AAA Member Rewards Visa Review

Full Review of AAA Member Rewards Visa

Pros & Cons

Pros Explained

• No annual fee: The AAA Member Rewards Visa doesn’t have an annual fee. This is in line with some other cash back cards, like Blue Cash Everyday from American Express and SavorOne Rewards from Capital One, that charge no annual fee and offer a 3% cash back category. This card also doesn’t charge a foreign transaction fee, making it a potential choice for international travel.
• One-time offer: Cardholders receive a $200 statement credit after spending $1,000 within the first 90 days of opening an account.
• Introductory offer on balance transfers: There's also a balance transfer offer on top of the bonus. It offers a 0% introductory APR for the first 12 billing cycles. Balance transfers must be made within the first 60 days of opening an account, and a balance transfer fee applies.
• Earn higher cash back at wholesale clubs: The AAA Member Rewards Visa features 2% cash back at wholesale clubs. This is a slightly different approach from other cards. Many other cards, like the Blue Cash Everyday, offer higher cash back earning at grocery stores but don’t include wholesale clubs. It's possible to earn 2% cash back on grocery store purchases with this card, as well as on wholesale club purchases.

Cons Explained

• No introductory APR on purchases: There's an introductory APR on balance transfers with this credit card, but the AAA Member Rewards Visa doesn’t have a 0% APR offer on purchases. 
• Doesn't waive the balance transfer fee for new cardholders: There's a 3% balance transfer fee, and this applies to transfers made under the introductory offer.
• Limits on points earned through AAA purchases: This card offers 3% cash back on AAA purchases, but there are restrictions on which purchases are eligible. A purchase won’t count toward the extra cash back if a cardholder buys an insurance policy through a AAA club but it isn’t underwritten by an AAA-owned affiliate or company. Some cardholders who make purchases through AAA might be disappointed to discover that they aren’t earning the higher 3% cash back rate as a result of these restrictions.

Who This Card Is Best For

The AAA Member Rewards Visa might be best for people who want a no-annual-fee card that pays a higher rate of cash back on travel.

Some credit cards that focus on travel, like the Chase Sapphire Preferred, charge an annual fee. Others, like the Bank of America Travel Rewards card, charge no annual fee but don't offer a higher earning level for travel. The Bank of America card pays a flat 1.5 points per dollar on all purchases.

This card also offers opportunities for 2% earning on everyday purchases such as groceries, gas, and drugstore items. It could be especially useful for people who do a lot of their shopping at wholesale clubs. Cards like the Capital One SavorOne offer 3% cash back on grocery purchases, but wholesale clubs are excluded from that. 

AAA Member Rewards Visa Bonus

New cardholders can receive a statement credit of $200 after spending $1,000 on the card within the first 90 days of opening their account.

Rewards Earning Details

This card offers tiered rewards:

• 3% cash back on eligible AAA and travel purchases
• 2% cash back on qualified grocery, gas, drugstore, and wholesale club purchases
• 1% cash back on other purchases

Bank of America expresses the earnings as cash back, but the rewards are technically paid in the form of points. So cardholders receive three points for each dollar spent on eligible purchases with the 3% cash back.

Rewards Redemption Details

It’s possible to redeem points for travel, cash back, AAA rewards vouchers, and gift cards. Cash back rewards can be in the form of a check, statement credit, or a deposit into a Bank of America account, including a Merrill Edge investment account. The cash back and deposit rewards have a value of one cent per point. Redemption values for other rewards vary according to the type of reward.

There are minimums to begin redeeming rewards. Airfare redemptions start at 2,500 points, and gift card redemptions start at 3,500. Cardholders must have at least 5,000 points in order to get cash back rewards or receive AAA vouchers.

It's important to note that points expire five years after the month in which they're earned, so it's possible to lose points if you don’t redeem them in time.

How to Maximize Your Rewards

One way to maximize your rewards is to use the AAA Member Rewards Visa in conjunction with other no-annual-fee credit cards. This card offers 3% cash back on travel so it can work well with cards that provide higher cash back in other categories. The Capital One SavorOne offers 3% cash back on dining and entertainment and the Amex Blue Cash Everyday offers 3% cash back on groceries.

The AAA Member Rewards card also offers 2% cash back at wholesale clubs, which could be an advantage if you often shop here. This card might also be useful as a backup for another card that imposes a limit on earnings. The Amex Blue Cash Everyday card pays 3% cash back only on up to $6,000 in grocery purchases during a year. After that, it pays just 1% cash back on groceries. Switching to the AAA card, which pays 2%, could be a smart move after that threshold has been met.

Standard Benefits

• $0 liability on fraudulent purchases
• No foreign transaction fee
• Supplemental rental collision insurance

Cardholder Experience

Bank of America, which issues the AAA Member Rewards Visa, came in fifth out of 11 national credit card issuers in J.D. Power's 2020 U.S. Credit Card Satisfaction Study. Its score was 805 out of 1,000. The national average score was 809.

It also rated second in the J.D. Power 2021 U.S. Credit Card Mobile App Satisfaction Study, with a score of 880 out of 1,000.

Bank of America offers customer service through the app as well as by phone. Customer representatives are available from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. EST Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. EST on Saturday, and from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. EST on Sunday.

Security Features

Cardholders aren’t held accountable for fraudulent purchases. Bank of America also offers access to a monthly FICO score, so cardholders can monitor their credit and take action if something appears suspicious. Cardholders can also opt in to receive account alerts by text or email.

Final Verdict

The AAA Member Rewards Visa offers relatively competitive travel rewards while charging no annual fee. It's also one of the few cash back cards that includes wholesale clubs in a higher rewards earning tier. This card could be a worthy addition to any wallet when used in conjunction with other cash back cards, like the Amex Blue Cash Everyday or the Capital One SavorOne.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

How much are AAA Visa points worth?

Bank of America, which issues the AAA Members Rewards Visa card, pays rewards in the form of points. It offers 3% cash back to members, so member cardholders receive three points for each dollar they spend on eligible purchases.

What can you do with AAA credit card points?

You can redeem points for travel, cash back, AAA rewards vouchers, and gift cards. But there are minimums to begin redeeming rewards. Cardholders must have at least 5,000 points to get cash back rewards. Points also expire after five years. They become useless if you hold onto them for too long.

What are the AAA Visa Rewards?

The AAA Visa offers tiered rewards. Non-members get 3% cash back on eligible AAA and travel purchases, 2% cash back on qualified grocery, gas, drugstore, and wholesale club purchases, and 1% cash back on other purchases. Most other rewards cards don't include wholesale club purchases.

How do I redeem my AAA Member Rewards Visa points?

You can claim your cash back rewards by check or a statement credit, or you can have the money deposited into a Bank of America account. Just go to AAAnetaccess.com or to the Bank of America Mobile Banking application to redeem your points. You can also call 1-888-271-6987 or visit a AAA location.

Methodology

We objectively assess, score and weigh nearly 100 individual card features to rate credit cards. This rolls up into five major feature sets: fees, interest, rewards, benefits and security/customer service. You can read the full version of our methodology for a more in-depth look at how we assess cards and award them the best in various categories.