AwardWallet receives compensation from advertising partners for links on the blog. The opinions expressed here are our own and have not been reviewed, provided, or approved by any bank advertiser. Here's our complete list of Advertisers.
This is one of more than 100 card reviews we have on AwardWallet. If you're looking for a review of a particular card, see our full list of card reviews.
The United Services Automobile Association (USAA) offers insurance and banking products exclusively to active members of the military, veterans, and their families. Among the offerings is the USAA Eagle Navigator® Credit Card, which is a travel card with an annual fee of just $95.
Cardholders receive a variety of benefits and an impressive earning potential, making it a solid option for current and former military members looking to access credit. Let's go over the details to help you decide if it's right for you.
- Must be a USAA® member, or become a member, to apply. USAA proudly offers membership to current and former military, as well as their spouses and dependents.
- Intro Offer: Earn 30,000 bonus points ($300 travel value) after spending $3,000 on qualifying purchases within 90 days of account opening.
- 3X points on travel purchases - triple your points on tolls, rideshares, hotels, vacation rentals, flights and more.
- 2X points on everyday purchases - double your points on groceries, gas, dining, bills and more.
- Earn 10,000 bonus points every year - applies after you complete eligible hotel or car booking. That's equal to a $100 travel value.
- Up to $120 credit towards TSA PreCheck® or Global Entry® fee every four years.
- Enjoy valuable travel benefits and protection, including Auto Rental Coverage, Travel Accident Coverage, Trip Interruption Coverage, Baggage Delay Reimbursement, Purchase Security and Cell Phone Protection.
- No foreign transaction fees.
- Points never expire for the life of the account and there are no spend caps on point earning.
- Redeem points your way, on your schedule.
- A fee of 5% of the amount of each balance transfer, cash advance and convenience check applies.
- 19.15% to 27.40% variable regular APR.
- $95 annual fee.
- See Rates and Fees for details.
- Terms and Restrictions apply. See the Guide to Benefits and Reward Terms and Conditions on USAA's website for details.
- 3x points on travel purchases
- 2x points on everyday purchases
Page Contents
- USAA Eagle Navigator Card Pros
- USAA Eagle Navigator Card Cons
- USAA Eagle Navigator Card Welcome Bonus
- USAA Eagle Navigator Card Benefits
- USAA Eagle Navigator Card Earning Rates
- Redeeming Rewards With the USAA Eagle Navigator Card
- Application Restrictions
- Cards That Compete With the USAA Eagle Navigator Card
- Final Thoughts
- Solid earning potential
- Ability to earn annual bonus points
- TSA PreCheck or Global Entry application fee credit
- Has an annual fee of $95
- Limited benefits
- No way to maximize earnings through transfer partners
New USAA Eagle Navigator Card holders can earn the following welcome bonus: Earn 30,000 bonus points after spending $3,000 on qualifying purchases within 90 days of account opening.
This welcome bonus is mediocre at best. You can get a significantly higher welcome bonus by applying for other travel cards with the same annual fee, especially considering the minimal ways to redeem your points for maximum value.
Although the USAA Eagle Navigator Card is light on benefits, there are a few notable perks to watch out for.
Annual bonus points
You will earn 10,000 bonus points every year when you complete an eligible hotel or car rental booking. An eligible booking is a single booking made through the USAA Rewards center that includes at least $100 in spend, includes a hotel, car rental, or both, and redeems a minimum of 100 Points. It should be easy enough to earn these bonus points, which are equivalent to $100 in travel.
TSA PreCheck or Global Entry fee credit
You will receive a statement credit of up to $120 for the application fee for TSA PreCheck or Global Entry once every four years. This is a standard perk among premium credit cards, but you don't see it too often among cards with sub-$100 annual fees. If you aren't already a Global Entry member, it's absolutely worth it to sign up — especially when the fee is reimbursed.
Travel protections
Cardholders of the USAA Eagle Navigator Card receive a variety of travel protections like coverage for auto rentals (supplemental), travel accidents, trip interruptions, and baggage delays.
You'll also receive protection against theft or damage when you purchase items using your card, and coverage up to $500 in the event your cell phone is stolen or damaged. Plus, there are no foreign transaction fees, so it's a good card to take on a trip abroad.
Related: The Best Credit Cards for Purchase Protection
As a cardholder, you'll earn 3X points on travel and transit purchases and 2X points on everyday purchases. USAA keeps the travel and transit categories extremely broad. You'll earn 3X points on the following purchases:
- Airlines
- Hotels
- Motels
- Timeshares
- Vacation rentals
- Cruise lines
- Travel agencies
- Third party travel websites
- Car rental agencies
- Boat rentals
- Campgrounds
- Recreational trailer parks
- Motor home and recreational rentals
- Truck and trailer rentals
- Taxis
- Rideshares
- Limousines
- Buses
- Ferries
- Parking lots
- Parking meters and garages
- Tolls and bridge fees
- Passenger trains
With such wide definitions of what travel and transit are, you should be able to accrue a solid amount of points by using your card. On all other purchases, you'll earn two points, which is also fantastic.
