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USAA Cash Rewards® American Express® review

Megan Horner
Megan Horner
Last updated:  

Please note: This card has been discontinued, and it is not available on our site.

Discontinued product

This card has been discontinued, and it is not available on our site. Compare other credit cards or take Finder's credit card quiz to find one that fits your needs.

How to apply for the USAA Cash Rewards® American Express®

Eligibility criteria

  • You are a U.S. citizen or permanent resident of the U.S.
  • You are at least 18 years old
  • You are a member of the military, a veteran who was honorably discharged, or an eligible family member of military personnel

Required documents & information:

  • Your name, residential status, and residential address
  • Your Social Security number
  • Your email address, phone number, and date of birth

USAA Cash Rewards® American Express®

USAA continues its line of credit cards geared toward military service members and their families with the USAA Cash Rewards® American Express®. Active military members will benefit from a very low 4% interest rate on all balances for 12 months while on deployment, as well as complete rebates for finance charges while they are on military campaigns. And they and their families will enjoy a card with no annual fees and no foreign transaction fees.

Having the ability to earn up to cash back on purchases made with the card is a very attractive feature. So is Visa’s suite of perks, which includes rental car insurance, price protection and extended warranties, concierge services, and travel assistance. These benefits all round out a card that cardholders may be able to acquire at a purchase, balance transfer, and cash advance interest rate as low as 13.65%.

Benefits of the USAA Cash Rewards® American Express®

  • Possibility for a relatively low 13.65% interest rate. Based on your credit, you may qualify for a purchase, balance transfer, and cash advance APR as low as 13.65% variable.
  • No annual fee. You can use the USAA Cash Rewards® American Express® without having to maintain it with an annual fee.
  • No foreign transaction fee. You can use your card abroad without incurring foreign transaction fees.
  • Cash rewards. You can receive up to cash back based on your spending on everyday purchases.
  • No cap on cash rewards. You can earn as much cash back as your spending allows. Your cash rewards are also redeemable anytime.
  • Special benefits for military service members. Military service members on deployment enjoy additional benefits like a reduced 4% interest rate for up to 12 months on all balances and complete rebates on all finance charges while on military campaigns.
  • Rental car insurance. When you pay for a rental vehicle with the USAA Cash Rewards® American Express®, you will be covered for any damages to the vehicle.
  • Shopping benefits. The USAA Cash Rewards® American Express® offers price protection and extended warranties for your purchases.
  • Concierge service. Visa’s concierge service can help you find accommodations for dining, hotels, travel, entertainment, and special occasions. It can also provide everyday services like fulfilling household needs and sending reminders for important dates or events.
  • Travel services. The USAA Cash Rewards® American Express® comes with travel assistance for travel emergencies, medical needs, legal services, baggage delay, and more.

Features of the USAA Cash Rewards® American Express®

  • No grace period for cash advances or balance transfers. If you take out cash with the card or initiate a balance transfer, you’ll accrue interest immediately.
  • Balance transfer limit. You can initiate balance transfers up to of your credit limit.
  • Restrictions on balance transfers. Balance transfers from USAA accounts are not allowed.
  • Balance transfer and cash advance fees. Balance transfers and cash advances each come with a 3% transaction fee, capped at $200 per transaction. Cash advance fees are waived when you make electronic transfers to USAA accounts.
  • Only for members of the military and their family members. To qualify for the card, you need to be an active military member, a veteran who was honorably discharged, or an eligible military family member.
  • Sliding APR scale. Depending on your credit, you could qualify for a purchase, cash, and transfer variable APR as low as 13.65% or as high as 27.65%.

