USAA Rewards Visa Signature Card Review

Full Review of USAA Rewards Visa Signature Card

Pros Explained

• Minimal Fees: The USAA Rewards Visa Signature card is light on fees and charges. It doesn’t charge an annual fee, foreign transaction fees, or penalty APRs. USAA also waives the cash advance fee when transferring funds electronically to a USAA deposit account. Additionally, fees that are charged are on the modest side. Unlike with many cards, the cash advance and balance-transfer fees have no minimums, and instead simply charge a flat 3% of the transaction amount, regardless of the amount—which is a plus if you’re transferring or getting advanced smaller amounts.
• Well-Regarded USAA Customer Service: USAA has a fine track record for customer service. Since its offerings are limited to a certain population, USAA isn’t included in the rankings of J.D. Power’s 2021 U.S. Credit Card Satisfaction Study. If it were, though, it would top the list, with a J.D. Power score of 860 out of a possible 1,000—even higher than the scores for Discover and American Express.
• One-Time Offer With a Single Purchase: While its value is unspecified, the bonus with this card is easily obtained. While other cards may require you to spend hundreds or thousands of dollars to earn a one-time offer, it requires only a single purchase to earn the 2,500-point bonus of the USAA Rewards Visa Signature.
• Multiple Options for Redeeming Rewards: Cash back cards often limit your cash back options to a check, statement credit, or direct deposit. This card offers many other redemption choices, including airline travel, cruise travel, merchandise, gift cards, cash back and more.

Cons Explained

• Military Family to Qualify: This card is only available to current USAA members and those that can become USAA members. You can become a USAA member if you fall into one of the following categories: Active duty, National Guard and Reserve officer and enlisted personnel, Former spouses and adult children of USAA members, Officer candidates in commissioning programs
• Unclear (at Best) Rewards Value: The highest rewards earning rate on this card is only 2 points per dollar spent, and that is only for gasoline purchases and those made at restaurants. USAA does not identify the value of its point rewards. Other sources, though, have suggested it is low—no more than a cent per point, and sometimes less. If that is the case, this card falls short of the many that offer 2% (or even 1.5%) cash back on all purchases, not just those in certain categories.
• Small One-Time Offer, Even For a No-Annual-Fee Card: The value of this card’s one-time offer of 2,500 points is not clear. However, there’s reason to believe it could be worth no more than $25 or so. That’s far below the bonus values for many other cards, including some with no annual fee that offer bonuses worth $100 or more.

The USAA Rewards Visa Signature is best suited to military families who want a card with many options for redeeming point rewards.

USAA Rewards Visa Signature Card Bonus

The USAA Rewards Visa Signature offers a one-time offer of 2,500 points after you make your first purchase with the card. Worth no more than about $25, by some estimates, this bonus falls well short of those offered by some other rewards cards with no annual fee. That said, it’s a plus to be able to earn the bonus with your first purchase, rather than having to spend hundreds or thousands of dollars, as many cards require.

Rewards Earning Details

You earn 2 points per dollar spent on gas and dining purchases, and 1 point per dollar spent on all other purchases. Dining purchases are considered those made at merchants who primarily sell food to consumers, such as restaurants and fast food restaurants; alternatives such as supermarket deli counters may not qualify. Gas purchases are considered those made at merchants who primarily sell gasoline to consumers, which means that truck stop transactions are not eligible for the bonus rate.

As long as your account is in good standing, you can earn unlimited rewards points on all qualifying purchases. As with most cards, if your account is abusing the credit card rewards program, has suspected fraud or is in default, your ability to earn or redeem points may be limited or prevented. If you voluntarily close your account, you can redeem your points for 90 calendar days from the date your account is closed, but you must call 800-980-8722 to do so.

Rewards Redemption Details

You can redeem your rewards points for airline travel, merchandise, gift cards, cash rewards, or charitable contributions. You can do so by logging in to your USAA account and visiting the USAA Rewards Service Center or calling 800-980-8722. If you want to redeem your points for a cruise, you have to call 800-571-4208.

The value of your reward points varies based on the reward you choose, as it does for most points cards. USAA provides no information on the value of its points, at least that we could readily access online. 