Related: Best Credit Cards for Travel Purchases
Cardholders have a variety of ways to redeem rewards, but none of them are particularly lucrative:
- Shop with Rewards
- Travel
- Gift Cards
- Cash back in the form of a statement credit or deposit into your USAA Account
- Charitable donation
The value of each point will vary depending on your redemption method. However, rewards are generally worth 1 cent apiece when redeemed for travel or 0.7 cents apiece when redeemed for cash back. Unfortunately, USAA doesn't offer transfer partners, so there aren't any ways for you to maximize your rewards.
Application Restrictions
The biggest application restriction is that you need to be a USAA member to apply for this card. Joining the USAA is free, but you only qualify if you are a military member, veteran, employee of certain federal agencies, pre-commissioned officer, or a spouse or child of an eligible member.
Related: Understanding Rewards Credit Card Application Rules and Restrictions
If you don't think the USAA Eagle Navigator Card it's right for you, you have plenty of other options. Each of these cards come with an identical annual fee,
- If you want more travel benefits, then consider the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (Rates & Fees). It comes with a much higher welcome offer: Earn 75,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. Plus, you'll get a variety of benefits, including an annual hotel credit, comprehensive travel coverage, an annual bonus points. The best part? Access to more than a dozen airline and hotel transfer partners to maximize your rewards. Learn more about the Sapphire Preferred in our full review.
- If you value simplicity, then you might be better off with the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card. It also offers the application fee credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck. In addition, you'll enjoy Hertz Five Star status and access to several lucrative international transfer partners. Learn more about the Capital One Venture in our full review.
- If you want to earn more points on different types of purchases, then apply for the Citi Strata Premier® Card (Rates & Fees). It offers 10X points per $1 on hotels, car rentals, and attractions booked through CitiTravel.com; 3X points per $1 spent on air travel and other hotel purchases; and 3X points at gas stations, EV charging stations, restaurants, and supermarkets. You'll also receive a $100 annual hotel savings benefit on eligible Citi Travel bookings. Learn more about the Citi Strata Premier in our full review.
- 5X points on Lyft rides through September 2027
- 5X points on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠
- 3X points on dining at restaurants worldwide
- 3X points on eligible streaming services
- 3X points on online grocery purchases (excluding Target, Walmart, and wholesale clubs)
- 2X points on all other travel
- 1X point per dollar spent on all other purchases
- 5X miles per dollar on purchases through Capital One Entertainment (through 12/31/2025)
- 5X miles per dollar on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
- 2X miles per dollar on all other purchases
- 10X on Hotels, Car Rentals, and Attractions booked through CitiTravel.com
- 3X – Earn 3 Points per $1 spent on Air Travel and Other Hotel Purchases
- 3X – Earn 3 Points per $1 spent on Restaurants
- 3X – Earn 3 Points per $1 spent on Supermarkets
- 3X – Earn 3 Points per $1 spent on Gas and EV Charging Stations
- 1X – Earn 1 Point per $1 spent on All Other Purchases
Final Thoughts
The USAA Eagle Navigator Card might not be the most rewarding credit card on the market, but it is an option worth considering for military members and their families. If you are a frequent traveler, you'll love the broad travel and transit bonus earning category, but you might be disappointed with the lack of transfer partners. All in all, it's easy to justify the annual fee, but might not be the only card you'll want in your wallet.
- Must be a USAA® member, or become a member, to apply. USAA proudly offers membership to current and former military, as well as their spouses and dependents.
- Intro Offer: Earn 30,000 bonus points ($300 travel value) after spending $3,000 on qualifying purchases within 90 days of account opening.
- 3X points on travel purchases - triple your points on tolls, rideshares, hotels, vacation rentals, flights and more.
- 2X points on everyday purchases - double your points on groceries, gas, dining, bills and more.
- Earn 10,000 bonus points every year - applies after you complete eligible hotel or car booking. That's equal to a $100 travel value.
- Up to $120 credit towards TSA PreCheck® or Global Entry® fee every four years.
- Enjoy valuable travel benefits and protection, including Auto Rental Coverage, Travel Accident Coverage, Trip Interruption Coverage, Baggage Delay Reimbursement, Purchase Security and Cell Phone Protection.
- No foreign transaction fees.
- Points never expire for the life of the account and there are no spend caps on point earning.
- Redeem points your way, on your schedule.
- A fee of 5% of the amount of each balance transfer, cash advance and convenience check applies.
- 19.15% to 27.40% variable regular APR.
- $95 annual fee.
- See Rates and Fees for details.
- Terms and Restrictions apply. See the Guide to Benefits and Reward Terms and Conditions on USAA's website for details.
- 3x points on travel purchases
- 2x points on everyday purchases
For rates and fees of the cards mentioned in this post, please visit the following links: USAA Eagle Navigator® Credit Card (Rates & Fees), Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (Rates & Fees), and Citi Strata Premier® Card (Rates & Fees)
The comments on this page are not provided, reviewed, or otherwise approved by the bank advertiser. It is not the bank advertiser's responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.