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Offers for the Preferred Cash Rewards Credit Card and USAA Rewards™ Visa Signature® Credit Card are not available through this site. Some offers may have expired. Please see our card marketplace for available offers
The Preferred Cash Rewards Credit Card offers 1.5% cash back with no annual or foreign transaction fees. The USAA bank and its respective credit card products are only available to active military, veterans, and their eligible family members. In addition to credit cards, the bank also offers checking and savings accounts, mortgages, auto loans, and more.
Earning and redeeming cash-back rewards is straightforward, but this USAA credit card does come with some worthy perks, including select travel benefits.
Here are the details you need to know about the Preferred Cash Rewards card 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.
- Limited Time Offer: Cash back match - earn 3% in your first year on the first $15,000 in purchases. After that, earn unlimited 1.5% cash back on purchases, no category restrictions and no caps.
- Auto Deductible Reimbursement (ADR) up to $200.
- No annual fee.
- Cash back rewards never expire.
- Redeem cash back your way, on your schedule.
- No foreign transaction fees.
- A fee of 5% of the amount of each balance transfer, cash advance and convenience check applies.
- 15.65% to 27.65% variable regular APR.
- Terms and Restrictions apply. See the Reward Terms and Conditions and the ADR Benefit Guide on USAA's website for details.
- See Rates and Fees for details.
- Earn unlimited 1.5% cash back on purchases, no category restrictions, no caps on cash back.
Page Contents
- Preferred Cash Rewards Pros
- Preferred Cash Rewards Cons
- Preferred Cash Rewards Visa Welcome Offer
- USAA Preferred Cash Rewards Benefits
- Preferred Cash Rewards Earning Rates
- Redeeming Rewards From the Preferred Cash Rewards
- Application Restrictions
- Cards That Compete With the Preferred Cash Rewards
- Bottom Line
Preferred Cash Rewards Pros
- Unlimited 1.5% cash back on qualifying purchases, with no category restrictions and caps.
- $0 annual fee.
- No foreign transaction fees.
- $200 reimbursement of your auto insurance deductible.
Preferred Cash Rewards Cons
- The card is only available to USAA members (current and former military, their spouses, and children).
- No bonus cash back earning categories.
- Minimum cash-back amounts are variable depending on the type of cash-back redemption selected.
- There is a transaction fee of 5% of the amount of balance transfers, convenience checks, and cash advances (the cash advance fee is waived when you transfer funds electronically from your credit card to your bank deposit account).
Preferred Cash Rewards Visa Welcome Offer
As a new applicant for this cash rewards Visa Signature card, you can earn 3% in your first year on the first $15,000 in purchases. After that, earn unlimited 1.5% cash back on purchases, no category restrictions and no caps.
This elevated first-year rate cash back makes the Preferred Cash Rewards one of the best cash back credit card offers available now, delivering strong value for everyday spending without any special requirements and a comparatively low spending requirement.
USAA Preferred Cash Rewards Benefits
The Preferred Cash Rewards has several benefits courtesy of its Visa Signature designation, including premium travel and purchase coverage. The card also offers additional perks that are unique to USAA.
Unlimited 1.5% cash back
Earn an unlimited 1.5% cash back on all purchases made with the Preferred Cash Rewards card. There are no category restrictions or caps on the cash back you can earn, and there is no minimum to redeem your cash back. Even better, the rewards you earn never expire.
Auto Deductible Reimbursement (ADR)
If you have a covered auto insurance loss and pay a deductible on your policy, this benefit can reimburse you up to $200 of that deductible. According to the card's ADR benefit guide, to qualify, you must have made at least eight purchases in the prior calendar month on your USAA credit card.
Travel protections
If you're looking for security while traveling, the Preferred Cash Rewards card offers valuable travel protections in case of trip cancellation or interruption, starting with an auto rental collision damage waiver for 31 days worldwide.
Travel and emergency assistance provides 24/7 help if you experience an illness or emergency while traveling or working. This service also provides medical and legal referrals, prescription assistance, and travel planning.
The card gives up to $1,500 per covered person for non-refundable prepaid passenger fares when travel is interrupted or canceled. Travel accident insurance is also provided to cover you for loss of life or limb. For both benefits, just make sure you use the card to buy your ticket.
And, finally, you'll receive baggage delay reimbursement of up to $100 per day for up to three days.
Purchase protections
With the Preferred Cash Rewards, you can protect your new retail purchases for the first 90 days from the date of purchase. The benefits include replacements, repairs, and reimbursements of up to $1,000 per claim and $10,000 per cardholder in the event of theft or damage.