If your account is in default or you are delinquent, you can only redeem your reward points for an account credit by calling 800-980-8722.

Transferring Points

As long as your account is open and in good standing, you or any cardholder may transfer the points earned with the account to any other cardholder with a USAA Rewards credit card. It appears that no transfers are possible to other loyalty programs.

How to Maximize Your Rewards

To quickly make the most of this card, make an immediate purchase to earn the one-time offer. Then put all gas and dining purchases on this card to earn 2 points per dollar spent on those purchases, the card’s highest rate.

When redeeming rewards, make sure to consider all redemption options to find the highest value at the time you redeem your rewards. You’ll need to call USAA for this information, since it is not provided to non-USAA members online. Be aware that redemption values may change without notice at any time, so it always pays to make sure you’re getting the highest value before you redeem your points.

USAA Rewards Visa Signature Card’s Outstanding Benefits

• Baggage-delay reimbursement: As long as you pay for your passenger fare with your credit card, you can get reimbursed up to $100 per day for up to 3 days for essentials, such as clothing and toiletries, should your checked baggage be delayed for four or more hours.
• Coverage for trip cancellation and interruption: If you pay for your non-refundable prepaid passenger fare with your card, you’re covered for up to $1,500 per person if your travel is canceled or interrupted for a covered reason.

Standard Benefits

• Secondary auto-rental collision damage waiver
• Concierge services for reservations and concert tickets
• Extended-warranty protection
• Travel-accident insurance
• Travel and emergency assistance

Cardholder Experience

USAA received a score of 860 out of a possible 1,000 in J.D. Power’s 2022 U.S. Credit Card Satisfaction Study. Despite this being the highest score in the survey, by 12 points, USAA was not included in the rankings because its availability is restricted to a certain population, in this case military families. 

You can contact USAA at 800-531-8722 or manage your account by using USAA’s iOS or Android apps. You can also send a secure message or chat with a representative online after logging in to your USAA account.

Security Features

USAA offers biometrics, Quick Logon, CyberCode text, and computer recognition, which the company claims are all industry-leading security measures.

If you’re a victim of identity theft, USAA has the standard benefits that should be able to help. Identity-theft resolution services can help you place fraud alerts, dispute incorrect information on your credit reports, get replacement cards, and more. The personal-identity-theft benefit can help reimburse you for up to $1,000 in covered expenses to help you restore your identity after a covered stolen identity event, too.

Final Verdict

The USAA Rewards Visa Signature isn’t a costly card; it doesn’t charge an annual fee, penalty APR, minimum interest charge, or foreign transaction fees. Some competing credit cards have one or more of these fees. However, the card offers a one-time offer and points rewards that, as best we could glean, are modest in value. Most potential applicants for this card would be better served by choosing a different one, including some other choices within the USAA family of cards.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Are the Rewards on USAA Signature Visa?

With a USAA Signature Visa, you can earn 2 points per dollar on dining out and gas, and one point per dollar on all other purchases. You can also earn 2,500 bonus points when you make your first purchase. There's no limit on the amount of rewards you can earn as long as your account is in good standing.

What Is the USAA Signature Visa Credit Limit?

Your credit limit with a USAA Signature Visa card will be at least $3,000. If you're approved for a credit limit of less than $3,000, USAA will issue you a Visa Platinum Credit Card that has the same terms and fees. Your exact credit limit is determined by USAA when you apply, but you can request a credit limit adjustment if you'd like it to be higher or lower.

Is It Hard to Get Approved for USAA Credit Card?

The first obstacle to getting approved for a USAA credit card is being a member of USAA first. Membership is only open to military families. If you're a member and you want to apply for a USAA credit card, you'll have the best chance of getting approved if you have a strong credit profile. However, USAA offers secured credit cards as well, which may be a better fit for beginners or people with limited or no credit history.

What Credit Score Does USAA Use?

USAA does not publish which credit scoring model they use, so it's wise to check with all three major credit bureaus to make sure there are no errors on your credit report. That way, you'll be confident that USAA will see an accurate credit history, whether it uses a FICO Bankcard Score, FICO Score 8, or another scoring model.