Navy Federal Credit Union Visa Signature® Flagship Rewards card review

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.