You'll also receive extended warranty protection, up to one additional year, on an original U.S. manufacturer's warranty of three years or less, zero liability on unauthorized purchases, and fraud monitoring for suspicious activity.
In addition, if you use your Preferred Cash Rewards to pay your monthly cell phone bill, the card offers cell phone protection, reimbursing up to $500 if your eligible cell phone is lost or damaged.
No Penalty APR
Many banks make you pay more in interest charges when you've had a late payment or if your account goes over the credit limit. This is not the case for USSA cards, which offer no penalty APRs.
On another note, the card does offer a variable regular APR for purchases, balance transfers, and cash advances. In addition to a transaction fee of 5% of the amount of balance transfers, convenience checks, and cash advances.
Preferred Cash Rewards Earning Rates
The Preferred Cash Rewards Credit Card earns an unlimited 1.5% cash back on all purchases. There are currently no bonus categories.
USAA offers ways to earn additional cash back from time to time, which is currently the case with the increased earning rate offer for the first year. However, cash back is not earned on balance transfers, cash advances, money orders or or similar cash-like transactions.
Redeeming Rewards From the Preferred Cash Rewards
You can redeem the cash back earned with the Preferred Cash Rewards card through the USAA Rewards Center for travel rewards, merchandise, and gift cards from select merchants, and as a charitable contribution to a participating charity.
You can also elect to receive your cash back as a statement credit to your eligible USAA account, either as a one-time redemption, to cover a purchase, or as a recurring redemption.
Application Restrictions
You must be a USAA member to apply for the Preferred Cash Rewards card. The following people qualify to become a member:
- Active and veteran members of the U.S. military
- Their spouses, children, and grandchildren
- Pre-commissioned officers are eligible to join USAA.
USAA offers bank accounts, home, auto, and life insurance, auto loans, and more. If you're unsure about whether you qualify for a USAA membership, click here to learn more.
Cards That Compete With the Preferred Cash Rewards
Preferred Cash Rewards may not be the right card for you, and that's okay. Here are some other great options to consider:
- If you prefer a USAA card that earns rewards instead of cash back, check out the USAA Rewards™ Visa Signature® Credit Card. This card earns 2x points on dining and at gas stations and 1x on everything else. You can redeem USAA points for air travel, cruises, merchandise, cash back, charities, or gift cards.
- If you prefer to earn travel rewards that you can transfer to partners, consider the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card. Hands down, this is one of the best cards for everyday purchases. You can redeem miles directly through Capital One Travel or maximize value by transferring them to a partner loyalty program. This card has a $95 annual fee.
- If you want a premium travel card with tons of perks, the Chase Sapphire Reserve® (Rates & Fees) might be the card for you. This is a premium card with the perks and annual fee to match. For a $795 annual fee, you get a $300 annual travel credit, airport lounge access, and more. Ultimate Rewards earned from the Sapphire Reserve can be redeemed for travel either directly through the Chase Travel℠ portal or transferred to various travel partners.
- 5X miles per dollar on purchases through Capital One Entertainment
- 5X miles per dollar on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
- 2X miles per dollar on all other purchases
- 8x points on all purchases through Chase Travel℠
- 4x points on flights and hotels booked directly
- 3x points on dining worldwide
- 1x points on all other purchases
Bottom Line
USAA members have a good cash-back credit card option in the Preferred Cash Rewards. The earning structure is simple, without any bonus categories. You also get auto deductible reimbursement and travel protections with the card. For the right person, this credit card can make a lot of sense; you'd be wise not to overlook this solid cash-back card and its competitive welcome offer for new card members.
- 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.
- Limited Time Offer: Cash back match - earn 3% in your first year on the first $15,000 in purchases. After that, earn unlimited 1.5% cash back on purchases, no category restrictions and no caps.
- Auto Deductible Reimbursement (ADR) up to $200.
- No annual fee.
- Cash back rewards never expire.
- Redeem cash back your way, on your schedule.
- No foreign transaction fees.
- A fee of 5% of the amount of each balance transfer, cash advance and convenience check applies.
- 15.65% to 27.65% variable regular APR.
- Terms and Restrictions apply. See the Reward Terms and Conditions and the ADR Benefit Guide on USAA's website for details.
- See Rates and Fees for details.
- Earn unlimited 1.5% cash back on purchases, no category restrictions, no caps on cash back.
For rates and fees of the cards mentioned in this post, please visit the following links: Preferred Cash Rewards Credit Card (Rates & Fees), and Chase Sapphire Reserve® (Rates & Fees)
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