Compare other rewards credit cards

Data indicated here is updated regularly
Name Product Welcome offer Rewards Annual fee Filter values
Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express
Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express
$200 after spending $1,000 in the first 3 months
2% at US gas stations and select US department stores, 3% at US supermarkets on up to $6,000 per year, then 1% after that and on all other purchases
$0
Get 3% cash back on groceries on up to $6,000 annually (then 1%) with no annual fee. This is a simple and effective rewards card. Rates & fees
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Chase Freedom Flex℠
Chase Freedom Flex℠
$200 after spending $500 in the first 3 months, plus 5% cash back at grocery stores on up to $12,000 in the first year
5% back in rotating categories up to $1,500 combined each activated quarter (then 1%), 5% on travel purchased through Chase, 3% on dining and drugstores, and 1% on all other purchases
$0
Get up to 5% cashback in rotating and newly added everyday categories. The refreshed Freedom Flex card has lots of earning potential.
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Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express
Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express
$300 after spending $3,000 in the first 6 months (Offer expires 12/10/2020)
6% on select US streaming services, 3% on transit and US gas stations, 6% at US supermarkets on up to $6,000 annually, then 1% after that and on all other purchases
$0 intro annual fee for the first year ($95 thereafter)
Perfect for families: Get up to 6% on everyday purchases and a welcome offer worth $300. This heavy-hitter rewards card has uncontested value. Rates & fees
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Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
80,000 points after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months, a value of up to $1,000 through Chase Ultimate Rewards
5x points on Lyft, 2x points on travel and dining and 1x points on all other purchases
$95
Earn a huge signup bonus worth $$1,000 with this popular travel card. Combine with other Chase Ultimate Rewards cards for even greater value.
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Citi® Double Cash Card
Citi® Double Cash Card
N/A
Up to 2% cash back on purchases (1% when you buy plus 1% as you pay)
$0
Earn up to 2% on every purchase with no annual fee. This is the highest flat-rate cashback card on the market.
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American Express® Gold Card
American Express® Gold Card
60,000 points after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months
3x points on directly-booked flights; 4x at restaurants; 4x at US supermarkets on up to $25,000 annually (then 1x points)
$250
Earn up to 4x points on select purchases, a bevy of travel perks, and a welcome offer worth up to $600 with this upper-mid tier travel card. Rates & fees
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Chase Freedom Unlimited®
Chase Freedom Unlimited®
$200 after spending $500 in the first 3 months, plus 5% cash back at grocery stores on up to $12,000 in the first year
5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase, 5% on Lyft, 3% on dining and drugstores and 1.5% on all other purchases
$0
This solid 1.5% cashback card gets even better with the addition of up to 5% back in categories like travel, drug stores and dining.
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Petal 2 “Cash Back, No Fees” Visa® Credit Card
Petal 2 “Cash Back, No Fees” Visa® Credit Card
N/A
Up to 10% cash back from select merchants, on other purchases earn 1% back, 1.25% after six on-time payments and 1.5% after 12 on-time payments
$0
Build your credit with rewards and no fees: Apply if you're new to credit or have a fair to good score of 600 or higher. See if you prequalify with no impact to your score.
Apply now
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Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi
Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi
N/A
4% at gas stations on up to $7,000 annually (then 1%), 3% at restaurants and on travel, 2% at Costco and 1% on all other purchases
$0
An impressive cashback card that offers up to 4% back on everyday purchases like gas, travel and dining all for the cost of a Costco membership.
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American Express Cash Magnet® Card
American Express Cash Magnet® Card
$150 after spending $1,000 in the first 3 months
1.5% cash back on all purchases
$0
With 1.5% back on everything and a 15 months intro APR on purchases, this no-annual-fee rewards card makes it simple to earn more rewards. Rates & fees
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Chase Sapphire Reserve®
Chase Sapphire Reserve®
50,000 points after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months
10x points on Lyft rides, 3x points on dining and travel after earning your $300 travel credit and 1x points on all other purchases
$550
Get a generous $300 in annual travel credits, 3x points on travel and dining, and a 50% bonus on point redemptions with Chase's premier card.
Apply now
