate with confidence. Our team is full of a diverse range of experts from credit card pros to data analysts and, most importantly, people who shop for credit cards just like you. With this combination of expertise and perspectives, we keep close tabs on the credit card industry year-round to:
At Bankrate, we focus on the points consumers care about most: rewards, welcome offers and bonuses, APR, and overall customer experience. Any issuers discussed on our site are vetted based on the value they provide to consumers at each of these levels. At each step of the way, we fact-check ourselves to prioritize accuracy so we can continue to be here for your every next.
Bankrate follows a strict editorial policy, so you can trust that we’re putting your interests first. Our award-winning editors and reporters create honest and accurate content to help you make the right financial decisions.
We value your trust. Our mission is to provide readers with accurate and unbiased information, and we have editorial standards in place to ensure that happens. Our editors and reporters thoroughly fact-check editorial content to ensure the information you’re reading is accurate. We maintain a firewall between our advertisers and our editorial team. Our editorial team does not receive direct compensation from our advertisers.
Bankrate’s editorial team writes on behalf of YOU – the reader. Our goal is to give you the best advice to help you make smart personal finance decisions. We follow strict guidelines to ensure that our editorial content is not influenced by advertisers. Our editorial team receives no direct compensation from advertisers, and our content is thoroughly fact-checked to ensure accuracy. So, whether you’re reading an article or a review, you can trust that you’re getting credible and dependable information.
You have money questions. Bankrate has answers. Our experts have been helping you master your money for over four decades. We continually strive to provide consumers with the expert advice and tools needed to succeed throughout life’s financial journey.
Bankrate follows a strict editorial policy, so you can trust that our content is honest and accurate. Our award-winning editors and reporters create honest and accurate content to help you make the right financial decisions. The content created by our editorial staff is objective, factual, and not influenced by our advertisers.
We’re transparent about how we are able to bring quality content, competitive rates, and useful tools to you by explaining how we make money.
Bankrate.com is an independent, advertising-supported publisher and comparison service. We are compensated in exchange for placement of sponsored products and, services, or by you clicking on certain links posted on our site. Therefore, this compensation may impact how, where and in what order products appear within listing categories. Other factors, such as our own proprietary website rules and whether a product is offered in your area or at your self-selected credit score range can also impact how and where products appear on this site. While we strive to provide a wide range offers, Bankrate does not include information about every financial or credit product or service.
This content is powered by HomeInsurance.com, a licensed insurance producer (NPN: 8781838) and a corporate affiliate of Bankrate.com. HomeInsurance.com LLC services are only available in states were it is licensed and insurance coverage through HomeInsurance.com may not be available in all states. All insurance products are governed by the terms in the applicable insurance policy, and all related decisions (such as approval for coverage, premiums, commissions and fees) and policy obligations are the sole responsibility of the underwriting insurer. The information on this site does not modify any insurance policy terms in any way.
2.4
Bottom line
Best for military members and their families to earn steady cash back.
Rewards rate
1%–5%Annual fee
$0Intro offer
N/ARegular APR
12.65% to 26.65% VariableRecommended Credit Score
Good to Excellent (670 - 850)The USAA® Cashback Rewards Plus American Express® card offers excellent cash back earning potential for spending on military bases and gas stations at 5 percent cash back for the first $3,000 spent each year (1% thereafter).
On the flip side, however, there’s no sign-up bonus or intro APR, making it a great card if you’re looking to earn steady cash back but not if you’re hoping to move current credit card debt or earn lump-sum cash back immediately.
The USAA Cashback Rewards credit card doesn’t have any sign-up or bonus offer. This means no extra cash back after you spend a certain amount in the first few months, and no intro APR to help reduce your interest payments.
While this may be off-putting for some potential applicants, it’s not all bad news—this USAA credit card offers steady cash back with extra perks for military members.
When it comes to rewards credit cards, the basics of this USAA offering is fairly middle-of-the-road.
You’ll get 1 percent cash back on general purchases, putting the card in line with most cash back cards. But cardholders also get 2 percent cash back on grocery purchases (up to $3,000 in purchases per year) along with 5 percent cash back on gas station and military base spending (also up to $3,000 in purchases per year).
While your cash back goes down to 1 percent in these categories when you reach the spending threshold, they reset annually.
Redeeming rewards is simple—just log into your account at USAA.com or through your mobile app and check your cash back amount, then choose the amount you’d like to redeem.
According to the USAA Cashback Rewards Plus program terms and conditions, cash can be redeemed for any amount in $1 increments starting at as little as $1. Your available cash back amount for any posted transactions is typically available within 48 hours after purchase.
The USAA Cashback Rewards card offers numerous benefits for military members and their families.
Rent a vehicle with your USAA credit card and enjoy complimentary coverage along with travel accident insurance.
Connect with USAA customer service 24/7 for questions about your card or help redeeming your cash back.
The last thing military members on leave or military families on vacation want to deal with is lost luggage. USAA offers peace of mind with baggage delay and reimbursement coverage.
Card members also have no liability for unauthorized transactions as well as security alerts when the account has strange activity.
The USAA Cashback Rewards Plus American Express card has no annual fee, no penalty APR and no foreign transaction fees. It does, however, have a 3 percent balance transfer and cash advance fee for each cash advance along with an up to $35 fee for late or returned payments.
While the USAA Cashback Rewards Plus American Express card offers solid cash back options for current and former military members and their families, how does it stack up against more traditional cash back cards?
Annual fee
$0Intro offer
N/ARewards rate
1%–5%Recommended credit
Good to Excellent(670 - 850)on Chase's secure site
Annual fee
$0Intro offer
Earn an Additional 1.5% Cash BackRewards rate
1.5%–5%Recommended credit
Good to Excellent(670 - 850)on Citi's secure site
Annual fee
$0Intro offer
N/ARewards rate
2%Recommended credit
Good to Excellent(670 - 850)Consider the Chase Freedom Unlimited®, which offers a 0 percent intro APR on purchases for 15 months (15.74 percent to 24.49 percent variable APR thereafter) along with welcome bonus worth up to $300 cash back- earn an extra 1.5% on everything you buy (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year). That’s 6.5% on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards®, 4.5% on dining and drugstores, and 3% on all other purchases.
The Citi® Double Cash Card is another good option that comes with 18 months of intro 0 percent APR on balance transfers (15.49 percent to 25.49 percent variable APR after intro period) plus up to 2 percent cash back—1 percent when you buy and 1 percent as you pay off your purchases.
While the USAA card can’t compete when it comes to 0 percent intro APR for purchases or balance transfers on either of these cards, it can come out ahead on extra cash back, especially if you’re currently stationed at a military base.
If you’re looking to partner up your USAA card, consider a travel points card for big trips or a 0 percent intro APR offer for large purchases.
While the USAA Cashback Rewards Plus card is a great choice for everyday spending, you’ll often get bigger benefits from travel-specific cards when booking flights and hotels—and if you’ve got a plan to pay down your balance, it’s worth considering an intro APR card to reduce your total interest.
If you’re looking for the best credit cards for military members and their families, USAA cards are a solid choice. But is the Cashback Rewards Plus the best USAA credit card option available?
If steady cash back with the added bonus of gas station and military multipliers is your preference, the USAA Cashback Rewards Plus card is a great choice that offers no annual fee, solid APR for well-qualified applicants and cash multipliers that roll over every year.
The information about the USAA® Cashback Rewards Plus American Express® 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.
Share