PenFed Pathfinder® Rewards Visa Signature® Card review

How to apply for the PenFed Pathfinder® Rewards Visa Signature® Card?

1. Go to the provider's site and click Apply now.
2. Select the PenFed Pathfinder® Rewards Visa Signature® Card from the list and click Apply Now.
3. Complete the form with the required information.
4. Review your application and submit it.

What credit score do I need?

You can get the card with a credit score in the low 600s. However, it’s best to apply with a good to excellent credit score of 670 or higher to qualify for the lowest APR and a higher credit limit.

PenFed typically pulls your credit report from Equifax as part of its approval process.

How long will it take to get my PenFed Pathfinder® Rewards Visa Signature® Card?

Because PenFed automates conditional credit card approval online, you may get a decision on your application within minutes. If there are issues with your application, it may take a few days to a few weeks to hear back.

On approval, your card should arrive by mail within 10 business days.

PenFed Pathfinder® Rewards Visa Signature® Card benefits

• Welcome offer. Earn 50,000 bonus points — a value of around $250 — after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 90 days your account is open.
• Annual air travel credit. Get $100 in air travel credit every year. Use it to cover baggage fees, lounge access, flight changes, pet-kennel fees, phone reservations and in-flight food and beverage purchases.
• Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee credit. You’ll get an $100 TSA PreCheck or $100 Global Entry application credit every five years to help you clear airport security lines faster.
• Earn points. Get 4x points if you’re a PenFed Honors Advantage Member — 3x points if you’re not — on all travel purchases. Travel purchases include airfare, hotels, car rental, cruises, travel agency purchases, commuter transportation, taxi, Uber, Lyft, bus lines, tour operators, tolls, tourist attractions and more. This is way more extensive than what other cards include in travel category. You also earn 1.5x points on all other purchases, a slightly higher rate than the standard 1x points offered by competitor cards.
• No annual fee for Honors Advantage members. You get all these cool features without paying an annual fee as long as you are an Honors Advantage member.
• No foreign transaction fee. When you travel abroad, use your card freely without incurring any foreign transaction fees. Other cards charge fees of up to 3% for each transaction.
• Intro APR period on balance transfers. Get a 0% intro APR on balance transfers for 12 months when you make the transfer before a rolling deadline. After that, a variable APR of 17.99% applies. Note that a 3% balance transfer fee applies.

What to watch out for

• No intro APR for purchases. The PenFed Pathfinder® Rewards Visa Signature® Card doesn’t have an intro APR period on purchases. You’ll start with a variable APR of 14.99% to 17.99%.
• Balance transfer limitations. The intro APR on balance transfers is valid only if you make your transfers by the rolling deadline.
• High fees and penalties for late payments. You’ll pay fees of up to $25 for late payments. If you don’t make the minimum payment within 60 days after its due date, you could be stuck with a penalty APR of 17.99% variable. To remove the penalty APR, you must make three consecutive on-time payments.

Compare travel credit cards

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Name	Product	Welcome offer	Rewards	Annual fee	Filter values
American Express® Gold Card		60,000 points after spending $4,000 in the first 6 months	4x at restaurants including delivery and Uber Eats; 4x at US supermarkets on up to $25,000 annually (then 1x points), 3x points on directly-booked flights and 1x points on all other purchases	$250		Rose Gold is Back Earn up to 4x points on select purchases, a bevy of travel perks, and a welcome offer worth up to $600 based on our valuation with this upper-mid tier travel card. Terms apply, see rates & fees	Apply now View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
The Platinum Card® from American Express		100,000 points after spending $6,000 in your first 6 months, plus 10x points at restaurants worldwide and when you Shop Small in the US on up to $25,000 in combined purchases in the same timeframe	10x points at restaurants worldwide and when you Shop Small in the US on up to $25,000 combined in the first 6 months, 5x points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel, 5x points on directly-booked flights on up to $500,000 annually, then 1x points after that and on other purchases	$695		New Platinum Exclusive Offer One of the most valuable premium travel cards, featuring two welcome offers worth up to $7,000 based on Finder's valuation, multiple travel credits and unrivaled lounge access. Terms apply, see rates & fees	Apply now View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant™ American Express® Card		75,000 points after spending $3,000 in the first 3 months. Plus, earn up to $200 in statement credits for eligible purchases at US restaurants within the first 6 months	6x Marriott Bonvoy points for each dollar of eligible purchases at hotels participating in the Marriott Bonvoy™ program, 3x at US restaurants and on flights booked directly with airlines and 2x for all other purchases	$450		Earn 75,000 bonus points when you spend $3,000 or more within your first 3 months. Terms apply, see rates & fees	Apply now View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...

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PenFed Pathfinder® Rewards Visa Signature® Card reviews and complaints

As of February 2021, the Better Business Bureau rates Pentagon Federal Credit Union an A+, though it’s not yet accredited. Customers on BBB’s site have left 79 reviews at the time of writing, resulting in a composite score of 1.19 out of 5 stars. Most user complaints cite long wait times on customer support numbers. Other than that, they consider this a solid travel rewards card.

I got the card. Now what?

• Download the PenFed mobile app. With the app, you can make manual payments, set up autopay, transfer balances and more.
• Avoid interest. After the close of each billing cycle, you have a grace period of at least 25 days to pay your balance. If you do, you won’t pay interest on your purchases.
• Enroll in Visa Purchase Alerts. Stay on top of spending and fraud with real-time notification by email or text after each transaction involving your card.
• Get help. Contact PenFed customer service at 1-800-732-8268 or info@hq.penfed.org with questions.

Bottom line

The PenFed Pathfinder® Rewards Visa Signature® Card is an exceptional travel rewards card that lets you earn points for long-distance travel and everyday commuting by taxi, Uber, bus and more. And the best thing: With the PenFed Honors Advantage membership, it costs you nothing to own the card.

Your spending may not exactly align with what this card has to offer, however. Compare your credit card options to find out with different features or categories more relevant to your spending.

Images: PenFed.org