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Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card
Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card
50,000 miles after spending $2,000 in the first 3 months until 10/28/2020
2x miles on Delta purchases, restaurants and at US supermarkets and 1x miles on all other purchases
$0 intro annual fee for the first year ($99 thereafter)
With a welcome offer worth up to $600, up to 2x miles on select purchases, and assorted Delta perks, this is a strong choice for Delta fans. Rates & fees
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Hilton Honors American Express Card
Hilton Honors American Express Card
80,000 points after spending $1,000 in the first 3 months
7x points on Hilton Honors purchases, 5x at US restaurants, US supermarkets and US gas stations, 3x on all other purchases
$0
With a massive welcome offer for a no-annual-fee card and up to 7x points at Hilton, this is a solid pick for Hilton fans and occasional travelers. Rates & fees
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CardMatch™ from creditcards.com
CardMatch™ from creditcards.com
See terms
See terms
See terms
Use the CardMatch tool to find cards you're likely to qualify for with your credit score, without a hard pull on your credit.
See offer
View details
Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card
Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card
40,000 points after spending $1,000 in the first 3 months
2x points on Southwest and Rapid Rewards hotel and car rentals and 1x points on all other purchases
$149
Earn 40,000 points after you spend $1,000 in the first 3 months of account opening.
See offer
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Credit One Bank® Visa® with Free Credit Score Access
Credit One Bank® Visa® with Free Credit Score Access
N/A
1% cash back on all purchases or in categories based on Credit One Bank’s discretion
$0 to $99
Get 1% cash back on all purchases or in categories based on Credit One Bank’s discretion.
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Credit One Bank® Unsecured Visa® with Cash Back Rewards
Credit One Bank® Unsecured Visa® with Cash Back Rewards
N/A
1% cash back on all purchases or in categories based on Credit One Bank’s discretion
$0 to $99
Earn 1% cash back on all purchases or in categories based on Credit One Bank’s discretion.
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Credit One Bank® Unsecured Visa® for Rebuilding Credit
Credit One Bank® Unsecured Visa® for Rebuilding Credit
N/A
1% cash back on all purchases on eligible purchases
$0 to $99
Earn 1% cash back on all purchases or in categories based on Credit One Bank’s discretion.
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Official NASCAR® Credit Card from Credit One Bank®
Official NASCAR® Credit Card from Credit One Bank®
N/A
Up to 1% cash back on eligible purchases determined by Credit One and double cash back at the NASCAR Shop
$0 to $99
Get up to 1% cash back rewards on eligible purchases determined by Credit One and double cash back rewards at the NASCAR Shop.
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Delta SkyMiles® Blue American Express Card
Delta SkyMiles® Blue American Express Card
10,000 miles after spending $500 in the first 3 months
2x miles at restaurants and on direct Delta purchases and 1x miles on all other purchases
$0
Earn 2x miles on Delta purchases and dining with this simple, entry-level Delta card, and pay no annual fee. Rates & fees
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Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card
Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card
130,000 points after spending $2,000 in the first 3 months
12x points on Hilton Portfolio spending, 6x at US restaurants, US supermarkets and US gas stations, 3x on all other purchases
$95
With a big welcome offer worth up to $650, up to 12x points on spending, and free Gold status, this is an upgrade from the entry Hilton card. Rates & fees
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2 Comments

  1. Default Gravatar
    Bob
    July 21, 2017

    I have three high interest credit cards with balances I’d like to transfer to your Visa Signature card. The total of all the balances = $21,000 and my credit score is 756. I’m a Navy veteran, honorably discharged in 1977. Would I be eligible for this card and would I be able to transfer that much of a balance?

    Reply
    • Avatarfinder Customer Care
      Adrienne
      July 21, 2017

      Hi Bob,

      Your situation sounds like one where a balance transfer credit card might help. USAA states that the credit limit they might extend to you is dependent upon your application criteria and credit history. If your application is approved and the credit limit you are granted high enough, you can use up to 95% of that credit limit for transferring your balances.

      As a Navy vet (thank you for your service!) you are eligible for a USAA membership. You can apply for membership at the same time as you apply for your new card.

      I hope this information was helpful.

      Cheers,

      Adrienne

      Reply
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